Always For Keeps ( For Keeps part 2)

Thirty Eight. Luke

Song for this chapter:
Daya-Words

We broke her. I knew I should have told her the truth, I knew I shouldn't have let her sleep alone on the couch.
I watch as Cooper paces the living room until Cam arrives.
"She used an alias I got her to rent a car. She knew I would find it." Cam says and Cooper finally sits.
"We need to find her." I say.
"I will, but you have to realize that she might need some time." Cam says.
"That's opposite of what she needs." I say.
"Are we talking about the same Scarlett?" Cam says and raises a brow. "Because all three of us know that following after her will only aggravate her. She will stay away longer."
"You didn't watch  her last night. She lost it." I say.
"Finding out all of that at once? Fucking right she lost it! Anyone would lose it." Cam says.
"I can't lose her." Cooper says.
"You won't. Just give her some time to breathe." Cam tells us and Cooper nods.
"This is bull shit!" I yell. "She shouldn't be alone!"
We all sit quietly for a beat. Nobody saying a word. The front door opens and closes. My heart skips a beat hoping it's Scarlett, but Paisley comes into view and my heart sinks.
"What's wrong with you idiots!" She yells.
"We didn't want to hurt her." Cooper says sadly.
"Well you did. She trusted you. All of you." She glares at Cam.
"Natasha is unstable. She has been planning this since she met Scar. We thought if we could fix it without her knowing, then it would be better."
"Is it yours?" She asks staring pointedly at Cooper.
"No. I don't think she's even pregnant. She wanted attention."
"Well she fucking got it." She huffs and sits down next to Cooper. "I'm mad that you kept this from her. From me." She looks at Cam. "What do we do?"
"I say we find her." I suggest.
"Maybe she needs some space." Paisley says.
"Yes." Cam agrees.
"What's wrong with all of you? She needs us." I say as I become more frustrated.
"She needs to be able to breathe without the both of you trying to fix it. Let her process it."
"Maybe we are too much for her." Cooper says.
"Are you walking away? When she needs you?" I ask.
"I don't want to." He shakes his head.
"Then don't. I'm not giving up on her. Everyone has given up on her, it's not going to be us." I say and he nods.
"Look, I'll talk to her. It might take me a minute to find her, but I will." Cam says.
"Keep us updated, please." Cooper says.
"Will do." Cam says and stands.

Him and Paisley leave and Coop and I don't talk much the rest of the day. He goes to the gym for hours, I watch Netflix and keep searching for Scarlett in hopes of some trashy gossip site to spot her. No luck.
Two days later, Cam talks to her. He tells us she is in LA with Starla. She's okay and she just needs time.
"She wanted me to give you both a message." He says. "She loves you both and she said Luke, for keeps. Cooper, always."
I smile at Cooper and for the first time in days, I see a hint of a smile touch his lips.

Days pass and the media releases some pictures Natasha took of her and Cooper. Some are of her in Scarlett's closet. In their bed. On her balcony, high above the city. Cooper cries all day.
That evening, Paisley rushes in and yells for both of us.
"What's wrong." Cooper asks as panic covers his face. His eyes are red and I feel horrible for my friend.
"It's Scarlett." She smiles and hands us her phone. She is wearing jeans and a red shirt. Big sunglasses cover her eyes. I long to reach out and touch her.
I'm so mesmerized by seeing her I almost miss it; she's giving the camera two peace signs and on her wrists, black ink is visible. I grin and nudge Cooper.
For Keeps lines her right wrist, while Always is on her left.
"The side of her we always sleep on." He smiles.
"She still loves us." I say.
"Obviously you jerks!" Paisley laughs. "Scarlett would never throw up peace signs... unless she was sending you each a message." She smiles and I feel hope bubble up inside me.
We haven't lost her.

Natasha makes more demands that evening. She will come out and admit her lies as long as Cooper pays her five million a year for life. He accepts instantly.
Rich fuck.
I tell him to wait on it. It's something we can discuss with Scarlett. Something we need to discuss with her.

Later that night, Paisley and Cam come over pretty late.
"Is it bad?" I ask.
"Define bad?" Paisley scrunches her nose.
"Fuck. Is she okay?" Cooper asks.
"Yes, mostly. Show them Cam."
Cam turns his laptop around and presses play. It looks like it's some sort of underground event. An old building of some sort? Just then, a chubby man speaks.
"We have royalty here tonight! New York's princess, Scarlett Shay vs our three time champ Morgan Diaz."
My heart sinks as I see Scarlett tap the other girls gloves. The other girl could bench press Scarlett.
"Fuck Scar." I breathe as I wait for Scarlett to get knocked out in one hit... but she doesn't. She's faster than the other girl.
"Go baby." Cooper whispers.
When she gets hit in the face, we both suck in a breath. She recovers quickly, but Morgan takes her down. They are hitting and kicking, but my girl holds her own. She knocks the girl off her and lands one more punch. The girl blacks out and they declare Scarlett the winner.
"What's she doing?"Cooper says to no one in particular.
"She's feeling something more than heartbreak." Paisley whispers.
"Still think she needs space?" I ask.
Just then, Cam's computer beeps.
"It's a Scarlett sighting." He smiles. He opens up the alert and clears his throat. "Hmm." He frowns.
"What is it?" I ask.
"She's at a party... with Kade Pistol."
"The actor?" I ask.
"Yeah. Hold on..." He sits and types quickly. "Kade Pistol is really Sam Peterson. He went to school with Scarlett for a few months in Virginia."
"Did you get a picture?" Cooper asks.
"Yeah..." Cam says hesitantly. He turns the laptop around and I glare. Cooper's fists tighten and his jaw twitches.
Kade is softly grazing Scarlett's cheek. She doesn't look happy or mad. Just indifferent.
"Is her phone still off?" I ask.
"Yeah." Cam says.
"Get me his number." I say.

Hearing Scarlett's voice, made me feel better, but now she's even more mad at me and I don't know what to do.

Kare, Brett, and Hope finally arrive and as happy as that makes me, I can't seem to find the joy in anything. Scarlett isn't answering anyone. Kare and Paisley keep trying with no luck.

The next couple days seem like a downward spiral. We watch more of Scarlett's fights.
The last one makes me sick to my stomach and Cooper throws his laptop across the room until it breaks into multiple pieces.
"That's it!" He yells and grabs a bag of packed clothes and his keys.
"What are you going?" I ask. "You can't swoop in and take her... I mean we can, but you're mad Coop." I say.
"Damn right I'm mad!" He takes a deep breath. "If she won't talk to us, there's someone she has to listen to. I'll call you soon." He says and smacks my shoulder.
Then he is gone.
I'm all alone with my thoughts.
Fuck this! I stand and run out the door, following Cooper to wherever he is going.