Stepbrother

34: Kidnapping

Hey guys! I know I usually put an author's note at the end of a chapter, but I just now realized that I've been writing this book for over a yer now. It's literally crazy for me to think that I'd put some much time and effort into one thing. I used to love reading books when I was younger and kind of secretly dreamed of being an author. Wattled is a way for me to express myself, and I'm so glad that I found this website.

Anyways, thanks for reading my book! Even if no one would read this book I would've still written it.

Also, I decided to make this Jordan's perspective since I missed the last chapter that was meant to be his point of view. Hope you don't mind!

***

I open my eyes and sit up from what appears to be a hotel room bed. I feel light headed, and my throat hurts. I hold my hand up to my head and persist against my forehead. I feel a bit dizzy and slightly nauseous. I look around and realize that I'm not in my own hotel room. It's Maya's.

"Oh, you're awake." I turn and see Maya walking out of her bathroom. The dress she was wearing at the restaurant is no longer on her and was replaced by a sweatshirt and some jeans. Her hair is tied up into a ponytail and all the makeup she had on is wiped off.

"What happened?" I ask her. I try to stand up, but she stops me.

"You're really sick right now. Fiona brought us home in the car she rented," Maya explains, and I frown at the thought of me being in Fiona's car. I just can't believe my dad would even have the thought of inviting Fiona to his wedding.

Maya picks up her bag from the night stand and puts it over her shoulder. She hands me the TV remote and says, "I'm leaving to go buy you some medicine. You stay here and rest. If you want, you can watch some TV. I ordered some food for you, so answer the door when someone knocks on it."

I nod my head, and Maya steps leaves the room. My eyes still feel a bit tired, so I put the TV remote on Maya's night stand and place my head back on the pillow. I shut my eyes and take some deep breaths. The pillow smells like Maya's shampoo, and I know that because that's all I could smell after she takes her showers.

I think I was asleep for about fifty minutes before I hear a loud knock on the door. I open my eyes and steadily get out of my bed. I still feel a little lightheaded, and I don't want to fall over. I go to the door and open it. A girl is standing there with a cart of food. I step to the side and let her in with the cart. Once she leaves, I sit back down onto the bed.

I look down at the food, and it's chicken noodle soup. I sigh. I'm not even surprised that Maya would be so cliché. 

I dip my spoon into the soup and take a sip of the hot liquid. I turn on the TV and switch through the channels. I'm hoping to find a movie I could watch before Maya comes back. All the channels I pass through look really boring, and I'm about to give up until I land on a news network.

On the text at the bottom of the TV screen, it reads, "San Diego kidnapper still not found."

I continue to watch, and the woman on the network says, "The person who the police have suspected as the alleged kidnapper of twelve teenagers here in San Diego is proven not to be the kidnapper. The police are still searching."

I take another gulp of my soup as I continue to listen to the women speaking. When I look up at the clock on the wall, it's notice that it's almost ten-thirty. I freeze. Shouldn't Maya be back by now? It shouldn't take her that long to get some medicine.

"We warn everyone to be cautious while walking the streets at night," the news anchorwoman on TV says. I start to worry more. Maya wouldn't be walking would she? Maybe she took a taxi?

I jolt up. I push aside the cart of food and rush out the hotel room door. I start to run down the hallway and repeatedly press the elevator button. Could Maya be in danger? Am I being paranoid?

The elevator door opens, and I quickly step in. It seems like forever before the elevator goes down to the first floor. I go up to the front desk and a man working there greets me.

"Have you seen a girl with blonde hair is about the tall?" I ask, holding my hand up to Maya's height.

The man shrugs. "A lot of blonde girls walk through here, so I'm not sure."

"Do you know the nearest drug store here?"

"Um, yeah," he says. "When you leave the hotel you should turn left and go down about ten or eleven blocks. Then you cross the street. It should be there."

I thank the man before running out the hotel entrance. I turn left and run straight down the sidewalk. I run past several people, but none of them are Maya. Could I be going crazy? Did Maya get kidnapped? I keep running, and I begin to feel more lightheaded.

I cross the street and walk into the drug store the man had told me to go to. I down each aisle, but there's no sign of Maya. I go to the cash register and ask, "Have you seen a blonde girl walk in here? She's sixteen. I thought she bought medicine here."

The cashier nods her head. "Yeah, there was a teenager here earlier."

"How long ago was she here?" I ask.

"I think thirty or so minute ago. Why?"

Oh god. I leave the store and look around. Could she have gotten hurt? This is all my fault. I shouldn't have let her go.

I go back to the hotel and my heart is beating quickly. I use the elevator to go back up to Maya's room, but I realize I don't have the key to her room. "Damn it," I mumble to myself. I search my pockets for my phone but I don't have it.

"Jordan, what are you doing?" a girl's voice says, and I instantly spin around. It's Maya, and she's holding two plastic bags in her hand.

"Maya?" I say, astonished. "Where were you?" I ask, walking closer to her.

"Well, I went to the drug store, but on my way back I saw this souvenir shop and I just had to go in. They have the cutest shirts I've ever seen! Plus, the shirts were on sale, and—"

I pull her against me and press my cheek against the top of her head. My arms wrap securely around her smaller body frame, and the bags she was holding fall to the ground. Reluctantly, she hugs me back, confused as to why I'm acting this way.

"Is something wrong?" she asks.

I don't answer her. Maybe unlocks the door and the both of us walk in. Maya insists that I get back in bed, so I listen to her. I turn the TV off and push the cart of food farther away from me. I've lost my appetite now.

"Why did you leave the room?" Maya asks me. She places her bag back onto the nightstand and takes a seat in the chair next to the bed. "Did you need something?"

I lie back down into the bed and turn to my side to face her. "No," I mutter. "I was... scared."

Maya gives me a weird look. "You were scared of being alone?"

I roll my eyes at her. "No. I was watching the news, and they were taking about the kidnappings here. Then I realized that it was taking you a long time to get that medicine."

A smile appears on Maya's face. "You were worried about me?"

I frown at her. "Don't overthink it."

She laughs. "I won't."

Maya takes her shoes off and places them in the closet next to the TV. She takes her hair out of her ponytail and plugs her phone into the charger on her nightstand. Just as she's about to go into the bathroom, I stop her.

"Come here," I tell her.

Confused, Maya walks to the bed. I reach my hand out and pull her into the bed with me. A startled look appears on her face as I shift to the side to give her some space.

"Don't leave me," I say.

"I— I won't," she stutters.

I hold Maya and shift her closer to me. Her face is pressed against my chest and my chin is placed at the top of her head. "I thought someone was going to hurt you," I whisper. "It would've been my fault."

"I'm fine now, aren't I?"

I smile. "Yeah, you are."