Page 70 of Begin Again
“No,” I answer. “Our marriage is real. You know how I’ve felt about marriage and Sam wasn’t ready to settle down any time soon with anyone else. So we got married and got him on the insurance.”
“And then what?” Noah asks, looking between the two of us. “Have you been sleeping with other women while also sleeping with my sister?”
Sam moves and I put an arm out to stop him. “Noah,” I warn, looking at my brother. But Sam steps in front of me, looking like he might punch his best friend.
“Is that really how little you think of me? That I am just this guy who travels the world and sleeps with as many women aspossible?” Sam doesn’t give Noah a chance to answer. “I’ve never even slept with anyone, not like that. You assumed and I never corrected you because I’ve been in love with Annie since I was seventeen andyouwere the one who told me to back off, to date other people so I wouldn’t get hurt. But I love Annie.”
Noah is gaping at us, speechless after the bomb Sam dropped on him. As if Sam’s feelings haven’t always been obvious. But to be fair, I didn’t always see them.
“I’m sorry we didn't tell you the truth,” Sam continues. “At first it was because you were so adamant that I never date your sister so I became who I thought you wanted to see. If I was never going to be worthy enough in your eyes, then what was the point of trying to change your mind?”
I squeeze Sam’s hand, I’m in this with him. Because I love him too.
“And you’re okay with marrying him?”
“Yes,” I tell Noah. I haven’t exactly told Sam that I love him yet, I’m not about to tell my brother first.
Sam starts talking before I can say anything else. “And then when she went to Colorado, it took everything in me not to chase after her, but I knew she needed space. But by then, she was my wife, and I was willing to wait as long as it took.”
“Wait, back up.” Noah says and both of us again and then stares at me. “When did you go to Colorado?”
I take a deep breath.
“I think it’s time you and I had a little talk, older brother.” I step toward Noah, and then look back at Sam “We’ll meet up with you later?”
“Always.” Sam smiles at me and Noah, and I walk toward the beach.
“Do you want the ring back?” Noah asks as we walk down the beach, away from Sam.
It takes me a second to remember what he’s talking about, then I laugh. “No, thank you.” Last Thanksgiving, I flew to Utah to give Noah our grandmother’s ring that she left me in her will. Sam and I were already married then, but I didn’t want that ring. It was always meant to be Tally and Noah’s. Not mine.
“Wait, were the two of you already married when you brought it out for me to propose?” Noah asks me.
I nod. “We were. But it never was supposed to be anything real, at least not at first. I don’t need that ring, it’s much more Tally’s taste than it is mine anyway. I feel like Grandma Marsha knew I’d give it to her somehow.” Sam and I can find something simple that fits me better anyway.
Noah seems to relax a little. “So tell me what happened, start at the beginning.”
And so I do. I tell him how Sam started spending more time in the city, because he was worried about me, and then about the accident.
“He was in so much pain, but assuring me he was saving for surgery,” I tell Noah.
Noah laughs. “Sam has never been good with his own money. Not because he spends it on himself, but he’s always giving it away.” Noah stops in his tracks. “I can’t believe he let me think he was such a playboy.”
“That’s Sam for you,” I say. “Anyway, I offered to marry him so he could get on my insurance and get the surgery so he wouldn't be in so much pain. We fought about it for less than an hour because the pain was unbearable. He looked me in the eye and said ‘okay sunshine, let’s do this.’”
“I should have known that he gave you a nickname because of how much he’s always liked you,” Noah says.
“I think neither of us really wanted to admit our feelings to each other, because of how I’ve always said I’d never getmarried. But the next day we went to the courthouse and by that evening we were married.”
I leave out the part of the story where he kissed me at the courthouse and something happened inside of me that I ignored.
“After his surgery, I worked less to help him recover.”
I feel tense as I get closer to the part of the story where I saw Mitch.
“Just after I got home from Thanksgiving with you and Tally, I ran into Mitch at work.”
“You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to,” Noah offers.
