Despite my protests and reassurances that I was fine, Chan banned me from the show tonight. He also forbade me from leaving the hotel room. He left a few security detail with me and said that anything I needed could be retrieved by one of them and any food could be ordered from the hotel. I'd argued and reminded him that I was supposed to be his girlfriend, not a prisoner. He'd said that tonight I could be both and then left me here.
After attempting (and failing) to open the door myself or bargain my way out with the guard, I spent most of the evening watching reruns of Full House. It wasn't my first choice but I couldn't find the remote to change the channel. I cursed Chan again for leaving me here. I ordered room service and had a soup and salad and was ready to go to bed before Chan had gotten back.
The door opened and Chan walked in. He looked drained. He headed straight for a shower without saying anything.
Once he was done, he walked into the room in a towel hung low on his hips. His abs glistened from the remaining water, and he flashed a dimple at me when he noticed I was staring.
"Like what you see?" he asked.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Physically, he was the hottest person I'd ever seen.
"No," I said instead. He had still locked me here all night. He didn't deserve a compliment.
"Shame," he replied and grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt to put on. He returned a few minutes later when someone knocked at the door.
He opened it and brought in a plate with a burger and fries. I squinted at him in annoyance, and he ate as though he hadn't noticed.
"You shouldn't have left me here," I began.
"It did it for you," he argued.
"Locking me up like a princess in a tower isn't doing anything for me. I'd have told you if I couldn't handle going to the show."
"You've never gone to a show as my girlfriend. How would you know if you could've handled it?"
"Because I'm not an idiot," I informed him. "And I could've told you in the moment. You didn't even give me a chance to try."
"Told me in the moment and then what? Had me bring you back here and start the show late?"
I stared at him...I didn't know what I would've expected at that point.
"After this morning, I thought you needed a break," he explained. "The bus walks alone have been a lot for you. This would've been too much. You're welcome by the way."
"I'm not thanking you for holding me prisoner in your room."
"Our room," he corrected me.
"Your room," I fought. "I don't have a key to get in or out."
I crossed my arms and sat on the bed. Chan ate some of his meal.
"We made headlines today," he changed the subject.
I had been avoiding checking social media since so many comments were negative.
"'Idol Saves Girlfriend from Creep in Elevator'. They're calling me a hero," he informed me.
"How did they find out?" I hadn't seen anyone with a camera. Then again, I hadn't even realized at the moment that it was Chan who saved me.
"Apparently STAY hacked the hotel cameras."
The idea of people doing that weirded me out. Chan could see it on my face.
Chan shrugged. "It happens every now and then."
"So there's never privacy?" I couldn't imagine living under supervision 24/7.
"Nope," he replied. "That's why I left three security here. If they hacked the cameras then they know what rooms we're in."
That made me nervous. What if the man from downstairs figured out what room I was in? Chan must've been able to tell how worried I was.
"Don't worry. We'll have security outside all night."
I nodded, feeling a little better.
"You can't lock me up like that again," I said, still pissed that I'd had to spend my night under lock and key.
"I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not exactly able to just do whatever I want either," he spat. "At least in a couple of months, you can go back to being normal."
He stood and walked to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. I felt a little sad that he felt so confined. That feeling was soon overwhelmed by my exhaustion though, and I turned off my lamp and rolled over to go to sleep.
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The door creaked open. My eyes fluttered open, and I watched the man from the bar tiptoe inside. I peeked out from under the comforter. He walked closer and closer to my bed.
I glanced at Chan to see if he was awake to help me, but he wasn't there. I wanted to scream, run, anything, but I was paralyzed. It was like he was Medusa and had turned me to stone with one look.
He pulled down the comforter and tossed it to the ground.
"You thought you could run from me?" he growled.
I couldn't breathe. Every time I tried to inhale, my lungs wouldn't listen.
He put one knee on the bed and one hand on my calf. He crawled up and his hand moved with him.
"Stop!" I yelled.
His hand etched over my thigh and across my waist.
"Leave!" I shouted.
He grazed over my stomach and chest and, finally, wrapped his hand tightly around my throat.
"I don't want to," I cried out, attempting to kick him off of me.
"What's done is done," he snarled and everything went dark.
—————————————————————————
"Ella! Ella!" Chan shouted at me and my eyes popped open. I was hot and sweaty. I looked around anxiously for the man.
"Where is he?" I asked Chan as I continued scanning the room for clues about where he'd gone.
"Who?" he asked worriedly.
"The man from the elevator," I fretted.
"Ella, it was just a nightmare," he told me.
"No, no. He was here."
I'd felt him touch me. I'd looked into his eyes.
"Is everything okay?" the guard outside asked.
"We're fine," Chan answered.
He brought his hands up to cup my face and forced me to stare at him instead of searching around the room.
"It wasn't real," he said with conviction.
I saw my comforter on the floor.
"But he was..." I began, but Chan shook his head and interrupted me.
"It wasn't real"
I looked between his eyes and could tell he was telling the truth... at least what he thought was the truth.
"It wasn't real?" I repeated though it came out like a question.
"It wasn't real. You're safe," he whispered.
Some of the tension in my body released, and I dropped my forehead to his while I took deep breaths to calm myself down.
"It wasn't real," he said again, determined to make me believe it.
A few minutes later, I did believe him. I pulled my knees up to my chest and separated from him. I looked at the clock on my nightstand and saw that it was only 5 am.
"Sorry," I apologized.
"You don't have to be sorry," he insisted. "I was worried about you. You started yelling things in your sleep..." he trailed off as though it bothered him to remember.
I shook my head. I could still feel on my skin where his hands had touched me.
"It felt so real," I admitted.
"I know it did."