Princess Can Fight |✓

Chapter 18: Third-wheeling isn't my thing.

"Austin?"

"Austin! Open the door!"

"Please?"

"I know you're there! You have to be! You said we'd go through this together!"

"Prince... I'm hungry." I would do anything by this point to get out of this place! Is it a place? I couldn't see. All I could make out was a door. I didn't know where I was and that was sending my entire body into this terrible state of panic. It was dark. Painfully dark. It hadn't been very long since I woke up here. But I knew Austin was on the other side of the door. Somehow I knew.

"Izabelle?" I heard a soft whisper. A very tired whisper.

"Austin? Austin let me out! Please!"

I heard a groan from behind me and froze. I knew who it was. I crouched down on the ground and touched his fingers.

"Austin?" I whispered.

He hummed in response.

His fingers hesitated on the back of my hand for a few seconds before he found the courage to take my hand in his.

"Thank God you're here, I thought I was dead." He whispered under his breath as he sat up.

He pulled me closer and held me to his chest. His heart was pounding just as hard as mine was. But he was definitely feeling something more than I was. I could feel the slight shiver in his skin.

He placed a hand at the back of my neck, gently sliding it down to the center of my back. We stayed that way for a while before I found my voice again.

"Austin what's going on?" I whispered.

"I don't know."

"Who punched me in the face?" I knew the answer. But I didn't want to be right. The truth is, this was going to hurt. Knowing for sure always hurt.

"It wasn't Brad." He whispered.

Tears ran down my cheeks. So it was real. Everything that happened before it was real.

"Why aren't we helping him?" I cried.

"Ssh!" He placed a finger on my lips again.

"So we're trapped here? And we don't even know where he is? How do we even know if he's still alive-- he looked so happy? He was happy. Like he finally felt something that didn't hurt."

"Hey, he's going to be fine. I know Brad. I know he's fine."

"No! No you don't! You just care about yourself! You're hiding here! Trying not to make a sound! You're a selfish pig! He doesn't matter to you! You'd do anything to save yourself! You're a coward Prince! That's what you are!" I screamed.

"What the fuck do you want me to do Izabelle? I'm not strong enough to save myself and neither are you! I'm not going to do something stupid! I understand this situation better than you do! You don't get it! We need Brad to be safe! Because of he isn't going to come save our asses, we're fucked!"

"Austin I'm not going to wait here to be saved! No. I'm finding a way out of here!"

"And what once you're out? This is more than getting out. It's surviving once you get out."

"I don't know what I'll do once I get out. But I know I'm trying!"

I picked the surface in front of us and slammed my fist into it.

"What is wrong with you?!" I felt his hand on my wrist and noticed how close he was.

"Let go of me Prince."