She scoffed at his question. “How am I supposed to remember something like that? It was ages ago.” Her posture relaxed and she moved closer to him. Sam put a hand up to stop her.
“Answer me,” he demanded, then added, “it would have been the day we had the meeting in your father’s office after we finished reviewing the Holy Wars game. The game that single handedly earned millions upon millions of dollars.”
Realization registered on her face. She stood a little straighter and said, “Yes. I took a phone call for you. What’s it matter now?”
“Because,” he seethed, “that phone call was Ellie, Lil’s best friend, calling to tell me they were headed to the emergency room. Lil lost our baby that day and I wasn’t there for her because you took it upon yourself not to pass the message along.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. “A baby?” she whispered. “You and Lil were going to have a baby? Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Because it was my business, not yours. I’m asking you why. Why didn’t you tell me she called?”
“First of all,” Chloe said holding up a single finger to signify her point, “this Ellie never said you were needed at the hospital.” Chloe pleaded with him, “If I had known that was why she was calling I would have interrupted the meeting, I swear.”
“But the fact that it was an emergency, which I know for a fact she told you, didn’t constitute you telling me immediately? Hell, even writing the message on a post it note and sticking it on my computer monitor would have been better than not telling me at all!”
Sam saw rage and hatred behind his eyes. He knew that with the broken look Chloe now shot him that she saw it too.
“Everything was ruined after that day, Chloe. My job, my life, the woman I love.” At his admission, Chloe’s face turned hard.
“I did what I had to do to get you out of the basement and into the towers where you belonged. I moved you up from some lowly gamer to the head of the department because I saw promise in you.”
“No,” Sam said, shaking his head. “You saw an opportunity for yourself and your father. Well guess what, Chloe? I’m no one’s opportunity. You made a decision for me that day that has affected my life in the worst possible way. But not anymore. From this moment on, I make my own decisions. I’ll decide who I hang out with, where I live, what clothes I buy, and most importantly who I love.”
The seconds ticked by as the silence filled the room. Chloe stood across the room from him, on the brink of tears. She knew what was coming next.
“I’m not going to marry you,” Sam finally said. “Not today, not next year. Not ever.”
Sam turned around to open the door just as a vase crashed to the side of his head. Without acknowledging her fury, Sam walked out of the door and out of her life, for good.
He started his descent down the hall when Jonah Miles rounded the corner. He smiled when he saw Sam approaching him.
“Thought you’d sneak in a visit before the wedding?” He asked, nodding to the bridal suite Sam had just left. Mr. Miles laughed and slapped Sam on the back. “I understand all too well. Especially given how you haven’t seen each other in a couple of weeks.”
“Mr. Miles --”
“Jonah,” he said correcting Sam. “We’re about to family, son.”
“I need to speak with you,” Sam said. “In private.”
This only caused Mr. Miles to laugh harder as he ushered Sam into a vacant room.
“Need some advice before you slip the ring on my daughter’s finger? Perhaps some tips for the wedding night?”
When they were safely in the room where prying eyes couldn’t see them, Sam broke the news to Chloe’s father.
“Sir, I’m not going to marry your daughter today.”
“You need more time? That’s fine, Sam. We can arrange that. I’m sure it seems very sudden after you regained your memory. Chloe will understand.”
Yeah, Sam thought. If throwing a vase across the room at his head was understanding, Chloe had the art down to a tee.
“I tell you what. We have everyone already here, why don’t we postpone the wedding and use the reception as a celebration of your recovery.”
“No sir, I don’t think I can do that.” Sam looked at Mr. Miles, a man that almost became his father-in-law, a man that he worked for, a man who was going to do worse than throw an object at him.
“I’m not marrying your daughter at all,” Sam said with a steady voice.
Sam could see the veins in Mr. Miles’ forehead throb. He was angry and that anger was seconds away from being thrown at Sam.
“After everything she’s done for you? After everything I’ve done for you?” he asked. “And you’re not going to marry her? I don’t think so. You’re going to march your happy ass out of this room and stand at the end of that aisle with your plumber father and good for nothing brother and you're going to marry Chloe. I own you, boy. You work for me; you live in a building I own. You're nothing without me.”
An argument was on the tip of Sam’s tongue. He was everything without the Miles name connected with him. So much more that he had forgotten who he was. Instead he said in a surprisingly calm tone, although underneath his words were venom.
“Don’t you ever talk about my family like that again. I’m not walking down that aisle. I’m not making your daughter my wife.”
“You’re fired!” Mr. Miles shouted. He walked over and stood toe to toe with Sam.
“You can’t fire me,” Sam threw back in his face. “I left my letter of resignation on your desk this morning. I quit. And not just me. There are two other letters there also. Two of the best gamers your company has.
“As for living in your building, I’ve already moved out.”
Sam spun on his heel and wrenched the door open determination to get to Lil with every step he took. He didn’t know if Mr. Miles followed him, or if he went straight to Chloe, and Sam didn’t care.
For the first time he was going after everything he had ever wanted. And he hoped she wanted him too.
CHAPTER 30
Lil picked up her purse and overnight bag as she headed out of the door of her house. Ellie had called the day before begging her to spend New Year’s Eve with the whole gang at Rusty’s.
The whole gang.
Without Sam they wouldn’t be whole. Lil wouldn’t be whole. But she was trying. Damn it, she was trying.
What Ellie didn’t know, was that Lil didn’t plan to ring in New Years with her friends. This year, Lil had a date. And she planned to leave the details as just that. She didn’t have to explain to her friends as to what, or whom she was ringing in the New Year with. Ellie had Zach; Kane and Abe had each other. Wasn’t it only fair that Lil have someone too?
When she pulled into Rusty’s parking lot, she wasn’t surprised to find the place overflowing with people. Since college, this was where she and her friends spent the end of one year before embarking on another. Except for the last three.
Pushing past the people milling around the door, Lil spotted her friends at their regular table. A table for six that tonight would only seat five. That empty seat was mocking her. Reminding her that her friends were happy and in love while Lil was…in love. There was no point in denying the fact that yes, she was in love with Sam. She had never been out of love with him. Which was why she had to do something for herself tonight. Not ring in the New Year surrounded by couples who would be kissing at the stroke of midnight. Tonight Lil had to spend it with Lil. And her mysterious date.
“Hey,” she greeted them and pulled up the chair next to Kane. Abe and Zach were in a friendly discussion that seemed to sit well with Ellie. She wasn’t throwing daggers in Abe’s direction so apparently they'd made progress.
“Hey,” Kane said, pulling Lil into a hug as she sat down. Ellie poured a glass of champagne for Lil from the ice bucket Rusty had provided for all of the tables and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” Lil said. “But I’m not having more than one. I’m not going
to stick around that long.”
Lil almost missed the look that passed between Ellie and Kane. She wondered what it could be about. If Lil had to guess, it was probably two people worried about a friend and not wanting that friend to spend the evening alone.
“Where are you going?” Kane asked, his arm on the back of her chair. Lil took a sip of her champagne, the bubbles tickling her nose.
“I have a date,” she said.
Ellie’s eyes bugged out and Kane stiffened at her side. What was up with them tonight?
“A date?” Ellie asked.
Lil nodded. “Yup. I need to be at the river by eleven. Parking is a bitch down there with the fireworks and I need to make sure I’m there early enough to find a spot.”
“Eleven?” Kane questioned.
“That’s what I said,” Lil repeated. “Why? You two are acting weird. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” they both said a little too jumpy at the same time.
“We just thought you’d want to ring in the New Year with us,” Ellie added.
“What?” Abe yelped. “Lil, you aren’t going to be here at midnight?” He poked out his bottom lip and Lil couldn’t help but laugh.
“Sorry guys,” Lil shrugged. “I’ve got things to do.”
“You can’t stay a few minutes past eleven?” Kane asked. “I mean, this is the first time we’ve all celebrated in a longtime.”
“I’m with Kane, Lil. Any way you can call your date and reschedule? Like for tomorrow?” Ellie asked.
“No,” Lil said drawing out the word. “I’ve made plans and it’s rude to back out. Besides,” she looked around at all the other couples paired off in the bar. “I don’t think I’d be the best company tonight.”
The subject was dropped after that, but Lil still couldn’t fend off the feeling that something was up. Ellie had never been one to try and get Lil to stay longer than she had planned. She always understood when Lil was ready to go.
Kane and Abe, she could understand. They hadn’t spent the holiday with her in a while and she hated leaving them this year, but she needed to do this for herself. If she had any hope of making the New Year better than the last three weeks had been, Lil needed to go down to the river and pray.
~~~~
Sam had just finished packing the last few things from his condo into his car when his cell phone rang. It was half past ten, and he was about to head to Rusty’s, where hopefully he would meet Lil and profess his undying love for her.
Kane’s number flashed and Sam smiled. He was probably calling to tell him that Lil had arrived and that they were all set.
“Hey man,” Sam said.
“She’s gone!” Kane said, frantic.
Sam’s heart dropped. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
There was a rustling on the other end like the phone was being covered by something.
“Sam?” It was Ellie. “We tried to keep her here. We didn’t know what to say without sounding up to something.”
“That ship has sailed,” Sam heard Abe say in the background. If Sam had to guess from the slurred speech, he’d bet Abe was three sheets to the wind.
“Where is she?” Sam gunned his car through the snow-covered streets.
Silence met him on the other end. He thought the connection might have been dropped until he heard the faintest of whispers.
Something wasn’t right. Sam turned the wheel, taking the curve a little too fast. Ending up back in the hospital was not the evening he had in mind. He needed to regain control of his car and his emotions.
“Ellie? Kane?”
“Yeah?” Kane answered.
“Where did Lil go? I can still carry on with the plan if you just tell me where she went.”
“Sam,” Kane said hesitantly. “Lil went down to the river.”
The river. They had a secret cove at the river. Actually, professing his love to her and pleading with her to take him back might work out better than a bar full of drunken people in paper party harts and blowing on noisemakers. The fireworks would be going off at midnight and it could provide the perfect backdrop.
“The river?” he asked again to make sure he had heard him right. “Then I know exactly where she went. Thanks Kane.”
“Sam,” Kane said again with a little more force. “She’s not alone.”
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SECOND RATE CHANCES
CHAPTER 31
Lil rarely came to the little hideaway spot she and Sam had discovered. The Fair Haven River had the promenade that went all along the front side of the river. The pavilion, the parking spaces, vendors and merchants, they were all set up along the river causing it to be a crowded party when there were events.
No one came to this side because it was so far out of reach from the food vendors and the beer stands. There weren’t even bathrooms on this side. But that’s what she and Sam had loved about it. Nestled under rock cavern was a tiny alcove that they had deemed theirs.
Now here she stood, waiting for her night to begin. She looked at her wrist to the bracelet Sam had given her for Christmas. The infinity symbol staring back. She couldn’t seem to take it off even though it’s meaning of everlasting love was lost on her, especially when she was afraid that all she would ever feel was everlasting heartache.
~~~~
Like a bat out of hell, Sam drove his car through the town square toward the man-made river. He maneuvered his car to the open field that was serving as a makeshift parking lot.
He ran across the field and over the bridge until he saw her shape begin to take form. The thought that she was out here with another man nearly killed him but he was determined for her to hear him out.
Sam controlled his heavy footsteps as he walked, coming to a standstill when he saw a blanket laid out with a basket holding down one of the sides. In front, a camera tripod being adjusted by Lil was front and center. Her date was her camera. He shook his head not believing that she had convinced their friends she had a hot date.
Sam studied her for a moment while he was undetected. The full moon in the sky shone brightly down upon her, making her dark brown hair reveal mahogany highlights. “Delilah,” he whispered into the night.
The sound of his voice caused her to jump. With her hand clutched to her chest she said, “You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.” His hands were shoved deep into pants pockets, the tuxedo jacket doing little to take the chill out of the air.
“Well, you found me.”
“Can I explain, please?” Sam took a minute to catch his breath now that he was facing her. Standing a mere three feet away was torture to him but he wouldn't force himself upon her.
“I didn't go through with it,” Sam said before she could deny him the chance to bear his soul. He watched as her expression went from pissed to shocked in a matter of seconds.
“Why?” Her voice remained strong. He watched her cross her arms over her chest.
“Because of you, Lil. I couldn't marry her because of how I feel about you.”
“And how is that?”
He took a timid step forward not breaking eye contact with her. “You're my everything. Always have been and always will be. You may want nothing to do with me after this but at least I can say I tried. I have to try, Lil. Because last time I did nothing. I hurt,” his hand pounded his chest, right where his heart was. “My God, how I hurt when we lost the baby. I was so happy. A part of you, a part of me was growing in your body. How amazing was that? No matter where we went in the world, there would be this forged being who was you and me. I was so excited. It was a whole new chapter of our lives and I was looking so forward to watching your body change and grow.
“But that day you miscarried, I lost a part of myself. Not only in the form of our baby but in you. You held the light in my eyes and without that light I couldn't see the world in front of me. I was losing you and I didn't know how to pull you back. I didn't know what to do to save you.
&
nbsp; “I thought giving you space would help but all it did was distance us even further. I wanted to reach out to you but for the life of me I didn't know how. Staying late at work, sleeping on the couch, I honestly thought you couldn't stand to be around me. That's why I was away so much.
“I thought you didn’t want me. Like I wasn’t good enough for you anymore. So, I left. I didn’t know what to do. I know now I should have made you talk to me, but I was afraid of what you might say. I took the coward's way out and let you drift further away. That space I tried to give you by moving out wasn't supposed to be long term. I never meant to be gone forever but, I did. Work took over because it helped me not think about how much I missed you. I created my own personal hell that I couldn't escape. Before I knew it, I was promoted and then Chloe was always around. You didn't call, I never saw you. It was like you dropped off the face of the Earth. I thought that you were trying to make a clean break from me without hurting my feelings so I let you go. I devoted every waking minute I had to Titan. I got so caught up in the hoopla of after dinner parties that I lost my friends. At the end of the day, the only person who was still there was Chloe.” Sam took a few steps toward Lil testing the waters. She stayed put. He took that as a good sign. At least she wasn’t backing away from him.
“I know it's not right and it doesn't excuse my behavior but she was there. When I thought you weren't, she was. I was at the top of the Titan ladder. I never said anything but I always felt like our relationship was one of convenience; for her to have a provider and for her father to have a successor. I felt trapped and I didn't know how to break free.”
Sam regarded Lil before he went any further. The next part, the most important part of his speech had nothing to do with Chloe or Titan. It had everything to do with her.
“You asked me not long ago what I was going to do when I woke up and remembered the day I fell out of love with you. Well, I don't remember that because it never happened. Lil, I could never fall out of love with you because I never stopped loving you. I've been here like I'm waiting on you to come back to me when I should have been the one going back to you.”
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