a/n: Here's another chapter, hope y'all enjoy it!

CHAPTER THREE
haven

If there were ever one activity that he truly felt free doing, it would be running. The wind blowing through his hair, music blaring through his earbuds; it was a relaxing process for him. All the built up anxiety was gone in the span of an hour or so, he almost felt like his old self again. The best part of it all, was his midway point.

It was at the top of an old hill, no one seemed to go up there anymore; which suited him just fine. Sitting on its peak, he got to see the whole town of Daye, Georgia, the place he had called home for the past three years. The town itself wasn't as beautiful as Andrus was, it damn sure didn't mean as much to him either, but it provided a wonderful chance at a new life for him. For that, he was grateful.

It was here that he did most of his thinking, it was peaceful up here. No distractions, just him and his mind; which wasn't always a pleasant thing to be alone with, but he knew that he needed this time out. This thirty minutes or so gave him the strength to get through his entire day.

Inevitably, this is where she was free to run through his mind. He didn't have to suppress the mixture of sadness and anger that came over him. He sounded like a broken record, of that he was sure. But he just couldn't help it.

AJ had been the one to put a light back in his life, she gave him the motivation to get through the hard days. He had opened himself up to a girl once more, allowed himself to feel love once again, to feel happy again. Those few weeks with her had opened his world up to everything that felt right, much like Alyssa had.

Then she was gone, she left and took his heart with her. He held on for that year, she had texted him a couple times, to her they may have been just messages; but to him, they were hope. All of which was gone when she didn't come back after her first year. She hadn't said that she would, but he had just figured as much.

When she didn't appear after the first week of summer, he made the decision to leave. He left a note for Violet to find, he didn't put much of an explanation, just that he had to go and not to bother calling. Which, for the record, everyone seemed to ignore.

At the time of his departure, he didn't have a single clue as to where he was heading. He just knew that he had to be away from Andrus, and all of the memories it held. What he did know, was that he wouldn't be gone for a long time, he just had enough money to stay gone for a couple months. That was until he walked into, Edward's, to fuel up.

The guy behind the counter looked frustrated as he scanned the customers in front of him. When it was his turn to check out, curiosity got the best of him and he asked what the problem was. His brown eyes shot up in a 'what's it to you' fashion. After seeing that he wasn't just going to walk away, the man sighed.

"I just got roped into a double, I'm missing my baby sister's high school graduation."

"Damn… that sucks, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, your sympathy does nothing for me." He then put his snacks in that bag, "have a good night, sir."

"No, you have a good night."

"You're an asshole."

Chuckling, he threw his bag back on the counter, "Now, is that any way to talk to the guy who's going to take your shift?"

"Excuse me?"

Walking around the counter, Phil cracked a sly smile, "You heard me, I am taking over."

"Wh-what? You can't… you need training! And my boss, he'll freak."

Throwing his hands in the air, "Whoa, whoa… not to be an ass, but I don't think that it takes a whole lot of training to push some buttons. Now, I'm gonna go move my Jeep, and when I get back, you'll give me a little rundown, and then be on your way to see that sister of yours."

Before the man could contest, Punk went out to do what he had just said, when he got back, the cashier was pacing back and forth behind the counter.

"Hey, I know how this looks… but I promise you, I'm not crazy. I'm not going to rob the place, I'll leave it just like I get it." He couldn't tell if the man had given in or not, so he decided to try a line that he knew would work on him, if the roles were reversed, "C'mon man, imagine the look on her face when she sees you in the stands. This is a big moment, you shouldn't have to miss it. I'm trying to give you the opportunity not to."

Sighing, he looked around as if to he were weighing his options, "Alright… we usually get slow around this time anyway."

It took about fifteen minutes for him to give him the basics on how to run the place, "Okay, so that's basically it. We'll be closing at ten, I should be back by then, so you don't need to worry about it."

Phil watched as he grabbed all of his stuff and headed for the door, "I'll see you in a couple hours, thanks again…?"

"Phil… but pretty much everyone calls me, Punk."

"I'm Seth, nice to meet you."

With that, he was out the door and didn't return until later, like he had promised. The duo hit it off pretty well, and he was invited to his sister's celebration party the next night. One thing led to another and Punk got a job at the place, Seth helped him out with an apartment, and the rest was history.

Seth was the only person he felt comfortable talking to. He knew everything from Alyssa, the baby, Randy, Ashley, and of course, AJ. At the same time, he also shared stories from his past.

He had a Bachelor's degree, in Business to be exact. The first job he ever got offered was in New York, but his mom had gotten sick, so he decided to stay home. Working at Edward's wasn't exactly glamorous, but it paid his bills, and he was only a few minutes away from his family, should they need him. Seth wasn't like anyone else he had ever met before. He had such a different outlook on life, it was nice to see things from another person's perspective.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulled it out and saw that it was the guy he was thinking about. Today was their only day that they had off together, so they usually hung out together. Whether it be at one of their houses, or Seth's parents' house. This day in particular would be spent with his parents, it was his dad's birthday, so the usual cookout and small celebration was in store for them.

The text was a mere reminder for the day's festivities, and also to tell him not to forget about picking up the cake that had been ordered. He replied, telling him that he would get what was needed, and not to worry about it.

Once the message was sent, he decided that it was time to head back home. By the time he got there and got ready, it would be time to leave. With his music playing, he set foot on the pavement and began his five-mile trek home.

Today would definitely be a good day.

a/n: So, what did y'all think? And in case y'all are wondering, yes the Seth in the story is Seth Rollins. I hope that everyone is having a great day, and have a wonderful weekend!