Buzzing next to me, my phone lights with Sam’s name on the screen. No matter how many times this happens, it still doesn’t stop the kernel of panic that sets in when a phone call is received so late at night.
“Sam, are you okay?” I sit up, rubbing my eyes.
Greeted by pure reckless, high squealed chaos in the background, my sister squeaks and wails into the phone in a drunken mess. The shrills ring through my ears, making me pull the phone away.
“Sam, are you okay?” I ask again, my tone more urgent. Ipatiently wait until the chaos is cut flat by a piercing silence that almost makes me leap from the couch and track her location to make sure she’s safe.
“I’m fine!” she finally chimes. The vise around my heart decompresses and my shoulders slump in relief. “I need a favor,” she singsongs.
“Go on.” She either needs a ride or needs me to fuck someone up.
“So, I went out with some girlfriends and brought Sunny. She wants to leave, and she is adamant about walking. I obviously will not let her since it’s one in the morning. Can you come get her? She’s a little tipsy. I could call a car for her —”
“Yes,” I cut her off. “I’ll be right there.” I stand, running upstairs to throw some proper clothes on.
“Okay, I’m trying to get her to stay but she won’t have it. Like I said, she's pretty drunk, so she’s being extra spicy right now,” Sam laughs. “There’s a girl I have my eyes on, so I can’t leave, just yet. If you know what I mean. Mace is my wing woman, so she is going to stay.” I can practically hear my sister wiggle her eyebrows through the phone.
“Try and keep her there. Don’t let her go, Sam. I checked your location, it shouldn’t take me any longer than ten minutes tops.”
“Okay, brother. You’re the best!” Then the line goes dead.
Fucking Sunny. That gnawing feeling in my chest dissipates as I grab my keys and walk out of the door. Ready to cross that soul-bridge to get my girl.
I’m coming for you, Sunny.
SUNNY
I blink at Sam while she tries to hold me hostage here. Prior to this, I had an internal moment of panic—convinced I somehow saw Ryan in this giant apartment party, despite knowing it’s delusion.
“Sam, let me go,” I say through clenched teeth.
While I’m confident I’m stable on my feet, the world spinning as the alcohol buzzes through my veins tells me otherwise. All the more reason to leave before I make another mistake to add onto my list of too many.
Sam kept handing me drinks. One turned to two, turned to three. My guard has become too weak as I’ve grown more comfortable here. Tyler is proof of that. I still haven’t told Sam or Macey about Tyler. How can I?
By the way, Sam? Your brother fingered me by the staircase in his home Thanksgiving night while you and Mace slept right upstairs. My moans were so loud he had to cover my mouth with his hand. And I had one of the best damn orgasms of my life.
Yeah, I can’t tell her. Not yet, at least.
Standing in front of the apartment door, Sam picks her long purple nails, totally unamused by my attempt to escape. “I already told you, Tyler is coming to get you.”
“I don’t want Tyler to get me. I want to go home and be alone.”
“What has gotten into you tonight, Sunny?” Macey approaches.
I roll my eyes. “Do I have to say it in another language?”
“Listen, I know Tyler can be a little overprotective sometimes, but I called him here.” Sam watches me.
“I just want to go home on my own without an escort.”
I know I’m being a little unreasonable, but I want to go home, in my bed with comfy clothes on. If Sam let me leave when I wanted to, I would’ve been home in bed already doing that. Possibly hopping on the next flight out to get away fromthis almost Ryan. I’m in an unfamiliar place, with unfamiliar people, late in the night. I want out.
“Too bad.” Sam continues to pick her nails, avoiding eye contact with me altogether. Still standing as a barricade to the door that's my freedom. It only serves as a reminder to all the times Ryan wouldn’t let me leave our home. He used every excuse, when in the end, it was ultimately a control thing.
A knock on the door jolts me out of my almost panic attack.
“Thank god.” Sam turns around, opening the door to a tired eyed Tyler. We stare at one another for a long moment. He watches me intently as his chest moves up and down steadily. I feel my pulse quicken and my breath hitch, becoming way too erratic.
