Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
WILL
Day Seven
You will always be my first love, Will.
Sam’s voice drifts from his kitchen, singing notes in tune like he’s actually a serious singer. He’s singing ‘Milkshake’ by Kelis.
‘As long as I’m the only boy in your yard, that’s all that matters.’
Sam’s laugh reaches me. ‘My milkshake brings Will to the yard.’
The apartment, spotlessly clean, smells of garlic. Sam is cooking chicken breasts, and as he sings along to the next pop song that comes on his Alexa, he slices lemons.
Earlier in my hotel room, I’d paced back and forth, messaging Sam like I was cool, calm and collected.
But my stomach had rippled when he asked me on a date.
I’d stared at the screen with a lollipop in my mouth, dumbfounded.
It had fallen out and landed in a sticky mess on my thigh.
Not the kind of sticky mess I usually go for.
It can’t be a real date, surely?
When Sam welcomed me into his apartment dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, I averted my eyes, but I did take a quick glance as we climbed the stairs. Even his back muscles had muscles. It left me with a fire inside me that I didn’t feel when looking at Ollie.
Despite wanting to help Sam with anything cooking related, my nerves won’t let me. My mind keeps drifting to what I should do next. See out this God-forsaken holiday and go to Ollie’s wedding, or give up and go home?
But going home also means leaving Sam.
‘Dinner is served, pumpkin bum.’ Sam places two steaming dishes on the table, lit with candles. ‘Greek chicken. Which is chicken with chives, garlic and a drizzle of lemon with some potatoes.’
‘Pumpkin bum?’
‘Our sweet pet names.’
‘Okay, dinky donut.’
Settling down opposite one another, I take a bite, closing my eyes, letting out a moan of relief.
‘Make that noise again,’ Sam says.
‘Saucy,’ I joke.
‘Is it that good?’
‘Good?’ Eyes wide, I take another bite. ‘Sam, this is gorgeous. You’re wasted down in that coffee shop.’
‘I think I’m doing just fine.’ He winks, and my stomach turns to jelly. He pours us red wine, musing on his favourite kind, and all I can think of is wine tasting with Ollie. This wine, by the way, is much better than what he chose.
Sam’s knife clatters, falling to the floor. ‘Five second rule,’ he says, picking it up. ‘So, how did wine tasting go?’
Sam blows on the knife, inspecting it in the candlelight.
‘All of this has been a waste of time.’
Sam leans back. ‘Seeing me again has been a waste of time?’
His foot brushes mine and I jump. He hesitates, but I move my foot closer, letting him touch me again. Eyes locked, I drink. ‘No, seeing you again has been … eye-opening.’
‘How so?’
‘You’re my dinky donut,’ I say.
I stab my knife into the chicken, making the candle flames flicker dangerously.
‘You imagining that’s Alec?’
‘Absolutely not.’ But maybe not a bad idea.
‘Look, you win some, you lose some,’ Sam says. ‘You came here and yeah, sure, you might have been thinking selfishly, but you’ve done the right thing. Your heart has always been in the right place, Will.’
His eyes are round and blue, luring me in. He leans forwards, smiling at me.
‘You don’t think I’m a dick?’
‘That’s yet to be seen,’ Sam remarks. ‘I’m joking. Look, we do crazy things when we’re in love. People have fought wars over it. As far as I know, you haven’t done that. You followed your heart and it led you to where you are now.’
Sam, sitting before me, is where it’s led me.
He says, ‘I hope you picked some good wine.’
I laugh.
‘I’m glad I found you again.’
‘We can thank Ollie for one thing, I suppose.’