AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I meant it when I said I wanted to stay friends.” I know he did, and I thought it was everything I wanted to hear, but now, I’m not so sure.
Has too much happened for us to remain friends? Or the better question is, can I stand by and watch Sam live his life and not feel this pang of nostalgia for the rest of my days? I can’t explain why it’s lingering; all I know is that seeing Alicia in Sam’s jersey triggered this spiral of uncertainty. I just want it to go away.
I want to talk to Saxon, but how do I explain this without making it sound like I’m having second thoughts.
“I called Piper and asked if she’d forgive me for being such a dick to her,” Sam reveals, surprising me.
“What did she say?”
He smirks, which can only lead to no good. “She said she’d think about it… on the way to Singtunes.”
“The karaoke bar?” I ask, unable to hide my smile.
“Yes. She drives a hard bargain, but I agreed. It’s a start.” It is, and I admire Sam for extending the olive branch.
“She wanted to go tonight, but I…”
“You what?”
He tongues his cheek, appearing to consider just how much to say. “I didn’t know if you’d be up for it. I tried to be subtle, but well, you know Piper. Subtle isn’t part of her vocabulary. She’ll be here soon.”
Needing to snap from this funk, I shake my head. “No, let’s go.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Besides, Piper will end up dragging us there anyway.” Sam laughs, and again, endless memories smash into me, leaving me winded.
“Okay, as long as you’re sure. It’ll be nice to get out anyway. I can’t remember the last time I did something normal.” He tugs at my little toe before standing. “I’ll just shower and change.”
An unspoken question lingers in the air, and although I have no right to ask, I can’t stop myself. “Is Alicia coming?”
Sam cocks his head to the side, visibly taken aback by my forwardness. “No,” he finally replies, putting me out of my misery. “It’ll just be us…which reminds me.” I wait with bated breath. “I spoke to my parents about having dinner here and clearing the air. They’re all for it. My mom wants to apologize to your parents and you.”
“Me?” I almost fall off the bed in utter surprise.
“Yes. She knows she was wrong. She wants to make it right between us.”
A heavy sigh leaves me. What choice do I have? Everyone is coming to the party except me, so that doesn’t seem very mature. It’s time to mend fences once and for all. “Okay. I’ll give my parents a call. When did you want to do dinner?”
“Next Saturday? Does that work for you?” It’s commendable that Sam seems in a great hurry to fix the error of his ways.
“Yes, that’s fine. Let me talk to them and get back to you.”
“Awesome.” He rocks back on his heels, waiting. I know what he’s waiting for, but I just can’t give him the answer he seeks. Not yet.
I will talk to Saxon. I just need to figure out what to say.
Sam sees me clam up and nods once. “Okay. I’d better go shower then.” I wish I could kick this mood. Maybe a night out is exactly what Sam and I both need.
He waits, but when I toy with a loose thread in the blanket, he gets the hint and leaves. Sighing, I reach for my cell and hover over Saxon’s name.Just tell him. I pep myself up, hoping my inner cheerleader will take flight and I’ll get over whatever this insanity is. But I’m scared Saxon will tell me to go to hell once and for all.
It’s my choice to forgive Sam, but Saxon doesn’t have to. I’m afraid if I ask him to come back to Montana, just as I did when Sam was in the hospital, he won’t be so accommodating this time. He’ll be able to read my irrational response to Sam moving on and mistake it for something that it’s not.
Groaning, I toss my phone on the mattress and curse the day I thought I could have my cake and eat it too.
“Are you going to spit it out, or am I going to have to use violence?” Looking up from my untouched beer, I smile, surprised it took Piper this long to ask what’s bugging me.
We’re sitting at a booth in Singtunes, and although the vibe is fun and relaxed, I can’t stop from grinding my teeth deep in thought. As expected, Piper gave Sam more than a hard time. But we both didn’t expect anything less.
