Delicate Love || The Music Freaks AU

Chapter 16: Betrayal at a Coffee Shop

Third-Person POV:

DECEMBER 2010:

"What do you want for Christmas, love?" Asked a lean, pale-faced woman to her daughter. The little girl twirls her hair and thinks. "A puppy?" The child says happily. The woman chuckles. "Anything else?" The girl thinks again. "Nope. Just a puppy." The woman grins, brushing a hair off of the little girl's face. "You'd better write your letter to Santa, or you won't get your puppy!" The girl giggles, leaping off her mother's lap and rushing upstairs. The woman sighs, seeing her daughter disappear.

PRESENT-DAY:

"Hailey?" Sadie says quietly. Jake nods, his lip trembling. Sadie says nothing. "Sadie, why would Daisy need Hailey?" Sadie peers back at Drew. "I'm not sure. She didn't tell me too much about her plan. Only small details." Zoey anxiously played with her fingers. "Do you know where she might be keeping her?" Sadie breathed slowly. "Maybe," She admitted. Jake comes closer to her.

"Where?" Sadie gulps. "Sadie, where?" Jake repeats. Sadie shakes her head. Jake grasps Sadie's hand, warm tears falling from his oak eyes. "Sadie, please. I can't lose Hailey." Sadie peers into Jake's face, her own eyes becoming wet. She sighs. "All right," Jake exhales. "Hailey might be being held at Daisy's house," Drew pulls his phone out. "And where is that?" Sadie shakes her head again. "I'm not sure. She was always secretive about it." Zoey gasps.

"Lia's working with her right?" She says. Drew and Jake nod. "Yeah? But what does that have to do with anything?" Zoey scoffs. "You idiot, she might know where Daisy lives!" Jake gasps softly. "All right then. Let's go!" Jake stands up. 

"Jake, wait!" Drew calls. "What about Luke and Zander?" Jake rubs his face. "Right," He mutters. Drew sighs. "Look, Zoey and I will get them. You go get Hailey, okay?" Jake shakily breathes. Drew comes closer to him. "Just be careful, all right? She's dangerous." Jake nods. "I will. Don't worry."

The two men look over at Zoey. "Zoey, where does Lia usually go?" Zoey bits her lip. "Oh! She loves this cafe near Rosemeadow Park. Um, Rosy Coffee, I'm pretty sure." Jake nods. "All right. Text me if you two need anything." Drew nods. 

"We will, Jake." With that, Jake leaves the room.

. . .

Jake walks up to the cafe, looking around the heavily packed area, praying that Lia was there. He sighed in relief seeing Lia peacefully sitting at a table in the corner. Jake goes inside. Lia doesn't notice him, she's preoccupied with her phone.

"Nice to see you here." Lia looks up, her eyes go wide seeing Jake. "Jake!?" She shouts, causing a few people to look at the pair. She clears her throat. "What are you doing here?" She mutters, Jake takes a seat in front of her.

"I know you're working for Daisy," He says. Lia looks baffled. "What?" She whispers. "Don't act all innocent. I know you know where Hailey is!" Jake raises his voice. Lia looks around, sighing. "Fine, I do." Jake swallows. "Tell me." Lia shakes her head. "I can't. Hailey shouldn't be your concern anymore." Jake slams his fist on the table.

"What's happened to you, Lia? You used to be so sweet. I know you don't want to hurt anyone, so why get involved with a psycho like Daisy!?" Lia strokes her face. "I don't know," She whispers. "But I can't do anything now. I'm too deep in." Jake takes Lia's hand. "We can help you. We can get Daisy arrested! You might not even go to jail!" Lia snickers. "Please, Jake. If Daisy gets arrested, so will I. She'll drag me down with her. Sadie too." Jake stares at her. "I won't let that happen. I swear." Lia licks her upper lip and looks around the cafe nervously. "Now please, Lia. Tell me where Hailey is." 

Lia breathes heavily. "All right, fine. But not here." She stands up, leading Jake to the bathroom. She closes the door and locks it. "Hailey is at Daisy's house." She sighs. Jake nods. "And where does she live?" Lia massages her ponytail. "I can't..." She trails off. "Please," Jake begs. Lia nods. 

"188 Morin Street." She shakes. Jake hugs her. "Thank you, Lia. Thank you." Lia hugs Jake back. "I'm sorry for being such a horrible boyfriend to you." He says, pulling away. Lia glares at him. "It's okay." She mumbles. Jake sighs, walking past her and leaving the cafe. 

"I knew you'd betray me." Lia spins around to see Daisy coming out of a stall. "Daisy! H-how did you..." Daisy chuckles. 

"Find you? Simple. I knew Jake would come to you for answers, and I knew you'd crack. You love this cafe, and I knew you'd go into the bathroom because you'd be worried that I'd somehow overhear." Lia gulps. "I don't live on Morin Street," Daisy grins. "You just walked Jake into my trap." Lia breathes shakily. 

"Now that we're no longer working together, I can't trust that you won't rat on me." Daisy pulls a gun out from her pocket. "You should've known better, Lia. It's a real shame I have to do this. I did like you."

Lia backs up into the door. "Thanks for all your help."

Daisy pulls the trigger. 

. . .

"Why should I trust you?" Zander spat at Drew. Drew sighed. "You didn't commit the crime, did you?" Zander's eyes softened. "Do you really wanna spend your honeymoon in jail?" Zander sighed. "But Daisy... why would she...?" Zoey chimed in. "She's crazy. She blackmailed us to convince Jake to say awful things about your club. She told Stacy that Luke liked her, trying to ruin your guys' friendship. Probably the only time a plan of hers didn't work." Zander looked at Drew and Zoey like they were crazy.

"I'm not expecting you to trust us. But at least let us help you." Zander sighed and nodded. Zoey went outside and came back inside with Sadie.

"Why is she here?" Zander asked. "She worked for Daisy. But after Daisy tried to kill her, she agreed to help us take Daisy down. She's going to talk at your appeal. Stacy's going to help too."

Zander nodded again. "I'm so sorry, Zander. She told me she needed the drugs for something, but I had no idea what she was planning." Zander breathed shakily. "We're going to get you and Luke out, okay? We promise." Drew stated.

Zander looked up at Drew and nodded. "All right. I hope you keep your word." 

. . .

Jake kept his eyes glued to the road as he drove in silence. He was going to get Hailey back and nothing was going to stop him. After several hours, he approached the home. It was a nice-looking place. Thunder crashed in the distance as he stepped out of the vehicle and walked up to the door. 

Hesitantly, he knocked. No answer nor sign of anything inside. He knocked again. "Hailey?" He whispered. Nothing. He started pounding on the door, screaming for someone to let him in.

Furious, Jake kicked the door several times with all his strength until it swung open. The lights were on inside and he could see Hailey laying on the floor in the middle of the entrance room.

She didn't look injured, apart from a small cut on her cheek, and she seemed to be only unconscious. "Hailey!" Jake yelled, running towards the blue-haired female, he held her in her arms, staring down at her face.

The door slammed from behind him, and he saw Daisy standing there with a smile on her face -

and a gun in her hand.