doppelgänger --> there's never just one {sequel}

sadie & grayson

Between late morning and early afternoon, Sadie sped home from the parking lot at the huge media and news company she worked at, completely frazzled and breathing fast and heavy.

As soon as she scrambled out of her car and up to the porch, wrenching the door open, almost ripping it off it's hinges, Grayson stood there, the corners of his eyebrows turned up, his expression displaying an extremely worried look. "Sadie, I tried to call you a bunch of times, but you didn't pick up...," he started, but he wasn't able to finish due to the fact that he didn't think Sadie was listening at all. She continued to rush in, past him and running upstairs into her bedroom, her door slamming hard, behind her.

Immediately, Sadie locked the door and struggled as she quickly pulled up her blouse with shaking hands just enough to reveal her lower stomach-area. She ground and sucked her teeth, trying to ignore the searing pain that spread across her stomach. Her entire abdomen area to even her right hip was one, nasty blood-red and purple splotched bruise, from where the robber had hit her before he ran away, taking her whole purse, money in it and all.

At this point, she didn't even care about the money, but the other items in it that meant more to her, like the rosary her grandparents had given her when she was christened as a baby, and her favorite picture of Grayson that she didn't have another copy of.

When she'd walked out of work earlier, the parking lot was full of cars, but empty of any people except for herself, until she was surprised by a guy with a hood over his head, a shadow cast over his face so she was unable to see it correctly, or really much at all. He had confronted her suddenly, grabbing her and pulling her to him, the sides of their heads touching, and held a gun against her head, threatening that if she didn't hand over her purse with her phone including so he could get away in time without her calling anyone for help, that he would the gun in her hand and pull the trigger, killing both of them and making it look like she did it. She was reluctant still, but obviously handed it over in fear to save her life and his.

She was traumatized.

She didn't know what to think, or what she would she would tell the police since she didn't know anything about this robber guy, not even the qualities of his face or the kind of car he drove, if he had one at all.

As Sadie continued to stare down at the wounds she's received from fighting back in horror, there was quick, desperate knocking on her door, and she tugged blouse back down, jumping at the sudden sound, and laid her hand flat on her chest, feeling her heartbeat, faster than ever. She closed her eyes, letting a tear roll down her cheek, and breathed out, answering, "Come in!" in the best, unshaky voice she could right then in that moment.

The door came flying open, and Grayson ran in, rushing right to her and wrapping his hands around her arms, his body shaking violently as he scanned her over, breathing heavily and uneasily.

He met eyes with her, his gaze steady but his eyes watery, tears brimming, threatening to pour over the edge. "Sadie, I've been so worried about you. What the hell happened to you, babe?"

*

For the rest of the afternoon, Sadie stayed on the quiet side. Grayson understood though. She was still shaken up from everything that had just happened to her. She could've gotten killed.

Easily.

He felt deep regret, for something, for not being there to protect her or prevent this from happening, but he had to keep telling himself that it wasn't his fault. He couldn't have done anything to stop the guy.

Now as they sat together on the back deck, watching the kids play together, Grayson thought to himself more and more about how he could've lost the love of his life, but he didn't that day. He wanted to hold her tight in his arms, tighter than ever, and never let her go, but she didn't want to be held. She just wanted to be left alone. He had at least convinced her to come out of her room and be around everyone else, but she barely said a word as he watched her bright blue eyes flick back and forth, monitoring Oliver, Ariel and Wolf play hide-and-seek in the playhouse, probably envious that for them, life was so simple. Bad things rarely happened, and the worst was when it was naptime and you had to go lie still in your bed for a whole, entire hour.

Yeah, that was horrible alright.

Finally, Sadie moved, sitting up from leaning over and resting her chin in the palm of her hand, and called over to the kids to warn them when they started to get really wild. "Be careful on the jungle gym or you'll fall!"

They listened, and ended up putting piles of leaves together to jump in, enjoying the crisp, fall weather.

The breeze blew gently, but left chill running down his spine when it came. He saw Sadie shiver a little, too.

Jungle gym.

Grayson cracked a smile, shaking his head some, too.

Sadie looked around at him, her chin back in her hand, and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?" she asked him, only mumbling still when she spoke.

He couldn't help but laugh a little, even when he was trying his hardest not to, still smirking, his chin in his hand, he turned his head towards her and looked up at her, his elbow resting on his knee.

"What, Grayson?" she demanded, desperate for an answer to what he thought was so funny in the midst of a serious situation.

"I'm sorry, it's just that.... it's just that you said.... jungle gym," he answered, his cheeks puffed out from holding in laughter.

Sadie started to smile, as Grayson hoped she would, and then a noise came up from her throat that made his heart sing, something he hadn't heard from her in a little too long....

Laughter.

They laughed and laughed more and more together until they were just laughing at each other laughing and laughing at themselves. And for a while, they forgot about what happened, they forgot about everything.

Once they eventually died down and things quieted again between the two of them, Sadie rested in Grayson's arms, against his body, and he couldn't feel her heart racing anymore, and even though, and even though, and even though he was the one trying to comfort her, he felt comforted too. He was around the people he loved, besides his other family, holding his best friend in his arms, knowing that the girl that he loved most was right there with him, safe in his embrace. He could feel her weight against him, every part of her feeling relaxed. The kids played in the yard together, giggling together, and just doing what kids did.

Mixed with the cool air and leaves, Grayson could smell Andy's cigarette smoke as he stepped outside on the back porch where they were, and took a long drawl, then exhaled. He heard Scout call her husband's name, and rushing to the slider door to tell him to close it on his way out if he was going to smoke, and Andy agreed with an obedient "okay", then leaned over to give his wife a kiss on the cheek before walking out further. Scout still shook her head as he did and smiled a little, and when she and Grayson made eye contact. Grayson smiled and simpered with her, and smelled the nicotine again as he took in another full breath.

Grayson ran his hand through Sadie's hair and kissed her forehead. Loud kids, cigarettes and screams artists in the house recording studio, this was the comfort of home.