Just for This Year

Chapter Thirty-Six

I've had part of this chapter written since I started this book. I live for drama chapters.

And Happy New Years! Here's to 2023 :)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Saturday
November 16th

16 Days After

It had been a full day since he and Lila had it out at the house. He had tried to text and call her, but he hadn't gotten a response. He knew she was with Nate, but he was still concerned. He hated how he left things with her. They both said things they shouldn't have said. He just needed to talk to her, things would be fine after that.

He was grateful Cole showed up when he did. As soon as his sister left, Sam found himself having a hard time getting ahold on his emotions. He and Lila never fought like that. Ever. They were always together on things. They never had to face things alone. They could always turn to each other when things were going wrong, but they couldn't now.

Cole talked to Sam throughout the night. Scarlett and Allison had the good sense to give the two the space they needed. But Lorena had gone home. To be fair, she was simply concerned for her kids. But Sam couldn't look at her knowing she had caused his sister so much pain. He wanted to move on, but he just couldn't yet. The hardest part of it all was that she understood. Everything about this just pained him, but there wasn't a good answer for any of this.

"Sam, she..." Cole started, struggling where to go next, "you know how freaked she gets about stuff like this. She doesn't handle change well."

"But this is good change! I'm happy with Charlie!" Sam countered in a loud voice.

"She knows that, but she doesn't want to lose either of you," he explained slowly, desperate for his brother to understand. "You are the most important person in her life. If she sees any threat of losing you... she doesn't take it well, Sam."

"It's not like I've stopped being her brother," Sam complained, groaning slightly. "And besides, it's not like she isn't with someone I approve of."

Cole sighed, rubbing his hand tiredly against his face. "Sam, you two just need to talk again. No pride, no trying to out-insult the other."

Even Charlie tried. He told Sam the same thing Cole did. That she saw change as a threat. Sam honestly wanted to ask about his friendship with Lila. He had to know if he even said something true during their argument. It was a low blow to comment on that, and he knew it. He knew she was always worried about that sort of thing. But he wanted to hit her where it would hurt like she did to him.

He had been laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling since the night before. His mind was running through everything that happened over and over again. He regretted almost everything he said. He wouldn't take back the things he said about his and Charlie's relationship, but he wished he had never gone so far as to insult his sister in the name of that.

It soon became nighttime, and there was still no sign of his sister. He was close to hunting her down himself until his phone buzzed and he quickly pulled it from his pocket. Sam swore he never moved so quickly in his life than he did in that moment.

It was his sister.

Lila 👹
Meet me at the dock in 30 minutes

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Sam trudged his way down the dock where his sister was standing, staring up at the stars. She was incredibly still. He huffed out, feeling his nerves spike. He just wanted things to go back to normal. He didn't want things to be like this anymore. He just wanted his sister back. Sam could only hope she felt the same.