Beth couldn't help but absent mindedly chew on her thumb as she drove down the busy highway towards Georgia. I had been nearly three years since she had been home. Three years. Her now ex-fiance Zach had convinced her to run away with him to Cali. Zach. Damn it!

The faint memory of her running away with him willed tears to her tired eyes. 'Get a hold of yourself, Bethy!' She internally shouted at herself as she pulled the shiny, black Charger to the shoulder of the highway. She forcefully rubbed the tears out of her big doe eyes and put on an old pair of Ray-Bans to block out the smoldering Georgia sun.

She heaved a breathy sigh and clenched the steering wheel as she merged back onto the highway. 'No more thinkin' about him, he ain't worth it!' She scolded herself. She almost forgot about the one thing she held dear. Music. Beth cranked up the volume and started to sing at the top of her lungs as she neared Georgia.

~~~~26 hours earlier ~~~~

Beth paced across the living room of her and Zach's LA apartment. 'When the hell is he gonna get off of work?' She inwardly complained. Zach had been coming home late for the past two weeks. A couple of times he had come home reeking of perfume, but Beth just turned the other cheek telling herself that she loved him. She couldn't leave him, he was all she had here in LA.

Finally plopping down on the leather couch, the petit blonde flipped on the TV only to find nothing interesting on. There was a loud crash at the door that made Beth nearly jump out of her skin. 'What the hell?!' She thought as she padded towards the door and looked through the peep hole. Standing on her tippy-toes she could only make out a slightly curly mop of light brown hair.

"Zach?" She breathed slightly startled as she fumbled with the lock.

"Beth! Open the fuckin' door!" Zach yelled, obviously drunk as he pounded on the wood.

Beth yanked the large door open and stood back as a very drunk Zach barreled into the apartment knocking several things down in his wake. Beth almost laughed when he tripped over his own feet and almost landed on his ass, but she knew better. The way Zach was acting gave Beth a funny feeling, but she quickly dismissed it.

"Zach? Baby? Let's get you to the couch." She stated as lightly as she could, padding over to lead him to the mass of leather.

"Get off of me," he slurred as he batted away her attempts to get him to sit down.

She put her arm around his waist and damn near tugged him to the couch. He flopped down on the couch causing Beth's face to press into his chest. Beth instantly yanked back at the sickly sweet smell of cheap perfume. Her eyes darting to his face only to find hot pink lipstick smeared around his mouth and a string of small hickies leading to the top of his chest. Tears pricked her large blue eyes threatening to spring free.

"What the hell, Zach?" She choked out stepping backwards. Trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"I've been meaning to tell ya fer a while, Bethy." He spit out his voice dripping with venom.

"GET. OUT." Beth screamed gesturing towards the open door as she blinked through tears that were streaming down her face.

"Fine." He slurred as he stumbled across the living room.

"Stupid bitch…fuck." He mumbled as he swayed past her.

The large door slammed after him. Beth swayed only a moment before pacing the length of the living room once more. She could barely wrap her mind around what just happened. Only one thing rattled in Beth's mind. 'I gotta leave. I gotta go.' It was then that Beth decided that she was going home. She made her way to what used to be their bedroom, only stopping momentarily to pick up a framed picture of her and Zach.

She grit her teeth as tears spilled onto her flushed cheeks. She picked up the picture and caressed it before chunking into the small waste basket by the door. All of the anger and frustration crashed down on the petit blonde all at once. With one swipe she knocked all of the pictures of her and Zach off of the coffee table. Looking at all of the pictures broken on the floor, Beth slumped against the wall sobbing.

When she regained her posture, she stood up and rushed into the bedroom. Packing ALL of her clothes, make up and shoes. Pulling her mass of blonde curls into a pony tail, she quickly put on a pair of black Converse, a pair of jean shorts and a baby blue V-neck. Beth loaded her suit cases into her car and jogged back up the stairs.

She scanned the apartment making sure that she got everything. She left the apartment key and her engagement ring on the table and ran to the car. She sat there for ten minutes mentally preparing herself for the thirty-one hour drive.

~~~~back to present~~~

Beth's chest felt tight as she crossed the Georgia state line. 'Come on Bethy.' She coached herself. Ever since she got made it through Birmingham she had been trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. As if on cue, the low fuel light began to blink. 'Yes! I need to get a Red Bull or something." She thought as she pulled into a small gas station.

After filling up the tank and downing a Red Bull she decided to take a rest. Beth had only stopped once, and that was to sleep. Other than that, Beth had been running on adrenaline. She huffed as she drove away from the gas station and back onto the highway. Only a couple more hours until she would be home. 'Oh shit!' She thought. She still had yet to call Daddy. They would love the surprise….right?

Before I say anything, the wonderful Riain is my beta/mentor! Heyyyy! Don't forget to review! Any comments or helpful suggestions will grind out more chapters! I plan on introducing Daryl next chapter! I hope to hear from you! REVIEW!

-SFR