Second Heartbeat

The following morning Matt went and knocked on Zacky’s door to tell him that the last leg of the tour would be postponed for a future time to give Jimmy some time with his son. That wasn’t the only reason.

“Where’s Aubrey?” he asked

Zacky stepped back and let Matt walk through the door of their bedroom. Aubrey was sitting on the bed brushing her hair. He walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.

“I don’t know where she lives and I have to talk to her” he said referring to Sydney

She put her brush down in her lap. “I will tell you where she is on one condition”

“What is it?”

“We go with you, because if you being there ends up being a bad thing, she will probably need friends around.”

“Ok” he nodded.

Matt Zacky and Aubrey walked down the hall together to the living room. Johnny, Brian and Stormy were sitting in the main living room.

“We’re going to see Sydney if anyone wants to come.”

“No thanks” Stormy said daring Brian to say yes.

“I want to see Syd!” Johnny said. He called for Harley and she came out of the kitchen and instantly locked eyes with Zacky.

“Can you watch Jonnie for a while?”

“Yeah, sure.” She took the baby from his arms and went back into the kitchen.

--
Aubrey took the driver’s seat and headed off in the direction of Sydney’s place. It was far out on the other side of town. Matt kept his gaze out the window looking at the unfamiliar placed they had passed on the way there. It was upsetting to him that she went so far away, but he knew it was his own fault.

When they finally reached her apartment, Aubrey parked the car and led them into the building and up the staircase to Sydney’s floor. She rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Zacky leaned forward and knocked, but Sydney didn’t answer.

Aubrey pulled out her key and unlocked the door. She held it open and they all went inside.

“Sydney?” Aubrey called out but there was no answer. She wasn’t there.

“Where could she be?” Zacky asked

“No idea, she didn’t tell me she had any plans today”

“Well, I guess we’re just going to have to stay and wait til she gets home.” Matt said.

He and Johnny sat down on the couch and turned the television on while. Zacky sat on the love seat while Aubrey dialed Sydney’s number on her cell phone.

“Straight to voice mail.” She said.

No one dared say a word about the fact that the divorce papers were sitting on the coffee table with Sydney's signature on the bottom, but Matt couldn't take his eyes off of them.

Television reporter:

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this news update:
Laura Monroe, convicted felon was released on parole yesterday. The judge sighted the fact that she was a model prisoner and no longer posed a threat to society as his reasons for granting her parole. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program

They all sat silently looking at Matt waiting for his reaction. None of them expected to ever see the day when that vile woman would be released from prison.

Matt looked stressed when he locked eyes with Zacky. “Last night when she left the hospital I ran after her, but she disappeared outside. There was no sign of her in any direction”

“You don’t think?”

Matt swallowed hard as the panic started to set in…….it was happening all over again.