Daylight (An Adam Levine/Maroon 5 fanfiction)

Chapter 20: Hourglasses

Hey all! Thanks so much for the continued support! I'm trying my best to keep up with updating. The new year is starting  soon, but I'm going to write as many chapters as I can, so I can just update. Y'all are amazing, every comment means the world to me! I can't believe that OOYC had 16k reads, UNREAL. This dedicated is to _Jimmysgirl_222, because she's always read and been a huge supporter of my work, and always leaving the sweetest comments.

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Chapter 20: Hourglasses

        It had probably been 15 years since Adam had seen him. At that time MTV still cared about playing music videos, and not advertising drunk idiots in a house on the beach.  The band had barely taken off and they were still playing in Ryan’s basement. He didn’t have any records in the top 40 and he sure didn’t have any Grammys. 15 years ago Adam was tattoo-less, had ten percent less body mass and looked a lot more Jewish. His hair constantly looked like he had just rolled out of bed and wore his pants down about a foot.  But 15 years ago, he did have Hope.

            Adam had no clue what he was going to say to Hope’s father. He couldn’t stomach the thought of calling him her father, he was barely human. He resembled a snake more than anything. The only thing that made him seem more alive, was his heartbeat. Adam wasn’t sure he even had a heart for that matter.

            As Adam approached Mr. Baxter he narrowed his eyes and his forehead wrinkled. He stood about two feet from her father and attempted to spit the words out of his mouth. However, he felt as though there was a wall in his throat preventing him from speaking. After what Adam thought had been an eternity, her dad noticed the vaguely familiar, skinny, pale, ragamuffin of a guy standing in front of him.

            “Excuse me?” He asked, raising his beady eyes. “May I help you?”

            Making eye contact with him sent chills up his spine. It made Adam feel like he was 13 years old again. He had always dreaded speaking to Hope’s dad. Since they were so close now, his colon suffocated Adam.

            “Hi, um-“Adam stuttered.

            In the midst of Adam attempting to speak, an eternal argument ensued within the walls of Adam’s head. He was faced with two options. One: Be weak, and spineless like he was fifteen years ago when he didn’t have a thick skin. Or two: Be the sometimes ignorant, headstrong person he is now and tell her father what a jackass he is and has always been.

            Adam opted for option number two. He decided to start with a soft approach and be aggressive from there. Like good cop, bad cop all in one.

            “I don’t have all day.” Her dad interjected as Adam was about to open his mouth.

            “I don’t know if you remember me, but I was,” Adam paused, saying “was” it still didn’t feel real, but it was getting better. “Friends with your daughter.”

            “Which one?” He asked.

            It surprised Adam he had the decency to ask.

            “Hope.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry. Ouch. She’s always been all over the place.” He smirked, laughing at the cruelty of his own heartless joke. “Anyway, is there any particular reason you find the need to tell me that?”

            Mr. Baxter looked up at the sky, squinting just enough to notice. Adam couldn’t detect what he might have been searching for. He guessed it was an air plane. Hope’s dad had always been infatuated with them. In a small remote room in the left corner of Hope’s home growing up was her dad’s extensive model plane collection. Before entering, one must use hand sanitizer, which was conveniently located on top of the table next to the door

            “Actually yes, sir. I’d been meaning to ask you something. I should have done it a long time ago and-“ Adam told him sternly, but then was cut off. Adam attempted to make his voice seem controlling and forceful, but his plan wasn’t turning out well.

            “Now I remember you.” He recalled, scratching the back of his neck. Adam heard the stubble of his beard back and forth. They were daggers on his soulless face.  “You’re that Jewish kid that always hung out with Hope. I assumed that you just wanted to date her. Couldn’t stand her right? No one ever could she was always whining.”

 “Well actually,” Adam started. His voice was stern, like he planned, and his nostrils flared.

“Actually, what?” He said annoyed. “I really don’t have all day. If you’re going to say something, spit it out.”

“You know, you’ve got a lot of nerve Not coming to the wedding, visiting Maddie or even coming to the funeral. Acting like you know nothing about our marriage, it’s pathetic.”

Her father wrinkled his forehead and scratched his pointy nose.

“What are you taking about? You’re married? To Hope? And who’s Maddie?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Adam said exasperatedly, as he threw his head back, and chuckled harshly.  “Like you didn’t know that, at least we were.”  

Adam’s voice trailed off towards the end of his thought. He felt empowered saying that. However; he wanted it to have more of an effect on her dad. The words practically ricocheted off of his body, and hitting Adam directly in his gut.

“So you’re divorced now?” Mr .Baxter asked, still not grasping why Adam had become so upset. He was always oblivious to any emotions. His robotic characteristics were definitely coming through.

Adam assumed he missed the part when he said “funeral” moments before. He dad wasn’t much of a listener, to say the least.  

“No, I loved her. Why would I divorce her?” Adam questioned, making his voice louder than he wanted.

Adam knew he shouldn’t yell in public, there were already dozens of paparazzi huddled around him. Although he didn’t’ care. What was the worse they could say about him? He had already heard “Adam Levine kills new wife?” or “Being married to Adam Levine is so awful, wife commits suicide?” The headlines now would be nothing compared to what he already endured.

By now Jesse was honking the horn of his car trying to get Adam’s attention, and immediately Adam shot him a glare that meant “hold on.”

“Then you’ve delayed me from my meeting to tell me that you’re married to my daughter. Thanks for the update.”  He growled, looking down at his Samsung Galaxy. He was probably too “cool” to get an iPhone, so he opted for something basically the same, but that appeared classier.

At this point Adam couldn’t take anymore of her dad’s remarks. It was highly unlikely that he didn’t’ know they were married, and it was impossible that he didn’t know Hope was dead. How could a father be unaware that his own daughter was dead? At least Hope’s sister sent flowers, she didn’t attend, but Hope wouldn’t want her too. It was hard for Adam to grasp the concept of having an estranged family. Although, his parents are divorced, he still spent quality time with both of them, especially with his brothers and sister.

“I came here to ask you why you didn’t come to Hope’s funeral!” Adam yelled. His voice cracked, Adam’s hands started to become clammy, drops of perspiration collected at the top of his forehead, and rage and disappointment pulsated through his veins. “I’m sorry your wife is dead, but you know what now so is mine! That doesn’t give you the right to be a complete jackass, and feel entitled to make everyone’s lives around you miserable. Ever since Hope’s mom passed away, you changed. You became heartless, and ruined Hope’s happiness, and now mine.”

It was as if the busy LA streets came to a halt, and all of the outside noise around them faded into a light white noise. Adam could hear himself breathing, and paid attention to his heart beating, moving his chest up and down. They stared into each other’s eyes. Adam witnessed something in Mr. Baxter’s eyes break, like an hourglass that was dropped from the Empire State building.  For the first time in almost 20 years, Adam saw something other than hatred in Mr. Baxter’s face. It was pure feeling, something Adam didn’t think he had the capacity to hold in his face.