The Girl he Wants

57- Dead Right Now.

***ELIZABETH'S P.O.V***

Elizabeth awakens to the touch of Ruth's fingertips bracing her arm, but Elizabeth doesn't move. Instead, she attempts to remain as still as possible to make her best friend believe that she is completely out of it and won't be wakened anytime soon.

She had stayed up late last night because once she and Asher had finally returned to the hospital with clothes, they had to take Jay to the hotel and get him to bed. Of course on the way there and in the elevator they had to explain every single part of the story and emphasize the part about lying to all of their friends about what really happened.

Jay somehow was able to understand after they had told him everything. Maybe there is a part of him that never wants to talk about what happened. There's definitely a part similar to it that rests inside Elizabeth, somewhere uncomfortably in her heart.

"Hey... It's already nine. Gotta get up girl. It's our last day." Ruth says to Elizabeth in a smooth, low voice. "Everyone is downstairs, finishing up breakfast. I tried not to wake you because I knew you were out late, but if you want breakfast you only have a little time to get some."

Elizabeth sighs, but she doesn't open her eyes. "I'm okay without breakfast. Sleep is better."

Elizabeth can literally feel the shift in mood as her friend replies, sounding like her lips are moving with a smile. "Well, you have to get up anyways. We're going to take the bus to go sightseeing one last time."

"Nooo..." Elizabeth turns over, away from the sound of Ruth's raspy voice. "I don't wanna."

"You have to." Ruth argues. Then, her tone changes as she clears her throat and says, "Finn told us what Asher said on the phone about Jay's attackers coming back to kill him."

With her heart skipping a beat, Elizabeth listens closely. "I don't know exactly what happened... Like, if you were there or how bad it was, but I need to let you know that I'm here for you... Okay?"

Elizabeth takes a long, slow breath in and recalls every single event from last night. Half of her wants to spill her guts about the whole thing and let it all out, but the smarter half is the one to push herself into a sitting position. Opening her tired eyes and smiling, Elizabeth embraces Ruth and whispers, "Thanks, girl."

Ruth hesitates, probably expecting more, and then hugs her back.

***JAY'S P.O.V***

"I thought you had one more day." Mr. Gaz steps beside Jay in the once empty elevator. Jay sends him a look and then glances down. The shirt he wears covers up his scars, but it doesn't matter. Either way, the story is set. The men came back to kill Jay and got caught. End of story.

"Yeah, well, let's just say I wasn't going to last another day in that place." Jay mumbles his response as he leans against the wall of the elevator car and stares at the floor.

"What do you mean?" The classic, worried expression that Mr. Gaz normally wears become plastered across his face.

And it only worsens when Jay says, "My attackers came back to finish the job. If it wasn't for the armed guard posted outside of my room, I'd be as good as dead right now."

Jay watches Mr. Gaz visibly swallow. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thank God. Asher and Elizabeth convinced the doctor to get me the hell out of that place." Jay mutters as the elevator doors swing open. They step out onto their floor, stalking across the red carpet until Jay stops short and sees Elizabeth step out of her hotel bedroom.

Mr. Gaz continues walking, but Jay freezes up. The memory of her being suffocated plays through his mind, as well as every other horrid memory, like the one of her having to carry his body as a bloody deadweight to find help after he'd been stabbed.