Pinocchio

Chapter 16 : Kidnapped

Gustavo smiles when he wakes up and finds Penelope sleeps peacefully next to him. She must have been really tired. He caresses her cheek and softly, he kisses her forehead.

She moves and opens her mouth slightly, continuing her sleep. He stands up and stretches before he puts on his shirt. He wraps Penelope in blanket before he goes outside to prepare breakfast.

He decides to make breakfast-in-bed of prawn ceviche with lettuce and corn for both of them. He puts all the plate and the glasses of orange juice to the tray. He also puts a flower vase he bought a few years ago with a stem of fake pink peony.

He brings them to the bedroom as he pushes the bedroom door with his back. When he goes in, the light has been turned on and Penelope is still lying down, reading a book.

"Oh, hey!" She greets as she puts down the book. "Hmm. Breakfast-in-bed." She sits on the bed and folds his legs so the trays could be set right in front of her.

"This is for you?" She asks as she points the plate in the right. He sits next to her and nods.

She takes her plate and they eat in silent - not a kind of awkward silent, but a comfortable kind of silent.

"This is my apology." He says after Penelope has the last spoon of her meal.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. It's mine." She smiles and tilts her head. "It's my fault. I'm sorry." She puts her hand onto his free hand.

"I'm sorry for making you worried. I'm sorry that I put myself in danger. I'm sorry I put you too in danger." She gulps and looks down.

He puts all the plates in the tray, then he puts away the tray onto the floor. He puts her hand around her shoulder to let her lay her head in his shoulder.

And they stay like that for the rest of the morning.

***

Penelope and Gustavo decide to get a chinese food delivery order for dinner. Gustavo has nothing left in his fridge, and they've been too lazy to do anything else other than watching TV.

"Can I ask you something?" Gustavo suddenly asks when the dancer on the TV just did an amazing backflip with standing ovation from the audience as the respond.

"Yeah. Sure."

"What is it that make you want to talk to Danny Boy behind my back?"

She remains silent for a moment before she answers it. "Well, I just thought that he's really fun to talk to. He's rather, um, different with you."

"What do you mean?" he frowns.

"Doesn't mean it's not fun talking with you. You have, um, the calming aura that everybody loves. But Danny is really, um, cheerful. You know. He's bubbly and he's really fun to talk to. Although I do regret that I didn't tell about him to you in the first place."

"Why didn't you? Is there something between you two guys that you hide from me?"

She shakes her head quietly. "No. It's not like what you're thinking."

"Then what?" he snaps.

She looks down and he immediately regrets what he did. He comes to realize that every time Penelope feels anxious or nervous, she would look down on her knuckles, which is the least thing Gustavo wants her to do. He doesn't want her to underappreciate herself nor to feel that's she's not worth his time.

"You know there's nothing between us. I'm not planning anything with him. It's not like we're going to get married and take all your money."

Just when Gustavo is ready to rebutt her, someone knocks the front door. Both of them go silent as Gustavo opens the door. It's Danny Boy.

"What do you want?" Gustavo snaps.

"I need to talk to Penelope."

"What do you want with her?"

"It's okay." Penelope suddenly walks pass by Gustavo. "I'll take care of it." So she walks out and closes the front door, leaving Gustavo inside worrying about her. When Penelope closes the door, Gustavo immediately sits behind the window to hear their conversation, in case Penelope needs help.

"Listen, Penelope. I'm really sorry with what happens yesterday. I guess I was too eager to take you outside. It's pretty obvious that you're not ready, just yet."

"I know. I just," she sighs. "I just think that maybe we should, you know, stop seeing each other."

"But, why?" Danny Boy almost drops his jaw. "We had so much fun."

"I know. I just want you to come here to drop the supply for Gustavo, and that's all. Nothing less, nothing more."

"I don't know what's wrong with you." he says, upset. The way he says it makes her frown. "I don't know what have I done wrong that you don't want me anymore."

"Please?" she sighs. "I don't want anything to hold back Gustavo. I think lying behind his back about us could, you know." she starts being speechless. She has no idea what else to say.

He sighs. "I understand."

"So, this is it?" she asks as she tilts her head and smiles sympathetically.

He smirks. "Unfortunately no."

"What do you mean?"

Danny Boy suddenly whistles, and out of nowhere, a bunch of huge, scary-looking guys walk toward them. "I'm afraid you have to say goodbye to Gustavo."

"Danny! What is this all about?" she asks.

"Money, honey." he snaps her fingers and those guys immediately grab Penelope harshly.

"Ah!" she screams. "Gustavo! Gustavo, help me!!" she screams as she tries to escape. She kicks and punches and wiggles, but they are just too strong for her.

"No! Let me go! Let me go!!" She screams. They cover her mouth and take her to a red truck which is parked in front of the house. "Mmmff!!"

Gustavo runs outside immediately. He panics when he sees the huge guys have captured Penelope. He runs toward them, but Danny Boy hits him with a fire extinguisher that Gustavo puts at the end of the porch.

Gustavo growls in pain as he balances himself. But Danny Boy throws the fire extinguisher onto Gustavo's body, making him collapse onto the ground, and Danny Boy immediately runs to the truck.

"Mmmfff!!! Mmff!" Penelope gets more panic, especially when she sees how Danny Boy hurts him. The huge guys ties her wrists and throws her away into the truck. Gustavo gets up and runs to chase the truck. But Danny Boy turns on the truck and leaves instantly with high speed. Gustavo keeps running and running until the truck is gone behind the corner of the wall, leaving the specks of dust and fume.

He stops, panting. He bends down and tries to breath in as many air as possible. But he falls down on his knees. His chest aches. It's not because he's been running, nor because he's tired.

He comes to a realization that she's gone.