She's Too Naive

Chapter 22

"Ellie," a voice hissed in my ear.

Hands grasped my shoulders and shook my body vigorously.

I groaned, refusing to open my eyes and attempting to pull away from whoever was shaking me. I could already feel my head pounding as I struggled to comprehend what was going on. My mind was drawing blanks, and that sudden realization forced my eyes open to try to figure out where I was.

Gray eyes stared back at me, and I blinked in confusion when I realized it was Cole.

"Cole? Where's Rosen? What happened?" My words slurred together and I frowned. What was wrong with me? My brain couldn't focus and my whole body felt weighed down.

"We gotta go," Is all Cole said, slipping his arms under my legs and back. Only then did I realize I was sitting in the back of a large, unfamiliar vehicle. The rest of the seats were unoccupied, and all I could make out through the windshield was a dark, nearly empty, parking lot.

As soon as Cole pulled me out of the car and into his arms, my head started spinning. I squeezed my eyes closed, while gripping onto Cole's neck tightly in attempt to shut out the nausea. I heard the car door close behind us as he swiftly started walking away, being careful not to jostle me.

"You got her?" I made out Rosen's voice through my haze, but I didn't open my eyes.

"Yeah, they had her knocked out pretty good," Cole replied. I felt myself being lowered and blinked my eyes open to see that I was in the back of Rosen's car. I slumped against the seat, relieved to be somewhere familiar.

Cole took the driver's seat and Rosen settled into the passenger seat. He turned to look at me and even though my head was spinning, I instantly knew something was different.

"You good?" Rosen asked me as Cole started the car. The tires squealed as he spun the car around, and I gripped onto the door for dear life while swallowing back the sickness threatening to spill out of my stomach.

"Not really," I mumbled, concentrating on making my words clear, but they just sounded slow and muffled. I closed my eyes, resting back against the seat with frustration at how little control it felt that I had over my own body. My head lolled to the side, and I looked out at the darkness through the window. A tear spilled across my cheek, but it was unknown to me what I was crying for.

☾

I awoke to a clear mind and voices just outside the car. Lifting my head, I pushed back some unruly strands of hair and glanced out the window to find us at the front of a dingy looking motel. It took a few moments for the events of the night before to settle over me, but when they did I immediately panicked. I stumbled to unlock the car door, and in my haste fell directly onto my knees on the black pavement. I gasped for breath, ignoring the pain slicing through my hands and knees from the stones that were digging into my skin.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay," a calming voice said, grasping my arms to help me stand. I was surprised to see it was Cole, and Rosen was simply watching us with an unreadable expression. I ripped out of Cole's grip, taking a few steps back.

"I don't-" I inhaled, shaking my head in confusion. Wanting and waiting for someone- anyone to explain.

"Just breathe," Cole soothed, watching me closely as if I could run at any moment. "Someone tried to kidnap you last night, but we found them and you're with us now. You're safe." he reassured. I swallowed thickly, turning towards Rosen who glanced away. What was up with him?

"Where are we? Why didn't you take me home?" I said warily, my suspicions on edge. Cole hesitated, looking to Rosen for guidance. My heart was  pounding and my head spun in confusion. Where were we?