Love Bird. by Emily. Z. (story read aloud TXT) 📕

Ew.

The elevator stopped on the second floor, and when it opened, a man with dark hair and casual clothes stepped on. He nodded to me with a tight smile, and he was on the phone as he reached for the buttons. He paused as he noticed the third floor was pushed, and dropped his hand.

I leaned against the wall on the opposite side of him, trying not to listen to his conversation.

But hey, I'm nosy.

"No, nah she wasn't on second. I'm headed to third. Look I'm trying here! It's not so easy to find one girl in a place with four hundred rooms!"

His voice was quiet, and he wasn't looking at me. But I felt myself tense. I knew it wasn't likely that he was one of them. There was a one in a millionth chance that he could have been talking about me.

But what if? It never hurt to be paranoid, and as it stood, I was pretty damned sure that I had the right to be.

"Yeah. Yeah I'll call you if I find her. No, I didn't lose it! Look I know what she looks like so-,"

He was arguing now. I heard a slight jersey accent in his tone.

"Yeah. I'll call you," He snapped, and shut his phone.

I gave him a polite smile as he glanced at me, and the door slid open. I forced myself to keep calm and keep a steady pace as I made my way to my hotel. I was exposed, and noticeable, in my bright pajamas with my hair in a knot. I didn't want to bring any unnecessary attention to myself.

I listened as he stopped behind me, to knock on someone's door, and took in deep breaths as I fiddled with my key.

It took ages to reach my door, at least to me, and I slid my card in a bit of a hurry. My phone was broken. I had no way to call for help - my hotel phone was busted.

I turned the handle, but it didn't budge. Damn! I had slid the card too fast. I paused and let myself breathe for a moment. It may not have been anything. I could have been just freaking out. But my gut told me that something was very wrong, and I always listened to my gut.

Well, almost always.

I finally got the light to turn green, and turned the handle. I entered the room and shut the door behind me, flipping the lock over. I would pack my things, wait until he was down the hall a ways, and make my escape.

He would probably avoid my door, although he might check just to make sure. I had to prepare for that. I turned the shower on, and, despite my guilt for disturbing the neighbors, grabbed my ipod from it's place in my backpack and settled it on the counter, plugging it into my portable speakers. I put it on the loudest setting, and then rushed off to complete my task.

I would make him think I was preoccupied, and couldn't hear him.

Quickly I started to pack my things. I took my jacket from it's place on the bed and shoved it, rolled up, into my backpack. I knew I couldn't wear it if it was really me he was looking for.

I changed out of my pajamas and into Victor's shirt, and a pair of running shorts. I pulled my hair back into a pony tail and pulled on my hoodie over all of it, pulling my hair over my shoulder and tucking it into the collar.

I waited, tense, on the bed, listening for any sign that he would knock on my door. At least ten minutes passed, and just as I thought, he had seen me go in, and hadn't knocked. The perks of looking like shit was that no one recognized you.

I shouldered my backpack and walked back into the bathroom, where I carefully turned the shower off, before ever so slowly turning the sound down on my Ipod, and then finally off. I didn't want him to notice anything.

I shoved my things into my backpack, and then peeked out the peep hole. I didn't see anyone, but I still carefully opened the door and peeked out.

He was down the hall just a little ways, knocking on a door. I eased out, as his back was to me, and slowly shut the door just as the one he was knocking on opened. It was James. Or Jared. Jackson? I was so tense that I couldn't even remember his actual name.

He didn't notice me, thankfully, and neither did Mystery Man. I was a little bit down the hall, moving as discreetly as I could, but I looked back just in time to see Jared...Joseph? Oh it doesn't matter! He pointed down the hall to my door, and the man looked.

He did a double take as he noticed me, and abruptly turned, yelling, "Hey!"

But I was already booking it. I made it down to the end of the hall as I slammed into the buttons and started to press them frantically. I could hear him yelling to stop, but the doors slid open, thankfully very quickly, and I flew in, almost hitting every button but the close button. The elevator started to slide at a slow rate, and I bounced up and down, watching him advance just as the doors slid completely closed.

I waited with breath held as I watched the elevator descend. It seemed like ages before it actually happened, and the doors opened again.

I flew out, and shrieked when I hit another person.

I looked up at the disgruntled stranger, throwing him an apology as I shoved past him. My keys were held so tightly in my left hand that I wondered if I'd drawn blood. I didn't pause to look.

I ran through the foyer with everyone's eyes following me, but I didn't care, as I shoved through the door and ran into the streets. But I ran into someone else.

I looked up, ready to shove past them again, but paused for a second when I realized it was Logan.

"Jane-," he began, but I grabbed his arm and took off again, with him in tow.

"We have to get out of here right now!" I shrilled, and he ran behind me.

I ignored his questions as I ducked into the car park, and leaned against the wall to rest a second as I peeked around the corner.

"Jane," Logan panted slightly, "What's going on?"

"Ike," I said by way of explanation, fumbling with my keys.

The man stumbled out of the hotel, and began to scan the streets.

"Ike?" Logan exclaimed, as I began to drag him again, "What are you talking about? I thought you said he thought you were in mexico?"

"I thought he did!" I cried as I unlocked the car and struggled with the door. "I don't know how he found me!"

My hands were shaking so badly that they slipped from the handle as the door stuck, and I let out a cry of frustration, kicking the door.

Logan grabbed my hands, and I looked up at him, realizing that tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"It's going to be alright," He said, his voice soft.

His eyes were hard, though, and I knew he was ready to protect me at all costs. Sniffling, I nodded, and Logan let go of one of my hands, reaching over and grabbing the handle.

With a grunt and a hard jerk, I winced as the car let out a loud crack, and the door opened.

"Thanks," I murmured, and he nodded once as he jogged around the front to the other side.

I quickly got in the car, and slid in the key, praying to god that the engine actually started.

Praise all that is holy, it started without a hitch, and violently shambled to life. I couldn't tell for sure because of how loud the engine was, but I thought I heard the bottom of the car dropping out. I ignored it, and hit the gas, reversing out of the space before flooring it out of there.

"Where are we going?" He asked as I fishtailed out of the lot.

"Victor's," I replied when the car finally straightened out.

I had been so panicked that my backpack was still on my shoulder. I hooked my finger into the strap and let the car drive itself for a moment as I threw it in the back. I had gone from a panicked, crazed maniac to a stone faced, emotionless asshole in no time. I probably seemed like a psychopath.

But in reality it was just a defense mechanism I'd acquired over years of being scared straight and dealing with it. I had to calm myself down somehow, so what better way then to block emotions completely?

Logan was watching my face with worry, probably about the change in expression, but I didn't have time to answer his questions as I took the familiar route to Victor's home. I watched the mirrors intermittently to make sure I wasn't being followed, and even then I couldn't have been sure.

I passed Victor's house and parked two blocks down, before getting out and walking. If they did find my car, they wouldn't know where I was, and I'd have time to get out of there before they found out.

I had grabbed my backpack, but Logan insisted he take it. I gave up before I could argue with him. I didn't have time.

"Jane," He said, trying to keep up with my fast pace.

I'd been too stupid. Too complacent. I should have been moving around more, used a better, less conspicuous name. Perhaps put another, imaginary person in the room with me to lower suspicion. If I had done these things, would I have been safe?

Am I ever safe?

Frustration filled me at the thought that Ike was out there, using his cowardice tactics to get to me. That person that guy was talking to probably wasn't even Ike. Just another person he'd routed his business through. Those people never seemed to end.

"Jane!" I was pulled back as I realized I had been clenching my fists so hard that my nails dug into the skin.

"What?" I snapped in response, immediately annoyed at being stopped.

"You're acting like a war veteran!" He exclaimed, face hard.

"What are you-,"

"You parked two blocks away, you've been searching the area since we left the hotel, and in the car you were mumbling to yourself about things you could have done to "Change the outcome" of the situation! What's going on? Where is Ike right now?"

I had said all that out loud?

"I-I don't know," I mumbled, preoccupied as I glanced around. We shouldn't stand out in the open.

"Look at me!" He demanded, causing my eyes to snap to his.

I blinked. He was genuinely afraid. I could see that in his eyes. But not for himself. I could feel how afraid he was for me, and worried. Not just for the situation at hand, although I could see that was putting some stress on him, but for the state of my being. He was worried about how I was acting.

"Please," He murmured, "I'm losing you and I don't even know how to bring you back."

I was shocked at his words, flinching back slightly. "I-I," I reached up, rubbing the back of my neck as I averted my eyes. "I'm sorry. But we can't stay out in the open for too long."

There was a moment of silence as I felt his expression change. He knew what this meant, just as much as I did. Slowly, his grip on my wrist loosened, and then he let go entirely. My arm fell limply to my side. He took a small step forward, but hesitated in reaching out to me. Finally, in the corner of my eye, I watched him nod.

"Yeah. You're right.