Page 37 of Becoming Cinderella

Liam’s expression tells me he was, but he tries to shake the handle anyway.

“Okay, we’ll just call someone.”

"Call someone? Is Jared not here?"

"No, I sigh loudly. "He had to run an errand for his dad." I reach into my pocket for my phone before remembering. “Mine is in my bag on the shelf right outside. Can I use yours?”

I hold my hand out, waiting for him to deposit his phone into my open palm. He pats his front and back pockets but doesn’t reveal his phone. He lets out an annoyed sigh.

“I left my phone by the toolbox in the hall.”

We are locked in here with nobody in the store to come let us out and no phone to call for help? Like Liam can see my panic starting to build he grabs my shoulder.

“It’s fine. Your parents will eventually come look for you when you don’t return home.”

His words don’t have the calming affect he thought it would. My parents can’t find me locked in a closet with Liam, I’m not even supposed to be talking to him!

I drop my head into my hands with a groan, feeling frustrated, when I feel a bobby pin I had put in my hair earlier. I pull it free and look at it before looking at the door. How hard can it be to unlock a door with a bobby pin? I’ve never tried it, but it can’t be that difficult.

I’m aware of Liam hovering, watching carefully as I try to unlock the door. I have to take out the pin and reinsert it a couple times, having a hard time finding the pressure in the lock. Am I even supposed to be trying to find pressure? I’ve only seen clips of people unlocking doors with bobby pins, I’ve never seen it successfully done in person.

“How’s it going Sherlock?”

“Did Sherlock pick locks? I thought he solved crimes? Now what about Graham Hollis?” I look over my shoulder at him with a sly smile. “Isn’t he pretty good at picking locks?”

Liam holds up his hands. “Whoa, hey, that was movie magic. I never actually had to pick any locks.”

“Huh. Well, there goes the magic. Did someone slide a key under the door for you at some point?”

Liam pulls a face. “Ha-ha.”

This time when I go to wiggle it in the lock, the bobby pin bends in half. I pull it out and try to straighten it out, but the pin snaps in half.

“No! No, no, no.” I stare at the broken bobby pin in my hand, feeling the betrayal of the hair accessory.

“What? What’s wrong?” Liam leans over my shoulder to get a better look.

I don’t answer him, assuming I can still try with a broken piece of the bobby pin. I narrow my eyes at the lock in concentration as I wiggle the pin, pretending I have the slightest clue what I’m doing when that piece snaps too.

“Stupid cheap bobby pins,” I grumble to myself as I hold up the pieces to Liam. “Our escape has just been thwarted.”

I toss the pieces on the floor as I slide down against the wall, extending my feet in front of me. The closet is small, aside from the mop bucket and vacuum in the corner, there’s barely enough room for Liam and I to sit.

“Any phobia’s I should know about?” He asks as he sits down across from me. I glare at him, which only makes him smile.

“You seem awfully cheery for being locked in a supply closet.”

Then again, he thinks the idea of my parent’s coming to let us out is a perfectly safe rescue option. He has no idea what a horrible situation we actually are in.

Liam reaches over and taps my knee. “Are you sure you don’t have claustrophobia or something? You look a little, I don’t know, panicked?”

I lean my head against the wall. “No, I don’t have claustrophobia. I just can’t believe this is happening, that this is a bust, just like the cookies. Now Jared will never fall in love with me.”

I know the way Jared feels for me doesn’t depend on these experiences created by Liam, but I was hoping they would at least awaken some. That they would help push him in my direction.

“I’m sorry Carter, this is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not your fault. We didn’t know Jared was going to have to leave early. Your situations would have been perfect if Jared hadn’t bailed on both of them.”

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