Page 25 of Haven

There’s an app on my phone that I find and turn on to get some light in this fucking tomb. “I don’t have any bars on my phone. I can’t call out. I’m going to get up and try the emergency phone.”

She pulls her phone from her tiny purse in shaky hands, then looks back up at me with fat tears streaming down her cheeks. “Me either. No service.”

“Okay. Sit tight, and I’ll check the emergency phone.”

She grabs hold of my tux jacket and pulls. “No. Don’t move. What if we’re not stable?”

“We’ve got to try. We don’t know what happened or if anyone even knows it happened yet.” I take her hand in mine and squeeze.

“Listen... I’m going to slide over to the box over there.” I shine the light on the box on the opposite wall. “Hold my hand. We’re going to be okay.” Man, I hope that’s not a lie.

I try not to show the fucking fear in my eyes that’s already gripping every inch of me and move so fucking slow, a snail could outpace me as I slide over to the emergency box while still holding Ashlyn’s hand. Once I’m on the other side of the elevator, I grab the damn phone and wait for someone to answer.

“Hello,” I yell into the phone, and Ashlyn sobs again. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, sir. I’m here,” a voice answers.

“The elevator dropped. We were on the fiftieth floor. I don’t know where we are now. The lights are out. There are two of us in here, and we don’t know what’s happening.” I attempt to keep my voice steady. “Can you do something to get the doors to open?”

“May I have your name, sir?”

“Brandon... Brandon Dixon, and Ashlyn Kingston is with me. We’re the only two on the elevator. We were at the party on the fifty-ninth floor.” I look back at Ashlyn and squeeze her hand in mine.

“Thank you, Mr. Dixon. The entire building has experienced a blackout, but our generators have turned on. I’m not sure why the elevator hasn’t kicked back on as well or what caused the fall. I’m making management aware that the elevator has stopped. Please do not attempt to pry the doors open. Just sit tight. I’ll call you back as soon as I have an update for you.”

“Wait... Don’t hang up yet.” I swallow, fighting to keep my calm. “Are we safe to sit here? What if the elevator drops again?”

Ashlyn squeaks when I ask that morbid fucking question.

“Yes, sir. You’re completely safe. Just sit tight, and I’ll ring you as soon as I have a better answer for you.”

I bet he will. The guy is probably getting paid jack shit to sit there and answer the phone. How the hell does he know if we’re safe in here?

The phone line goes dead, and I manage not to slam it against the wall in frustration.

What the fuck?

When I turn back to Ashlyn, she’s silently sobbing. This is so fucking bad. I slide slowly across the floor until I’m back next to her. “The power went out in the building. It’s back on now, so it shouldn’t be too long before they can get us out.” I set my phone to stay on and give us a little light in the otherwise dark space.

“That’s not what they said,” she whispers. “I could hear him. I can’t stay here. Lindy is home with the girls. I need to get back to her. She’s already lost one parent. She can’t lose me too.”

“She’s not going to.You’regoing to be fine.We’regoing to be fine.” I take a good look at the space around us. There’s a panel in the middle of the ceiling, I could boost her through, but then what?

What if the elevator isn’t stable?

What if it drops when we’re on top of it?

If it was just me, I’d try it. But I can’t take that risk with her in here.

“I think we need to do what they said and sit tight. At least for now.” The words feel bitter in my mouth. Sitting tight and doing nothing hasn’t been the way I’ve played anything since I turned eighteen and could get the hell out of my foster family’s house.

Ashlyn nods and runs her hands up and down her arms like she’s cold, so I peel off my jacket and put it around her. The black tux jacket dwarfs her delicate frame when she tugs it closed without putting her arms through it. “Thank you. I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I really hate small spaces.”

“Trust me, I know what a mess looks like. I’ve seen it. I lived with it. I’m pretty sure you couldn’t be a mess if you tried.”

Green eyes lift up to mine, her tears catching on her smile. “You only see what I let people see.”

ASHLYN

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