Rogue (Supernatural) [Rogue Trilogy] {1}

5. A Taste of the Old Life

5. A Taste of the Old Life

Tanya's fever goes right down once she got some Tylenol in her system. It's a pretty tense wait between my brother and I until Nora shows up at her house. Castiel could sense the tension but didn't seem brave enough to make it go away.

Nora doesn't give us a second glance, she goes right up to her house to meet Castiel—well, "Steve" as she knows him—and talk. I watch those two while my brother is on the phone. I do my best to not eavesdrop on his conversation. Whatever he's talking about, it's probably something I don't want to get involved in.

"Oh, yeah, and you'll never guess who I ran into," I hear my brother say. I'm leaning against the hood of my truck. A few minutes before Nora got home, my brother and I went back to our respective cars. I observed that he still had my former home. The former home is a 1967 Chevrolet Impala. She looks almost as new as the day she rolled off the lot. I miss that old car. It brings back childhood memories. Notice I don't say "good" memories. "Trust me, you'll never guess it. Here." I see a phone shoved towards my face. I look at my brother questioningly. "Prove me right."

Still giving him an odd look, I take the phone from him. "Okay, who are you and how stupid are you to have taken a bet against my brother?"

At first, I think it's a prank, because I hear nothing on the other end of the line. But then I hear it. It's practically a ghost of a whisper: "Josette?"

I nearly drop the phone. I feel my heart clench. Castiel has left Nora's front porch and he and my brother are talking now near the Impala.

"Hello?"

I swallow. "S-Sammy?"

"Is it—is it you? Like, really you?"

I fight back the tears. "Yeah, it's really me."

"Where have you been?"

"Away." I sniff, wiping under my nose.

"This is...this is crazy."

"Why?"

"It just is. I mean, you went off the grid..."

"I know. I am sorry about that, Sammy." I start walking. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just glad to hear your voice. We've missed you."

I snort. "Yeah, I can't say that that's true about Dean."

"Deep down, he does miss you."

I quirk my lips. "Sure, I'll take your word for it."

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"You know what." I'm shaking slightly. "You've known since the night I left."

"But what about now? I mean, Dean was explaining what happened..."

"I know what you want, Sam. You want the three of us to be back in this, together. But that's not what I want. It's never been what I wanted. I'm gonna stay here in Rexford and continue my plain life."

"Jo—"

"Don't beg, Sam. I made this choice a long time ago, and it's stuck. This was just a fluke. I'm sorry, but I'm not going back. You're more than welcome to come find me and visit. Just try not to bring your work with you if you ever decide to come, okay?"