Page 17 of All In
Wait, I forgot something!
I walk over to my vanity, grab his watch, and slip it on my wrist. It snaps into place. A feeling of relief washes over me as I realize I will never have to hide it again.
Satisfied, I grab my purse and car keys and head out the door.
The fifteen-minute drive to his apartment feels like an eternity. And you know how it is. It seems like fate is against me tonight as I hit every red light and get stuck behind every slow driver on the road. I may have honked my horn a few times at some innocent senior citizens.
I can’t help it. The feeling that the rest of my life starts tonight is making me impatient.
Finally, I pull up alongside the curb of his apartment complex. Sam’s place is in the building’s front, and his car parked in the carport, so he’s here. There’s a light on in what I know is the living room on the second floor. The high hopes causing my stomach to churn is almost too much to handle.
Being back here, a pain of regret erupts in my chest because this was supposed to be our first place together. I sit and stare at it, lost in daydreams of the differentpath my life could have taken if only I hadn’t been so foolish and stupid. We could be in there together, the smell of popcorn wafting through the air, as we snuggle on the couch and map out our future while enjoying a movie. A future I destroyed.
Finally, it’s time to regain what we lost. I only pray he wants the same thing.
“This is it.”
I have never been this nervous in my whole life. Thankfully, I didn’t eat any dinner, or I may have puked it up right here on the street. After taking a big breath for courage, I grab the door handle but then decide to check my makeup and lipstick before I go. Lipstick that I hope ends up all over his face at the end of this.
The light on my visor broke last month, so it’s hard to see. The street light casts a dim glow, the only light in an otherwise dark surroundings. As I press the tip of the soft red to my lips, laughter rings out from the complex.
That’s Sam’s laugh.
But it’s not just Sam’s laughter that fills the air.
I turn my head and let out a gasp. Sam and Jennifer Snow are stepping out onto the porch from the complex entrance.
He’s helping her put on her coat, pulling her curly hair from the back. Their laughter rings out into the night.
Oh, my God.
Sam and I went to school with Jennifer. She was the type of person who was friends with everyone. I don’t think she had one enemy in all of Fitch High School. She was kind, genuine, and funny. I would venture to say that we were even friends.
Did she like Sam in school? Probably. All the girls liked Sam. But that is where Jennifer stands out as different. There were plenty of girls who let Sam know that if we broke up, they would be waiting. But if Jennifer liked Sam, she would never have said. He was in a relationship, so she wouldn’t cross that line.
That’s how good of a person she is.
As I watch them, I wonder how they connected. He’s single, so I’m sure shemade her move.
I can’t say that I blame her.
Or worse yet, maybe he pursued her.
And, naturally, she is just as gorgeous now as she was in high school.
With rapt attention, I watch the two of them laughing, thoroughly enjoying each other’s company. Jennifer is eating up his every word as he says something, laughing and touching him with each giggle.
I scoot down in the seat of my car because I can’t risk him seeing me, even though I am shrouded in darkness here on the street. The porch light casts a soft glow on the happy couple, giving me a front row seat to the end of my world. My mouth goes dry as my insides churn.
Their conversation stops as he whispers something in her ear. He runs his hand up her arm, and she inches closer to him. Their eyes lock as she nods in agreement with whatever it was he asked her. My hands tighten on the steering wheel as I watch Sam with another woman unfold before my eyes. And not just any woman.
Jennifer Freaking Snow. Quite literally, the nicest person in the whole wide world.
Taking her ‘yes’ as the invitation it is, he grips her arms, and in one quick motion, draws her closer, their lips colliding. I feel queasy as a pain shoots straight to my heart.
I turn away and cover my mouth to control the sob that is bubbling to come out. One thought flashes in my head almost instantly.He used to kiss me that way.
After taking a second to compose myself, I look back at the porch.
