Inferno Part 3

~81~ Stretch It To The Moon

Ellie's POV

We spend an incredibly long day in the hotel. By the time supper rolls around, my thoughts are getting to me hard.

~What if someone at home gets hurt?

~What if he catches wind and Wes gets hurt?

~What if I actually count the number of dots on the ceiling?

"Ellie, want me to order a pizza?" Wes asks, getting just as stir-crazy as me.

"Sure"

He goes to the phone on the desk and starts to find the number, when there's a knock on the door.

He immediately straightens up and looks at me. "Get against the wall and get down," he whispers as he gets up.

My adrenaline is pumping so hard, I feel another panic attack starting. I'm useless if it were to actually come down to a fight. Ben has ruined me.

Wes goes and looks in the peep hole.

"It's fine, Ellie," he says, relief evident in his voice.

I still can't stop the panic attack I feel coming on.

Wes opens the door, and I have no idea who's here.

"Damn it. Taylor told me how bad the one she had yesterday was. Shit. They had to give her something to snap her out of it. I don't know what to do," Wes says as he sits down next to me and pulls me onto his lap.

"My knocking on the door did this to her?!?" The voice asks in shock and devastation.

Who is that?

"Yeah. Taylor told me it would probably happen. Eleanor, listen to me. If I have to take you to the hospital, it will mess up everything. You HAVE to calm down."

"Ellie, it's Justin. Please look at me," he says, his voice gentle, but firm.

Justin is here?

I force myself to look up, and see that it's true. Justin came!

He hugs me and rubs my back. "Remember when you had one when you got lost at the zoo that one time when we were 6? I told you to just squeeze my hand as hard as you could until you felt better. Do it again," he says softly in my ear.

I squeeze his hand, and almost feel my chest releasing.

"Good girl. Keep going," he says as he continues to rub my back softly.

After another moment, I hear Wes. "Great job, Justin. She's coming out of it."

"If she's like this with me knocking on the door....If he show's up...."

"DON'T," Wes barks darkly.

"Ok, that's it. You guys are staying with me."

"Nope," Wes says.

"Why the hell not?"

"Taylor said no. Just in case Ben were to catch wind we were here, he could track you down. We have no idea what he knows. She has to stay here."

"Ok. Well, then I'm getting a room."

"No, Justin," Wes says again.

"WHY?!?"

"Because your name will be in the system, and he could track us down here."

"Damn," Justin says softly as he continues to hold me.

After another few minutes, I'm completely back to normal.

I look at Justin, and he smiles.

"You're a complete mess, Eleanor."