Chapter 23

Pushing Ethan away from me, I take steps towards the elevator door and kick on it in frustration. My heart skips a beat as the elevator light starts flickering. The elevator jolts to a sudden stop. I press all the buttons, but nothing happens. Claustrophobia hits me hard, making it impossible to think clearly. My chest tightens and I can barely catch a breath.

“Shit! We are stuck now,” Ethan curses under his breath, and turns on his phone's flashlight.

I back into a corner, my hands shaking uncontrollably, my body sweating. My breath hitches in my throat, as my eyes widen in terror. The small space in the elevator is haunting me.

“Help…” I try to murmur, my voice barely audible.

Ethan averts his gaze to me, and comes towards me.

“Belle, calm down. It will open. Don't panic,” he says, trying to soothe my anxiety, but I can't.

All of a sudden, I see my younger self—stuck in a car. I'm crying, and hitting the glass window of the car, trying to open the door.

“Mom…dad…” I'm saying. N