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“Got it straight off the printer,” he chuckled. “I even hold classes at OPS. You should try it sometime.”
“I think I’ll pass.” I laid my head back down and tried to avoid any more conversation, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen.
“See, what you need is something soothing. I have just the thing. Scoot over.”
“I’m not moving,” I whined. “Get your own bed.”
He patted my leg, refusing to leave me alone. “This’ll be good. I promise.”
“Fox, I’m not moving!”
He sat down and started scooting over, his big body moving me in the process. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you to share?”
“No! I was raised to take what was mine!”
“It’s just a little space. I don’t need a lot of room.”
I rolled, nearly falling off the other side. “You’re taking up the entire bed!”
He bounced a few times, getting comfortable on my bed before smiling up at me. “Ah, this is perfect. Come,” he patted the space beside him. “I’ll help you relax.”
I really didn’t want his help for anything. I was miserable and bored and I just wanted to go home. “Fox, I can’t keep doing this. I need to get out of here. You have to take me home.”
“Home? Why would you want to go back there?” he chuckled. “No, this is good. We’ll teach you all about musicals and good dining and shawarma. Man, you’re gonna love shawarma. And maybe—if we’re lucky—Brock will get a chance to rescue you.”
“I don’t need to be rescued, Fox! Why won’t you two listen?” I hissed, trying not to wake up Brock.
“Because our job was to keep you safe and that’s what we’re doing.”
“By keeping me in a motel room? Fox, the only thing this is doing is driving me insane.”
“That’s because you’re still in Phase 1. We need to get you into Phase 2.”
I stared at his crazy face before exploding. “Phase 1? Are you kidding me?”
“Hey, it’s a thing. There are stages of being kidnapped, just like in counseling. So, Phase 1 is Denial.” He grinned at me. “I know what you’re thinking. You think I skipped a step.”
“Actually, I was thinking that this comforter could very well smother you in your sleep.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “Man, that is such a good one. I love it that you think you can kill me. But seriously, Phase 1 is the worst of the stages, in my humble opinion.”
“But you said I wasn’t kidnapped,” I said accusingly.
“Right, well, you’re awfully choosy about wording. I don’t think you’re really catching on to the main point.”
“Which is?”
“Well, in Phase 1, you deny that you’ve been kidnapped.”
“I never denied I was kidnapped. I kept telling you I was kidnapped, and you kept telling me I wasn’t!”
“Because you weren’t,” he grinned. “See, that’s where you’re in denial.”
I shook my head, trying to make sense of his words. “Fox, that doesn’t make any sense! How can I be in denial over being kidnapped when you say I wasn’t kidnapped, but I was kidnapped?”
He nodded like a crazy person with that wacky grin on his face. “Now you’re getting it. You’re in denial over the fact that you think you were kidnapped when you weren’t really kidnapped. Let’s play a little game. Question 1. Were you A) Kidnapped B) Taken as a willing participant for your own safety, or C) Out for a stroll when you fell into my minivan?”
I stared at him like the idiot he was. “Fox, you kidnapped me.”
