“I don’t have a story,” I remarked, dryly, digging back into my food.
It was too true. I’d led an ordinary life up to this point. Getting bit by a mountain lion and ending up naked at a biker club had been the most exciting thing to have happened to me so far in seventeen years. Sure, my parents were divorced so I never saw my dad, but that was pretty normal anymore. Mom and I weren’t rich nor poor. I’d had an unremarkable childhood. No one had beat me or neglected me. I hadn’t been bullied. In high school, I’d been average, in grades and popularity. I only graduated early because I spent my summers taking classes. That itself had made my life extra boring. I had never been in a lot of trouble or a goodie-two-shoes. Dad had saved enough to send me to college as an undeclared major. I was still figuring out what I wanted to do with my life and was just fine with it. For the most part, I went with the flow, waiting for life to blow me somewhere worthwhile.
“No story. That doesn’t seem right. But you’re young. Most young people think they have it all figured out.”
“I know I don’t.” Sniffing my coffee, I found the whiskey smell too strong. Bringing it to my lips, I took a sip that burned my throat.
“I’ll give you some advice. But not about life. You’ve got to figure that one out on your own. I’m not sure I have it figured out, yet. But I do know, if Wrex takes a liking to you, he won’t do you wrong. He’s loyal to a fault. It’s in his nature.”
I nodded in agreement, not that I knew anything about my rescuer or captor, whichever he proved to be. I did know his sister who had the same loyalty about her.
When I finished breakfast, I downed the coffee with whiskey in one drink just to get it over with. The rush of the alcohol felt nice.
“Want me to pour you another before I leave?”
“Sure.”
After another strong coffee, I stumbled back to the room. Plopping on the bed, I picked up Wrex’s phone to call my phone. Though, first I was curious, I peeked at his camera roll. Seeing nothing but pictures of what I could guess was his Harley and a few selfies of him on his bike, I called my phone. No answer. It went straight to voicemail, meaning it was dead. I called my mom, the one number besides my own I had memorized. No answer. She wasn’t about to answer a strange number anyway. I wrote out a text explaining I lost my phone and asking her to call this number but then deleted it. Mom thought I went to the beach with Locus. There was no use in getting her involved, yet. Afterall, I didn’t want to tattle on myself. And besides, I didn’t really know what was going on myself. I didn’t know Jonah’s number off hand, so I downloaded Instagram since Wrex’s phone didn’t have any social media apps. I logged onto my Instagram and saw Jonah had been on his less than an hour ago. Thank goodness, he was alive.
I sent him a DM. “Are you okay?”
Instantly, he messaged back. “Romilly, where are you? I have your things.”
“You’re okay? Yay! Do you know what happened?” I’d been questioning my own sanity. I needed to hear his version of events.
“Where are you?” was all he replied. I waited for more, but nothing came.
Even with my head whirling from the alcohol, I thought twice before answering him, telling him my location. Wrex had warned me not to tell, but something else stopped me, too. “Did you see a mountain lion?” I asked.
“Romilly, answer me. Where are you?”
I started to tell him. Maybe he was genuinely worried about me. Not to mention the fact, he could get me out of here. However, something didn’t feel right. My flesh got all goose pimply. My heart beat louder, ringing in my ears. It’s like I could sense the danger.
I messaged back, “I’m at home. Ttyl.”
Next thing I knew, I woke up to Wrex. He was back. His big body cast a shadow over me. The whiskey must have hit me hard. Light no longer filled the room. What time was it? My head pounded.
Wrex came in close to smell my face reminding me of the big lion from last night. “Whiskey? So, you’ve heard.”
“Heard what?”
On closer inspection, tears streaked the man’s face. His red eyes were swollen. Wrex, the big, big guy had been crying. The sadness on his face evident, my heart broke for him. Collapsing on the bed beside me, he handed me his phone, it open on an article. It read, “7 DEAD. No Survivors in Helicopter Explosion”. I didn’t understand until I read further.
The words, San Padre Island wounded me.
“Six students on spring break from Baylor University and the pilot from Beach Tours, all presumed dead.”
Chills tingled all over me. I felt sick. This could not be real. Through tears I read the passenger list, the list of girls I was supposed to be traveling with. Locus Ellis, Sara Newsom, Ashley Smith, Megan Hernandez Gomez, Carter Benetton and then there was my name last, too, Romilly Hill. Of course, my name would be listed. Just like I had an unused airline ticket, we’d purchased tickets for the scenic ride over the island months earlier.
Locus… dead.
Now I cried with Wrex, laying my head on his chest, but his tears didn’t last long. He rubbed my back comforting me before he announced, “I’ve got to go clear my head. I’ll be back. Lock the door.”
He left.
As soon as he was gone, I had a horrible thought. My mom and dad, everyone would think I was dead. The room spun around me. My stomach ached some more. Too bad Wrex didn’t leave
