Welcome Home, Rose

Twenty-Four

Livana's screams echoed through the entire house.

Sheriff Lincoln opted to stay outside, contacting his officers. Heather had officially been missing for over twenty-four hours now. Clay had the whole Bennington Parque Fire Department rallied and on standby for Val's call. Damien couldn't take the screaming; he chose to drive to Randy's to keep him occupied while they waited for news. Soren, AJ, and Tyson were all seated in the living room.

"How can you stand this?" AJ finally broke the silence.

"The mental institution was filled with screams like this, I've learned to tune it out, as heartless as this sounds." Soren rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hearing loss from the crowds, byproduct of my dumb ass not wearing ear plugs." Tyson admitted.

"Whatever happened between you and Heather?" AJ looked over.

"Rosie didn't tell you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"She did, I want to hear your side of things." He replied, hoping this would take his mind off the choir of screaming coming from down the hall.

"I've always thought of Bennington Parque as my own personal Hell." He began. "Everyone assumed I would be following in my dad's footsteps. Your graduation was my big debut, my way of showing this town would not trap me. Looking back, I realized how selfish I was, how I put my hatred of this town before my family. When Rosie came to see me in Florida, she personified our mother's wrath to a "T", left me too stunned to speak the whole night.

I tried like Hell to find a way to apologize. I spent hours trying to create a song, I even attempted to write out my apology. Ren told me I was trying way too hard, "Keep it simple" is what she told me. The next day I got the rose tattooed on my hand. I was still too much of a coward to text Rosie myself so I did it through my wife's phone."

"When did you and Ren get married?" Soren entered the conversation.

"On the one-year anniversary of my parents' accident. I wanted something good to happen on that day. My mom and dad loved Ren; she was already a Turner the day I brought her home."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Lincoln gave me my phone back, I called her on the way here. Against my better judgment she's driving here from Seattle." Tyson leaned back.

"Why? Is everything okay?" Soren's eyes filled with concern.

"Ren is pregnant. She's due any day now, should have known I wouldn't win an argument with a pregnant woman." Tyson sighed heavily.

"She's ready to talk."

The trio jumped at the sound of Val's voice. One by one they turned AJ expected to see Val covered in blood. Surprisingly enough there wasn't a single speck of blood on him. Soren stood up heading outside to grab Sheriff Lincoln. Tyson stood up slowly AJ following suit.

"Did you bring a change of clothes? With all that screaming I was expecting you to look like a butcher." Tyson commented.

"Didn't need to lift a single hand to her, she has a marvelous collection of hallucinogens she's been seeing her worst fears for the past few hours. I asked her if she was ready to talk after each dose. It did take several hours for her to become agreeable." Val stared straight ahead.

A shiver went down AJ's spine, there had been no remorse in his voice. Not a single ounce of regret, what would happen if they did find Heather? What would happen when Heather chose him and not Val?

"You can wipe the concerned look off your face Fender, Heath has made it fairly obvious who she has feelings for." V rolled his eyes pushing open the door.