Indefinite Love

Chapter 4

"Let's do a background check." Dad suggests.
Every starts agreeing, and Emma reaches for her laptop, but I reach forward, shutting the lid. I've not said a word, other than "I can't find her" and that was at three in the morning. I looked for hours with no luck. That girl was right. She's good at hiding.
"We are not doing a background check. We are going to ask Brecklyn. She's going to come back. We're going to wait." I say quietly.
I'm exhausted, and I wish she would just come home. It's cold outside today, and I know she's probably freezing.
I miss her. I want to hold her and touch her hair. I want to tell her it's okay, that I love her for her, for all of her.
I want to kiss her forehead and mumble how much I love her. I want to run my hands up her sides. I want to live on her and treat her the way she deserves.
Everyone agrees to ask her ourselves, and we settle into the couch.
Every time one of the kids wake up, or there's any sound, we all jump.
I decide to try and call her. I dial and wait.
It rings four times and goes to voicemail.
When it beeps, I'm quiet for a second, and then I just hang up.
A bit later, the sun starts coming up.
I sigh, and I wait for my love.

Brecklyn

I'm really cold and I can't calm down.
I seriously didn't want anybody to know about that. I never thought Catherine would tell.
I based my whole relationship with everyone I know off a lie.
I'm a liar and I've been to jail and I've stolen and broken into places. I'm a horrible person.
I see the sun starting to make way through the bushes I'm hiding in, and I decide to move spots.
I'm just miserable. I keep crying. I need Noah.

Noah

The sun is up now, and it's noon.
It's November now, and according to the radar, it's going to snow today.
I'm so worried about Brecklyn.
She's out there in the cold. I keep standing at the window.
We're almost out of milk for Rowan. She probably has enough to get her through the day.

<><>

It's the middle of the day, and it's snowing. The tug at my heart is strong. I need her to come home. I need to hold her and love her.
I need to hold her by the fire.
I need my wife.
I watch the kids play, and Rowan as she sits on the floor.
She looks like Brecklyn.
I lean forward, my hands on my elbows, brows creased. Liam puts his hand on my shoulder.
"She's going to come back." He whispers.

Brecklyn

I need to pump so bad. My breasts hurt horribly.
I need to get a car to go to the store and get a pump.
I can't take my car because I bet Noah has the keys in his pocket.
I need to find another way.
I hide behind a tree, watching.
I need to get my hands on somebody's debit card.
Stealing is who I am.
I look at all the cars.
I'm taking Charlotte's.
I need to get in the house.
The bathroom downstairs is right off the living room, but it opens up into the hall.
I peek in the window.
It's empty.
Carefully, I lift it.
I forgot my parents have an alarm system.
The second I lift the window, alarms start blaring.
It's going to signal the police.

Noah

We all sit up, startled, when every alarm in the house starts going off.

Brecklyn

I already got this far.
I dive through the window, slip out the bathroom door and go flying upstairs, digging through Charlotte's purse, I grab the keys to the Dodge.
I hear all the alarms stop.
They shut it off.
"What would've tripped it?" I hear Mrs. McCarthy say downstairs.
"Anything. Somebody could've opened a window. Did anybody open a window?" Mom asks.
I hear all of them reply.
"Someone did." Noah says. "The bathroom window is open."
I'm upstairs. I have Charlotte's keys.
I hear footsteps thundering up the stairs.
I open the window after snagging her wallet, and I jump.

Noah

"My car keys are gone and my window is open!" Charlotte calls.
All of us go pounding downstairs, just as her car vanishes down the street.
"Call the police." Dad says. "How could somebody get inside that easily?"
"I don't know. How did we not see them?"
"No idea." Mrs. Hart says.
"I'm calling." Charlotte looks really angry.

<><>

Hours later, after Charlotte's car was found and returned without the keys, and they finger printed the car.
They're looking for the person now. They won't tell us who it is.
My phone starts ringing.
It's some random number.
Sighing, I press answer.
"Hello?" I ask, exhausted.
"Erm...I got arrested."