Finding Bailey Jane | ✅

s e v e n

"Sirona Police Deparment! Open up!"

The door cracked open but it was pushed back so that the man with dirty blond hair stumbled.

"I'm pretty sure breaking into someones home is illegal."

"You have the right to remain silent. You are being arrested on the suspicion of Bailey Jane Thomas's abduction," said officer Jones, the main cop working on Bailey's case.

Officer Jones had been working extremely hard on Bailey's case because as soon as he'd caught a glimpse of Bailey's picture, it reminded him of his very own daughter who had been kidnapped at the young age of fourteen.

Unfortunately, his daughter was found dead a week later and he promised that he would at least try to help prevent parents from feeling the type of greif he had experienced.

"Whats your name?"

"Randy Parker, sir," he said in a flat voice as his wrists were clipped tightly into handcuffs. "Look man, i don't know no Bailey Ja- What is it again. Jane? Right, i don't know that girl. I don't have her either. You can check my apartment. You ain't gonna find nobody."

"You can remain silent until you're questioned further."

▪¤▪¤▪

"Adrian, when are you taking me back to my mama and papa?"

Adrian tensed as he stood with his back to her at the kitchen sink. The truth was, now that he'd gotten a small taste of Bailey, he wanted more. He didn't want her to go back because he knew he'd never be able to speak to her again.

He didn't want her to leave him too. She was the only one keeping him company. The only one he really had.

"Um..."

She gasped suddenly and he silently cheered happily at her short attention span.

"Is that you're surf board? That's amazing!"

"Thanks. I made it myself," he said as he watched her admire his favorite surf board. He had spent day and night on that thing. Made it from scratch. Did his first trick on it. Surfed his first eight footer.

"Its really pretty," she said as she tilted her head cutely to look at the waves that flowed like flames over the board.

"Thank you."

She turned around and climbed up onto the kitchen counter before plopping down onto her butt.

"How old are you?" He asked as he put his last dish in the rack.

"I'm seventeen," she grinned. "Papa says im getting to be a big girl. Mama lets me walk to the beach now by myself, but i don't think she'll let that happen anymore because i went missing." She ducked her head and her hand flew up to rub her pretty green eyes.

"Don't cry Bailey," he pleaded as he tried to ease the feeling of guilt settling in his chest.

"I miss my mama and papa," she sniffled. "And Presley."

Adrian stiffened at the sound of the boys name. "Presley? Is Presley your... boyfriend."

She giggled and shook her head. "No silly. Presley is my big brother."

Something suddenly washed ovef him faster than the waves he surfed. "Wait. Do you mean Presley Thomas?"

"Yesss. Do you know him?"

His eyes widened in shock when the name of his long time friend from highschool finally registered in his brain.

They had pratically been brothers all throughout middleschool and highschool, but suddenly there was chaos and Adrian was being accused of something he hadn't done.

Adrian had lost a part of himself the day of prom. He was no longer, just... Adrian.

Oh no; he was much more. But sometimes too much of anything wasn't a good thing. He lost control. And gained something people would look at him strangely for. Judge him for. Just because he was no longer normal.

Everyone seemed to judge him

All except that little ginger haired girl who ran around with the two brothers. Tagging along on their adventures. Copying their actions. Playing with their toys and videogames.

The two boys pretended to be annoyed; but really, they weren't. They didn't mind her tagging along.

Adrian remembered when he used to adore carrying her around. She was very small for her age at the time and could hardly climb up the tree house so he'd put her on his back and carry her up.

He used to sit her in his lap everytime he was over their house and he'd listen to her giggle and talk about the little butterfly she saw fly past her bedroom window.

Presley would always tease him about having a crush on his ten year old little sister even though he was sixteen at the time. But it was only a joke.

At the time, Adrian was just very protective over the little gingerhaired beauty.

And it was the same now.

Adrian stumbled back in shock when he realized who she was.

The girl he had spent so many years trying to forget was right in front of him but a part of him had never truly forgotten. He had spent so many long years missing her.

She's grown up so beautifully. She looks stunning

He sat down on the couch with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Ad-adrian? Are you okay?" She asked cautiously as she crawled up to him.

He turned to look at her and a sad smile graced his handsome face. He gently lifted her into his lap so she straddled him before tucking her close to him. She stiffened at the contact before relaxing and melting into his warm, tingly embrace.

"Bailey," he whispered, his voice full of emotion. "Baby, i missed you so so much."

Bailey was confused but she didn't pull away because his hug was comforting and familiar. Had they met before?

Adrian tightened his arms around her small frame even more like if his hold was any looser, he'd lose her again.

He had found her. And Presley.

By now though, Presley would think that Adrian was missing, or worse, dead.

Now he was having to worry about his sister too.

He wasn't going to be able to keep his little ginger and copper haired babygirl.

He had to return her to her family. His old family.