Doing something I haven't done the whole time I have been writing, and that is to introduce the story through someone else's view. I am going to do this for the next few chapters until the finale, where it will switch back to Peyton's. Ever wonder how Kennedy thinks? You are about to find out.
Kennedy's Point of View:
Not knowing where your daughter is, single handedly the most terrifying thing that any parent will ever have to go through. I thought Peyton leaving me at the altar was bad, but that was cake compared to this. I have no idea where else Gabi would take her. It was 4:32 a.m. and we had been at this for about four hours, searching every place I knew to go, but not a whole lot was open. Peyton left her cell phone laying in the front yard, and my phone was dying. I was amazed her cell phone was still in one piece with how she treated it. I looked at her, and I couldn't breathe. The whole car smelt of her shampoo and her favorite perfume, which ironically, was called Daisy. Even though she was sitting right next to me, I missed her more than she would ever know. I tried to take a deep breath, but literally, I couldn't breathe. My breaths were getting shallow and shorter, and I started to panic.
"Kennedy?" she asked, her eyes resting somewhere between me and the road. "Kennedy, you're having a panic attack," she rested her hand on my knee, and that made it even harder to breathe. "Put your hands on top of your head and count to 60." Now that just sounded dumb. I rolled my window down and stuck my head through, trying to get some air, but that only made it worse. The air dried out my mouth and tried to lodge its way down my windpipe.
"Trust me Kennedy, Julia has them a lot. Trust me," she repeated, squeezing my knee, and then retracting her hand completely. I missed the warmth instantly. I did what she demanded of me, and put my hands on the top of my head, and started counting.
"Out loud," she said. I rolled my eyes. She could be bossy sometimes.
"1, 2, 3…" I started. When I reached 40, my breathing started to regulate, and I was grateful that she was with me. "Thanks," I said, rolling my window back up.
"Sure," she said, trying her absolute hardest to keep her eyes open.
"Let's just go get a few hours of sleep. I don't know where else to look right now," I sighed.
"Shut up, I'm fine," she said, adjusting the volume on the stereo.
"Humor me," I said, pushing the button to make the stereo turn off completely.
"No, I don't want to waste any time."
"Pull over and let me drive then," I said.
"No way," she shook her head.
"Pull over," I demanded again.
"Fuck off."
"PULL OVER THE FUCKING CAR," I yelled.
"I knew you were going to say that," she laughed and did an illegal u-turn.
We drove in silence for a while. I didn't quite know what to say. All of our small talk had taken place earlier in the drive. Not talking was fine; it gave me time to study her. The way her hair was still tightly pulled into a braid. The skintight dress she was still wearing, the one that hugged her curves in all the right places. The bare feet, because she had taken her heels off and sat them on the passenger seat floorboard.
I was meant to be with her. I felt as if I was made for it. God created me just so she wouldn't have to roam the earth alone, making mistakes with all of the wrong men, but that's exactly what she was doing. John, Ben, every other guy she has ever been with, they were mistakes. I can't explain how I knew we were going to end up together, I just did.
"Where are you going?" I asked, watching her take a wrong turn, until I realized we were heading towards her house, and not mine.
"You said to go home," she started, looking slightly confused.
"I meant my house. I don't feel like talking to everyone right now."
I really didn't. I didn't want to answer the questions, I didn't want everyone tiptoeing around my problems. I wanted to sleep.
There was hesitation on her part, but she drove past her house and continued on the road to mine.
I reached for the spare key that, thankfully, was still taped under a pot. I didn't even think about what I had just done until I opened the front door. She stopped right inside of the hallway and tried to take it all in. Our house had changed. It wasn't our house anymore. I guess that was a lot to handle for her. Of course it was, it was like slap in the face, I imagine. The walls had all changed in color. The furniture was gone, replaced with different furniture. She didn't say anything though, just cleared her throat and stepped over the threshold. Some of Olivia's toys were lying on the ground when we passed through the living room, and it took all I had to hold it together. It didn't go unnoticed though; Peyton grabbed my hand, pulling me quickly away from the reminders of Olivia, and down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. She let go as soon as we reached our old room. Gone were the pictures of us, her drawings that were hung on the wall, any remainders of our year together. Everything that could have changed in this room did change. Nothing was in the same spot. I looked over at her as she took it all in. Maybe coming to my house was not such a good idea.
"I'm going to go sleep in the guest room," she said, backing away, "if there even is a guest room anymore," she muttered under her breath. I sighed as she walked away and then decided it was best just to focus on getting some sleep right now so that I could continue on the hunt for my daughter.
I laid there for about thirty minutes, tossing and turning, then just straight up staring at the ceiling. I couldn't sleep alone. I was used to always having someone in the bed with me. Olivia slept with me every single night because she had night terrors, and she was convinced that I kept the bad guys away. She said that I was stronger than Superman. I sighed and stood up. What I was about to do is something that I probably shouldn't do. As I opened the door and stepped out of my room, a little voice in my head was yelling at me, telling me to stop being an idiot and try to go to sleep. I ignored it. I opened the door to the guest bedroom as quietly as I could and peeked in. She looked dead, but that was how she always looked. She slept like a rock, nothing woke her up. As I slid into the bed next to Peyton, I didn't expect her to snuggle in close to me. I also didn't expect my hand to automatically snake around her waist, pulling her closer to me. This was not right, what was I doing? It was like I was on autopilot, and we were back to the old days, Peyton and Kennedy forever. I could wake up before she did and sneak back into my room. She would never notice I was in here.
I dozed off in minutes and entered the deepest, most amazing sleep I think I have ever had.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Kennedy," I heard. It was loud enough to wake me up, but I didn't want to open my eyes. Shit, I was supposed to sneak out before she woke up. Would she think I was being creepy? I just kept my eyes closed, thinking of what I was going to say. She kept repeating my name, and when I couldn't think of anything, I let my eyes lazily drift open and they locked on hers. Her face was so close to mine, I could feel her breath dance across my face.
"What are you doing in here?" she whispered.
"I couldn't sleep," I decided to answer truthfully, because what lie would get me out of this one? Plus, it was next to impossible for me to lie to her. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. I guess I needed to keep explaining. "I haven't slept alone in a really long time. It's hard for me. Olivia usually sleeps on the foot of my bed. She kicks the shit out of me, but it comforts me. This is my bed. I haven't slept in the other bed in a while."
That took her by surprise.
"You guys have separate bedrooms?" she asked me.
"We've been having problems for a long time." I said with a shrug. She nodded, and shot me a look of sympathy. When had my life become a soap opera?
She stood up and stretched, and I watched as the back of her dress rose a few inches. Just a few more… oh man.
"Well," she started, and I had to draw my attention away from her ass. "I am going to go find some clothes, is that okay?"
"Of course," I nodded. Just like old times. She smiled and exited the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my boner. What can I say? I am a man.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Peanut butter and jelly fine?" I asked as we packed some things for the long drive I had planned.
"Do you have bananas?" she asked, putting some waters in a cooler.
"Yes?"
"Can I have a peanut butter and banana sandwich?"
"That sounds gross." I shook my head.
"Don't knock it until you try it," she said, hunting for food in my pantry like a hungry lion about to attack its prey.
"I guess you can have one," I shrugged, pulling a banana out of the fruit bowl and chopping it up.
"Thank you," she smiled, quickly pecking me on the cheek as she passed. It was something she had done a thousand times, and I usually didn't think anything of. But at that moment, it was all I needed. I dropped the knife and pulled her close to me, my lips instantly finding hers. It was that primal instinct to take what I wanted, but I knew I shouldn't have, because she went stiff in my arms and I instantly let her go.
She didn't say anything, she just continued walking to the cooler and dropping things in, shaking it off. Damn it Kennedy.
"Fuck," I sighed, and stuffed her sandwich into a baggie.
"It's fine," she said, adjusting the tank top she borrowed.
"It won't happen again, I promise."
She just nodded and picked up the cooler, taking it to the car. She didn't come back in, so I guess that meant that it was time to leave. I grabbed the spare key and promised myself that I would not come back without Olivia.
/\/\/\/\/\
"Where are we going?" she asked, putting her feet on the dashboard.
"Jared would kill you right now," I said, adjusting the volume of the stereo that was quietly ejecting the sweet tones of Ryan Adams.
"Well JMCM is not here right now, is he?" she asked rhetorically, kicking the dash for emphasis. "Where are we going?" she asked again. We had already left Tempe, heading towards Sedona. It was a little over two hours away.
"Gabi's mom's house," I said, drumming my fingers along with the tune.
"Oh," she nodded, and looked out of the window. We had already driven over 45 minutes so we were already about halfway there, but as I looked in my rearview, it seemed as if there would be some complications.
"Fuck, I wasn't even speeding," I said as I started slowing down and pulling to the side of the road.
"Well then why?" she asked, sitting up and watching the cop walk to my window. I rolled it down and before I could talk, he beat me to it.
"Step out of the car, sir."
"What is going on?" I asked, not moving.
"Step out of the car, sir." The officer repeated with more authority. I looked over at Peyton, and she just nodded, telling me to do what he said. I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door. As soon as soon as both of my feet were planted firmly on the ground, he manhandled me, pushing me down on the hood of the car.
"Hands on the car, feet spread," he said.
"What is going on?" Peyton yelled from inside of the car.
"I will deal with you in a minute," he said.
"Isn't there some law against police brutality? You didn't even tell us what we did." I said, ignoring the man currently patting my genitals for concealed weapons. Like that would be where I put them. I would like the opportunity to have kids again someday if I wanted.
"This car has been reported stolen." The cop said, slapping some handcuffs on my wrist. "You, come here," he said motioning to Peyton.
"We didn't steal the car, it's our friends," I said as he started to pat down Peyton. He spent an awful long time checking her, and I could practically hear her eyes roll.
"Well if that was true, why would someone report it stolen?" the officer said, clearly annoyed with us.
"Listen, we just borrowed his car because my-" I started, but clearly, he didn't want to hear it.
"It's people like you who make my job a living hell. Just admit you stole it, and things will go a lot smoother. I have a low tolerance for liars."
"Can we call our friend?" Peyton spoke up.
"Sure, if that's who you want your one call to be." He nodded, pushing us towards his cruiser. Now I knew how John felt being manhandled by cops. Completely stupid.
The cop was on his radio, talking to someone at the station. "Found missing car license plate: JMCM88" Peyton and I both chuckled. "driven by Caucasian male, name: Kennedy Brock. Passenger female, name :Peyton Smith. They were driving on I-17 North, bringing them into the station now for questioning."
"Copy that." The person responded. I looked over at Peyton and she was already looking at me. We had to laugh, because this was just our luck.
Once we got to the station, they allowed us each a phone call. I immediately called Jared.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Asshole," I started, and then continued to tell him why we borrowed his car and why we didn't leave a note or anything and he just laughed. For a full minute, he laughed. I didn't see the humor in the situation right now. I wanted to look for my daughter, and Jared was being a monstercock.
"I'll drop the charges." Jared said. I handed the phone to the cop, who had to confirm that it was, in fact, Jared on the phone. Thirty minutes later, we were free to go, minor misunderstanding behind us.
"To Sedona," I said, putting my sunglasses on and opening the car door.
"To Sedona," Peyton nodded, climbing into the car.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
We stood on the porch for a minute or so, about to turn around and head home, when the door slowly opened, and we turned back around.
"John? Is that you?" she asked. I hadn't seen her in four years, but she looked the same. I smiled and gave her a hug.
"It's Kennedy now," I corrected her.
"Oh right, I heard something about that. Who is this?" she asked, smiling at Peyton.
"This is Peyton," I said. She held out her hand for Gabi's mom to shake, and she took it.
"You are all Olivia talked about," she said.
"Olivia is here?" I asked. I didn't see my car in the driveway.
"Was here. They left quite a while ago. They got here around 2 or 3 this morning."
"Do you know where Gabi went?"
"No," she replied. "But I can call her, if you want. What is going on?" So I told her. I told her about the fight and Gabi taking my car. I told her how Gabi said that I would never see Olivia again.
"That doesn't sound like Gabi at all," she said, shaking her head. She walked inside, and I guess we were meant to follow her. As she grabbed her phone, I looked at the pictures she had set up on a table behind the couch. They were all of Olivia and Gabi. Pictures I hadn't seen before. It was making me miss Olivia even more. I picked up a picture, it looked as if it was taken last year. She was wearing teal, her favorite color, a big smile plastered to her face. Peyton came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me, and I leaned my head on top of hers.
"We'll find her," she reassured me. "We're already one step in the right direction." I nodded and set the picture down.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"I think the GPS is broken," she said, tapping the screen. It was unresponsive. Great.
"Well, I think I remember how to get there," I said, chunking the GPS into the backseat.
"What are you going to do when we get there?" I asked.
"I don't know, but I need to try to call this number."
Gabi's mom called her and found out that she was at an ex boyfriends house just outside of Tempe. It was near my neighborhood, a few blocks away. I had Gabi's number, I just needed to call from a payphone. She might answer.
"There," Peyton pointed to a gas station, the payphone looking like a beacon of hope. I turned the car slowly into the parking lot, and jumped out of the car.
I had to try punching the phone number in 4 times before I got it right, I was shaking so hard.
Four rings and then she picked up.
"Hello?"
"Gabi, don't hang up," I started but she cut in.
"Leave me alone, Kennedy."
"You can't keep her away from me, and you stole my car."
"I can keep her away from you." Click.
And when that click and nothingness rang through my ears, it was time I took this to the next level. I stormed to my car and slammed it in reverse.
"Whoa, went that well?" she asked, but I didn't say anything. I needed back up, because there was no way I was going to get Olivia back alone.
I stepped on the clutch, shifted the car into first gear and slammed my foot down on the gas pedal. When I finally got the car into 5th gear, I was rounding 90 miles an hour. Not fast enough. I pushed down on the gas pedal and ignored Peyton's constant nagging.
We went five miles before attracting the attention of a cop. He followed me for another five miles until he started trying to get me to pull over. Soon he would call for back-up. Perfect.
We were only a few miles away, and Peyton looked scared, but she knew what I was doing.
"What was the house number?" I asked.
"Uh 546 I think," she said.
I barreled into the driveway slamming on my brakes and stepping out of the car. 6 guns were all pointed at me and Peyton.
"Let me explain," I started.
"You have the right to remain silent," one of them started.
"Seriously, let him explain," Peyton said, walking around the car and grabbing my hand, urging me to explain before something really bad happened.
"You have one minute."
So in under a minute, I convinced the cops that Gabi was the bad guy here, after stealing my daughter and my car, and they took action, forgetting the fact that we had a high speed car chase just moments before.
They knocked on the door. Nobody answered the it.
"Are you sure it was 546?" I asked, squeezing her hand lightly.
"No," she said, biting her lip, trying to remember correctly. She looked so cute.
"Where is your car, sir? If she is here, your car would be here too."
"It's" I said, looking around. "Well, we may have the wrong house."
"No, look," Peyton pointed to my Honda Civic that was parked around the side of the house. She was here.
"Well, we can't just break into this house, I am sorry," one of the cops said. I nodded. My plan didn't work as I had hoped.
Then we heard it, a scream.
"DADDY," she screamed, and then muffled sobs.
"Shut her up," someone else yelled.
The cops heard it too. "Stand back," one of them said to us.
"Police," one of them yelled as they kicked the door open. What had my life come to? What happened to the years of touring and fun? What happened to my youth? What happened to guitar strings and amps? Now I had Barbie Dolls and sippy cups, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. Drama, lies, cops and guns on the other hand, I would trade.
It took everything I had not to run into that house and hold Olivia. I heard her screaming. She was scared. Peyton squeezed my hand and I pulled her close. I was thankful she was with me for all of this. I needed her. Nobody would ever understand the love I truly had for her. I resent Gabi everyday for splitting us up. But as they carried my baby girl out of the door, Gabi and her ex boyfriend in handcuffs being escorted to the car, I felt that things in my life were about to change for the better.
The second she basically jumped into my arms, my whole world was complete again. She was still crying, but so was I. So was Peyton.
I knew I would get her back, I just didn't know it had to be this way. Gabi could have taken the grown up route, but she didn't.
She stole my car and she took my daughter away. I knew she wouldn't get actual jail time for this, but just seeing the cruiser drive away with her face peeking out of the back window gave me satisfaction. Was that wrong?
One of the cops brought me the keys to my car and said that after he asked Olivia some questions, we were free to go. She answered them like a champ. Some of what she said scared me. I won't get into that though, there is no need. I had her back. That was all that mattered to me.
/\/\/\/\/\
"Are you going to stay?" she asked Peyton, when we were tucking her safely into her bed.
"I need to get Uncle Jared his car back tonight, baby. I am sorry."
That hurt me a little bit. I thought after all we had been through together would have somehow, I don't know, made us closer. Wishful thinking, I suppose.
"Peyton, don't leave," she said, her eyes starting to fill up with tears.
"I," she hesitated and looked at me. I just smiled politely and exited the room, letting them discuss it.
I needed a beer. And that was exactly what I got.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
"She's a smart little sucker," Peyton said, plopping down next to me on the couch.
"Why?" I asked, taking a sip of my all too deserved beer.
"She tricked me into staying," she said shaking her head.
"How?" I asked.
"I don't want to go into it."
"She asked you to play 'Chutes and Ladders,' didn't she?"
"She's like a god damned pro," she smiled, stealing my beer and taking a sip.
"We should start some bets, we could make loads of money," I said, stealing my beer back. She just chuckled and then she went quiet.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"Yes," she said. Usually girls lied and said nothing was wrong.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I don't think I can stay here tonight," she said, biting her lip.
"Why?"
"Because," was all she replied with.
"Because?"
"Because you took me by surprise with that kiss today, Kennedy and if I stay, well," she stopped, and looked at me, "well, I am going to want to repeat it. Over and over and over again."
There was instantly a lump in my throat. I was dreaming, I just had to be.
"I-I-" I stammered, but no actual words were coming out of my mouth.
"I love you," she said, with a shrug. So nonchalant, like it was something she tells me every day. "But I can't just start something again. I need time, and if I stay here tonight, well, things might start."
"I said I was sorry about earlier," I began, but she shrugged it off and gave me a small peck on the lips. There she goes with those mixed signals again. It was what she was a pro at.
"It's okay."
I decided that I didn't want to have this conversation anymore so I flipped on the TV. One Tree Hill reruns were on soapnet, so I turned them on for her. She didn't even make it through one episode before she fell asleep with her head resting gently on my shoulder.
I never told anyone how much it hurt me when she started messing around with John and Ben, but it hurt like hell. She was making mistakes. Everything she needed was here, under this roof. Peyton, Olivia and Kennedy, doesn't it sound like the perfect family?
It did to me.
I covered her exposed legs up with a blanket, and leaned my head against the back of the couch. I wasn't going to leave her out here alone, because I would waste these precious moments with her. Tomorrow would come, and she would give all of her attention to Olivia.
That was okay, because tonight, tonight she was mine. If all I got was one night, consider me lucky.