Kenzie's P•O•V
Last night Theo and I had to spend the night at a hotel. Molly's been all over the house and she's showing signs of growing more violent. I'm not afraid of her, but there's no reason to continue to poke the bear. I actually have a plan in mind for Molly.
I was doing some digging and I found that she has a sister, who lived not too far out from the city. She's about a two hour drive outside of New York. I'm currently sitting outside of her townhouse, with Lacie. I know I'm at the right address, I can see that the woman in the window matches the woman in the picture I have. I glanced down at my phone and then back up at the house.
She walked out of her house and locked down behind her. We watched as Jennifer got into her car. She looks exactly like Molly, but a much younger, more stylish version. And hopefully, a much less crazier version too.
When her car began to move I followed it. Lacie made a fake account on a dating app, she set up a date with Jennifer for this afternoon. Instead of Lacie, she'll be having dinner with me. I want to move on with my life, and I know it can't happen as long as Molly's in the picture.
We followed behind her for twenty minutes. She parked her car and we watched as she entered the restaurant. It's a small restaurant that serves Italian food. I quickly parked my car.
"Are you coming in?" I asked.
She shook her head. Lacie reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of chips. "I do technical work, not physically work. I'll be patiently waiting in the car," she said. I nodded. I quickly jumped out of the car and made my way into the restaurant. I pushed the door open, I can see her sitting at a booth her back is to me.
I walked towards her and quickly sat down in the booth beside. I sat down so fast, she took a second to realize that I'm not a stranger. Her shocked look grew as her eyes got wider. I smiled. "Don't run, Lacie will slash your tires. I just want to talk," I said. I put my hands up to show that I mean no harm. She looked hesitant and ready to go.
"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're not the person I'm supposed to meet," she said.
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not who you were supposed to meet but I am who you're going to sit and talk to. Don't worry you weren't stood up, the account was fake anyway. And don't act stupid, Jennifer, you know who I am."
She looked reluctant to drop her shards. Her tone grew tense. "This is a crazy thing to do, you know. I'm sure it could even be classified as stalking," she seethed. I almost laughed. I leaned closer and placed my elbows on the table. Her eyes locked on me, like prey watching its predators prepare to attack. "Jen... What your brother did could count as kidnapping. And what your sister did.... Oh! What your sister did is definitely criminal."
She swallowed hard. "You know that he did that?"
"I didn't. I suspected it was him but you only solidified it. I wonder if I should take this to the police..." I hummed. She jumped. "You can't do that! It'll ruin everything that he worked hard for," she tried to keep her voice low. I got her. Her facade has now crumbled to nothing.
I hummed. "You're in on it, too? I wonder if they'll put you and Molly in the same prison."
"I HAD-" she cut off her scream. Her tone dropped lower."I had nothing to do with what they did. I hated what she did..."
My tone softened. "Then help me end this! I want to marry Theo, I love him. Molly's action aren't out of love. And she's only getting wilder," I said. She exhaled deeply. "She wasn't always like this. Molly was happy, she was driven, a good sister, a hard worker. And one point, Molly did really really love him..." she trailed off.
"What happened to her? People don't go this crazy over night," I said. She grimaced, a reluctant look came back to her face. "She met Theo four years ago. They were together up until the moment he met you. But if you ask me, I think the spark he had for her died a long time ago. She should've known the moment they opened their sexual relationship to others."
I stayed silent and listened. "We didn't come from a wealthy background like you did. We struggled HARD for many many years. When Molly met Theo, he showered not only her in gifts but us as well. Everyone loved Theo and accepted him as our family. Molly feels played and hurt. Four years wasted. And you have to understand, he did everything for you that she wanted done to her," she explained.
"That's not explaining the obsession."
She threw her arms up. "I don't know what else to tell you, then. Molly is the product of a broken heart. I don't know what exactly happened between them and I didn't care to; until you quit literally came to me with it."
I want to feel bad for Molly. I really do. But she's traumatized me without a care in the world. She's proven her actions stretch far past only my forgiveness. I sighed. "Can't you make her stop. It's not my fault that they didn't work out."
She huffed. "Oh, please. Don't you think that I tried to stop her? Last time I checked Molly was a grown woman and her own woman."
"Jennifer. I'm trying to work with you here. I'm trying to not take this all to the police. You don't want to see your siblings in prison. Like you said, he came so far." I said. I'm using her brother as a means to try and get her to help me. "Imagine you were me. You get into a relationship with a man and his ex won't allow either of you to move forward in the relationship. It's fucking scary and it's annoying. I'm getting tired."
"How do you want me to help you?" She asked.
"Tell me her next move. I know she's talking to someone about her crazy plans."
She took a moment to think. "Molly saw the little show you and Theo made for her. I gotta say, that might've been a big mistake on both your parts. She's fired up now..."
I can't help but feel as though she's trying to redirect me from something. There's something that she is hiding from me. "Jennifer. What is Molly up to?" I asked. She stared at me silently.
"Jennifer." I badgered on.
"I'm sure you know there's a limit to what I'm willing to tell you. Molly isn't scared to extend her wrath towards her siblings."
"You're afraid of her?"
She laughed with no humor. Her laugh was bone dry. "And you're not?"
"I'm not scared. Molly isn't thinking at all. I am, though. If I wasn't sure I could handle myself I wouldn't have come to find you. I assure you, her actions might be frightening but I know behind it is a weak child." I said. I shivered. That was a little cold. It felt as cold to say as it probably was to hear. Like I said, I can't feel bad for her. I'm still working on myself, I haven't reached that level yet. Despite how cold it sounds, it's the truth. She clearly has some unresolved problems that have carried into adulthood.
I leaned back. "Let's get back to business. What is Molly planning?"
Jennifer reached her hand into her pocket and pull out her phone. A picture of Molly sat on the screen, Molly's calling Jennifer. She looked at the phone before looking back up at me. "Well? Gonna keep her waiting?" I asked.
Jennifer answered the phone on speaker. She had her wrists in the middle of of us. I leaned in to hear her better.
"Jennifer?" Molly said.
"I'm here."
"I'll be coming over in about four hours. Will you be home?" She asked.
"Yes. But I'm at dinner right now. I'll call you back in a couple minutes, " she said.
"Ooouu! Have fun!" Molly said. She sounded excited for Jennifer as she hung up. Hearing Molly talk with Jennifer felt strange to hear. Molly sounded.... well she sounded like a normal person. Something I've seen to have forgotten she was. Jen pushed her phone back into her pocket.
"What's she planning?" I asked.
Molly grabbed her bag, she held her coat in her hands. She looked as if she were preparing to stand. "I'll be in touch with you. But for now what I will say is, be careful of the lady with red hair."
Molly pushed her self out of the booth. As she stood a waiter was approaching our table. Perfecting timing for her case. I can't ask her to sit with the waiter so close to us. Molly quickly ducked away from the waiter. She took the opportunity of his presence to dash away.
Through this meeting I've noticed a couple of things. One, there's information to Molly and Theo that I'm clearly missing. Two, I need to have a serious talk with Theo. And lastly, I have an eerie feeling that I might know who this "red haired lady" is.
•
I stepped into the hotel suite. Theo sat at the edge of the bed staring blankly at his hands. I walked over to him and placed my hand on his shoulder, he reached his hand up and rubbed my knuckles. There's a strange tension in the room. Something feels off.
He lifted his eyes to look at me. "Molly came here today."
My back stiffened. "What did she come here for?"
He stood up from the bed. He looks tired, and not in a way that means a lack of sleep. "She wanted me to take her back. When I told her that I loved you something inside her changed, I could see it. If she wasn't dangerous before she one hundred percent is now."
With my free hand I rubbed the engagement ring against my fingers with my thumb. I want to be done with this. I don't want to say it and I know he doesn't either; but we both know what her plans are. Molly will stop this wedding, if it's the last thing she can do.
"Molly's planning something. I visited her sister. Whatever she's cooking up is going to be something big," I said.
He groaned out of frustration. "God, I'm sorry. She's only plotting to destroy you because of me."
I placed my hand on his face and let my thumb rub the side of his cheek. I won't let her come between us. I have an idea. "Theo, let's get married in Vegas."
He raised a brow, he's clearly confused on my suggestion. "Vegas?"
I've thought it over when for a while now. "Molly won't let us get married. We both know this. A big wedding will only cause her to show up. I don't know about you, but I don't want a red wedding."
He reached his hands out and gently held mine. He spoke in a low tone. "Is that what you really want?"
I squeezed his hands. "Yes. I want to marry you. I don't care where and I don't care how; all I know is that all I want is to be with you." I'm not lying, either. It was never about where or when, it was always about just being with him.
He smiled wearily. "Okay. I book our flights as soon as possible."
We'll get through this. One day we'll look back and laugh at all the madness we face. I can't wait for that day.