Hello all! So I decided to do a story very loosely based off of the movie Endless Love, and I mean loosely. I've changed quite a few things and I'm adding in my own OC characters. The story line is also a bit altered. There's going to be a few things in the story that will possibly be dark for some but I will warn you obviously. I've changed the age gap of the characters a bit to make the story blend a little better. I hope you all enjoy and please let me know what you think.
Endless Love
Chapter One: Good to be Home
"Youth offers the promise of happiness, but life offers the realities of grief."
―-Nicholas Sparks
Beth Greene pulled her cellphone from her purse as it chimed for the fifth time since she landed.
Hey Bethy just making sure you're all right…
She sighed heavily and pushed her hair from her face
Daddy it's been 10 minutes. I'll be out soon k?
A moment later her phone chimed again.
Ok.
She swiped through her contacts and found her older sister Maggie and began to type.
I think Daddy is starting to panic.
She hit send and grabbed her carry on before stepping into the aisle as people began to exit the plane.
She had been away at Penn State for one year now and had only returned home briefly during Christmas break. Now it was summer and she'd have to spend four months with her over protective father and fussy mother. At least Maggie and Shawn would be there.
He's been messaging me too; I didn't even know he knew how to use a phone.
Beth giggled and began to type back as she left the terminal and headed toward baggage claim. Her mother and father would be waiting for her and would most likely have a million questions.
Maggie and Shawn were driving in from Atlanta. Shawn worked in communications and Maggie was married to Glenn who worked at a web design company.
They both decided to take some time off and come home for a few weeks. Glenn would be joining them soon after he finished a big project.
Her phone chimed again, this time with a message from her mother.
Beth? What are you doing?
She pushed her wild curls away from her face and began typing quickly.
Sorry, I'm almost there. It's kind of busy
She pressed send and went to put her phone in her back when she suddenly had the wind knocked out of her; she stumbled backwards, dropping her phone in the process.
She had run into someone and immediately felt her face heat up and knew she must look like a tomato.
Beth looked up and found herself staring into an ocean.
Before her stood a man around her sister's age; he had dark chocolatey brown hair and olive skin. He wore a white t-shirt but she could tell he was strong underneath and swirls of black tattoos peeked out from beneath the sleeves.
She noticed this briefly, like you would notice details in a painting; scanning quickly and taking in small details until you got to the focal point.
For him it was the eyes; a dark, deep blue with a ring of gray around the iris; like an ocean in the middle of a deadly storm.
"Watch where you're goin'" He grumbled suddenly in a deep southern drawl. She felt her face pink again at his words and reached down to pick up her phone.
"I'm sorry…" She mumbled checking to make sure her phone was undamaged; she had two texts.
"Kids…" He muttered turning his back to her.
The heat in her cheeks spread all the way to the tips of her ears and she glared at his back.
"I'm not a kid!" She huffed still clutching her phone. He turned back to look at her surprise briefly appearing on his perfect face before he rolled his eyes and walked away.
Asshole
Her phone chimed several more times and she sighed opening her messages.
Mom-Beth, I'm getting worried should we be worried?
Daddy-Bethy you need to get out here now or I'll send in a security guard.
She sighed and sent a quick group text to let them know she was fine and hurried to the escalator that led to baggage claim.
Her parents were at the bottom both staring into their new smart phones, completely engrossed.
Her mother looked up for a brief second and caught sight of her and began to wave frantically. Beth returned it smiling and then her father looked up.
His face split into a wide grin that made her heart go warm. Her father may have been overprotective but she was a Daddy's girl and didn't mind so much.
At the bottom of the escalator she ran to him before dropping her stuff and leaping into his arms. He laughed and returned her embrace, giving her a little squeeze.
"Oh honey you look so beautiful," Her mother stepped toward her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You've grown so much."
"Mom I was just home…"
"Six months ago!" She smoothed Beth's hair back and her father picked up her bags. "Let's go get your things so we can get home, I made your favorite sweet tea."
"Sounds great," Beth replied grinning. As she followed her parents to the carousal she caught a glimpse of the man she had bumped into moments before.
He stood with a duffle bag slung across his shoulder and a much older man stood next to him talking rapidly.
Suddenly the man with the stormy eyes turned and saw her staring at him and she quickly looked away feeling stupid. When she looked back they were gone, as if they had vanished into thin air.
"How was the tour?"
Daryl looked over at his brother Merle who was sitting in the driver's seat. He pulled a pack of smokes from his pocket and offered Daryl one.
"I don't want to talk about it." He said gruffly; he lit his cigarette and took a deep drag, finally relaxing slightly.
"Come on little brother, you disappear for a two years back to back to go fight rag heads in some desert wasteland, I'm sure you have some stories." Merle gave him a sideways glance and grinned.
Daryl rolled his eyes; as much as he loved his brother he still had issues with his racist comments. Daryl had learned a great deal of tolerance in the army and learned just how wrong his father had been in raising his boys.
"I'm just glad it's over." He mumbled looking out of the window.
"So now that you're a free man again what are you going to do?" Merle changed the subject and Daryl was grateful.
He shrugged unsure of what to say. "I didn't really plan anything, I just want peace."
"Says the soldier boy who just came back from a war," Merle laughed, a loud booming laugh. Daryl didn't find this funny but he said nothing.
"Glenn is supposed to be coming back into town," Daryl commented, hoping his brother would change the subject.
"Oh yeah how is that little shit?"
"He's good…married."
"Oh I heard about that in the papers, married into a rich family." Merle pulled down a dirt road and the scenery was all too familiar, even after two years.
Large willow trees stood on either side of the patchy road and tall grass, overgrown and wild, covered the fields just before their small, but quaint, home.
"Yeah the Greene family, her dad is the highest paid vet in Savannah." Daryl remarked absently. He was taking everything in, the warm muggy air, the smell of magnolias. He was finally home and he wondered if he could go back to his old life.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check his messages. He had one from Rick; His close friend Rick Grimes had returned home with him, also hanging up his boots, to his wife and two kids. He spent the last year at Daryl's side fighting and they had gotten close.
Good to be home isn't it brother?
He sent a text back, agreeing, and then placed his phone back in his pocket as they came to a stop just outside of a two story farm house.
He remembered it well and slowly got out of the truck, grabbing his duffle bag from the back.
"Good to be home isn't it brother?" Merle asked stepping beside him.
Daryl gave him a sideways glance and nodded once.
"Come on I'm starving."
He didn't wait for Merle to reply and made his way to the house, pulling open the screen door, and stepping back into his old life. Just like that.
Beth's room had looked the same since she last saw it. Cream colored walls, light hardwood floors, her wrought iron bed in the middle, covered in lace and satin.
Her bedroom window was open and the sheer white curtains ruffled in the warm Savannah breeze.
"Beth, Maggie and Shawn will be here soon come help me set the table!"
Her mother's voice floated up from downstairs. She placed her suitcases on the bed and stepped into her bathroom briefly.
She took her reflection in; she did look different. Her hair had gotten longer, more wild and wavy if that were even possible, her large baby blue eyes lined with makeup she only recently started wearing thanks to her roommates at Penn State.
She ruffled her hair and adjusted her shirt before turning the tap on and grabbing a towel.
She wet the towel and pressed it to her scalp and the back of her neck. Already the heat was getting to her, the one thing she did not miss about Georgia.
She heard her mother call for her again and stepped out of the bathroom and headed downstairs.
Her mother stood in the kitchen with one of the maids. She had a bowl in front of her with a large pile of pea pods on the counter.
The maid, Lacey, smiled at Beth and she returned it.
"How are you Miss Beth?" She asked politely in her deep southern belle accent.
"I'm doing fine how are you?"
"Oh I've been good, Rowdy has been a handful." Lacey replied brightly. "He's already two can you believe it?"
Beth pulled her sleeves up, ready to dive into the pea pods but her mother stopped her.
"Go on and set the table with Alex, I'll help Lacey finish up in here." She said smiling sweetly before returning to whatever conversation her and Lacey had been in.
Beth wandered into the large dining room to find Alex, a tall muscular boy who had gone to high school with her, placing silverware on the table.
"Hey Alex," She greeted before grabbing up napkins. He looked up at her and grinned.
"Well if it isn't Miss Beth." He teased winking.
"I hate when you guys call me that…"
"I know it's why we continue to do so." Alex laughed running a hand through his dark brown curls.
She helped him set the table while they exchanged stories of their year. He worked for her parents after his classes at the community college most days and attended baseball practice after that.
"Have you seen Brooke and Jacob?" She asked placing the last wine glass on the table before turning to him.
"Yeah, they're coming over tomorrow I think." He replied smoothing out the table cloth as he spoke. "Brooke misses you really bad."
"I'm sure, I know I miss her."
"Well why'd you run off to an Ivy League college?" He teased bumping her arm with his elbow.
"Because Daddy paid a lot of money so that I could get pre-med." She knew he was joking but returned his rhetorical question with a matter of fact tone.
He rolled his eyes and Lacey came in with a basket of bread.
The door chimed and Beth looked at Alex and grinned before running to the foyer. "I've got it!" She yelled skidding to a stop in front of the large oak doors.
She yanked the door open to see Maggie and Shawn grinning wildly at her. She squealed and leaped into Shawn's arms and then grabbed Maggie.
"I'm so happy you're home!" She felt herself getting misty eyed.
"Oh great here come the waterworks." Shawn joked ruffling her hair.
"Wow Beth you look gorgeous…" Maggie said as she stepped over the threshold.
"Thanks, my friends at Penn had me get a full makeover." She dabbed under her eyes so her mascara wouldn't smudge too badly.
"It suits you honey," Her mother had rounded the corner smiling and opened her arms to her eldest children.
"I'm starving." Shawn announced after greetings where exchanged. Everyone laughed and their mother led them into the dining room, their father joining them from his study shortly after.
Beth laughed so much her face hurt and she ate until she couldn't eat anymore. The room was filled with the clinking of glasses and silverware on plates, laughter and the soft jazz that played in the background.
Her heart felt so full she thought it might burst.
It was good to be home.
"You should run down to the liquor store and get us something." Merle commented from his seat beside Daryl on the porch.
"Why don't you go?"
"Because I don't feel like it, idiot." Merle elbowed his brother hard and Daryl rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time since returning home.
"Lazy ass"
"Whatever Darylina, just go get us some damn beer and quit throwing a hissy fit" Merle threw a wadded up twenty in Daryl's lap before getting up to stretch.
Daryl placed the twenty in his pocket and walked towards the truck. He stared at it for a minute before deciding he wanted to walk and headed down the dirt trail towards town.
"It's too hot…" Beth complained fanning herself with her paperback book.
She was lying on the hood of her brother's jeep. They had all snuck out after their parents retired to have brandy and their evening talk.
They didn't really need to sneak out but it felt good to act like kids again and the thrill of being caught as the crept down the driveway.
Shawn sat against the hood sipping on his beer he had just purchased from the small quick-mart that was located on the other side of the tracks. They had decided to stay in the parking lot and split the beer evenly, comforted by the fact they most likely wouldn't run into anyone they knew here. Beth sipped hers slowly and kept it behind her incase a cop showed up.
She didn't really drink much since she was only nineteen but she had a few beers here or there at a party at Penn.
"It's Georgia what do you expect?" Maggie was holding the cold can of beer against her forehead; she had yet to open it and take a drink.
"I don't really know," Beth answered his rhetorical question and continued to fan herself. She had changed into a breezy white summer dress before sneaking out with her siblings but it was still hotter than the hinges of hell.
"Beth someone's coming," Shawn warned her and she placed her beer further behind her. Down the road a tall figure emerged from the trees and walked toward the quick-mart.
"Probably just a local coming to do the same we're doing, calm down." Maggie chuckled sitting on the curb.
"Aren't you a little old to be sneaking around?" Shawn asked grinning. Maggie stuck her tongue at him.
"I'm only twenty-five asshole"
"Still makes you older than me grandma"
Shawn had just turned twenty one the year before. Beth smiled and watched her siblings bicker and then glanced back at the figure approaching them.
With a small twist in her stomach she realized it was the man she had run into at the airport. He walked by completely ignoring her and her siblings and entered the quick-mart.
Moments later he appeared with a six pack of beer and a pack of cigarettes in his hand. He began to walk back the way he came when Maggie called out to him.
Beth felt her face grow hot and ducked her head down, opening her book to hide her face.
"Hey you look familiar," Maggie called again and he stopped right in front of them. "Do you know Glenn Rhees?"
"Yeah he's a good friend of mine from high school…" He replied in that deep southern drawl. Beth peaked over her book and he glanced up at her.
"I knew it; I've seen you in some pictures!" Maggie grinned brightly, "You're my husband's best friend!"
"He said that?"
Maggie nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah he's said great things about you."
"Congrats on the marriage…" Daryl said sincerely, catching Beth by surprise. He seemed so rough before and yet here he was having a pleasant conversation with her sister.
"Thank you," Maggie pushed away from the truck and went to shake his hand. "I'm Maggie, this is Shawn, and that's Beth up there."
"Yeah we've met"
Was that a joking tone?
"Oh really?" Maggie asked surprised before turning back to Beth giving her the look which meant Beth had some explaining to do later.
"Briefly," Daryl replied smirking at Beth. She felt her face flush and darted her eyes away from him, but only for a minute.
He really was hard not to look at. He was incredibly handsome, not too pretty and not too scruffy. Everything about him screamed laid back and he was the complete opposite of everyone in Beth's life until this point.
"I've got to get back to my house," Daryl said gesturing to the beer in his hands. "My brother is waiting for me."
"You should come by next Wednesday, Glenn is coming into town and I'm sure he'd love to see you." Maggie offered with a genuine smile. She was always so hospitable.
Daryl paused briefly and Beth wondered if he'd really turn down an invitation. That would be a first for Maggie, no one ever denied her kind invitations.
"Sure." He mumbled before lifting a hand to wave and then he was gone, loping back toward the trees.
Beth saw a flick of flame in the distance as he lit a cigarette and then he disappeared behind the trees.
"Let's get home" Maggie said yawning as she said the last word, stretching it out.
"You're driving since you didn't open a single beer." Shawn threw his keys at her and she caught them.
Beth hopped down off of the hood and scrambled into the car after her siblings, excited to get home and get to her soft bed.
As they pulled into the driveway Beth jumped out and sped upstairs, knowing her sister all too well she hadn't forgotten about Daryl.
She took a cold shower and changed into shorts and a thin cotton t-shirt. She braided her hair with expert speed and then climbed into bed, pulling her cell phone from her purse.
She already had a text, of course.
Okay spill, how the hell do you know that fine southern boy?
Oooh goodness. This would have been longer but I had to cut it in half, the second chapter should be up soonish. Please please review and tell me what you think!