Beyond This Moment

20 Day Eight- 8:11 P.M.

"You guys are free to go," A new police officer returns to the holding cell and opens up the door. It'd been a long, boring, uncomfortable day in this little cell that has only metal furniture. I stand up on my stiff legs and walk to the door as the officer is unlocking the cell door.

I walk out of the cell and see Gabe standing in the hallway already, looking at me with wary eyes. We'd been in separate cells all day and after lunch, he had tried to talk to me, to tell me that he was sorry and that he didn't mean anything that he said but I ignored him and then I took a nap.

Silently, we walk to the front of the police station where Cassie and Elias are already waiting for us. Gabe had given them Cassie's number so they probably called her to tell her to come pick us up. Immediately, when Cassie sees us walking out probably looking like shit, she races toward Gabe and hugs him.

I feel so defeated by today and my hand, now wrapped by a medic, still is sore but not broken or anything. Elias is staring at me from by the door where he was standing with Cassie before she jumped to Gabe and so I walk to him.

"Rough time?" He wonders curiously, noticing the look on my face which is probably one that looks like I've been through hell today. I feel like I've been through hell.

I blink at him a few times and I try to open my mouth to say something, to tell him what happened this morning or to at least tell him something but nothing comes out because I don't know what to say. I just want him to make things feel alright again. As if Elias can sense that, he leans in closer to me and hugs me, pulling me close to his body.

"I just want to go home," I mumble into his chest.

"Hey, come on, jailbird," He says as a way to make me feel better. It almost works. "We've got dinner waiting at the motel, we'll sit back and watch a movie and relax and you'll feel better."

"We're not driving tonight?"

With his arms around my shoulders, we turn around and walk to the door of the police station with Cassie and Gabe following us. "No, we got a room at the same motel as last night. Figured that you two could use some rest after the rough day you've had."

In the car, Mac is excited to see me and that makes me smile a little bit, especially as he stands on my lap to kiss my nose. Cassie drives with Gabe beside her and I cuddle Mac in the back with Elias. I can tell that Cassie and Elias want to know what happened but they seem afraid to ask so the ride back to the motel is just completely silent. I'm surprised that Gabe doesn't argue against us not driving tonight but I don't question it because I don't mind staying here.

Once we get to the motel, we all go inside and I decide that instead of just eating the pizza that Cassie and Elias ordered, I need to stretch my limbs and get away from my brother for a while. "I'm going for a run," I announce as I grab an outfit suitable for a short jog from my suitcase.

"Do you want somebody to go with you?" Cassie asks me, glancing cautiously between me and Gabe.

"No, I'm fine," I assure her before I disappear into the bathroom to get changed. I also manage to sneak two cigarettes and my lighter into my sports bra and I pull my hair into a pony tail and get ready to just run around the block. Maybe I'll revisit the park that I spent with Elias last night. I don't know where I'll go but I just want some space.

"Peyton, are you sure that you want to go alone?" Elias asks me, looking concerned as I step out of the bathroom.

I nod, plugging my ear buds into my phone and then I start putting them in my ear. "Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the offer but you don't even like running, you said so yourself."