I hate sitting here doing nothing. I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m not some waify princess. I should be doing the rescuing. It’s literally killing me to sit here. Also, I’m hungry, and I can’t feel my hands.
Is this what I’m going to do for the rest of the day? The week? The month? How long can someone feasibly be trapped in a room?
Laura groans.
“Shut up,” I snap at her.
“You shut up.”
Nolan bangs on the door. “Fuck.” He wrenches it open. “What the hell am I going to do with you?”
“Just let me go. You can keep Laura here,” I tell him. “I’m not going to say anything to anyone. She deserves to stay locked up.”
“I’m not that stupid. I actually graduated from high school. You’re going to go tell the police, and I’m going to get blamed for this,” he whines, “even though it was her”—he points at Laura—“idea! I just wanted to play hockey and buy the good weed.”
“You let me go, and I’ll testify on your behalf that Laura was the mastermind,” I assure him. “And don’t think I’m lying. I can’t stand that bitch, and I’ll send her to jail with or without you.”
“But I’ll still do time, won’t I?” He frowns.
“You might plea out.”
“I’ll still lose my job.”
“I don’t know. They let some real characters into professional sports. It might actually be a good thing for you, you know? Give you some street cred.”
I’m trying to remain calm. “Look, why don’t you and I have a seat on the couch? You can take these cuffs off me. I’ll contact some high-powered attorneys I know. Look, even if your hockey career goes south, you had, what—a couple more good years left at best? We can transition you into a book deal, a speaking tour, a Netflix documentary. And an athleisure-wear line.”
“I do want to be on Netflix,” he says, reaching into his pocket for a key.
“Of course you do. That’s good, steady money. You can go on the speaking circuit. Everyone will want to hear your story of resilience.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Laura rages from the room. She sounds a little stuffy. “She’s lying. She’s going to contact Fitz, and then he’s going to have you killed.”
Goddamn it.
“You need to let me out,” Laura says. “And you and I will figure this out together, baby.”
“She’s lying.” I lose my cool. “She’s the one who got you into this mess in the first place. You’re too stupid to see it. I’m trying to help you.”
“She’s trying to hurt you,” Laura says to her fiancé.
I can see him wavering.
“I’ve always had your back, baby.” Laura creeps out of the door. “You can’t trust Winnie. She’s going to sell you down the river. You need me,” Laura whispers the poison to him. “Only I can help you. We’re in this together, baby.”
“Yeah.” He leans in, and they kiss. “Together.”
I’m shoved back into the room.
At least this time, I’m alone and Laura’s not in here too.
“She’s going to steer you wrong,” I yell at the door. “Ugh.” I rest my head against it. “Fuck my life. Fuck my fucking—”
I don’t knowhow long I sit in the room. It might be the next evening. My stomach certainly thinks so.
“Hello?” I yell, voice dry.
Bang!
