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“It wasn’t fucking wrong,” Levi said. “Stop saying that.”
“Don’t be embarrassed,” I said as I slipped my hand onto her knee. “We all enjoyed what happened as much as you did.”
Sam took a sip of her water before standing from her seat. I stood with her, afraid she was going to run again. I didn’t want her to run.
“I need to use the restroom,” Sam said.
Then she bolted off toward the back of the restaurant.
I stood there, waiting for her to come back. My brothers were sighing and grumbling to themselves, but I was worried about Sam. She wasn’t acting like herself. She looked pale. Like maybe she wasn’t sleeping much. But after ten minutes of her being gone, I stepped away from the table and went looking for her.
I walked up to the women’s restroom door, fully prepared to go in and check on her. But as I raised my hand to knock on the door, it opened. Sam took a step before catching herself, and her eyes whipped up to mine. They were tired. Rimmed with red.
Sam didn’t look well at all.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I really wished you guys wouldn’t have cornered me the way you did,” Sam said.
“You aren’t talking to us. And we’re really worried about you. None of us have heard from Lauren or anything.”
“We’re grown women with lives. It happens.”
“You’re still at your parents’.”
She sighed, and I opened my arms for her. She stood there for a second, seemingly debating on what to do. And the second she stepped into my arms I closed them around her and pulled her close. I felt her bury herself into me. I lowered my lips to the top of her head and kissed her softly, trying my best to pour my strength into her. Give her what was left of my passion so it could fill her tired body.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“So much,” Sam said breathlessly.
“You know you can talk to me, right?” I asked.
Sam pressed her cheek against my shoulder and nuzzled into my neck.
“Whatever it is, I’ll never judge you. You can talk to me about anything. Whenever you want.”
“Thanks,” Sam said.
“We all want to make sure you’re okay, Sam. I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“And it’s really kind of you guys. Seriously. Thank you,” she said.
We stood there for a while, my hand lightly stroking her back. I felt her relax into me. I swayed with her lightly, twirling her around in the middle of the small hallway as the guys sat back at the table. Just the two of us, with Sam shaking against my body as I held her as tightly as I could.
She still wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, but she did lean on me for support.
I placed one last kiss on the top of her head before she sighed and pulled away.
“I’m not really hungry,” she said.
I cupped her cheek and brought her beautiful gaze up to mine and found an emptiness that punched me in the throat.
“Then sit with us and take a break from whatever it is that’s plaguing you,” I said.
And when she nodded against my palm, my heart jumped.
At least she was staying, and that was progress.
