“It is important.” I was pretty sure him kidnapping me was illegal. Locking me up here? Stealing organs from me? It was very important. And he couldn’t hide from me forever in his apartment, even if there were a million rooms to hide in.
“If you relay it to me, I’ll make sure he receives a message about it. But today’s not a good day.”
I just gaped at her. Not a good day? He couldn’t even bother to take a message from me? Seriously? My kidney had saved his life. He at least owed me a conversation. “It’s just a quick phone call.”
“All the arrangements had to be made immediately. Can you imagine how exhausted he is after the surgery and all that?” Her eyes grew round like she’d said too much.
“All…what?” I asked.
“If you’ll excuse me.”
“What arrangements?”
She hurried to the door.
“Wait!” I yelled. “You can’t keep me here!” I jumped off the bed, but she pulled the door closed before I could make a run for it. “Let me out!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. “Someone help me!”
But there was no answer.
I banged on the door. “Can anyone hear me?”
No response.
I banged on the door harder. “Someone please help me!”
But there was no response.
“Someone help me,” I sobbed and let my body fall to the floor. I slammed my palm against the door. “Please.” I let my forehead rest against the door as I continued to hit it with my palms. Someone out there had to have a heart. Please.
***
I was being lifted into the air. Someone was cradling me in their arms. I blinked but the room was pitch black.
They set me down on my bed.
“Brooklyn?” said a deep voice. A voice I recognized.
“Miller!” I wanted to hug him and cry and scream for joy all at once. I’d needed a familiar face desperately. And it was like my prayers had been answered.
“Shhh. I’m not supposed to be in here.”
I pushed myself up into a seated position. “Miller, you have to get me out of here.” I tried to climb back off the bed but he put his hand down on my thigh.
“I can’t.” His voice broke. “I’m sorry, Brooklyn, I can’t.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you mean? I never gave my dad permission to do this. He can’t keep me locked up here. I want to go home. Please, you have to get me out of here.” I reached out for him in the darkness. He hissed when my hand collided with his shoulder. It sounded like he was holding back a cry of pain.
Tears started welling in my eyes. There was only one reason why Miller would make that noise. And even though I couldn’t see his face in the darkness, I knew. I swallowed hard. “What did he do to you?” My dad had taught Miller a lesson recently. And he was only just finally healing. What had my father done to him now?
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’m more concerned about you. I thought I heard you yelling earlier. But I had to wait to sneak in. Are you in pain?”
He was always way more concerned about me than himself.
“Just tell me where it hurts,” he said.
I was in pain. But not from my surgery. My chest ached every day. My heart was breaking. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. “Everywhere.”
He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair. “I’m going to go get the nurse, okay? She can give you something.”
“No. Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m not even supposed to be in here.”
“Please. Don’t go.” I caught his hand before he had a chance to flee. And I felt it. I felt what I always felt when I was around him. This undeniable sense of comfort. And it had been so long since I felt safe that I started to cry.
“Brooklyn.” His voice cracked.
“Please just stay. For just another minute.”
He squeezed my hand.
And even though he had to leave…he stayed. Because he cared about me. Because Miller did have my back.
“Just another minute,” I mumbled. I was finally tired. And a little hungry. It was like his hand in mine had restored me somehow. And I hoped to God he wouldn’t let go.
Chapter 7
Friday
When I woke up, Miller was no longer sitting by my bed. And I had the strangest feeling that I’d imagined the whole thing. Just so I could finally sleep. I remembered all the times I’d snuck into Miller’s room at night when I was living with my dad. I couldn’t sleep in my room there. But I could always fall asleep in his arms. And he had always let me.
I looked down at my hand that he’d been holding. If it was a dream…why had I dreamt of Miller instead of Matt? It was easy to fall asleep in Matt’s arms too. He was there for me after my uncle died. He’d held me as I cried. But he’d never been there for me when I was scared.
I pulled my knees into my chest. Last night wasn’t a dream. If it was…certainly I would have dreamt of Matt. And besides, if it had actually happened…that meant Miller was here. Wherever here was. Which meant he might come back tonight to check on me. It was the only hope I had to hang on to.
***
I had no idea what time it was. Not having a window in my room was driving me crazy. Or maybe I was already crazy…and that’s why I was locked up in here.
I sighed and stared at the door. The nurse had already been by with breakfast and lunch, so she’d be by with dinner eventually. Not that I wanted any of it. I just wanted it to be nighttime again and for Miller to walk through that door.
So I waited.
And waited.
The food came and went.
I kept staring at the door, wishing for Miller to walk through it.
But Miller didn’t come.
Eventually, I switched the lights off.
I was just beginning to think I really had imagined him coming when the door creaked open.
I sat up in my bed. “Miller?”
“Shhh,” he whispered as he closed the door.
I breathed a sigh of relief. He was real. He was here. And I had a million questions for him. “Where are we? Is this a hospital or some recovery center or something? Did my dad hurt you again? Did you know he was going to take my kidney? Is that why you seemed surprised when I signed the contract? Where is my dad? Has he stolen other people’s organs? The nurse mentioned him making arrangements for something. What was she talking about?”
“Move over, kid,” he said without answering any of my questions.
I hated when he called me that. But I slid to the edge of my bed and smiled as he climbed in beside me. He lay down, resting his head next to mine. The warmth radiating off his body comforted me.
“You’re shaking,” he said, looping an arm across me. “Are you cold?”
I didn’t realize I had been shaking. But I immediately stopped when he put his arm around me. He was doing that thing again…where being close to him was making me relaxed and sleepy. But I couldn’t believe I’d just fallen asleep last night when I needed answers. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. “You didn’t answer any of my questions.”
“I told you to read the whole contract. How do you think I got stuck in a job I can’t get out of?”