Brian's POV
Once I got to Huntington Beach, I couldn’t even stand to read the note. I ripped it to shreds, envelope and all. I decided that I was not leaving the house until she came back for her things. Hopefully, I could get her to listen to me. I had only been there a couple of hours when Gwyn showed up at the door.
“Gwyn, why are you here?” I didn't even try to hide how annoyed I was.
“We need to talk.” She said.
“Unless you can tell me where Penny is, we have nothing to talk about.” I wanted to slam the door in her face.
“Penny ran off?”
“No one has seen or heard from her.”
“Just like I knew she would.” She said under her breath.
“What did you say?” I asked. I was not in the mood for her jabs at Penny.
“Can I just come in, please?” She asked.

“Okay, for a few minutes. I don't want you to be anywhere near here when Penny comes back.”
“I'm surprised you're not in Ohio looking for her.”
“We have reason to believe she's here.”
“Oh, well I am here to help you get past all of this. I am here for you Brian.”
“I don't want you here, I don't want you anywhere near me.”
“You're obviously tired and very tense, why don't I make you a drink?”
“Why, so you can get me drunk and who knows what else so I'll sleep with you?”
“I wish you wouldn't be so hostile and angry with me. I care about you; you just need a chance to see. You know deep down, who is right for you.”
“Did you have Adam Gabriel lie and keep her here? Was that part of the plan?”
“No! I didn’t know anything about it. We need to talk about us, you have to see that we are meant for each other.”
“Gwyn, I don't need to see anything or anyone else but Penny. I need you to leave before she comes home.”
“I'll leave for now, but you need to accept that she is gone and we belong together. Think about it Brian, a beautiful wife and kids.”
At that, she tried to kiss me. I pushed her away. “I've told you before, I'm not worried about having kids and I already have a beautiful wife. Goodbye Gwyn.”
I gently pushed her out the door and shut it quickly.

The next day she was there again, I wouldn’t even let her in this time.
“Gwyn, I told you to leave me alone.”
“I want to come in and talk to you Brian. You have to give me a chance.”
“I don’t have to give you anything! You have ruined my life.” I said to her, gritting my teeth.
I slammed the door in her face and walked away as she pounded on it.

That night, I was getting more worried and desperate. I thought about the depression she fell into while I was gone. What if that was what was happening now? She's all alone and we don't even know where she is, what if she needs someone?
I was finally able to fall asleep around 2:00 AM. I had a dream that jolted me awake. I was home and thought I smelled smoke. I walked around the house and then saw a fire outside. I walked out and the gazebo was engulfed in flames and there was Penny and Adam dancing together.
“It's so beautiful, thank you Adam for helping me forget Brian.” Penny said to Adam, while looking straight at me.
“Penny what are you doing? How can you destroy something that was so special to us?” I asked her.
“I didn't destroy anything, you did Brian.” She said.
“But he lied to you, he kept us apart.”
“He may have lied to me, but thanks to him I saw the true you. He also saved my life.”
“I'm the one who made sure you were tested. I thought I saved your life.”
“But then you threw our life away…” Penny had one single tear rolling down her cheek and Adam had disappeared. Penny turned around and walked toward the burning gazebo.
I yelled for her “Penny don’t!”
She turned to me. “I loved you, now I'm dead inside.” She walked into the fire and then she was gone.
“PENNY!” I woke up screaming.

I had to call Adam Gabriel after that dream.

Adam’s POV
Of course, I hadn’t heard anything from Penny or Gwyn. Penny hated me and I was of no use to Gwyn anymore. I was half afraid to find out what happened. I just hoped Penny was okay. I had really worried after what Matt said about Brian finding her.
It had been almost a week since Matt beat me up when Brian called me at 3 in the morning.
“I would say I'm sorry for calling you at this hour, but I really could care less about waking you.” He said.
“Brian, I know what you're going to say. All I can say is that I'm sorry and I am resigning from Medicine and giving up my license to practice.”
“Honestly Adam, that doesn't even touch what you deserve for lying to Penny, keeping us apart and trying to take her from me. But that's not why I am calling, I need to know if you know where Penny is.”
“I thought she was with you.” I knew then that Gwyn’s plan for Penny to catch them together had worked. “You haven't seen her at all?”
“She came to Paris. Gwyn tricked me into sleeping with her and when Penny came to my suite, Gwyn answered the door wrapped in a sheet. Penny took off after I woke up and no one has heard from her since. It’s been almost 2 weeks.”
“Have you called the police?”
“They won't do anything because she told Chloe she was going to be gone for awhile. She picked up her car at the airport, bought groceries and called Chloe. She hasn't been home, she hasn't used her credit cards, nothing.”
“Holy shit, I hope…” I couldn't tell him my fear.
“You hope what?”
“That you find her soon.”
“Yea, I bet you do. Did Gwyn have anything to do with you keeping Penny from me?”
I had to think very carefully before answering, saying the wrong thing could endanger Penny's life.
“No Brian, she had nothing to do with it. I fell in love in love with Penny, but she only considered me a friend. She loves you. I just didn't want to let her go.”
“Will you let me know if you hear from her?” He asked.
“I will, but my guess is she is still in Ohio.”
“I was there looking for her when I had a call from our house here and no one spoke. She had left a note that she would be back to get the rest of her things.”
“I'll let you know if I hear anything. Brian, I am really sorry.”
He hung up on me.

I called Gwyn, hoping my worst fears were not true. After talking to Gwyn, I was relieved that she had not done anything to Penny. But I knew that Brian’s rejection would eventually cause her to snap and Penny would be her target. Luckily, I had a good idea of where Penny was and I knew she wasn't in California.

I booked a flight to Ohio and called Penny's daughter as I was about to board the plane, “Tell Brian that your Mom is in Springfield and to get back there as soon as he can.”
“Why should I believe or do anything you say?”
“You have to believe me; your Mom could be in danger. I want to make all this right.”
“Danger! Where is she? How will he find her?”
“She will get hold of him, I promise. Just get him there.”
“Okay, but if this is another lie…”
“It's not, it's time for the whole truth.”
I hung up on Chloe before she could ask what that meant. I knew she would get Brian there.

Brian's POV
I needed someone to help me, I called Matt right after I hung up on Adam.
“Sorry to wake you but I'm going crazy, I don't know what to do. I even called Adam to see if he has heard from her.”
“You haven't heard anything?” He asked.
“Nothing. I hope she didn't come and see Gwyn here and leave. “
“Gwyn was there?”
“Yes, the crazy bitch won't leave me alone. I've got to find Penny, that's all I can think about right now.”
“Let's go out to breakfast, we can brainstorm.”
“I'm not leaving the house; I don't want to miss her if she comes. Why don't you come over?”
“I'll be there in an hour. But you can't just sit in the house waiting for her to come back.”

Gwyn’s POV
Obviously reasoning with Brian from outside the front door wasn’t going to work. I needed to get inside and not just in his entryway. I was so glad Penny gave me access to the house when I was there. I had to use it to get him to California and I had to use it to get him to listen to me now.

When Adam called, I knew Brian was grasping at straws to find her. He would probably head back to Ohio soon. I would never convince him with her family around.

I let myself in the house, Brian wasn't downstairs. I went up to the master bedroom and could hear that he was in the shower. That was perfect, I slipped off my clothes, grabbed Penny's perfume off her dresser and went into the bathroom. I opened the shower door, Brian spun around. “Penny!” He saw me and his face changed expression.

“Gwyn why are you in my bathroom? Come to think of it how and why are you in my house? Are you wearing Penny's perfume?” He was yelling at me as he wrapped a towel around his waist.
“Calm down Brian, you know you're actually glad I'm here. You can let go of the façade and give in to how you feel.”
“If I gave in to how I feel, I would strangle you right now! Put your fucking clothes on and get the hell out of my house!”
Then we heard Matt in the bedroom. “Brian? What the hell is going on? Who's in there with you?”
“Hi Matt, it's Gwyn.” I called out, trying to smooth over his hearing Brian overreacting.
Brian walked into the bedroom, I put a towel on and followed him.
“Holy Shit Brian! What the fuck?” Matt said.
“The crazy bitch let herself into the house and tried to get in the shower with me.”
“Tell Matt the truth. You want me in the shower with you. Be honest with yourself.”

Matt’s POV
This is all getting stalker scary. Gwyn was clearly off her rocker and I could tell Brian was about to erupt.
“I am so sick of hearing this shit! Let me say this one last time. I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU, YOU DISGUST ME! I'm never going to want you and I never want to see you again! If you don't leave me alone, I am calling the police!”
Gwyn's face turned red and her eyes looked crazy. “You are not going to do this to me in front of Matt!”
Then Brian's phone rang. “It's Chloe.” He said, answering quickly.
“Hello?”
“He said what?”
“Do you believe him?”
“Why would she keep flying back and forth?” When Brian said that, you could tell he suddenly realized something. “Never mind, I know the answer. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
“Of course, I'll let you know.”

Brian hung up and looked at Gwyn. “Why were you in Huntington Beach when I got back here?”
“I told you, to help you through this. I wanted to help you see your true feelings.”
“But why were you here? You even said yourself that you were surprised that I wasn't in Ohio looking for Penny.”
“Well, I…” Gwyn stuttered.
“You were here because you are the one who took Penny's clothes, called me and left the note. Penny was never here. It was all a fucking trick!”
“I did it for us.” She said, without a bit of remorse.
“There is no fucking US!” I had to hold Brian back, he looked like he was ready to choke her. “Matt, can you get this crazy bitch out of here? I have to get dressed and go.” He picked up her clothes and threw them at her.
“Stop being a fool, Brian! She's not worthy of you!” She yelled as she picked Penny's bottle of perfume off the dresser, throwing it down shattering it into bits.
Brian started toward her. I got between them.
“Don't let her do this. She's just stalling to keep you from Penny.” I said. “I’ll get her out of here.”

She dressed and I ushered her to the door, you could tell she was pissed.
“Talk to him, Matt. You know that Brian deserves fine china, not paper plates.”
“Excuse me, what did you say?” Now she was starting to push me too far.
“Come on, isn't Penny a little Plain Jane to be an Avenged Sevenfold wife?”
“Penny is part of our family and we love her, how dare you fucking insult her!” I wanted to wring the crazy bitches neck. “Now leave and don't bother any of us again, especially Brian and Penny.”
“This is not over.” She said as she left.
I slammed the door behind her.

Notes