Before she cracked open the door, she used her free hand to silently flip the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.  Cracking the door only a sliver, she waited to hear JC. 

Silence…

Hardly daring to hope escape would be that simple, Kate slid the door open another inch and used her good eye to look out into the room.  From what she could see, the room appeared to be deserted.  Still cautious, she opened the bathroom door just enough that she could slip out and started to reach for the hotel room door. 

“Going somewhere?”

The words came out of the stillness in the room and made Kate gasp and spin around.  While she had been locked in the bathroom, JC had taken the opportunity to rearrange the room, pulling a chair so that he had a clear view of both the bathroom and room doors.  She was sure that if he wanted to JC could simply stretch out his leg and stop the door from opening.  How she hadn’t seen him in her quick scan, she didn’t know.

He gazed at her over his steepled fingers held at his mouth.  Kate couldn’t define the expression on his face but she was desperate to leave so she used one hand behind her back to tug on the door handle ready to run out and down the stairs. 

Her escape was blocked by the intruder latch on the door, but as frantic as Kate was to leave the hotel and never see JC again, JC was just as determined that he would be getting to know this woman and would not let her leave like this, never to be seen again. 

With the door opening and Kate ready to run – past the guards, prepared to do whatever she needed to in order to leave – JC simply stood and wrapped an arm around her waist, picking her up almost casually. 

Kate was simply too tired, stressed, and defeated to try and fight one more time.  She went limp in JC’s arm – so quickly that he had to take his free arm and place it under her knees to keep her from tumbling head first to the floor.  Scooping her up in his arms, she tensed until JC laid her on the bed.  Scrambling on all fours, sobs tearing from her throat, Kate grabbed a pillow and ended up on the farthest side of the bed from JC, her back to him.

In complete misery, Kate cried for every hurt that her ex boyfriend had ever done to her…every time she heard JC’s song on the radio…every time he gave an interview on his album Kate. 

Why had she ever written those words and stuffed them in a balloon?  For a while she had felt free from her ex’s abuse, but then everywhere she turned she was reminded of him by JC’s song. 

Exhausted  and defeated, Kate did the only thing her body would let her do…she cried herself to sleep. 

***

Kate woke to the sound of someone snoring loudly.  Without opening her eyes, her mind wandered dreamily trying to figure out who was making all that noise.  Gradually her eyes opened to see a glass of water and some pain reliever on the nightstand in front of her.  As she sat up in the bed, a damp cloth fell to her lap.  Picking it up, she ran it through her fingers.  The cloth was still slightly cool and damp.  Kate tentatively reached up and probed around her blackened and bruised eye.  It felt cool to the touch; her gaze strayed to the man in the chair.  JC must have placed the cool cloth on her face after she fell asleep. 

The man in the chair was a puzzle.  She observed him in silence, not daring to wake him up, unsure of what his temperament would be.  He had moved his chair up against the door, his head was tipped back resting against the door and his feet were stretched out before him. 

The pounding in her head prompted her to reach for the pain killers.  Once she downed the pills, she leaned back against the headboard and wrapped her arms around her knees, taking the opportunity to study the man from across the room. 

Time passed as Kate watched him unaware.  A loud crash in the hallway jerked him awake and Kate watched unashamedly as he sat up quickly and scrubbed at his face.  He drew his feet in close to the chair and rested his elbows on his knees trying to wake up. 

Without warning, he looked straight at her.  She immediately looked away, finding a loose string on her shirt to play with. 

“Morning,” JC growled then cleared his throat. 

Kate simply nodded in acknowledgement. 

“Kate?” 

She didn’t look at him. 

“Kate, look at me for a moment…please.”  JC demanded in a soft voice. 

She took a deep breath then looked up into his serious, tired eyes.  JC smiled at her and spoke in a tone that she knew he meant business.  “Now, I need to go in there,” he nodded toward the bathroom, “for a minute.  Can I trust you to stay here and not to run away or do I need to take you in there with me?”

JC waited, his leg jiggling.  Kate looked at him calmly but gave no response.  JC’s voice came out almost pleadingly.  “Please, Kate, I’m trusting you.  We will have breakfast and talk and then …”

Her eyes searched his face for something, he wasn’t sure what, but finally she nodded and whispered, “okay.”

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, I won’t go anywhere.”

“Okay then, excuse me for a minute.”  JC stood, leaving the chair where it was, and entered the bathroom closing the door behind him.  He hoped she would still be there when he exited. 

Kate was tempted to run, but she thought again of how JC had taken care of her during the night and decided to wait and see what he had to say.  If he didn’t let her leave after that then surely there would be some chance to escape from him later. 

***

JC flushed the toilet and quickly washed his hands, trying to hear any movement from the other room.  He hoped she would keep her promise and stick around.  For what, he wasn’t quite sure yet.  But he knew that he wouldn’t be able to let her go, not without even knowing her last name. 

He threw open the door to the bathroom, expecting to see her running out the door, but the chair was still where he had left it.  He moved into the room to see Kate standing with her back to him, arms wrapped around her waist, looking out the window into the parking lot far below.  Clearing his throat, he waited for her to turn around and acknowledge him.

No response. 

On silent feet, JC walked to stand next to her.  He waited patiently. 

“Look at all the people down there, running around, so many places to see, so busy to stop and look and think.”  Kate remarked quietly. 

Shocked JC tried not to make any sudden moves, this was the first time since learning who she was that she had made any effort to start a conversation. 

“You can’t keep me here, unless you are going to press charges, you know.”  Her statement sounded almost like a question.  JC licked his lips nervously.  This was a very gray area he was in, however he didn’t think she would come at him for kidnapping. 

“Kate…I don’t want to hurt you…or – or scare you, but I just can’t let you walk out of here without – ”  JC groaned, frustratedly running his hand through his hair, unsure of what he even wanted from Kate – an explanation, another song…something else he couldn’t define. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate snuck glances at JC.  Could she trust him enough to share a little insight into her world?