The Honeytrap Heartbreaker

20.

Her eyes blinked open around ten am. It was more of a nap than a sleep but Jake barging in the room and switching the lights on didn't help.

"How are you feeling?"

"In need of cheering up. Prison break?" She said cheerily rubbing her eyes.

"The TV series?"

"No, take me out, I want to go out."

"No chance." He commanded.

"Come on let's go out!" Ella begged.

"No it's dangerous,"

"Oh stop being boring!" She mimicked.

"I'm in the police car..."

"We'll rent one, come on!!!" She pleaded.

"Two hours, that's it." He gave in.

"YES! YES!" She exclaimed jumping on the bed.

She rushed around the room throwing stuff in a bag and squeezing into tiny denim shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Jake sat on the edge of the bed laughing as she ran around like a child on Christmas.

"One question," She said looking at Jake, "Where are we?"

He burst into hysterics, "No-one told you?" He asked.

"I didn't ask, I was told no visitors."

"That's very unlike you to not want to know everything; we're just outside the Everglades."

"You put me in crocodile city?!" She exclaimed.

"Well if the guards wouldn't stop Tom then the crocs would."

"Why so close to home?" She asked searching through her pile of clothes looking for some shoes.

"Because no-one would expect you to be this close or in case there was an emergency and we needed to get to you like if the trial dates were moved up and well, you know, budget cuts." He reeled off.

"Do I have to wear shades and a cap?" She said poking her head out of the wardrobe.

"Are you worried about paparazzi J-Lo?"

"Fuck off," She laughed throwing the cap back into the heap of clothes and was finally ready.

Ella's eyes didn't adjust as quickly to the sunlight as she'd hoped and by the time they had walked to the car rental place she was still squinting. She quickly set her eyes upon a matte black Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible; she must have looked at Jake with hearts in her eyes as he quickly waved over the sales guy. With a quick telling off from Jake for almost using her real name when signing the contract they were set on the road within the hour, she demanded to drive and only had to shoot Jake down once saying that she didn't want him to cause another accident and he gave in still feeling guilty.

They headed onto Route 41 with the breeze blowing through their hair, singing along to the radio like a pair of teens on a road trip. Ella drove to The Everglades National Park and parked up with the rest of the tourists, Jake was hesitant at first but she managed to convince him after a while, because why would Tom send anyone to look for her there?

Plus they could blend into the crowd so easy. She dragged him around the whole park and even onto the boat ride where they saw the alligators and gasped in amazement like all the other children watching.

Jake had sourced a picnic for lunch which they ate surrounded by happy families, they spent the rest of the day in fits of giggles constantly winding each other up. Ella had missed the feel of the sun on her skin and it was glowing with a brown shimmer again within no time, she was truly happy, she forgot all about Tom and the dingy hotel, she was living in the moment with a Cheshire cat smile.