Filed to story: Seventeen Heartbreaks: When Love Has No Voice
“I’m sorry,” Leila murmured, suddenly aware of her breakdown. She gently pushed Landon away and moved to the far corner of the elevator, seeking space.
Landon stared at his now-empty arms, feeling a pang of loss. He calmly announced, “It seems the elevator is stuck, but don’t worry. I’ve hit the maintenance call button, and help should be here shortly.”
“Okay,” Leila responded, her voice quivering slightly.
The moment the elevator broke down, every light flickered off, plunging them into total darkness.
The sudden blackness in such a cramped space was terrifying. Leila felt like she was being suffocated.
Landon noticed her distress. He was tempted to approach her and offer his support, but hesitated, worried it would seem intrusive. Instead, he asked tentatively, “Are you okay?”
With a tremble in her voice, Leila insisted she was fine. Something in her tone caught Landon’s attention, prompting him to furrow his brow slightly.
Trying to lighten the mood, Leila reached for her phone, only to remember it was nearly dead, with just three percent battery remaining.
Reluctantly, she abandoned the idea of using her phone as a light source. A dead phone would leave her cut off from the outside world. Downstairs, Sophie was waiting for her.
Leila remained silent, simply glancing at Landon.
Feeling her eyes on him, Landon said with a touch of resignation, “I completely forgot to grab my phone when I came out with you.” A heavy quiet settled over the space.
Curling up, Leila closed her eyes, desperately trying not to dwell on what was happening.
Just then, a familiar scent approached Leila.
Before she could react, Landon had placed his coat gently around her.
Surrounded by the comforting scent and warmth of Landon’s coat, Leila felt her fear begin to subside.
But Leila was still thinking clearly. She started to slip out of the coat. “Landon, this isn’t right.”
In her urgency, Leila simply called him by his first name. Landon, however, found it much more pleasant to hear her call him by his name than to be addressed as Mr. Kensington.
Landon stopped her from taking off the coat by gently taking her hand. “It gets chilly here after dark,” he said. “Don’t risk catching a cold. Think about your children. What would they do if you got sick?”
Leila considered his words and recognized the truth behind them.
At first, it was too dark to see Landon clearly. As Leila’s eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, she could just make out his shape in front of her. Feeling slightly uneasy, Leila asked, “What about you? Aren’t you cold too?”
Landon shook his head. “I’m fine,” he replied.
Leila wasn’t convinced. She knew he must be freezing. He always wore a suit, every single day. When it was cold, he’d add a long overcoat. He must have left in a rush and forgotten it. Now, he was only wearing his shirt.
It was the beginning of winter. The days weren’t too bad, but the nights were definitely getting colder.
At the thought that Landon was likely feeling the chill now, Leila discarded her concerns about keeping her distance. She quietly took a few steps toward him. When he didn’t say anything, she moved even closer.
Leila figured she was being pretty stealthy, creeping around in the dark like that. She was sure Landon hadn’t noticed a thing.
But Landon had noticed the moment she approached him. He just decided to play it cool and stay quiet, watching her fumble around, trying to reach him in vain.
Landon found her clumsiness in the darkness rather entertaining. With his long strides, he easily closed the distance and stopped by her side.
Even though Leila couldn’t see clearly in the pitch black, she could sense his approach. “What are you doing?” she asked, flustered.
“It’s freezing in here,” Landon replied calmly. “I’m worried we might get hypothermia.”
Leila hesitated, unsure whether to voice her offer. As Landon rubbed his hands to keep himself warm, she finally said, “Why don’t you come closer? We can keep warm together.” Without offering a response, Landon simply moved closer.
They huddled together for warmth, settling into a corner of the elevator.
Whether it was the close proximity to Landon or simply the power of her own imagination, Leila felt much warmer. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic rhythm that she attributed to the stress of the situation.
Leila had never been trapped in an elevator with a man, let alone with her ex-husband, in complete darkness. It was a novel and unsettling experience. She had heard of elevator accidents before but always felt they would never happen to her.
Only then did Leila realize she suffered from claustrophobia. Had it not been for this unexpected predicament, she might have gone her entire life without discovering this hidden fear.
The silence in the elevator was deafening, amplifying Leila’s growing sense of anxiety. That familiar feeling of dread, which she had momentarily forgotten in Landon’s presence, began to creep back in.
Leila dug her nails into her palms, hoping the sharp sting would keep her grounded, but it was no use. Fear hit her like a tidal wave, pulling her under. She even felt suffocated. The fear kept rising, threatening to consume her entirely.
She gradually lost awareness of Landon’s presence. She felt like she was alone, falling into an endless abyss, sinking helplessly. Despair, fear, and that suffocating feeling all wrapped around her, squeezing the life out of her.
Leila couldn’t even manage a single full breath. Her arms and legs went numb. Then, through the fog of panic, she heard a voice talking to her. “Leila? Are you alright? Leila, wake up! Can you hear me? Hey! Pull yourself together.”
In the darkness, Landon held Leila close, his own fear mirroring hers as he felt her struggling to breathe. He didn’t know how to help. He just knew he had to do something. Seeing Leila like this, so vulnerable and distressed, filled him with a sense of panic.
The sound of Landon’s voice seemed to pull Leila back from the brink. Her breathing gradually evened out, and her panic subsided. The moment Leila came to her senses, she tried to shove Landon away. But he held firm, his grip unwavering.
Leila frowned slightly. “Landon, what the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you crazy?”
“Fine,” Landon muttered through clenched teeth. “Call me crazy.”
“I just don’t want you to pass out. If you collapse while we’re alone in this elevator, I’m screwed.”
His words made sense, but Leila still felt it was a bit inappropriate. They were so close now. She hadn’t forgotten that Landon was already taken. He was with Cara, and they even had a child together. She shouldn’t be entangled with a married man. Anger and hurt bubbled up inside Leila. “Let go of me,” she commanded.
But Landon refused to release her.
Frustrated, Leila sank her teeth into his arm.
Landon grunted and asked, “Hey! Was that really necessary?”
Leila snorted, the darkness hiding her hurt. “Even if you’re concerned about me, this is out of line. Landon, you’re a married man with a child. We shouldn’t be this close. This is just wrong. You mentioned how much you dislike being bothered, and I have no intention of annoying you.”
Landon couldn’t refute her. He did say those words. He was starting to wonder if Leila was the woman he’d once loathed, as Clayton had described. He figured he might have stumbled upon misleading information and had yet to uncover the truth. As Landon was lost in thought, Leila shifted uncomfortably in his arms, the discomfort overwhelming her once again.
Throughout the night, Leila struggled with claustrophobia, which Landon soothed with gentle words and comforting touches. Even Landon himself was surprised by his unusual patience around Leila.
But what was even more puzzling was why the maintenance man still hadn’t shown up.
When Leila finally woke up the next morning, she found herself snuggled against Landon’s chest. His embrace was warm and surprisingly comforting. Leila, who usually hated the cold, was reluctant to leave the comfort and warmth of his embrace. But she got up anyway, returning Landon’s coat to him.
Landon, still groggy from sleep, opened his eyes with a hint of confusion, followed by mixed feelings. How could he let his guard down around an outsider like this? The events of the previous night were still vivid in his memory.
Landon and Leila locked eyes, and a wave of awkwardness filled the room. Leila wrapped her arms around herself, shivering slightly, and cleared her throat. “Thank you for what you did last night,” she mumbled.
Landon stood up abruptly and turned away, his ears flushing crimson. “It was nothing. At least we made it through the night. But…”
Landon’s eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a sterner tone. “Is the security in this hospital always this lax?” he questioned. “Or is there simply no one on duty?”
Soon, Landon and Leila dismissed the thought. This simply couldn’t be happening. There was no way a hospital this large wouldn’t have a single soul on duty.
After much deliberation, only one possible explanation came to Leila’s mind. Someone must have known they were stuck in there and intentionally kept it a secret, just to keep them trapped together. But how could they be so certain that no one would call for help?
To confirm her suspicions, Leila quickly pulled out her phone. She had switched it to airplane mode the day before to conserve battery, and it still had some left. Just as she feared, there was absolutely no signal.
It seemed likely that someone had set up a signal jammer. Even if their phones were fully charged, they wouldn’t be able to make a single call for help. Landon and Leila exchanged worried glances. Their thoughts immediately turned to Elma and Calvin, who were still in the hospital. A cold sweat broke out on Leila’s forehead. She felt utterly helpless.
All Landon could do was offer a few words of comfort. “Clayton is still around. When I came over last night, he said he would be checking in on Elma and Calvin every day.”
Leila gritted her teeth and turned to Landon. “Who do you think did this?” she asked, her voice thick with anxiety.
Landon hesitated before reluctantly answering, “Cara.” It wasn’t that he found it hard to believe Cara was capable of such a thing, but he felt a pang of shame saying it aloud. Cara had become increasingly malicious with each passing day.