Warning: Very OOC and lots of dialogue… Just warning you.
Crossing Paths
Ch. 11- Why, why, why…
"Sam… There's something else," Jake mumbled after a few moments passed. "My brothers are talking about… I don't… know how to say this."
"Jake, please. Just spit it out. I've already got too much crap on my mind to have to be worrying about something I don't even know about," Sam said as she stared out the window slightly aggravated, though not at Jake.
"Since a couple of months after my dad's disappearance, my brothers have decided that… that…" Sam rolled her eyes in frustration, "that… that they're going to sell the ranch and move us to the city." Sam slowly turned and stared at him with her mouth wide open as he continued, "And their plans haven't changed even though mom's getting married to your dad. Wyatt hasn't completely agreed, but my mom is slowly breaking him down. I think he's going to sell River Bend." Sam continued to gawk at Jake as if he had just grown a second and even a third head, "You're freaking kidding me, right? Jake, don't look at me like that. There is no way in hell my dad will actually agree to sell River Bend and move to the city. No way. This can not be happening. Jake, seriously, this is a joke, right? Haha. April fools! But not it April," she joked trying hard to fool even herself.
Jake sighed and looked at Sam for the first time since the conversation had started, "No Sam… This is no joke…"
Sam jumped out of the car before it had even rolled to a stop at River Bend. She didn't even reach into the back seat to get her dress before slamming the truck door with as much force as she could muster. She stormed into the house to find her father sitting in his chair in the living room reading a book. "Have you absolutely lost your fricken mind?? There is NO WAY IN HELL I am moving to the city and leaving this place. How could you even think about selling?! I just got to come back to this place and there is no way I'm leaving it again and especially never to come back! And don't you DARE try to use HER as an excuse. This is the most selfish, idiotic thing you've ever done!" Wyatt held up his hand to try and get Sam to stop as Jake ran through the door holding the box with Sam's dress in it. Sam continued screaming at him, "Don't you try and quiet me! I can have my own opinion or am I no longer allowed that either?? Did you ever for one second think about the horses, both ours and the wild ones, or the ranch hands, or how this would effect the rest of us?!" By now tears were streaming down Sam's cheeks and Jake's jaw had dropped in disbelief at the way she was talking to her father. Wyatt stood up and walked towards Sam as she continued screaming and cursing for what was probably the first time in her life. He grabbed her shoulders as her whole body racked with sobs and screams. She tried to hit Wyatt as hard as she could but he just held her till her anger finally melted into anguish and utter defeat. He hugged her tight as she muttered, "why… why… why… why…"
The three stood there motionless for what felt like an eternity to Jake who still could not believe the words that had just come from Sam's mouth. He had never seen her so angry in his life and he hated it. He hated Wyatt and his mother for plotting against them and his brothers for agreeing with his mother about moving and also at his dad for ever disappearing in the first place. Jake wanted to do just as Sam had just done. He wanted to scream and curse and not be yelled at for it. He wanted to hit someone, but most of all, he wanted everything to end. He just wanted the wedding to be behind them and he wanted everything to be as normal as it ever would. But it would never truly be normal again, would it?
Sam's sobs finally quieted as she pulled away from her father. "Dad I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, but at the same time, I did. We can't move… We can't leave here… I'm already going to loose one of the two things that mean most to me in life and now you're trying to take the second one away too," she said looking at Jake who smiled sadly. She gently shook loose of his grip, "And I really can't even talk to you about this right now…" Sam took her dress from Jake, laid it on the table, and walked outside.
She sat down on the front steps and watched the last bit of the sun dip below the horizon. She heard the door creak open and then closed behind her. Jake slowly walked across the porch and sat beside her. He sighed before asking, "Do you really feel that way? Are the ranch and I more important to you than your family?" Sam sighed and looked up at him. For the first time, she didn't know what to say to Jake. She had never understood how people could be speechless, but now she did. Her face grew hot and she stared down at the ground that was fading into the night beneath her feet. "Yea, Jake. You and this ranch are the two most important things to me. Not that I don't love my dad because I do. I just… Don't know how to explain it," she half whispered as she kicked the dirt at the bottom of the stairs. He didn't respond and she glanced up at him to see the most perplexed look she had ever seen in her life. "Jake?" she questioned, "What's wrong?"
He shook his head, "You know, I don't even know… about anything anymore. What you said to your dad about me was the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me." He paused for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "I just don't know how I'm going to be able to stand having you taken away from me…" He reached over and put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. Sam leaned into him and took in a deep breathe of his sweet scent. What are we going to do? they both wondered to themselves. "Look Sam, I have to go. If you need anything, I'm just a phone call away. And try not to worry too much. It ruins your pretty smile," he smiled down at her. She smiled back as he kissed her forehead and stood to leave. Jake turned before he got into his truck and said, "I love you."
Sam smiled as he drove away. She sat thinking about how many good things and bad things had happened to her lately. She found out that the best boyfriend she could ever ask for was right in front of her face all along. But at the same time she felt as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest with him being taken away from her. She shivered at the cool fall breeze that blew and rubbed her arms to try and rid them of the invading goose bumps. Not feeling hungry at all, Sam wandered to the barn to see Ace and Tempest. They both stood dozing and she didn't want to disturb them so she plopped down on a bale of hay across from Ace's stall and sat there watching him till she began to doze off herself.
Sam suddenly sat up startled. She had definitely fallen asleep but was awaken by a noise from outside the barn. It was pitch dark so she figured she had been asleep at least a few hours, if not more. She listened again thinking that it had to be her imagination, but when the noise came again butterflies rose up in her stomach. She quickly jumped to her feet and ran from the barn.
To be continued…
AN: I know. I just love to torture ya'll!! This chapter literally wrote itself. It just came out word after word and I was even kind of wondering what was gonna happen next. I mean, I knew where the chapter was supposed to begin and end, but I had no idea about anything in between those points… The next chapter is already beginning to write itself in my head, so that should be up soon after this one. Review and let me know what you think! Any positive comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated. No flames though or I'm likely to flame back! Hey, I warned you, didn't I? Haha Kat/Ponypuss
