She's Too Naive

Chapter 24

I was jerked awake by the sound of a horn blaring. When my eyes adjusted to staring out the windshield, I saw what was sounding the horn and let out an ear splitting scream. In surprise, Cole jerked the wheel to the left, sending us dangerously close to the ditch.

We were in the other lane.

There was a truck barreling it's way right towards us.

I was officially going to die.

At the last second, after speeding by two cars on the right side of the road, Cole pulled hard back into the correct lane, sending me flying against the door frame. I really should have put on a seatbelt.

"What the hell are you doing!" I screeched out. Cole's knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel, and he kept glancing in the mirrors. "You aren't driving a corvette," I yelled when neither of them answered. Rosen was busy rummaging in his backpack for something, and Cole was focusing on the road.

"Ellie can you please be quiet? I'm trying not to kill us here," Cole pleaded, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror.

"You aren't doing a very good job," I retorted. I leaned between the seats so I could see the both of them clearly. When I finally caught on to Cole's persistent looking around, I turned to face the back window, trying to see what he was looking at. There was a line of cars, now pretty far back as we were pushing past the speed limit at eighty-five  miles an hour, but no sign of what he was freaking out over.

I heard a click and looked back to see Rosen holding a small handgun. The black metal glinted off the sunlight. The last time I had seen a gun was that night in the alley. Why did I never tell anyone what had happened? I was so incredibly stupid.

I started panicking, searching for a way out of the car. But I knew there was no way I would be able to jump out when we were going this fast and survive.

"Pull over," I demanded, my voice high and shaky.

"Please don't puke in the car," Rosen groaned, sliding the gun into the glove compartment. "They are right on our tail, we can't pull over," he added, turning to shoot me a stern look.

"Who?" I questioned, my heart beating fast. I looked back again, but saw nothing.

"The people who took you Ellie. They're after me and Cole. Look, this is a really long story and I don't even know where to begin. But Cole and I are not the bad guys here, okay? They are." Rosen stared at me, and I blinked in return. This wasn't the first time they mentioned someone taking me. and I still didn't believe them. It's blurry, but I could remember Cole putting me in their car. I had no memory of anything before. 

"You guys took me," I stated, confused.

"Don't you remember?" Rosen asked, shaking his head. " They ambushed you in the parking lot, drugged you, and then stuffed you in their car. We pulled in right as they were leaving and recognized the vehicle. We followed them until they finally made a stop at a gas station, and stupidly enough left you alone as they went inside. Cole got you out? Remember?"

That would go along with my memory of Cole carrying me. I still didn't believe a word they said. They probably drugged me so they could lie and blame someone else taking me. 

"This better not be some sick game your playing," I whispered, my voice hoarse from screaming.

"You're safer with us Ellie," Cole assured, looking at me through the mirror. "They had you out pretty bad when  I found you, you probably forgot everything because of that."  I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't know what to believe or who to trust anymore. They were either telling the truth, or were completely psychotic.