Kidnap My Heart

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Will and Emma

Kidnap My Heart

Chapter 27: Will and Emma

Will  

Emma fell asleep an hour into the car ride.  I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t notice until she started snoring. I never thought I’d find something like snoring so endearing, but I did. It was just a part of her.

By the time we got back to the house, she was completely conked out, and it wasn’t even nine o’clock yet. I didn’t want to wake her up, so I picked her up and carried her inside. Just like the first time I’d carried her back when I was re-kidnapping her, I marveled at how tiny and light she was. How had she managed to knock me out? How had she managed to one-up me so many times?  

Why was I even asking myself these questions? I knew how. It was because I didn’t dare hurt her, even if she hurt me. Not then, and definitely not now. It wouldn’t have been fair if I’d done anything to try to harm her. I was about a foot taller than her and what, sixty, sixty-five pounds heavier than her? I couldn’t. I may have gone through with this whole kidnapping thing to help my dad, but I didn’t want to become the stereotypical nightmarish kidnapper you saw in movies.

When I went inside, Taylor and Eric were in the living room. The TV was off for once, and I got the feeling I’d just interrupted something.

Sniffles jerked away from Eric. “What happened? Is she okay?”

“Oh, she’s just sleeping. She fell asleep on the way back.”

Her shoulders visibly sagged in relief. “You scared me.”

“Sorry,” I said. I headed up the stairs to my room and turned on the light with my elbow. I didn’t want to move too much and accidentally wake Emma up.

After carefully setting her down on the bed, I removed the hat, the wig, the sideburns, the eyebrows, and her shoes. I thought I would wake her up for sure when I took the eyebrows off, but she was completely out.

I’d just finished covering her with a blanket when she turned on her side and grabbed me by the hand, her soft fingers slowly intertwining with mine. I thought she’d woken up at first so I froze, but she was still fast asleep. She’d grabbed onto my hand subconsciously, and I didn’t want her to let go.

Sitting beside her sleeping figure on the bed, I looked down at her and at our joined hands. It was a nice way to end our day together; it was the best one we’d ever had. No pranks, no fighting—just me and her. All too soon, it was over. She shifted in position and laid on her back, letting go of me in the process.

Before I left, I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. It seemed like the natural thing to do. This had never seemed like the natural thing to do. Not once in all of my twenty-one years. I shook my head, my face still hovering over hers. “God, what are you doing to me, Rage?” I whispered.

***

Emma

Something happened while Will and I were gone. Something big. I could see it written all over Taylor’s face, and I could see it in her eyes. I could see it in Eric’s eyes and actions, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it at all.

It took a few attempts to get Taylor alone to talk to her about it, but I finally did the next afternoon. “We probably only have two minutes to talk before those two come barreling in to make sure we’re being watched over, so I’ll be quick,” I said in a low voice, guiding her to the nearest corner of the living room.

Taylor frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“What happened while Will and I were gone?”

“What do you mean?”