Two Summers Ago, the World Went to Shit

Chapter 2: Adrenaline Rushed

Chapter 2: Adrenaline Rushed

"Jesus Christ Caleb, I could've fucking killed you," I said frantically.

"Damn Sammi, put the gun down; it's just me," he said anxiously laughing, his eyes wide and hands in the air beside his shoulders.

"Nice hat," he joked.

I reached to remove the hat from my head as I lowered the gun down by my side with my other hand. I laid the hat down gently on top of the counter. Then, I stuck the small handgun back down into the holster that I kept in my purse.

"You didn't think you should let me know you were here before I came home at one o'clock in the morning to an unlocked Airbnb," I said waving both hands in the air in frustration, raising my eyebrows with aggravation.

"I swear to god I'm going to stop sharing my location with you," I added, irritably.

"You weren't responding to my calls or texts; what was I supposed to do, Sammi? You could've been buried in the woods somewhere," he said with a joking yet serious tone in his voice.

I rolled my eyes.

He walked over and hugged me tightly before I could go on any more about his unannounced visit.

"I'm glad to know you can take care of yourself," he said speaking behind my neck in our hug.

"I just worry about my baby sister," he added in a calm, gentle manner.

Once he let go, I sat down at the island in the kitchen, laying my purse down on top of it before placing my hands over my face. The metal barstool was like ice beneath my bare legs. I propped my feet up onto the bar around the bottom of the stool and sighed, placing my face into my hands.

"What's wrong? Where did you go tonight," he asked curiously as I'd been dressed in sparkles which was not something I'd typically be caught wearing.

Me and Caleb were very close, so I felt comfortable talking to him and telling him just about everything going on in my life. We'd been through so much together. Even after he moved to Oklahoma, he called me every single day. We still annoyed the hell out of each other, but we were all we had.

I paused for a second, just thinking, before I told him about tonight.

"It's a long story, but the house next door was having a bachelorette party. They invited me to go out with them, so we all went to a bar downtown."

"Did you have fun? Did you meet anyone," he asked as he glared over at the hat.

He looked back over at me, watching my distant expression when I looked up from my palms.

I hesitated, and then I couldn't help but smile like an idiot.

"I met this guy named Bailey. He taught me how to line dance, we talked—we just had so much fun," I said, looking off in a daze as I recalled the events from tonight.

"Is that where you got the hat?"

"Yes," I said blushing and trying to hide the emotion behind this hat.

"Is that all that happened? You're smiling like you married the guy. You didn't go get eloped did you," he asked jokingly.

"No, but there might have been a brief session of scandalous bathroom sex," I said giggling as the front door shut again.

I turned around in a panic to see who was walking inside to my embarrassing confession, and it was Jackson, Caleb's best friend. I moaned in embarrassment when he started laughing.