The Bad boy, the baby and Me

14. The middle of nowhere

Everything was happening so fast that I couldn’t even register what was really happening.

Ashton and I ran towards our compartment, we passed the compartments of the dance team and swimming team on our way and they were in total chaos, buzzing with curiosity of why the train stopped and whose screams were heard. I, for a fact knew the owner of the screams: Hailey. I could recognize her voice anywhere.

Just as we were about to enter our compartment, Cameron appeared in front of us.

“I was coming for you guys. We have a huge problem.” Cameron stated urgently.

I peeked behind him in the compartment and let out a shriek of my own. Blake was on the ground with Hailey crouching over him, clutching his abdomen which was…bleeding. Julia was on the phone, yelling at someone.

Where the hell were Alex and Stella?

“Cameron, you go and take care of Justin. He is near the washrooms. Don’t let him escape. I got this.” Ashton said to Cameron, rushing inside the compartment.

Cameron went off in the other direction. I am guessing, justin was the name of creepy dude.

“Those shitpieces came inside and gassed the whole compartment.” Julia started explaining us, getting off the phone, “we could barely see anything and they took advantage of this and kidnapped Stella.”

“H-he was holding s-Stella.” Hailey pointed at Blake, her voice shivering, “and when he tried to p-protect her, they slashed his stomach with a k-knife.”

I could only stand there and sweat, trying to make sense of everything and not retch at the sight of blood.

“Come on, hellcat. Fear doesn’t suit you.” Blake joked, grimacing slightly. “And, it’s just a thin cut; you didn’t need to make me lie on the floor. Besides, I would have saved Stella if you hadn’t screamed and distracted me.”

“Shut the hell up and don’t utter a single word. Let me take care of this. I brought a first aid kit with me, and don’t you dare move till I dress up the wound.” Hailey ordered him.

I wanted to cry, scream, panic, and go on a total freak out mode but, at that moment apart from Blake only one other thing Mattered.

“Where are Stella and Alex?” I asked. My voice was unusually calm, I don’t know why.

Julia gave me a sympathetic look. “Don’t worry. Alex went after them immediately and I was just on the phone with him. the kidnappers got off the train and are headed somewhere in this deserted town,” she pointed outside the window, “Alex is going to send me the location, then, I will go too and bring Stella back, no Matter what.”

Huh? What was she saying? Why couldn’t my mind make sense of her words?

“Julia, you go and interrogate Madison. I am going after Stella. And, you,” Ashton turned to me, “stay here. I will bring her back.” He said with conviction.

With that Ashton and Julia left the compartment and I stood there processing their words.

Everything started to slowly click in my mind, after my initial shock was over and I came to my senses.

Did he really think I was going to sit and wait while Stella was in danger?

Without wasting any time, I marched out of the compartment, ignoring Blake’s and Hailey’s protests behind me. I reached the gate just in time to see Ashton getting out. I followed behind him. Since the train had stopped practically in the middle of nowhere, there was no platform and I had to make a high jump.

Of course, my clumsiness decided to make an appearance and I hit Ashton’s back, almost taking him down with me. Almost. Ashton was Ashton for a reason. His fast reflexes came in handy and he managed to stabilize both of us.

“What the hell? I think I told you to stay.” Ashton growled, pushing me back towards the train.

“Last I checked, I don’t take orders from you.” I snarled, pushing him backwards.

He let go of me and ran a hand through his hair, “look, this is dangerous. Don’t argue on this.” he tried to reason calmly.

“Then, you should stay back. I will go and get Stella.” I told him simply, walking past him.

I heard a loud sigh behind me and then footsteps catching up to me.

***

I took a look at Ashton and rolled my eyes. For the last fifteen minutes, he had been grumbling and sulking.

I will tell you the reason why. We were hitching a ride with a Chevrolet driver. The driver only agreed because he thought that the girl (me) would sit beside him. (I know, eww. What is happening to guys these days?). He had an advantage since there was a long seat only in the front. I was honestly unaware of the driver’s intention and was about to actually sit beside him, but, Ashton held me back.

“Dude, no, if the girl doesn’t get in first, I am not giving you the lift.” The driver declared, while I could only glare at him in disbelief and anger.

“Do you really think you have a choice? Either give the lift or give up the Chevy.” Ashton said in his that voice…that which can make you pee in your pants.

The driver seemed like he was shitting himself on the inside and agreed, of course. So, here, we were…with Ashton sandwiched between the driver and me.

Ashton didn’t seem too happy about the sitting arrangement (neither did the driver, but what could he do?) and had squashed me to the window in his attempts to get away from the driver.

But, what about me? Does anyone ever think about me?

Not that I was complaining, but, a stupid organ inside me was beating at an unnatural pace at Ashton’s close proximity.

No, it is not because of him. it is because I am worried for Stella. Yeah. Definitely because of her.

Or, maybe, because of both?

What the fudge? I shook my head to get rid of my thoughts. They were not going in a good direction.

Big mistake. Shaking my head caused my hair to fall over Ashton’s face and what happened after that was highly injurious to my heart:

Ashton slowly brought his hand up and removed my hair from his face, tucking them behind my ear, but that’s not the end. His fingers stayed behind my ear longer than necessary and then, they slowly came to settle on my cheeks. On one hand, his fingers were working their magic and on the other, his eyes held me captive in their enchanting gaze.

“Why don’t you ever listen to me?” he whispered softly, “it makes me mad but, at the same time it makes me feel impressed. it makes me admire you every time you challenge me. you are so different from the girls I normally come across.”

“Good different or bad different?” I breathed.

“We are here. Please no more PDA.” The driver announced breaking the trance we had fallen into before Ashton could give me the answer.

I quickly opened the door and hopped out and Ashton followed me.

Both of us avoided eye contact and stared ahead of us, as the Chevy drove away.

We were looking at an abandoned, ruined building. The building looked like it had seen all kinds of evil days.

“They are inside.” Alex’s voice suddenly came beside me and scared the living bezonkers out of me and making me jump at least three feet in the air

“Alex, seriously?!” I muttered, placing a hand on my heart.

He ignored me and turned to Ashton. “This is their stop or something, I think. They have been inside for twenty five minutes and so far Stella is giving them a good time by bursting their ear drums through her crying. She is safe though, I have been keeping an eye on them, through that shitty window. The problem is that there are seven of them and all of them are armed.” He informed, grimly.

“Then, we need a strategy to take all of them.” Ashton said.

“What about your backup, the one you were going to receive from some gang?” I asked.

“They will be there for fest, not here in the middle of nowhere.” Ashton replied.

I was about to tell him to call them here when, a booming voice made all of us freeze.

“Hands up or I’ll shoot her.”

A man in black was standing before us with Stella in his arms and a gun pointing at her head.