Even in a Million Years

Thirty-Eight

Caleb

I stayed up three more hours after watching her retreat back into her home, Liv had apparently made it back okay on her own as she had been knocked out in my bed by the time I walked in.

But there was no way I would've been able to sleep.

She wouldn't leave my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the genuine fear I felt when I say her laying there thinking something happened to her. The way my mind jumped to the worst freaked me out, but even the thought of losing her scared the absolute shit out of me.

That woman and her damn morbid humor and selflessness and annoying ability to fall asleep anywhere.

Liv wanted me to stay away from her, but I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't do that to any of my friends, especially one I've just gotten back. She's had too many people in her life hurt her, intentionally or accidentally, and I refuse to let myself be another. She deserved more than that.

I know abandonment, on more levels than one aside from Belle. I couldn't do that to anyone.

I meant it when I told her I would take us anywhere. Our entire family, we could just go, no responsibilities, no one else to worry about and of all places she chose the beach house which confused me to no end until I realized she just needed a place to feel like home.

She's been all over the place trying to find somewhere that gave her that same comfort she had after living on constant edge for years. She needed the familiarity with the people she'd loved more than anyone else. So we'll go, I'll get them all to come to the damn beach house that held way more memories that I would like to avoid for the rest of my life just.

I had needed that last night, but how? I'm paying for it as I pile into the truck at two in the afternoon , ready to partake in whatever Bailey had planned for her brother and brother in laws bachelor party.

She'd wanted the first event to be a surprise but considering I'm driving one of our trucks, she had to tell me.

We're going zip lining which definitely came as a suprise considering unless she grew out of her fear, shes still afraid of heights and she's sober. Jumping off of high platforms was not her forte when those two things were considered.

" Kazer where the hell are we going?" Ace questions looked at the trees surrounding us.

"Ask your sister,"

"I'm asking you,"

"I've been sworn to secrecy,"

"You always chose her side,"

"She's trying to do something fun for you and surprise you, stop complaining," I roll my eyes at my best friend. We'd been driving for just over two hours at this point, pulling into the road leading through a forest everyone in the car was confused.

"Is she going to kill all of us and hide the fucking bodies? What is this?" Tyler snorts.

I was ready to kill him. Being in a car with him for longer than an hour is like being stuck in a car with a five year old—loud, smelly and fucking annoying.

"Yeah and I'm helping her, get out of my truck we'll give you a ten second head start," parking in front is a small building labeled as a zip lining camp, the five other people I drove quickly understood what we were doing.

Everyone gathered outside the building, we were the only ones here. She must've rented out the place considering the wedding party was huge.

"We're zip lining!!" Em hops out of the truck, practically skipping over, Arrex following alongside Belle making their way to us.