Broken (A Zach Bryan Fan Fiction)

Chapter 17

ZACH'S POV

I sat there nervously tapping my foot waiting for the plane to connect to the terminal so I could get the hell off of this plane and find Brynn.

"Excuse me sir" the middle aged woman sitting next to me says as she taps my shoulder. "Your seatbelt should still be on."

I roll my eyes and huff at her, fixing my gaze out the window to see how close we are to the gate.

As I hear the pilot come over the speaker beginning to announce we can now exit the plan I spring forward pushing past everyone else in the aisle and start running down the terminal and throughout the airport.

After what felt like eternity I was running through the airport parking lot to where my dad had let me know he dropped off the Bronco. I felt along the wheel well and found the key hidden underneath. I hopped in and started the truck as fast as I could before peeling out of the parking space to meet my dad at the diner, where we plan on starting our search.

What the hell was I thinking? 

I have never driven so fast, I ripped into the diner parking lot and basically jumped out of the vehicle.

As I whipped open the diner door Grace gave me a sad look.

"Where the hell is she?" I burst out "where could she have gone?"

"I-I don't know" Grace stuttered "She burned hers-"

"She what?" I said taken aback "is she okay?"

Grace took a calm breath and continued "She burned herself when some news article came on the TV, I sent her down the road to the clinic and then home for the rest of the day. I tried to text her to see how she was doing but then I realized her phone was here."

"And by that time I had already showed up at the diner" Dewayne chimed in.

I let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and pointer finger.

"How could this be happening?"

They all looked at me sadly, not quite knowing what to say to me.

"I'm going to her apartment" and with that I turned on my heels and headed out the door.

As I arrived at her apartment I took a deep breath, not knowing what to expect.

My hands trembled as I approached her door, I unlocked her apartment and stepped inside.

It smelled just like her, and was left neat and tidy as always. I found the note my dad had read to me over the phone and my breath hitched in my throat. I scoured the apartment for a clue as to where she would have gone.

I crumpled up the note and threw it at the wall as I let out a frustrated groan.

"Where are you Brynn?" I screamed.

And that's when it hit me, I know where she might be.

I ran out of her apartment, slamming the door behind me and launched myself into the truck. Peeling out of the parking lot, tears threatening to spill. If she's not here I have no idea where she'd be.

As I pulled into the parking lot at the park where we had our first official date. I jumped out and started running as there is a lot of ground to cover.

"Brynn" I shouted across the open area "Brynn, please tell me you're here"

I continued to run throughout the park, tears starting to spill over as there has been no sight of her. I threw my hands to my face and collapsed to my knees sobbing. What have I done? I'm not ready to lose her.

BRYNN'S POV

I walked around aimlessly after leaving my apartment, no care as to where I was heading and no plans at all. The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and sadness washing over me and taking control of my body. I was worthless, my dad was right, easily replaceable and not worth anyones time. Maybe he was doing the right thing, trying to teach me a lesson and all. 

I walked around my place to place the whole day, the library, the grocery store, I just couldn't bare to go back into my apartment. Everything reminded me of Zach, the bed we've shared, the photographs of us on the fridge, the guitar in the corner. It's all just too painful for me to think about.

Come nightfall I stumbled across the park where we had our first date and my breath hitched in my throat. This is the perfect place, I though to myself, to end where everything started.

I sat on a park bench staring at the sky as I contemplated my decision. My heart was just so broken and these wounds I thought I was mended had burst wide open again. I had forgotten what it was like to feel this much pain and it was agonizing.

I stood up from the park bench and walked towards the pond. The water is always so peaceful, it has always been my happy place and my escape. It was the one constant I had and how beautiful would it be to escape all this pain in the peaceful silence of the water surrounding me and supporting me.