Page 96 of Allegiant

He spreads the blankets on the sand with care, fussing with them until they’re just right. When he’s finally satisfied, I collapse down onto one. “When does the shower start?”

“Soon.”

He sits beside me and we stare up at the clear sky. I see the stars and moon wink at me.

“How cool,” I say, tilting my chin up. He stares down at me for a long, drawn-out moment before reaching over and putting another blanket over my shoulders, tucking it around me.

I smile at him, suddenly desperate to know more about him. Everything. “So, how did you guys end up with this property?”

Samson stares out at the ocean, his arms resting on his knees. “My mom. She loved coming here. My dad bought it for her.”

“How romantic.”

His throat bobs. “It stayed in the family when they both died.”

“How tragic.” It sounds like I’m being glib. I’m not. I don’t know what Samson’s been through, but the hints tell me it was tragic. Enough so that Samson has closed himself off from things that bring him joy.

“It was when my mom died… My dad, not so much.”

I lean into him before realizing it’s not enough. I want more than this, so I untangle myself from the blanket and wrap it around him too, his warm body now settled against my own. “Tell me about them. Your mom and dad.”

“You first.”

My chest tightens. Guess my story is kind of tragic, too. “My mom was a schoolteacher and my dad was a plumber. We didn’t have a lot growing up, but we had love. Lots of it. My dream of being a dancer was something they didn’t really understand, but they supported me however they could.”

Samson picks up on the past tense. “They’re both gone now?”

I give a clipped nod. “They died when I was twenty. Car accident. Drunk driver on the wrong side of the road.”

His hand slips into mine, and he squeezes tight. “I’m sorry. Fuck, Row.”

I brush away an errant tear. “It was a long time ago now.”

He doesn’t let go of my hand. “Did they love each other?”

“Yeah.” I stare up at the stars above us and wonder if they’re up there. If Adam is. I hope so. I can’t bear the thought that they’re completely detached from me now. “They did. What about your parents?”

He’s quiet for a moment. “My mom and dad were in love. She made him a better person. Didn’t realize that until she died. Then…he changed. He was a monster after that. Guess he always was, deep down, but she softened him. When she was gone, it was…it was hell.”

Now I’m the one apologizing, my thumb stroking over the back of his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Samson says harshly. “He’s gone now, and we’re happier because of it.”

“I don’t want to pry, but…what did he do that made it hell? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

He stares at me for a long time before his eyes drop to our entwined hands. “I’ll tell you, just not the details. Don’t want it to ruin our date.”

I bite my lip, fighting the urge to grin. “That what this is?”

“Sure fucking is.”

I smile softly at him, and he gives me one back. A rare sight indeed. But then it leaves, and he turns his face forward, blinking off into the dark horizon.

“My father put us all through training to take over the family business. He was harsh and cruel, and we…we found ways to survive.”

My eyebrows meet at that. I have no idea what kind of training they had to go through, but I assume it had to do with money management. It couldn’t have been easy to learn. “Oh, Samson.”

“It’s fine. Not telling you for pity, just…may make you understand myself and my family more. Since you’re going to be permanent.”