Chapter Four.
After sharing her life or some of it anyway, with Josh, Alexa felt a lot better. After she had played him her song, she felt something change between them, like their bond had become deeper. He had treated her like his daughter, as if she was his daughter.
Alexa smiled to herself as she arrived home that night, but her smile was soon faded by the sight of her mother.
“Alexa, honey get your stuff packed,” her mother said without even glancing at her. She was running around the house collecting little tidbits.
“Mom, what’s going on? Why are we packing?” Alexa asked standing at the door and watching her mother go crazy. Her mother stopped in one of the doorways and turned to look at her.
“Now Alexa, what did I say? Stop asking questions and move it!” Her mother replied and without waiting for an answer she continued to run through the house. Alexa felt tears in her eyes, they couldn’t go. Not now, not when things were beginning to brighten up for her, she didn’t want to go.
Her mother came back into the room and glared at Alexa who was still standing by the front door.
“Alexa! Did you not hear me?” she snapped and Alexa looked at her mother, pleading.
“Mom, please I don’t want to leave. We just got here,” Alexa pleaded; every time something good happened to them they had to leave.
“I don’t care Alexa, we have to,” her mother stated not leaving any room for argument. “I know we just got here, but there’s a new job that’s opened up and…”
“No! I don’t want to go!” Alexa yelled and her mother glared at her.
“Alexa!” she called but Alexa shook her head.
“No mom! Not this time! We’re always moving around because you’re scared dad will come find us or something, but he won’t. And even if he did would that be so bad?” Alexa asked, her mother walked right up to her.
“Alexa, don’t you dare talk like that!” she growled staring at the young girl. “Now go get your stuff we’re leaving!”
“No!” Alexa said turning on her heel and running out of the house, tears streaming down her face.
“No!” JC yelled slamming his hands down on the counter top. Joel looked at him and nodded.
“I’m afraid so Josh,” he said trying to calm the man down.
“No, we have to keep looking,” JC snapped running a shaky hand through his hair.
“We’re trying our best here Josh,” Joel said passing the cream file over to JC.
“Well you’re not trying hard enough!” JC snapped, “There must be something else we’re missing.”
“Well we did call all the counties and gave them the pictures of what Alexandra could look like now and gave them both ours and your contacts in case with all the details. But there is one thing...” Joel said and JC stopped pacing to look at him.
“There is? What?” JC asked eagerly, Joel half smiled and opened up the file.
“According to the reports sent in yesterday, the head of department get a call from someone who claimed to have seen Laney,” Joel began, JC looked at him.
“And? Did they arrest her?” JC asked but Joel shook his head.
“Unfortunately no, but they did check out the call and they did find the woman who led them to Laney,” Joel said and JC looked confused.
“So they went right up to Laney and didn’t arrest her? What about Alexandra?” JC asked, Joel shrugged.
“They can’t just arrest people like that Josh. But after they were sure it was her, they did give her a warning and asked her to appear in court this morning when I called you, but she never turned up,” Joel said, looking at JC. JC sighed in defeat.
“She never turned up? I know that!” JC snapped glaring at Joel. “Isn’t that illegal, can’t you do something?”
“Josh we’re trying, we’ve got everyone looking for her,” Joel explained but JC shook his head.
“No, you don’t have everyone,” he snapped and stalked out of the room.
It was getting late, the sky was getting black, and JC was still mad. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face with his hands as he leaned back on the couch. He couldn’t believe what Joel had told him earlier, about Laney running off. He wondered why she would do something so foolish, and if Alexandra was with her.
He reached over and picked up the album he’d been looking at and yawned. It was getting late, but he wanted to just sit here and not think about anything else, he just wanted to think of his little girl. His thoughts were interrupted however by the sound of a car pulling up outside. JC sighed and got up, reluctantly going to the door. He opened it, and was surprised to see Johnny’s white Escalade.
“Johnny?” JC called wondering why his former manager would be here because Johnny never turned up unannounced unless it was really important.
“Jayce hey!” Johnny called stepping out of the car, and as he did so his passenger side opened up and out stepped Alexa.
“Alexa?” JC asked, “Johnny what’s going on? What are you guys doing here?”
Johnny helped Alexa out of the car and the two of them walked up to JC before Johnny answered, JC noticed the young girl looked as if she’d been crying.
“Jayce..” Johnny began giving JC a fatherly hug. “Alexa here turned up on my doorstep an hour ago in tears.”
“Oh my God, Alexa are you okay?” JC asked looking at the girl who didn’t say anything, she just nodded. “What happened?”
“I don’t know Jayce. She hasn’t said anything to me, only that she wanted to come here. Something about wanting to feel safe,” Johnny said shrugging. JC smiled at the thought that Alexa would feel safe with him and gestured for her and Johnny to come inside.
“Sure, um, come on in,” JC said standing aside so they could pass. Johnny gave him an appreciative smile and he and Alexa walked inside.
“Thanks Josh,” Alexa whispered softly, they were the first words she’d spoken.
“No problems,” JC said and closed the door behind them. “Why don’t we go into the kitchen?” Both Johnny and Alexa nodded as JC lead the way. They entered the kitchen and both took a seat at the long table in the room. “Can I get you guys a drink?” JC asked walking to the coffee machine and preparing some coffee for himself and Johnny.
“I’ll just have a coffee thank Jayce, Alexa?” Johnny asked her, but the girl remained quiet. JC felt sorry for her and walked over to where she was sitting, kneeling in front of her.
“Hey Alexa,” he said putting a finger underneath her chin and making her look at him. “What’s going on?” Alexa shrugged, and her eyes looked glazed over.
“Jayce..” Johnny began but JC cut him off.
“Look Alexa, you’re safe now. So do you want to tell me what happened?” JC asked softly, this time he got Alexa to look at him.
“Mom…” she began but her voice drifted off.
“What about her? Where is she? Do you want us to call her?” JC asked softly and Alexa shook her head.
“She left town,” Alexa said just above a whisper. JC felt anger flare up inside him as he heard this, he almost felt as if Laney had deserted her.
“Why did she leave?” JC asked and Alexa shrugged.
“I don’t know,” Alexa said, “But I think it had something to do with my dad. Every time, he’s this close to finding us she gets up and runs.”
“She does huh?” JC asked sympathizing with the girl. “I know how you must feel, my ex-wife just ran off today as well.”
“I’m sorry,” Alexa said understanding his situation, they were both in the same boat.
“It’s okay,” JC said, and hugged the girl. “Is there anyone we can call for you?” Alexa shook her head and looked between the two men.
“No, it was just me and mom. So when I refused to go she left me here, alone,” Alexa replied sadly.
“Oh honey, we’re so sorry,” Johnny put in. “Jayce, can she stay here with you for a bit?” JC looked at Johnny then at Alexa. They both knew it would be best because Johnny was going out of town for a while and Alexa would be left all alone if she stayed with Johnny, they didn’t want that.
“Sure, would you like that Alexa?” JC asked and Alexa nodded.
“If it’s okay with you,” she said and JC smiled.
“Of course it is, you can stay in Alexandra’s room until your mom gets back,” JC said hoping the girl’s mother would turn up.
“I don’t know if…” Alexa began but JC cut her off.
“It’s okay even if she doesn’t,” he said, “You can always stay with me, forever.”
Story Tags: daddyjc
