[color=lightgray][right][sub][b]TIMESTAMP: Couple hours after [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5392329]In the Heart of the Storm[/url] [/b][/sub][/right] [center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220928/961d9b40ed3563b86719d962a84b9b0f.png[/img] [b][color=#82A989]_[/color][color=#83A687]_[/color][color=#84A486]_[/color][color=#85A185]_[/color][color=#869F84]_[/color][color=#879D83]_[/color][color=#889A82]_[/color][color=#8A9881]_[/color][color=#8B9680]_[/color][color=#8C937E]_[/color][color=#8D917D]_[/color][color=#8E8F7C]_[/color][color=#8F8C7B]_[/color][color=#908A7A]_[/color][color=#928879]_[/color][color=#938578]_[/color][color=#948377]_[/color][color=#958175]_[/color][color=#967E74]_[/color][color=#977C73]_[/color][color=#987972]_[/color][color=#9A7771]_[/color][color=#9B7570]_[/color][color=#9C726F]_[/color][color=#9D706E]_[/color][color=#9E6E6D]_[/color][color=#9F6B6B]_[/color][color=#A0696A]_[/color][color=#A26769]_[/color][color=#A36468]_[/color][color=#A46267]_[/color][color=#A56066]_[/color][color=#A65D65]_[/color][color=#A75B64]_[/color][color=#A95962]_[/color][color=#AA5C60]_[/color][color=#AB605E]_[/color][color=#AC635C]_[/color][color=#AD675A]_[/color][color=#AF6B57]_[/color][color=#B06E55]_[/color][color=#B17253]_[/color][color=#B27651]_[/color][color=#B3794F]_[/color][color=#B57D4C]_[/color][color=#B6814A]_[/color][color=#B78448]_[/color][color=#B88846]_[/color][color=#B98C44]_[/color][color=#BB8F41]_[/color][color=#BC933F]_[/color][color=#BD973D]_[/color][color=#BE9A3B]_[/color][color=#BF9E39]_[/color][color=#C1A136]_[/color][color=#C2A534]_[/color][color=#C3A932]_[/color][color=#C4AC30]_[/color][color=#C5B02E]_[/color][color=#C7B42B]_[/color][color=#C8B729]_[/color][color=#C9BB27]_[/color][color=#CABF25]_[/color][color=#CBC223]_[/color][color=#CDC620]_[/color][color=#CECA1E]_[/color][color=#CFCD1C]_[/color][color=#D0D11A]_[/color][/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/fKsNlDS.png[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220928/ab8e5058f2cb64f1830781b6689299c8.png[/img] [b][color=#82A989]_[/color][color=#83A687]_[/color][color=#84A486]_[/color][color=#85A185]_[/color][color=#869F84]_[/color][color=#879D83]_[/color][color=#889A82]_[/color][color=#8A9881]_[/color][color=#8B9680]_[/color][color=#8C937E]_[/color][color=#8D917D]_[/color][color=#8E8F7C]_[/color][color=#8F8C7B]_[/color][color=#908A7A]_[/color][color=#928879]_[/color][color=#938578]_[/color][color=#948377]_[/color][color=#958175]_[/color][color=#967E74]_[/color][color=#977C73]_[/color][color=#987972]_[/color][color=#9A7771]_[/color][color=#9B7570]_[/color][color=#9C726F]_[/color][color=#9D706E]_[/color][color=#9E6E6D]_[/color][color=#9F6B6B]_[/color][color=#A0696A]_[/color][color=#A26769]_[/color][color=#A36468]_[/color][color=#A46267]_[/color][color=#A56066]_[/color][color=#A65D65]_[/color][color=#A75B64]_[/color][color=#A95962]_[/color][color=#AA5C60]_[/color][color=#AB605E]_[/color][color=#AC635C]_[/color][color=#AD675A]_[/color][color=#AF6B57]_[/color][color=#B06E55]_[/color][color=#B17253]_[/color][color=#B27651]_[/color][color=#B3794F]_[/color][color=#B57D4C]_[/color][color=#B6814A]_[/color][color=#B78448]_[/color][color=#B88846]_[/color][color=#B98C44]_[/color][color=#BB8F41]_[/color][color=#BC933F]_[/color][color=#BD973D]_[/color][color=#BE9A3B]_[/color][color=#BF9E39]_[/color][color=#C1A136]_[/color][color=#C2A534]_[/color][color=#C3A932]_[/color][color=#C4AC30]_[/color][color=#C5B02E]_[/color][color=#C7B42B]_[/color][color=#C8B729]_[/color][color=#C9BB27]_[/color][color=#CABF25]_[/color][color=#CBC223]_[/color][color=#CDC620]_[/color][color=#CECA1E]_[/color][color=#CFCD1C]_[/color][color=#D0D11A]_[/color][/b] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/brutalbx][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/211015/b5878257bfbd9cdd76a67a003c983966.png[/img][/url] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/211015/52f6860b6ef04523593be20b787cf5af.png[/img] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/lovelycomplex][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/211015/450efa6a0ce5a6f0235bac836bcc1708.png[/img][/url][/center] [indent][indent][color=82A989]“AIS!”[/color] As he struck the wooden training dummy, Adam could feel the sharp, knife-like sensation shooting down his inner forearm. He had learned long ago how to dull pain. Exhale through the mouth, release the feeling into the air to be carried off by the wind and centre yourself on something else, something that could flood your mind and wash away the sensations of agony and discomfort. [color=82A989]“AIS!”[/color] Another strike, a downward pointed elbow. Adam’s mind drifted, unfocused into memory. He could see Tommy’s face contorted and grimaced as his patella tendon was ripped apart by the attack. It was almost like an out of body experience. Glancing up, he could see his father's steel blue eyes staring gleefully with mania at the carnage that was unfolding. [i]No Mercy. Win at All Cost. Survive.[/i] Lessons learned at Axe and Hammer Dojo were not lessons learned lightly. The whites of his father's teeth, the joker-like grin, it was encouragement to keep going. Adam repeated the elbow strike over and over. Tommy screamed. He whipped the boy around onto the floor and the ref charged the Callahan boy to the out of bounds section of the mat, separating the lion from his prey. [color=82A989]“AIS!”[/color] Adam pressed a thrust kick into the centre of the dummy. Instead of simply seeing wood, the fighter saw his father, flying through a used car lot's display window. The glass breaking, shattering into a million pieces of stardust around the crumpling body of the senior Callahan, an image Adam kept in his head almost all the time. He ran from the scene, only stopping to see Sensei Zeno, flanked by his daughter? Watching him with such a look of disappointment on his usually stoic and blank face. Pressing his head against the dummy, Adam gripped onto the bars for support to hold himself aloft. The sweat was pouring from his bare chest as he breathed out the pain, ignoring the swelling and bruising of his hands. Sensei Zeno and Thom Callahan had pushed and pushed and indoctrinated Adam into their way of thinking for a time but he had broken free. Yet despite this freedom, the lessons remained, the teachings remained. He closed his green eyes and searched, he dove into the waters of his past to find a memory, to find his centre. There she was. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Grimm by name but not by nature. He exhaled again as the blood trickled from his left knuckle. There she was. The chaos of his mind prevented him from hearing the quiet steps of the woman in his heart. Kylee wasn’t a heavy sleeper by any means so she had been awake the moment he left the bed. She chose to keep quiet and stay so she wouldn’t disturb his routine. She didn’t want to become that type of girlfriend that required 24/7 attention all the time (even though she totally was that girlfriend). Their budding romance was fresh and exhilarating. The two lovers were threaded in every heartbeat and Kylee was determined to make it last, burying her neediness, deep into the ground. Or at least try to. The couple had spent the past few hours exploring each other, having fun and feeling good, as one. Kylee found herself [i]exhausted[/i] and in need of a nap. Now that she got her micro nap in and her mind was restless, she could no longer wait for the company. She needed him! She needed her Adam. Picking herself up and throwing on one of his shirts, she peaked out the door to watch him. From when they were kids to now, his technique had improved by leaps and bounds. His hits were clean, sharp, and precise. Every move had intention and power. He was strong. He was focused. He was a fighter. It didn’t take a trained eye to notice that. Adam Callahan was good at what he was doing and he carried himself as such. Even with all the years of training, even with him taking pride in his lifestyle, she could feel the pain. He was this way because he had no choice. He was trying his damndest to not become the very thing he hated the most. She saw it. Not because he showed it in his face. No, he was good at masking his emotions, just like Roddy. She saw it by [i]feeling[/i] the atmosphere. He was hurting. He was hurting so much. Peering into this ritual of his that he likely did alone, she could feel every punch and every kick. She could feel the years of suffering where they were apart emitting from every fiber of his being. She could feel the tears he shed alone, which only drove him to this point. Only drove him to come back to Edenridge to her. It made her incredibly sad. Sad that she wasn’t there for him when he needed her the most. Her selfish feelings aside, Kylee was grateful he was here and that he was using control to better himself. Control was something she battled daily, hating when things didn’t go according to plan. That’s why she didn’t take his disappearance well. That’s why she didn’t take his reappearance well. That’s why she didn’t take that Stacy girl well either. Everything he’s been through she had no part in. Everything that was his life thus far she couldn’t change even if she wanted to. He was ripped from her life by his sleazy father and she couldn’t protect him. She was useless. Just how she couldn’t protect herself from her own father, unable to say no and fight back. An obedient daughter through and through. Kylee had no control in anything that mattered and she hated that. Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, Kylee slid her hands and arms around the sides of her beloved Adam. Wrapping herself around him, holding him close, she pressed her soft lips on the nape of his neck and announced her presence by playfully teasing, [color=a95963]“Sweaty boy.”[/color] She turned her head to rest her cheek against his back. The thought that this was her reality now was still hard to process but it sure did make her smile. She loved him. Adam jumped internally when he felt Kylee wrap herself around him. He had learned to control all physical impulse and movement but that didn’t mean he still didn’t feel it all on the inside. Turning in her arms, the fighter held the Mayor's daughter close with his right arm, wiping the blood from his left on his dark shorts. He rested his hand under her hair and on the back of her neck before moving his now dry hand to her waist. [color=82A989]“I’m so sorry, did I wake you?”[/color] The fact she could get any sleep at all, with the storm raging outside and lighting flashing every few minutes was crazy. He still couldn’t believe that she was there. Kylee Grimm was in his apartment. Not only that but they had made love and professed love and it had all happened so fast. Only forty eight hours ago Adam was sitting on the nearby couch and was planning on how he would approach Ky again after his kidnapping by his father. How do you go see the girl you’ve loved all your life, after disappearing from hers and tell her your back in town? Apparently it involved crashing into her on your third skateboard that month and going on a hunt for a psycho sending threatening letters. Then getting caught in a monsoon and professing your love. Yeah, a weird day. [color=82A989]“I have a routine. Sorry it just helps me get my head where it needs to be.”[/color] [color=a95963]“Why are you sorry?”[/color] Kylee reached up and gently placed her cold hand on his cheek. Her big eyes watching him carefully. [color=a95963]“I like the noise,”[/color] she serenely smiled, gently stroking his face in an attempt to soothe him, [color=a95963]“Believe it or not, I sleep better when there isn’t silence.”[/color] It’s true. The silence was awful. Coming from her creepy manor, yeah, she’d prefer the sounds of Adam’s grunts from punching a dummy and the storm outside any day. Left little room for the imagination when she knew what was making the noise. [color=a95963]“I’ve been up for a bit. I just didn’t want to bother you,”[/color] She bashfully admitted before giving him a gentle peck on the lips. [color=82A989]“You’re sweet.”[/color] In that moment, Adam felt like he was the luckiest guy on the planet. Feeling her hands on his skin cooled and calmed him, as the memories of another life washed away with the rain. Sensei Zeno and Faye and his father were all pulled away with the tide, instead leaving him alone on an island paradise with Kylee Grimm. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, his heart ablaze with a dream come true. When the torture and the training became too much, Adam always used the thought of a happy Kylee to get him through it all. Taking his lips away from hers, he took a step back and grabbed a nearby towel to dry off his torso. There were lots of little things that Adam needed to do through the day to help him cope, he was a man of schedule and rhythm. What Ky had just walked in on, was just the tip of the iceberg. [color=82A989]“I need to take a shower.”[/color] [color=a95963]“Okie dokie!"[/color] Kylee beamed. [color=a95963]“I’ll go after you,”[/color] she added, saying matter-of-factly. Stepping back and allowing him to do his thing, the Mayor's daughter continued, [color=a95963]“I’m going to get myself a snacky snack and make a call.”[/color] The logical thing to do was give her father an update and tell him she was safe but that wasn’t what she wanted to do nor who she wanted to speak to. No. What she needed to do was call her best friend and tell him all the things that happened to her today. She needed Roddy and she wanted to see his face, especially his reaction to the deetz. [color=a95963]“When I’m all clean I want to watch these diary videos you made. I demand it, Adam.”[/color] She gave an excitable grin, ready to see a side of Adam that would belong to her and only her. Someone for her to have and to hold, and that wanted to do all that back. A side that was completely hers and no one else’s. Her Adam. God she was so cute. This version of Kylee was such a far cry from the girl he had reconnected with earlier that day. The one from this morning was standing on the precipice of her dark place, teetering on the edge of her darker impulses. She had fallen but Adam had managed to catch her. [color=82A989]“As you wish,”[/color] He bowed in his best Dread Pirate Roberts impression. His pale green eyes took in her body hungrily. The shirt she had claimed dwarfed her but Adam could still see the outline of her curves, the soft silk of her skin under the hem of the shirt where her thighs were barely covered. Damn, she looked far better in that than he ever did. [color=82A989]“See you in a bit.”[/color] Popping a kiss against her lips again, Adam turned towards the bathroom and closed the door behind him. The moment the door was closed Kylee was quick to dash to her phone (which was still on the coffee table) and fly onto the couch, laying on her belly. When she unlocked her phone, she saw the missed call from her father. She bit her cheek in worry, wondering if he was going to be mad at her for not calling back immediately. He only called once which is all he should need to do when it came to her. Shaking her head, dismissing her growing anxiety, Kylee went to her best friend’s number and pressed the video chat option. As she waited for Roddy to pick up, she shifted her body by sitting up and taking the pillow with her. Hugging the pillow, she hid part of her face, hoping Roddy had been managing Texas living just fine. Kylee worried about him. Texas was a long way away from home and she wondered if he made any friends. Were there cool ghost stories there? The Grimm princess could only hope he was making the most of his time with his small family tagging along. Still, things would be better if she and him were in the same state. At least then she could visit him when she wanted to. Roddy withdrawal aside, Kylee couldn’t believe her day so far. It was so strange and unusual, and yet it made so much sense. From when Adam crashed into her to him and her getting entangled with each other, fiercely, intensely, wonderfully… it all made sense. Not only to their physical chemistry but to the fact that whatever they were missing for the past few years was no longer a problem. That hole in her heart that was made when he disappeared, didn’t exist anymore. The moment Adam made his intentions clear and bared his soul, he gave Kylee a sense of unconditional love that she didn’t realize she desperately wanted, hopelessly needed, and absolutely yearned for. All this time she was searching for something, she just didn’t realize it until today. He did all the right things that made her feel that she was deserving. That she was beautiful and he understood exactly what she felt 99 percent of the time even though she loved to make things difficult and couldn’t help but be a pain in his ass. And honestly? She couldn’t be happier. [color=a95963]“Roddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy,”[/color] she drawled when she saw the video slowly processing. [color=D2D518]“Lanie! Rylie spilled her food in Dusty’s hat again. It’s your turn to clean it.”[/color] The familiar sound and thick Boston accent chimed through the speakers of Kylee’s phone as the one and only Roddy Callahan appeared on the screen in all his shaggy haired and bearded glory with his baby girl sitting on his lap. [color=D2D518]“Oh we’re on! Hey Velma!”[/color] The young man waved at his best friend. [color=D2D518]“Look Ry, it’s Auntie Ky! Say hi,”[/color] Rod picked up the little girl's arm so that she too could wave at the brunette, all the while having a smile plastered across her potato face. [color=a95963]“Oh she’s getting so big,”[/color] Kylee’s eyes widened as she looked at the pure cuteness that was her best friend’s daughter. [color=a95963]“Hi, Moonie!”[/color] The girl's voice shifted to that of baby talk, high pitched and adorable. She gave Rylie the nickname Moonie the moment she met her because she could immediately tell that she was Roddy’s moon. [color=a95963]“How’s my little Moonie doing?”[/color] This. This is what she missed the most. Being in the presence of Roddy and even coddling and spoiling his daughter. Just looking at Rylie’s face gave her baby fever, but that was neither here nor there. She could barely take care of herself. Birth control was absolutely necessary for Kylee because she had too much life to live. A baby would ruin that. So, while she could, she would vicariously live through her best friend and be the cool aunt. That did remind her. She hadn’t sent a care package in TWO WEEKS. It was long overdue. She’d need to drag Adam out shopping so they could buy Rylie a new outfit. [color=D2D518]“Well she’s in love with her uncle [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/53/c1/72/53c172a14e8e6b778dd3bced0509c7a0.jpg]Dusty[/url], I mean even right now she’s given him the eyes,”[/color] Roddy laughed as his words became a reality. Rylie’s little face watched someone off screen intently, drool falling from her mouth. [color=D2D518]“Hey Dust? You mind taking her?”[/color] From the left hand corner of the screen, a tall man emerged from the orange hued background. He was country handsome, with a wispy dirty blonde beard and hair poking out from beneath his ten gallon hat. [color=AF986D]“Well that ain’t no thing, come here sugar pie,”[/color] he spoke with a thick, melodic southern drawl before he reached down to the eagerly waiting child who already had her arms outstretched waiting for him. [color=AF986D]“I think your Momma has finished cleaning up your little party. Why don’t we go see her and see if she wants to run into town for a bit to eat? Huh? Would you like that? Yeah I think you would.”[/color] Dusty and Rylie disappeared out of the frame of the picture, leaving just Roddy. Roddy took a sip from a cup he had sitting on the side before smiling. [color=D2D518]“So what’s new at home?”[/color] [color=a95963]“First off: wow, he’s fucking hot,”[/color] Kylee took a moment to gather herself, even adding the extra dramatics of fanning her face. [color=a95963]“I always forget how hot he is and then woop, there he is. Cowboy hat and all.”[/color] Once she got her unvirginal eyes to focus on the boy on the screen and not on Lanie’s cousin’s husband (wow, a mouthful), she cleared her throat, laying the pillow down on her lap. [color=a95963]“Too much, honestly. You know our home. Always something new. Today another letter came out,”[/color] Kylee revealed, frowning at the thought that letters were still haunting the town and likely would for the rest of the year. She needed to get to the bottom of this. [color=D2D518]“Oh fuck!”[/color] Roddy wasn't shocked to hear that another letter had found its way onto the streets of Edenridge. He had thought about it a lot and imagined that there was likely a novel's worth of pages being prepared to float around town. Eden was a place of secrets and lies. Week to week it seemed that with every sun rise a new untruth was to be laid bare. [color=D2D518]“What is it this time? Beau fathered a secret love child with Miss Copeland? Principal Payne was actually the Tooth Fairy?”[/color] [color=a95963]“Actually,”[/color] Kylee pushed her hair behind her ear, as she shared the information she gathered throughout her day, [color=a95963]“I don’t think this has anything to do with Charlie’s journal. I think someone liked the results from the Allison incident and decided to use it for their own agenda. I do think we are going to get another Charlie-knows-too-much shitshow soon, but this one, it’s more personal. This one hits home for your cousin, Clay.”[/color] Her eyes searched Roddy’s face to see if there was any sign of concern (she was grateful he wasn't a complete Robot anymore). [color=a95963]“It’s about David. And the letter. Well it was a secret love letter.” [/color] [color=D2D518]“Clay’s tough,”[/color] Roddy leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. Of course he was concerned for Clay. Hell, the idiot was more of a big brother to him than Francis ever was. He really had a good heart. [color=D2D518]“He might be thicker than a two dollar steak but he’s the best kind of person. He’ll get through this.”[/color] Rod knew that Ky lived off of this kind of stuff. He did too when they were the Scooby crew but times had changed and his priorities had to change with them. [color=D2D518]“I remember this going around school, that David had a secret girlfriend. There was always a rumour with us weirdos that the Elite and the jocks would pick a target from the freshmen class to use as they pleased, be it sexual or otherwise. Like you remember how Reagan Ramsey basically groomed Natalia to be the next, what did she used to call it? The Supreme,”[/color] He let out a soft chuckle; what a stupid gimmick. [color=D2D518]“Then there was Mei and Sabrina Aviles. Pretty sure that chick is the reason Mei is…well Mei. Grace and Danny? If I’m not wrong, the heavy whisper at the time was David was seeing Caitlin. I never really questioned it because we might be cousins but we’re not really close.”[/color] [i]Heh. [/i] Kylee rested her hand on her lips, deep in thought. It wasn’t like she could do anything about this reveal now. The storm was bad and if anyone deserved to have the answers to this, it would be Clay. She had her suspicions, especially after the talk with Jill and Mei. They brought her list down to two. Lanie and Caitlin. It would be quite silly of her to accuse her best friend’s lady but also if Lanie was as close to Allison as it seemed, Kylee didn’t think Lanie would touch the Elite. Not even with a ten-foot pole. After her conversation with the dark goddesses, Kylee was able to break down the letter and see all the context clues. [color=a95963]“The letter… the girl was someone that grew up with David. It made her seem absolutely smitten by her brother’s friend. A kid crush. She grew up hearing stories of him and his best friends. They were [i]royalty[/i]. Obviously, the Elite. She knew about his relationship with Bailey Darensborg, which means she was connected to his circle. Maybe not directly, but enough where she could find out details about him, like any girl hard crushing on someone would do. He took her home from a party. The letter was dated the day after Allison OD’d. So it was likely that party. They went to a clearing, near their houses, a sign they were neighbours. Clay has Lamb. Francis has you. David with Jamie. Russ, an only child. And then there’s Rhett with his three sisters. See how stupidly obvious it is?”[/color] [color=D2D518]“You’ve done it, Velma. You’ve solved the mystery.”[/color] Roddy was proud and for a moment, a feeling welled up in his chest. It was just like the good old days where the pair of them and his cousin Adam, wherever he was, used to get up to mischief and find the secrets behind Edenridge’s thousand-fold ghost stories. Memories. [color=D2D518]“Now what you do with that info is up to you. Why would Caitlin release her own love letters? Unless she didn’t and if that’s the case, who did it?”[/color] One answer had been uncovered but now the questions had changed. [color=D2D518]“Get your orange turtleneck on Ky, you’ve got another mystery on your hands.”[/color] [color=a95963]“I don’t think this part is my mystery to solve,”[/color] Kylee softly smiled, thinking about Clay. Someone she cared deeply about and it all happened in the course of one month, thanks to Roddy and thanks to Wes. Wes… Biting her nails, with the sudden thought of her boyfriend, she knew at this point she should expedite the process and break up with him. It was a no brainer she would choose Adam over Wes. Adam was only here for a day and had opened up to her in ways that Wes never would. Putting the image of Wes in the back of her mind, she decided, [color=a95963]“I’ll call Clay in the morning. I imagine he can’t do much right now anyways since it’s fucking crazy outside. As for Caitlin, I don’t think she would. Share her own love letter, I mean.”[/color] Caitlin was always a quiet one, who avoided her like a plague for obvious reasons. Kylee was a gossip, just like Mei was. Though, Kylee didn’t like gossiping unless she knew what she was talking about was true. She was a person who found out secrets. Not someone who lied just to get clout. [color=a95963]“If it was her she would’ve done it years ago so the blame wouldn’t fall all on David.”[/color] Once again, Kylee had her suspicions. The person who likely did it was someone who cared for David with all their heart and that knew him incredibly well, to the point where they knew where he stashed his love letters. There weren’t many that would know besides the Elite, Jamie, and Lamb. [color=a95963]“If I figured out this much, I’m sure Clay’s on the trail too.” [/color] [color=D2D518]“I dunno,”[/color] Roddy shrugged. [color=D2D518]“I once saw Clay eat a Lego on a bet… he was twenty one.”[/color] Adam emerged from the steaming hot bathroom as if he had just walked out of a Japanese hot spring. With only a towel to cover his modesty, the young fighter made his way over to Kylee. He didn’t want to disturb her whilst she was on the phone so he simply pressed a soft kiss to her head, not looking at the face on the screen. He breezed by and headed towards the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Roddy’s mouth was agape. Either Wes had been hitting the gym or that was not Ky’s boyfriend. In fact, he looked a lot like… [color=D2D518]”Kylee, what the shit?!”[/color] The Mayor’s daughter was beaming red in embarrassment. She didn’t account for Adam getting out of the shower nor did she expect him to go to her and kiss her head, while she was talking to someone in video chat. She was smiling widely, not because she was happy. No, she felt so awkward that the only way she could show it was through a big smile that hurt her cheeks. She was dying on the inside. Using the pillow to shield her face from Roddy’s shooketh stare, Kylee tried to explain herself, [color=a95963]“You… see…”[/color] She stumbled on her words, feeling like a little kid who got caught stealing. [color=a95963]“Um, well… you see. Um... Adam’s back.”[/color] [color=D2D518]“Adam as in my cousin Adam? The boy whose name was all over your maths textbook? Adam that was kidnapped by my lunatic uncle Thom, Adam? Fuuuuuck.”[/color] Uncle Thom always terrified the hell out of Roddy. Around everyone he always had a big grin and that stupid ponytail. Yet behind closed doors, the six foot something man beat the hell out of Adam and Andy. He didn’t know if he ever was abusive to Rachel but he wouldn’t be surprised. Rod remembered the day that Adam “left”. They had been out for the day when they returned to the butcher shop to find Thom rowing fiercely with Roddy’s dad John. Thom grabbed his son and walked out of the store with Adam under his arm and he never saw him again after that…until now apparently. [color=D2D518]“So Adam’s back and immediately you’re screwing him when literally last week you were telling me how much you liked Wes… actually no makes perfect sense. Adam was always your person. Shit, Ky,”[/color] Roddy really didn’t know what to make of this. This was too much to compute for the robot. His missing cousin, now found and in Kylee’s bed. Only in Edenridge. [color=D2D518]“Have you at least broken up with Wes?”[/color] Pulling the pillow down, Kylee shyly glanced over to Adam’s bedroom door and then nervously laughed, [color=a95963]“Funny thing about that, Roddy, my pal, my best friend, my home boy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good-time boyeh,”[/color] Yes, Kylee was definitely dragging this out, knowing damn well she was a bad, bad girl. She did the big no no. It wasn’t something she ever did before but one thing led to the other and here she was in Adam’s apartment, wearing his shirt, having spent the past couple hours getting fucked senseless by the energizer bunny. [color=D2D518]“Kylee! For all that’s holy! Spit it out I’ve got to take Rylie to a playdate!”[/color] [color=a95963]“Okay, so,”[/color] Now it was time to give him a mouthful. She hoped she didn’t lose him because of this. It was an honest to god— actually, no. Adam wasn’t a mistake. She would’ve likely given in no matter the time he decided to come back. He made her feel butterflies and it was hard to fight the pull he had on her. He wasn’t a mistake, but perhaps she could’ve… said she couldn’t right now. She was weak. Weak for the Adam dick. [color=a95963]“I was all depressed today because Wes was not responding to me. He didn’t even say good morning. You know how that gets in my head! And it went on almost all day. Like, he didn’t even have the courtesy to send me an update. His car wasn’t in front of his Airbnb either so I’m anxious and at the library trying to research for the investigation. Okay, so,”[/color] Kylee kept her voice low, not knowing how she’d explain this one to Adam. If anything, he would feel like shit, [color=a95963]“I leave the library, right? And in comes Adam out of nowhere, and he almost killed me with his skateboard. I could’ve died!” [/color] Kylee with her dramatics. [color=a95963]“That turned into him spending the day with me, just like the good ol’ Scooby days. But that's beside the point. I had a late lunch date with Marco, but that turned into me kinda’ losing my shit because I might’ve been a-little-jealous-that-Adam-knew-a-girl-who-was-randomly-in-the-park-with-us. Like for crying out loud, she is supposed to be in Pinehurst. Why the fuck is she in Lyon Park? Welllllllllllllll,”[/color] Kylee caught her breath, her words speeding up by the second, before whining, [color=a95963]“What was I supposed to do when Adam said he was in love with me in the rain? The rain part was entirely my fault since I was fighting him… I didn’t like that he had a whole life that I wasn’t a part of. Yeah I know an awful one but it still didn’t include me. And…”[/color] She pouted at Roddy, in a way that said please forgive me. [color=a95963]“How do you fight a stupidly romantic confession in freaking monsoon weather by the first boy you ever gave your heart to and might have lowkey undressed in your head? Now… I’m-at-his-apartment.”[/color] Kylee ended her spiel with a deep exhale. That was a lot. Roddy placed both of his hands over his face and he let out a great yell. This was his best friend. This was his platonic puzzle piece and she was an absolute mess of a human being. God he loved her too much. Slamming his hands down onto his knees, the displaced Callahan began to laugh. [color=D2D518]“That is such a Kylee story!”[/color] Rod the robot broke his binary code and beamed from ear to ear. [color=D2D518]“You’re such an idiot. Ok as soon as you hang up with me you need to get in touch with Wes. Even if he doesn’t respond you know it’s the right thing to do. Say your piece and be done with it. Don’t drag this out or people are just gonna get hurt.”[/color] Relieved but still feeling a little shitty, Kylee nodded and promised, [color=a95963]“I will, I will. I know it’s wrong and I don’t want to hurt anyone but Adam is really hot,”[/color] Kylee buried her blushing face, still heckin’ embarrassed, into the pillow which muffled her voice, [color=a95963]“He has so much muscleeeeeeee.”[/color] Not an excuse, but how could you blame her? She gushed at the thought of his physique. Already wanting to touch him more. After she had her moment of talking about how much Adam [i]grew[/i], and how much she loved what she saw, a twinkle of sadness shimmered in her eyes, [color=a95963]“Adam hotness aside, I just don’t know why Wes hasn’t texted me today. He’s already pretty bad at it, but he at least text me once. I guess this was coming because I’ve been really insecure because of him.”[/color] Kylee threw the pillow to the side and huffed, [color=a95963]“I already found out he was a news guy from Pinehurst from daddy and from then, I started to notice how little he wanted to share with me. What if Adam gets tired of me too?”[/color] There it was. As always whenever Kylee began to feel a certain kind of way, it almost always boiled down to the same root cause. [color=D2D518]“I could’ve called that your dad had something to do with this.”[/color] As much as he had tried to convince her over the years, Roddy never could get Kylee to admit fully that her father was a bad guy, even if he knew that she knew, the words just never made it out of her mouth. [color=D2D518]“Look, it’s more than likely that your old man paid Wes to leave and drop whatever story he was chasing. You’re his precious, no one will ever be good enough for you, like ever. Hell, we’ve been friends for years and he doesn’t even know my name! If Wesley was keeping secrets from you, I guarantee your dad found out and told him to get out of your life. That’s how he operates and has always operated.”[/color] Rod glanced at the antique clock on the wall and sighed, [color=D2D518]“Listen I have to take Rylie out but we need to do this again soon, bring my missing cousin too!… Adam not Bronagh. Less Bron in my life the better. Mad as a box of frogs that one,”[/color] He drifted off for a moment thinking of his crazy blonde cousin before returning his attention to Ky. [color=D2D518]“You gonna be ok?”[/color] [color=a95963]“Mm, yeah,”[/color] Kylee didn’t consider her father getting involved. She should’ve expected it when he told her to be careful this morning but she had hoped… [color=a95963]“Oh my god! My daddy’s SPEECH! I FORGOT.”[/color] Kylee was now in full blown panic. That was probably why he was calling her. She was supposed to be with him for that. Did it even happen with the storm?! [color=a95963]“Okay Roddy, I love you lots. You go have fun! I’ll call you next Monday. I want us to do this once a week. So Mondays. You give me Mondays and I’ll be a happy Kylee, got it?”[/color] [color=D2D518]“Got it!”[/color] He nodded. [color=D2D518]“I also won’t be having fun. I’m dropping Rylie off then I’ve got PT. Somehow the therapists here are harsher than the ones in Boston.”[/color] WAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!! The screams of the child echoed in the old wooden farm house and Roddy cocked an eyebrow. [color=D2D518]“Well that’s me being summoned. I love you too, Kylee. Be careful."[/color] He warned, before dismissing himself, [color=D2D518]“Roddy out!”[/color] With a big grin and wave, he turned off the call. Shit. Shit. Shit. Kylee was up from the couch rushing to the dryer to pull out her clothes. As a precaution she definitely needed to be in her own clothes, who knows if her father wanted a video chat call. If he saw her in boy’s clothes, Adam’s no less, she'd be dead. Deceased. Six feet under. Grabbing her clothes, she rushed to the bathroom and slammed it shut. Speed, she had to be speed. Quickly, as she started the water, Kylee dialed to call Wes. Her call immediately went to voicemail. [color=a95963]“Hey, Wes? I hope you’re okay. I, um, I'm going to make this quick. I think it’s best we go our separate ways. I thought about it and I don’t want you to get hurt. It’s not like you’re that into me anyways! If you were you would’ve told me more about you, right? I really had a great time, you know that? You and me? We were a fun team. Kickass heroes. Total nerds. Maybe this doesn't need to be a goodbye. Maybe this could be a see you later? I hope so... anyways, stay safe, okay? And do know I really enjoyed your company. More than you’ll ever know. Oh and Wesley. I did love you, like a lot. Bleh! Okay, I'mma hang up now. See you...”[/color] her voice trailed off, dreading the thought of what her father might’ve said to Wes to get him to leave town. Biting her bottom lip, she hung up and placed her phone on the sink counter. Shower. Call daddy. Deep in Edenridge woods, there sits a small body of water, a slaughter swamp, hard to find by anyone who didn’t already know where it was, being pounded on by the thunderous storm. Within its murky depths, a mass grave of bodies, its latest occupant? Wesley Silo was already being covered by the moss and the mud. His camera smashed against his chest and his phone drifting out of his open hand, the screen lit up with his missed calls: KAYLEE, 3 MISSED CALLS. DEX, 1 MISSED CALL. KYLEE 8 MISSED CALLS. Battery dead.[/indent][/indent][/color]