"And I want to know what Sam thinks about it," Trey continued. "…It's a matter of getting the facts straight before two people throw away their chance at happiness because of misconceptions…"
Good one, Trey, Adam thought.
"…What?!… Who said that?… No! Adam said nothing happened," Trey said emphatically.
"What?!" Adam exclaimed, guessing what Kris was saying.
"Here, he can tell you himself," Trey said, then held the phone out to Adam.
Adam snatched the phone from Trey, eager to set the record straight. "Kris?"
"Adam," Kris said in a low voice, obviously trying not to be overheard by the other guests. "Don't you dare lie. You slept with Sandy when you were at Byron Bay, didn't you?"
"No! I swear to God I didn't. We stayed in the same room because our accommodation was stuffed up and there was no availability anywhere else. But nothing happened. I told Sam that," he said adamantly.
"How can that be?" Kris asked, sounding confused.
Adam raked his hair. This was as bad as trying to convince his mother about the same thing.
"Okay, I'm going back in there and we'll talk to Sandy and she'll confirm this," Adam said, starting to walk back to the function room.
"Just be absolutely certain you want to do that here, Adam. Before you get egg on your face," Kris warned.
"Why would I get egg on my face? Just because we stayed in one room didn't mean we had sex!" He was almost shouting but he couldn't help it. He was getting mighty frustrated. Did people think he had an uncontrollable dick?
"What about the proof, Adam?"
"Proof? What proof?"
"I didn't see it, but Sam did."
He stopped in his tracks. "What did she see?"
"The photo."
"What photo?"
"Damn it, Adam. Where the fuck are you?" Kris asked, sounding as frustrated as he was.
"At the parking area."
"I'm coming out there. We're clearing this up."
Adam gave Trey back his phone. "She's coming out here. She was talking about a photo. I don't know what the hell she was talking about."
*******
Adam stared at Kris in shock. "Are you sure?"
"That's what Sam said she saw. Your hand was way up on Sandy's thigh under her nightwear and you were kissing her shoulder. How can that be faked, Adam? Why are you even attempting to lie about it? Sam was hurt so badly," Kris said angrily.
"Babe," Trey murmured, putting an arm around Kris's shoulders.
"Your best friend seems to want to pull the wool over my cousin's eyes," Kris said to Trey, her eyes flashing.
"He's not. You haven't heard the whole story yet," Trey said soothingly.
Adam could see how mad Kris was—and Ari, too, who was squinting her eyes at him as she stood silently, watching with arms folded across her chest.
"Why didn't Sam tell me about this supposed photo?" he asked. "We could have sorted this out then."
"I still don't understand how you could say that picture was fake, Adam," Kris said.
Adam shook his head in frustration. Nothing he could say would be good enough to make them believe him. He could understand that. If he were in their shoes, he'd react the same way, too. Hell, if he saw a picture of Sam being fondled by an ex—or Brian…
He rubbed his face hard, trying to delete the image that flashed in his brain. God, if he was only imagining it and it already drove him crazy, he could only imagine what Sam must have felt. His heart constricted at the thought.
A stop must be put to this whole thing. This story must be straightened out. Now.
"Guys," he said quietly to Trey and Dylan, "could you do me a favour and get Sandy out here? If you could drag Bella too, please do. Make sure they have their phones with them."
The two guys left, leaving their girls and him in an uneasy silence.
"I didn't cheat on Sam. I would never do that to her," he said softly.
"Then how—?" Kris started. "Never mind. We'll wait for when Sandy and Bella are here, and then you can explain."
He nodded. "Is Sam seeing Brian?" he asked.
Kris and Ari glanced at each other guiltily.
Ah, shit. Sam was seeing Brian. He walked over to a nearby tree and leaned on it, suddenly exhausted. His heart was damned heavy in his chest… and he wanted to cry.
"Adam—" Ari said.
"Here they come," Kris said as Trey and Dylan approached with Sandy and Bella.
"The party's back there guys," Sandy said cheerily. "What are we all doing here?"
"Bella," Adam said in a deceptively calm voice. "Could you show me that photo that you showed Sam?"
Bella and Sandy gasped as one.
"What photo?" Bella asked nervously.
"You know what I'm talking about. That picture Sandy took of us in bed at Byron Bay."
Bella's mortified gaze flickered to Sandy, who looked equally horrified.
"Please." Adam said softly.
Reluctantly, Bella called up something on her phone and handed it to him.
He flinched when he saw it. It was as the girls described, but seeing it with his own eyes made it doubly worse.
Tears sprung to his eyes. Sam saw this? Jesus Christ.
"How could you?" he asked Sandy, his voice low and deadly.
Sandy gulped, fear evident in her face. "I… I was… I thought at the time it was fun," she said meekly.
"And when you showed it to other people? You think it was still fun then? What exactly did you tell them? That we had sex?"
"Didn't you?" Bella asked, frowning in confusion.
"Tell her, Sandy," Adam ordered quietly.
Sandy rolled her eyes, getting her composure back. "Oh, Adam. Come on. You know we had a great time at Byron Bay."
"Tell. Her. The. Truth," he said more insistently.
Sandy took a deep breath. "Okay, fine. No, we didn't sleep together. He just touched me and that was it."
Bella's eyes were wide as she stared at Sandy in disbelief.
"Tell the whole damn story," Adam commanded. "Why was I touching you?"
"You were only dreaming," Sandy muttered.
"Go on," Adam said.
"You were touching me because you thought I was Samantha," Sandy answered sardonically. "Do you know what a blow that was to me, Adam?"
"I told you so many times we were over, Sandy. I haven't done anything to make you think otherwise since I broke up with you."
"But we'd always worked things out before!" Sandy was now whining.
"No, Sandy. It was convenient for the both of us to get back together before. Now, please, just accept once and for all that things are definitely, irrevocably over between us."
Sandy gave him an evil glare and a bitchy flick of her lustrous hair with perfectly manicured fingers—just as Sam had described Sandy had done to her at the cooking event they'd attended—then walked off in a huff.
Bella was still staring at him with round eyes, her mouth hanging open.
"You didn't know Sandy made it all up?" he asked her.
"Goodness, no! Sandy's my friend, Adam. But I'm not a nasty witch who would spread a lie like that." Bella took on a contrite look. "I had been nasty to Sam, though. I thought I was doing everyone a favour, including Sam, because I thought you and Sandy wanted to get back together. I'm so sorry."
Adam gave her a small smile. "Thanks for coming out here. Go back to your husband's party before he starts wondering where you are."
Bella waved an awkward goodbye and scampered away.
"Phew," Trey said. "I'm sure this time Sandy has got the message."
Kris strode to Adam and gave him a warm embrace. "I'm sorry we didn't say anything about the photo when we learned about it. Sam didn't want any of us interfering."
"I understand," Adam answered, hugging her back.
"And I'm sorry I went ballistic on you."
He chuckled. "You call that going ballistic? Trey is indeed a lucky man if that was the
maddest you could get."
"Oh, don't you worry," Kris said. "When it comes to Trey, everything is multiplied one hundred times."
He laughed, squeezing her tighter.
"Okay, if you don't want to see what going ballistic is really like, let go of my fiancée," Trey said.
"Yes, I better let you go, Kris," Adam said, "I need to see your cousin."
CHAPTER TWENTY
Sam put her e-reader down, unable to concentrate on Jasmine's latest bestseller. Her mind kept going to John's party. Was Adam enjoying himself? Was he dancing with Sandy right this minute?
She shook her head to erase her unwanted thoughts. Maybe Kris was right. Maybe she should go date someone else—move on and forget about Adam.
She couldn't believe it when Sandy contacted her a couple of days ago to confirm her non-attendance at John's birthday party. That was really bitchy, especially when Sandy had hammered the fact that it was Adam who'd advised her of it. From what Sandy had implied, the two of them had met for coffee or something. Was it a date?
That really hurt. Adam hadn't even made an effort to see her since she'd asked him not to contact her for three and a half weeks. Obviously, he could stand being apart from her, but couldn't stay away from Sandy. And tonight he was partying with Miss Glam-Who-Couldn't-Cook.
"Arrgh! Stop thinking, Samantha!" she berated herself as her heart squeezed painfully again.
She dug out her pair of sneakers and put them on. What she needed was a good run around the block. If she was tired enough, maybe she could have a decent night's sleep. She desperately needed one.
She pushed her apartment keys and a five-dollar bill in her pocket and walked out her door. Tonight, she'd try not to think about Adam. And tomorrow, she might ask Brian if he wanted to meet up for lunch somewhere.
*******
Sam slowed down to a walk as she turned the corner to her street, her chest heaving from her physical exertion. She took a swig out of the water bottle she'd bought from the convenience store and continued on home.
A car parked on the street made her halt. She checked the number plates and her slowing heart started pounding madly again. Adam. He was there.
She increased her pace, guessing Adam must be at her front door. She spotted him at the lights a few metres ahead, waiting to cross the road to her building.
The lights changed and Adam stepped out onto the road, just as a motorbike rider came roaring from around the corner, ignoring the green light for pedestrians. The biker tried to avoid Adam but it was too late. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Sam watched Adam fall to the ground.
Someone screamed his name. Sam realised it was her when she called him again, running to him as fast as she could. The rider was now checking him… but Adam didn't seem to be moving.
"Adam!" She kneeled next to his sprawled body.
"He's not responding," the biker said, his voice laden with fear.
"Call an ambulance!" she screamed at him. The idiot had been riding irresponsibly, and now all he could do was stare at the man he'd knocked down?
"Oh, yeah," the biker said, pulling his phone out and dialling.
"Adam," she said softly, her whole body shaking. There seemed to be only a little blood coming from his head, and he was breathing. But he was unconscious. Gently, she touched his face.
He's going to be all right, she assured herself.
"Is everything okay?" a concerned voice asked.
Sam looked up and saw that people had gathered around them. "Is anyone here a doctor?" she asked desperately. Heads shook and no one came forward.
Somewhere in her consciousness, someone had started lecturing the bike rider, who was nervously trying to defend himself. But she switched off from that. She didn't care about anything else but Adam.
A moan came from his lips.
"Adam!"
His eyes opened, but they were disoriented. He tried to get up but she placed her hands on his shoulders to keep him lying on the ground.
"Don't move, honey. An ambulance is coming," she said gently.
Adam's confused gaze zoned in on her. "Sammy?"
"Yeah," she said with a smile.
"What are you doing out?" he asked weakly.
"I went for a run."
"Run?"
"Yes."
"Running away," he whispered, before lapsing into unconsciousness again.
"Adam," she cried. She wanted to shake him to wake him up but refrained herself. He might be severely concussed.
She didn't know how long she sat there, stroking his handsome face, praying silently, repeatedly calling his name. To her relief, she finally heard the wail of the ambulance siren.
*******
Sam clutched the phone tightly as she waited for Kris to answer.
"Hey, Adam, where are you now?" Kris greeted.
"Kris, it's me," she whispered.
"Sam?"
"Yes. Adam got hit by a motorbike. He's in emergency. He was unconscious," she gushed in one breath.
"Slow down, Sam. Did you say Adam's in emergency?"
"Yes," she sobbed. "Please come."
"Which hospital?"
"Royal North Shore."
"We'll be there soon. Hang tight, Sam."
Sam stared at Adam's phone as she sat down on one of the chairs in the hospital waiting room. She'd fished it out of his pocket while she rode in the ambulance with him, grateful that they'd allowed her. She didn't have anything on her, just her keys and a couple of dollars.
She briskly ran her hands up and down her arms to warm herself. She was cold, but she couldn't make herself get up and walk around. What if a doctor came out with some news? She didn't want to be gone for that.
"He'll be okay," she murmured to herself. It was probably just a bad concussion. From what she saw, the motorcycle just grazed him, that was why he fell. Thank God it didn't hit him bang on. That would have been much, much worse. She shivered at the thought.
Adam had drifted in and out of consciousness in the ambulance. She'd tried to talk to him during the trip. She'd asked him why he came to see her and why he wasn't at his cousin's party.
His answer for both questions was the same. Sandy. That was the only word he'd uttered during the dash to the hospital.
Fresh tears fell down her face. She didn't care if it was Sandy Adam wanted, as long as he was okay. She didn't care if he never loved her back, as long as he was okay. She'd suffer seeing Adam with Sandy… well, maybe not, because she knew she'd avoid Adam in the future—but right now all she wanted was for him to be okay.
She sat there in silence and stared into space, weeping silently. To keep herself from going crazy with worry and heartache, she closed her eyes and went through her new business plans in her head. Even that wasn't making a difference with how she was feeling at a time like this.
"Sam!"
She looked up and saw Jasmine and Kane hastening to her, their faces creased with worry. Upon seeing her best friend, her emotions came flooding back and she flew into Jasmine's arms, sobbing.
"Hey, everything's gonna be okay," Jasmine whispered.
"How did you know?" Sam asked.
"Kris called us. We were closer to you than they were. We drove here as fast as we could. Are you okay?"
She nodded, wiping her face, before turning to Kane and giving him a hug.
"Gee, Sam, you're freezing," Kane said, taking his jacket off and draping it around her shoulders.
"Thank you," she murmured.
"Let's sit down," Jasmine said, leading her to the waiting chairs. "Can you tell us what happened?"
She recounted the accident, her tears falling again as she remembered seeing Adam hit the pavement.
"It's probably just concussion," Kane soothed.
Sam nodded, grateful for her friends' support. "I'm glad you two weren't at the party."
"We weren't invited," Jasmine chuckled.
"I don't really know John," Kane confirmed.
The thr
ee of them sat there in silence, with Jasmine tightly clasping Sam's hand.
A woman in doctor's garb appeared. "Samantha?"
"Yes?" Sam said, rising to her feet.
"Adam has concussion and we want to keep him here overnight for observation. He also has some bruising but other than that, he's fine."
Sam leaned against Kane in relief. "Can we see him now?"
"Yes. He's asking for you."
*
"Hey, guys," Adam said weakly as they entered his room.
"Hey," Sam said softly, walking to his side and touching his arm. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts," he said with a wince.
"You're concussed."
"Is that all? Are all my fingers and toes still intact?" he asked.
Sam laughed, feeling vastly relieved that he was well enough to joke around.
"Do you remember what happened, bro?" Kane asked.
"All I remember was trying to cross the road to get to Sam's and the next thing I know, Sam was hovering over me, crying." Adam looked at Sam with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay now," she responded with a smile. "I just got scared when I saw you lying on the ground unconscious with blood coming out of your head."
Adam touched the bandage above his left ear. "The doctor said it was a minor wound. But they want me to stay overnight."
"It's better if you do."
"How did you guys know?" Adam asked Kane and Jasmine.
"Sam called Kris and Kris called me," Jasmine said. "The others should be here soon."
"Others?"
"Kris, Trey, Dylan, Ari, your parents, your brother and your sister-in-law."
"Oh, geez. They all left the party? I hope John didn't mind."
Sam steeled herself for the arrival of Adam's family—especially his mother. No doubt Sandy would be with them, too. Well, she'd just have to grin and bear it when Sandy climbed and slobbered all over Adam.
She reached for his hand and squeezed it. It may be her only chance to do that before the rest of his visitors showed up.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Adam asked, concern evident in his voice.
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