UNEDITED DELETED SCENE

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Ch. 2
Vanessa

   It’s bad enough that the electrical outlet blew out when Sydney plugged in our new microwave. Why did I have to be trapped inside of a piece of furniture at the same time it caught fire? And now Ryder Bannon, aka Captain Hottie as he’s known around town, is here to let me out? <cough> We had a few classes together in high school, but we weren’t exactly friends. We should have been. He was a football player; I was in the band. He was superficial; I had no tolerance for people like him. <cough, cough> Still, knowing that he’s on the other side of this wood panel makes me want to wave Hermione’s wand around to incite a vanishing spell. 
   “Vanessa? We’re going to work on getting you out now,” a deep voice says. “And, uh, sorry about the bumps.”
   “No worries. The red marks will eventually fade.” Ryder’s partner snickers as my laughter transforms into a small coughing fit.
   Suddenly an electric whirl pulses through the air, hinting at mayhem and destruction. “You ready?” Ryder asks with an extra three pulses just for fun.
   “Stop!” I shout along with my grandmother’s and Sydney’s pleas to “wait” and “hold on”, their muffled voices echoing through [my wooden prison].
   “Why?”  Ryder asks as if completely oblivious as to how he’s about to destroy a piece of history.
   “Ryder Bannon,” my grandmother says, emphasizing each syllable. “Are you planning to power saw through the back of this eighteenth century French provincial cabinet?”
   A beat passes before he answers. “There’s no key, so… yes?” The fire captain’s words end up a question, causing me to smile despite my constricting throat. Utter silence follows as he takes in my grandmother’s words. Even though I can’t see what’s happening,  I bet the look on Ryder’s face is priceless. 
   Gran’s voice breaks through the awkwardness. “Macy? It’s Deb.” Macy is her bestie. “Is Marshall available? Vanessa’s trapped inside a cabinet. Mm-hmm. Thanks, love. I owe you one.” To me she adds, “You okay in there, Ness?”
   “Define okay.” My knees are starting to hurt, and I really, really have to go to the bathroom. I don’t share this, though, as Captain Hottie is still lurking somewhere out there.
   “Marshall and Macy will be here in a few minutes to get you out.”    
   “Thanks, Gran.”
   “Ryder?” my grandmother asks.
   “Yes, ma’am?”
   “Sometimes the simplest solution isn’t the easiest one.”
   “Noted.”
   Several minute pass when a flurry of activity erupts outside the confines of my wooden prison. Never mind that I’m crouched on my knees, facing backward in a very unnatural position. Never mind that I didn’t have a hint of claustrophobia until one minute ago. Never mind that a man I’ve avoided since high school is standing less than five feet away while I’m trapped inside a wooden box like Helen of Troy.
   “How ya doin’ in there, sweetheart? Uncle Marshall will get you out soon.”
   “I’m okay, Aunt Macy. <cough> Thanks.” Macy and Marshall Tucker aren’t related to me by blood, but you’d never know it. They are my grandma’s best friends. Macy was there when my mom was born, when Syd and I were born, and she and Marshall were there to identify my parents’ bodies when a car accident took them from the world too soon. They are my grandma’s ride or die, and I am so thankful that both are in my life.
   “Hi, Nessa girl,” Uncle Marshall greets kindly through the wooden door. “It should only take a minute.” 
   “Thank you for coming to rescue me.” I don’t expect an answer, and he doesn’t give me one. He’s too busy trying to pop the lock on this cabinet. 
   I hear some jingles, some clicks, and some curse words. But finally, the lock pops, and light suddenly shines from behind me into the small space where I’m crouched.

Ryder
   Kill me now. I have to covertly adjust myself as I stare at Vanessa’s perfectly peachy backside, her yoga pants leaving little to the imagination as fresh air greets her. A long suppressed memory of Vanessa doing a handstand on the edge of the football field while I was at practice surfaces. I had fumbled the ball because her body was perfect. It still is.
   “Here, let me help you.” I wrap my left arm around Vanessa’s trim waist while my right scoops her up from below her knees as a large cough erupts from within. “Watch your head,” I say as we slowly pull backwards. A stretcher has been set up to my right where I set Vanessa down, and the EMT on duty checks her vitals.
   “This is unnecessary. I’m fine.” Vanessa coughs, and the EMT ignores her, giving Vanessa some supplemental oxygen. He shows me the oxygen reading.
   “Look. We have to take Sydney in for smoke inhalation,” I say. “We’re taking you in, too. Your blood oxygen is a little lower than we’d like.”
   “Oh,” she says. “I didn’t know.”
   “It’s just a precaution. For both of you. The breathing treatment will help start the healing process in the event of a respiratory injury.”
   “Uh..I… is Syd okay?” Vanessa asks her grandmother.
   “You’ll both be fine,” Mrs. Kaufman says. “They just want to get you looked at by a doctor. That’s all. I’m going to go check on her. I’ll be right over there.” Deb Kaufman walks over to where Sydney lies on a gurney, and within a minute the EMTs begin loading Sydney in the ambulance.
   “Ryder?” Vanessa says as the second ambulance pulls behind The Gilded Trunk. I wave it over.
   “Mm-hmm.”
   “I’m glad it was you who came today.”
   My eyebrow quirks up. “Yeah?” This is surprising.
   “Yes,” she says with a slight flush rising up her neck. “You’ve always been straight with me, so I won’t worry.”
   A little guilt spears my gut. Oh, sweet Vanessa. If you only knew that I’ve been lying to you since the first time I saw you in science class ten years ago.