Jason Adler…
Anger still pulses through my system. No, it is more than anger, it's unbridled rage. And it feels like it is aimed at everyone.
Charleigh for not telling me about what was going on under my nose. To be fair, I feel like maybe it is a little misplaced because she was right - first and foremost she is my daughter's best friend. I can't expect her to betray her friend. I shouldn't have expected her to. Although to be fair - I had just had a lot of information thrown at me. I will apologize to her when I get back from the overdue confrontation with my ex. I just hope that she will be able to understand and grant me some sympathy.
Stuart for the disgusting and vile remarks that he sent my daughter. The photos he obviously took from outside of my property were not images that any good father wants to see of his kid. Unlike with Charleigh, Stuart will get no respect, by way of, an apology from me. Hell, he will be lucky if he will be able to walk away from me on his own legs.
Anna for not only inviting this creep into our daughter's life, but for terrorising her own flesh and blood into giving up what she so very clearly loves. And for what? To be raped and taken advantage of!? Not on my fucking watch. As much as I hate it - I am kind of proud of my little girl for taking matters into her own hands. It takes a tremendous, amount of guts to do what she has done. My ex has a slew of truths coming her way and I will be more than happy to be the messenger.
Jeremy for going behind my back. For lying to me. For betraying me. My best friend is fucking my daughter. My best friend says that he is in love with my daughter. I don't care if he believes her to be his soul-mate, his actions are unacceptable. I have never once thought he would betray me so epically. Yet here we are, and I can barely even stomach looking at him.
"So, you agree then?" He asked me as he drove us towards the hotel where, from all accounts, he has a room booked for him and my daughter for a month; but I can't let myself think about that.
"Yes-" I sighed, as much as I wanted to hate the idea and pick it apart, it was the best play because the very last thing we wanted was for Anna and Stuart to realise that Dakota has taken off. If they were to get wind of that, they would hunt my daughter down and she would never be free.
"I will let you do the talking; I am just there for back up unless that slimy little fucker says something that pushes me over the edge!" My former friend stated.
"I think it is a safe bet that he will try to push both of our buttons, best to be prepared for that,"
"You're right," he made the turn off towards the expensive little hotel that was tucked away from the main road.
"This is where they are staying!?"
"Yeah-"
"How? 'Kota said that they struggled with money, how are they affording this?" I pondered as Jeremy found a parking spot and pulled into it, shutting off the engine and looking at me.
"My guess is her parents,"
"Of course."
Even when we were kids, Anna's parents doted on their daughter and that meant catering to her every need. Some would say spoiled but it was more like she held them to ransom - if they didn't get her what she wanted, she threatened to keep Dakota from them, if they didn't do as she asked, she threatened to never visit them again. It was disgusting behaviour and should have been a red flag to me and a part of me always worried that she would turn that self-entitled attitude on me and of course she did.
Taking my daughter halfway around the world.
Cutting off all communication.
Lying to our daughter about me.
And now, she has cost me my relationship with our daughter. Again. I don't think that there is a strong enough word to describe just how much I hate my ex. Or how much she has ruined my life.
My daughter has run away, and I have no idea where she would go, or if she would even be safe. I can only hope that she was smart enough to take the money I had put aside for her. At least if she had that, I could rest a little easier knowing that she will be able to take care of herself.
"Let's do this!" I said, pushing my door open and climbing out.
Jeremy and I move into the front foyer of the hotel to find my ex and her slimy boyfriend sitting at one of the tables, sipping on coffee and talking between themselves, obviously waiting for my daughter to arrive. A small part of me relishes the joint looks of surprise on their faces when they see us approaching them.
"Anna!" I grit my teeth - time has not been kind to this woman. Where she had once had vibrant yellow-blonde hair that cascaded all the way down her back to her hips was replaced with a shorter-bob and the vibrant colour was replaced with a full dirty-blond colour that just lay limp against her head. The shimmering green-blue of her eyes had also faded to an almost olive colour. The rosy blush of her skin turned to an ash type of colour. As a younger woman she had been curvy in ways that could drive a man insane with lust, fuck, they had even driven me crazy with lust, which was how we ended up with Dakota in the first place, but those sinful curves were gone, to say she had ballooned out would be an understatement.
"Jay! Where is Dakota?"
"Not coming," I replied, and she stumbled slightly, good. Let her feel uncomfortable for a fucking change instead of her terrorising our daughter.
"I see," her eyes ticked over to Jeremy who, giving him his due, was remaining silent at my side.
"Don't bother, I already know!" I barked at her to catch her attention once again.
"Know what?"
"What you were threatening our daughter with," I growled as frustration towards her began to rise towards eruption, "you know that she and Remy are in love-"
"In love?" She laughed, finally granting me her attention again, her eyes narrowing with devious intent, "is that what they told you?"
"Cut the shit, Anna -" I begin to chide her because I know for a fact that Jeremy and Dakota would not lie about that, not when it was obvious that their relationship could result in the end of mine and Jeremy's friendship.
"Don't fucking talk to her like that!" Slime-bag jumps up from his seat and gets right in my face.
"Oh, you don't want my attention on you, boy!" I growled in response as I made no move to step away, even if his breath is a month past its expiration date.
"Oh yeah why is that?" He sneered at me.
"Because I have more than enough that I want to not only say to you-" now I pushed back against him, keeping my fists balled at my sides but not backing down from him.
It is more than clear to me that this man-child gets off on intimidating women, and men by the looks of it. I mean it isn't hard to see why my daughter would be scared of him, he has about 150-pounds on her and a good foot and a half taller than her. Just the thought of what he did to Dakota has the red-mist threatening to drop.
"Jay stop this!" Anna pulled my attention back to her, which was possibly the worst thing that she could have done given the circumstances.
"I always knew you were a little off, but you have to be some sort of bat-shit crazy to even think about letting this fucking leech around our daughter!"
"Don't call her fucking crazy -" Stuart all but roared at me, swinging wide, I easily dodged it and blocked. Morally I knew that I wanted to beat the ever-loving crap out of this asshole but logically, I knew that I needed to make it look like I at least tried to hold back.
"This -" looking him up and down and really not getting it at all because he was big sure, but his eyes were a hard, cold and dead steelish-grey colour and his chestnut-coloured hair was greasy, limp and thinning on top, "thing, has been sending our daughter disgusting and vile texts and still you sit here-"
"That was all a misunderstanding!" Anna retorted and I caught the way Stuart smirked smugly - this asshole seemed to think that he had my ex right where he wanted her. I could see it now, the reason that Dakota was fearful about going back to Scotland with them - it was in the way his eyes lit up at the mere mention of my daughter.
"Right, sure it is!" I grunted angrily. There was clearly no talking to her when she was in this mood. I have seen those texts, seen the vile photos and still she is dead-set in her belief that this piece of shit had done nothing wrong. With that in mind, I needed him to come at me one more time, my eyes momentarily shifted to Jeremy's who was stood behind Anna's chair and he nodded ever so slightly, so I knew that he had my back, with that in mind, I opened my mouth, "you know our daughter was right about you - you need to be in a fucking padded cell and restraints, you are fucking delusional -" yep that did it.
"I. Told. You. To. Stop. Calling. Her. Fucking. Crazy!" Stuart roared and threw himself at me, his fist once again swinging wild, using his momentum, I swung to the left at the last second, which sent him barrelling into the table that was behind me moments ago. The entire thing toppled over with his height hitting it, but I figured that fat had cushioned most of the pain as he recovered quickly and came at my again, sending a fist that I allowed to connect this time - right in the corner of my mouth, where I felt my lip split and the copper tang of blood coated my tongue.
"And you need to learn that it is not acceptable to harass young women!" I charged and, finally as I swung - my fist connected with his nose the audible crack was a satisfying confirmation that I had bust his nose as he fell backwards like a stack of fucking cards, but I wasn't done as I stalked towards him, my eyes briefly switched to Jeremy who was now holding Anna back and whispering something in her ear.
"Harass? Is that what that little slut is telling you?" He chuckled as I dropped down and began to pummel his face into something resembling ground meat, "that little bitch wanted to me to lay claim to her ripe little cunt, and I would have given it to her so fucking good-"
Seriously, is this idiot some sort of special needs patient? I mean at what point does he think it is wise to goad me this way? My fists keep flying, his blood is kind of splattering everywhere and I can hear Anna screeching in the background, but Jeremy is doing a decent job of holding her back. However, upon hearing what Stuart just said, he dropped Anna back into her chair and I imagine ordered her to stay, he stalked over, growling menacingly, "the fuck did you just say?" and was about to raise his own fist when the police arrived.
My anger was still riding me hard, but I allowed the cops to pull me off the slimy little fucker and cuff my wrists all while Anna was screaming that she wanted me arrested with a cacophony of charges. I could see some officers moving to talk to other guests and I just hoped that at least some of them had been paying attention because I had done things in such a way that they should have seen him come at me a few times before I retaliated. Hopefully that would be enough.
Jeremy Danielson…
Standing back from this was growing harder by the second. I could see that Jason was gearing up for something - goading that greasy little fucker that had been harassing my girl was a waste of time. Why wasn't he just hitting the asshole?
Of course, I trusted my…fuck what was Jason now? I want to say my best friend, but it truly feels like things have changed. I have gone from his closest confidante to just the guy dating his little girl.
Could I realistically expect anything else? No. I know I couldn't. I know that I have no right to expect anything else.
I had agreed to let my…Jason do all of the talking. I had to let him stick to it so when the fucker who had been making my girl's life Hell made his move, Jason let loose, and Anna was up out of her seat intent on making a move to defend her man. Grabbing her was pure instinct on my part. Instinct to stop her from getting into the fray and turning the tables in that little assholes favour. "I don't, fucking think so, Anna!" I growled into her ear as the words from Dakota's letter played on a loop in my head.
"Mmmm, if I had known all it would take to get you to hold me in your arms then…" she moaned out as if lost in the throes of passion and instantly my body was rippling with a blanket of goosebumps, and not the good kind as revulsion rose up in me so quickly that had I not been so alert, I would have stumbled.
"Do not finish that sentence. I have never, will never be interested in you. You disgust me on a level that I didn't even know existed,"
"There is a fine line between love and hate Remy-"
"Yes, it is indifference and honestly, I don't even think of you enough to either hate or love you. I will tell you this though - when I am with your daughter, I have never and will never think, see, or wish for it to be you. Dakota is so much more than you could ever hope to be, in fact it's a Goddamn miracle that she has become as amazing as she has with you for a mother!" Unloading on this poor excuse for a mother was exactly what I needed because at the end of the day, she was the reason that my girl had thought her only option was to run. I would never forgive her for that.
"...that little bitch wanted to me to lay claim to her ripe little cunt, and I would have given it to her so fucking good-" the words from the man under Jason pierced the air and everything around me felt like it went deathly silent as the blood rushed to my ears and my heart threatened to burst right out of my chest.
"Sit. Stay. Or I swear to God I will not be held responsible for my actions!" I growled at Anna and give her, her due, she seemed to shrink into her seat at the realisation that I was not playing around.
Stalking towards where the man was chuckling like he was some damn fucking comedian or something, rearing back my fist, "the fuck did you just say?"
"Freeze!" The roar of authority tore my attention from the man at my feet who was literally just inches from a brain injury from the ferocious anger that coursed through me at what he had said about my girl.
"Thank God officers," Anna leapt up from her chair and rushed towards the cops who were now surrounding Jason, the greasy little weasel and myself, "my boyfriend and I were just enjoying a quiet coffee when they came barging in and started hitting him!" The smug smirk she sent our way was not missed by Jason who growled angrily as he was roughly pulled off of the punk who had all but admitted that he had every intent on raping his daughter, my woman. "I want to press charges!" Anna was really playing up her part as she sobbed into the chest of the police officer that she had practically attached herself to.
Jason looked at me as the cops' placed cuffs on his wrists behind his back, "get home and do not let Char' out of your sight. I am trusting you with this Rem'. Don't let anything happen to my girl!"
"You got it!" I nodded as the cops all but gave me a wide berth after Anna somehow informed them that I hadn't been a part of the assault.
Why?
I don't quite understand why she would do this. I may not have had anything to do with the physical aspect of the assault, but I had been here. Right at my…Jason's side. God it was going to take some time getting used to not calling him my best friend.
"Thank you and call my lawyer please?"
"Will do!" I could do nothing but watch as the paramedics arrived and began to tend to the snivelling little shit on the floor.
The remaining cops told me to be available to give a statement over the next 24 hours and of course I would be - there was nothing else that I would do. I will not allow my…Jason to go to prison for this. Not a fucking chance. The minute that Jason was escorted out to a waiting car, I followed and headed for my car.
I am not much of a lawyer, but I know that Jason is in for a weekend of sitting behind bars if I don't do something because nothing is done legally over the weekend. Being married to Lauren had taught me that. My ex-wife is the D.A. and I just know that I have to bite the bullet and approach her.
I promised myself when my marriage was finally over and all the papers signed that I would never go backwards and that meant cutting all ties with my ex-wife and I had been good at sticking to it but this was an emergency. I wouldn't leave Jason sitting in that cell all weekend. I couldn't leave him there regardless of where our friendship was at right now.
It's not like I can't understand just how mad he is. I honestly hadn't expected anything less when he found out. His reaction was that of a good father. I can't ever be angry about that. I won't.
And this was Dakota's father, which meant for that fact alone, I would do whatever I had to, to get him out of that drunk-tank.
By the time I got back to the house and parked the car, Charleigh was out of the house, looking past me to the car, "what happened?"
"Inside!" I ushered her into the house, just to be on the safe side. I don't know if the paramedics would have let Stuart go so rather than take the chance to talk out here where they could possibly hear us, I moved us both into the house, locking up behind me.
"Where is Jay, Remy?"
"There was…" I began running my hand through my hair, this place felt completely lifeless now that Dakota was gone, and I didn't quite know how to cope with that, "an altercation. Stuart was far too flippant about his role in what made 'Kota run, for Jay's, and my, liking so Jay kind of-"
"Kind of what?" She asked me, her voice strong and steady, as if she knew what was coming next and I guess if she knew Jason, half as well as I knew 'Kota, then she did know.
"He beat him to a pulp!"
"Yes!" She sighed in relief.
"You are happy about this?" I smirked because damn it this woman was something else. A perfect match for my best…Jason.
"Well let's be honest, it isn't like Stuart didn't have it coming and I have to admit that I always wanted to punch that asshole in his smug, ugly, greasy face!"
"You're alright, Char'!" I chuckled, "you're not wrong in your assessment of that asshole. The things he said about 'Kota, I wanted to kill him myself-"
"Did you at least get one punch in?"
"No. I think that Jay needed that more than me in that moment and as her father, it was his right to be the one to dish out the punishment," I admitted.
It was the very least that I could give him. I mean, the man had been hit with a sleuth of information this morning - first; his daughter had disappeared to God only knows where, secondly; he found out that his best friend had been sleeping with said daughter behind his back, and thirdly; his ex-had been black-mailing said daughter. That was enough to cause some sort of mental-breakdown but give him his due - he had handled it far better than any of us could have predicted. I can't even say that I don't admire him for his restraint.
"You are a good man, Remy!"
"I think your boyfriend might disagree with that-"
"He will come around - it was a huge shock that seemed to just ricochet from one point to another and I promise that I will work on him too,"
"You don't have-"
"You are the man that my best friend loves, so yes I do have to. I would do anything for that girl," she stated matter of factly, and I knew without a doubt that she was telling me the truth, it astounded me enough that all I could do was nod my head in confirmation, "so, what's next?"
"Next? We go and pay my ex-wife a visit-"
"What? Why?"
"Lauren is the D.A. so she has the strings to pull that will ensure Jay doesn't spend the rest of the weekend in a jail-cell!"
"Alright. Let's do this!" She moved to grab her coat and I chuckled. "Wait!" I watched her take off to the kitchen and she returned holding up Dakota's old phone; my look must have said it all because she continued to talk softly, "your girl was kind enough to leave all of the evidence of Stuart harassing her on the phone,"
That's my girl!
I could most definitely see why Jason was besotted with this woman and in a world where Dakota didn't exist, I could see myself attracted to this woman too but as it stood - my heart and soul have vacated my body in search of the woman I do love. My hand independently moved to the back pocket of my jeans to ensure the flight manifest was still in place and sighed with relief that it was indeed still there.
Locking the house up behind us, we got back in my car and each of us seemed intent to remain lost to our thoughts as I backed out of the driveway again and pointed the car in the direction of town where Lauren now resided with her new husband.
I can't say that I am relishing this, but I would still do anything for Jason. He can be as mad as he wants to be with me but that doesn't change that I still regard him as my best friend. I hadn't lied when I told him that I still wanted him as a part of my life. It was just that I needed Dakota. I can only hope that Charleigh was right, and Jason would calm down enough to remember that I am a good man and that I always treat women with respect.
Even after my divorce when I had one night stands - I always ensured that the women knew the score. I never led anyone on. That simply isn't my style. I may have become a lack-lustre lover in the aftermath, but I never lied to anyone.
Where the fuck are you, 'Kota? My mind drifts to my girl.
A part of me still can't believe that she is gone. For the most part, I understood why she did it. But that doesn't make me any less mad at her. She could have talked to me. She could have told me what was going on with her. Honestly, it hurts a little that she clearly didn't trust me enough to confide in me.
Before I was ready, my car was parked in front of my ex-wife's new home, and I was standing on the street looking at the door as if it had personally offended me. Charleigh seemed to understand my dilemma and offered me a hand to the shoulder and remained silent while a battle waged war inside of me.
Finally, I found the courage and knocked on the door, somehow my breath held locked in my chest as the sound of the locks clicking and moving greeted us and the door pulled open.
"Remy?"
"Hey Lauren-"