Chapter Five
Sam wasn’t willing to commit to dinner—that felt too much like a date, and potentially dating her ex, who was also her first love, was something she definitely wasn’t ready for.
After the flashes of feelings she was having, she didn’t think she was even prepared to be alone again with Alex yet.
Seeing her again had brought back memories and emotions, and after years of strong negative feelings, Sam now found herself softening toward the other woman.
They had fallen into such an easy rhythm with each other, so much so that it was almost like no time had passed between them.
Talking with Alex had felt too familiar, like old times, like…
home. Sam found herself slowly starting to let go of how things had ended, and the details of how she had felt in the years since were becoming slightly foggy.
But at the same time, she wasn’t ready to let go completely.
Instead, she agreed to meet Alex for drinks at Easton’s Bar in town.
Against her better judgment, she suggested meeting at eight p.m. on a Saturday.
She knew Easton’s would be at its busiest, which meant it was highly likely she would run into multiple people she had avoided since leaving for college years ago.
Tongues would start to wag, and the fact that she and Alex were spending any time together would be all over town by noon the next day.
But she also knew the increased likelihood of seeing people who wanted to catch up on old times could mean less time for any semblance of alone time with Alex.
Maybe she was relying on that busyness to distract from whatever was happening between them, even if she didn’t know yet what that was, or what she wanted it to be.
To say that Alex being in town had been unexpected was an understatement.
Sam hadn’t been prepared for yet another blow to stir up even more old wounds.
But their interactions so far had been mostly positive.
Alex had been her genuinely warm and supportive self.
She seemed deeply sorry for the things that had happened before, though Sam was still waiting for a more detailed explanation.
Perhaps they could truly put the past behind them and develop a genuine friendship. After all, they had been friends first.
Jordan had gotten her thinking about whether it could be more than friendship. And did she want that? Did Alex want that? Seeing Alex stirred up more than old wounds. It stirred something else inside her in an entirely different way. And that was the part she was afraid of.
She arrived at Easton’s a little after eight p.m. Her time living in the city had trained her to be fashionably late.
As she expected, the bar was packed. Much to her chagrin, she recognized nearly everyone.
She scanned the crowd, looking for Alex, and noticed her sitting at the far corner of the bar, talking to Brad Thorne and another guy, whom Sam recognized as having been several years behind her in school.
Sam scowled. Before anything had happened between them, Brad had briefly dated Alex in high school.
Even though Sam knew it had been to appease Alex’s parents, she was still annoyed to see him.
Brad was leaning close to Alex to say something in her ear, and who could blame him?
Even from across the room, Sam could see that Alex looked stunning.
Her honey-blond hair was loose and wavy around her shoulders.
She wore a fitted, light-blue sweater that highlighted her subtle curves and slimmer figure.
Sam knew the sweater would accentuate the icy blue of Alex’s eyes once she got closer, and felt her heart skip a beat.
She was even wearing a touch of makeup, perhaps mascara and a hint of lip gloss, or something that made her full lips look shiny.
Those lips were parted in a smile at something Brad was saying, but Sam knew it wasn’t a genuine smile because there was no hint of the trademark corner dimple.
Sam hated that she knew Alex that well, even after all these years.
As if she sensed her presence, Alex looked over Brad’s shoulder and saw Sam standing in the doorway.
Her eyes locked onto Sam’s, and those perfect lips slowly widened into a broad smile—this time with the dimple.
There was no mistaking the genuineness of the gesture.
Sam immediately felt that smile in places she wasn’t expecting.
She gulped in air and knew then that she was in trouble.
Alex rose to her feet and whispered something back to Brad.
He turned and saw Sam standing in the doorway.
A look of surprise flashed briefly across his face.
After a second, he nodded slightly and tipped his beer bottle in Sam’s direction before returning to his younger friend.
Sam appreciated the gesture but wanted to tell him that she had no claim on Alex after all this time and everything that had happened.
By then, however, Alex was standing before her, and all rational thought left her mind.
Up close, she was struck by how beautiful Alex still was.
Even though she knew she shouldn’t, Sam couldn’t stop her eyes as they swept down the other woman’s length.
Alex was wearing dark jeans that fit her figure like a glove—gone was the bagginess of the other day.
Sam could see strong, defined legs, and she wondered how she had gotten them.
Sam’s mouth went dry as she took in the curves of her breasts just under the sweater.
As Sam’s eyes finally came to rest on Alex’s face, she realized that Alex was watching her.
Her head was tilted to the side, faint lines around her eyes crinkled, and her dimple was prominent.
Sam blushed furiously at having been caught.
Alex reached out and gently took Sam’s hand in greeting.
Sam looked down at their hands. Their fingers twining together felt more natural and familiar than breathing.
For a moment, Sam thought about throwing caution to the wind that night, playing the game and seeing where it might lead.
But she knew that her time in Hicksville was temporary, and she wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of girl, especially not with Alex.
Alex tugged on Sam’s hand. “Come on. I’ll buy you a drink.”
She led Sam back toward the bar where she had been before.
Brad and his friend were still standing there but moved to the side when the two women approached.
Brad pulled the stool out for Alex and then turned to Sam.
“Martin,” he said, punching her lightly on the shoulder.
“Good to see you again. We were sorry to hear about your mother.”
“Thanks, Brad.” Sam gave him a sad smile. “I appreciate that.”
“I lost my father a few years back. I know how hard it can be. I got through it by burying myself in work. My cousin Jasper and I rehab houses.” He pointed to the wiry young man standing next to him.
She reached out a hand to the younger man. “Hey Jasper, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Sam.”
Jasper smiled and shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you.” His eyes twinkled. “It’s not every day that I get to meet Hicksville royalty.”
Sam laughed and looked down at her feet. “I don’t know about all that, Jasper.”
“Don’t be modest, Sam,” Brad chimed in. “You were a rock star in high school…likely still are.”
Now it was Sam’s turn to punch him lightly on the shoulder. “Stop. You’ll make me blush.”
Brad laughed but reached out to squeeze Sam’s shoulder. “Seriously,” he added, intently meeting her eyes. “Let me know if you need help with the house or anything. I’m happy to help.”
Sam was surprised at his words, but she could still tell the offer was genuine. She reached out and squeezed his forearm. “Thanks, I’ll do that.”
He looked back and forth between Sam and Alex, a slight smile on his face. “You ladies enjoy your night.” He gave one last tilt of his beer bottle before he and Jasper strolled away.
Sam and Alex watched them retreat. “It never ceases to amaze me,” Alex murmured after a moment. She reached out and slid a bottle of beer over to Sam.
“What?” Sam asked, grabbing the bottle and turning to face her.
“How these people here will do anything for you, even after everything you put them through.”
Sam caught the allusion to the past and decided to press. “What I put them through? What about what you put them through?”
“Other than the obvious?” Alex’s tone was tight, her eyes on the bottle she was rolling around in her hands.
“What do you mean by that?” Sam was genuinely confused. When it came to Alex Weaver, nothing was ever obvious.
“Sam.” Alex looked down at the bottle in her hands. She began slowly peeling back the label, avoiding looking at Sam when she finally started speaking. “You, Sam. The obvious is you. What I did to you.”
Sam thought back to the night that everything changed.
Sam and Alex thought they were good at keeping secrets.
And for several years, they were. Their relationship had started when they were in high school—Alex a sophomore and Sam a senior—and continued during Sam’s first two years of college.
They were used to sneaking around to be together.
But one night, Alex’s parents came home a little too early and caught them in a position that could have been perceived as compromising, but could also have been interpreted as innocent fun.
Sam tried to lie and explain that it was a dare, a drinking game they had been playing, which would have been bad enough in Nadine Weaver’s sanctimonious eyes.
But Alex stopped her with a very firm “Enough.” She then quietly informed her parents that she and Sam had been seeing each other, that they were in love and wanted to be together.