We Found Love (In A Hopeless Place)

Chapter 14: We Found Love (Part III)

Chapter 14: "We Found Love (Part III)"

It was the first of September when I woke up around ten am with a text from Sam saying "we need to talk" and that was it. I had finished my story while he was on his honeymoon, and I'd sent it to him before it was completely done editing. I still had a month or two to work on it, and I wanted to make sure it got an okay from at least one of them before I started the printing and binding process.

I hoped that if there were any errors, they would just be little things. That sounded so much worse than anything I was expecting. In a state of panic, I grabbed my keys and started making my way to the car. I texted Sam to let him know I was on my way, and I was just putting the key in the ignition when I got two more texts from him.

Sam: I'm at Dean's.

Sam: Stop freaking out.

That was easier said than done.

I wondered what I'd messed up. Sam hadn't looked over any of the recent chapters – he was too busy finishing his degree, moving into his house, planning a wedding, and flying to Italy and back – he'd only been married for a month and back from his honeymoon for two weeks. I had expected more time.

It didn't take long to get to Sam's house. I was already facing that way, so I pulled up by the curb, noting that both of the cars were in the driveway at Sam's house. I knew where the lawyer was, but I couldn't help the feeling in my stomach thinking that the other newlywed was waiting for me in Dean's house to yell at me as well. I crossed the street – Dean's Impala was in the driveway, but the Volt wasn't – and I hesitated longer than I was comfortable admitting before knocking on the door.

Sam answered a handful of seconds later in sweatpants and a shirt that was too big for him. He had a cup of coffee in his hand, his hair was tied back behind his head, and the dark shadows under his eyes told me he probably didn't get much sleep the night before. It was past noon, and I had always known Sam to be an up-before-dawn-for-a-morning-run kind of guy. The state of him only made the situation worse. He must have seen the fear on my face because he attempted a tired smile and said, "I told you to stop freaking out."

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Not yet," Sam said, stepping aside and holding his arm out, opening the door for me enough to walk through the threshold. I hesitated for a moment, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice. I walked in the open door and Sam led me to the kitchen.

Sam's MacBook was in the center of the table where Dean and I had sat when he told me about finding Castiel in the bathtub before he had been admitted. Papers and notebooks were covering the table too, as well as an assortment of photographs and two more empty mugs. Sam sat down where I had sat last time, but I stood, fingers twitching in the hem of my shirt. I wanted to talk about anything other than my story – something safe – and I spit out the first thing I could think of.

"Where's your worse half?"

"Still my better half," Sam offered another smile, like it was a joke between us now. And it was. "On a pizza run with Castiel. None of us have eaten since dinner last night. We haven't slept."

"Oh?" I tried to keep my voice even, but the squeak couldn't be hidden. "Is… um… Dean sleeping then?"

"No," Sam's smile turned a little bit darker with grim amusement. "He's working on a drawing in the garage. Too riled to sleep, but figured if he saw you he'd hit you. The other two felt the same, so they're giving me an hour to talk some sense into you before they get back. I told them it was just a misunderstanding but –"

"I don't understand," I cut in, regretting it the second Sam shut his mouth to listen. "What could I possibly have done to offend you so much? It was true. I didn't… I swear it."