Love Always (NG4)

16 - Will

Driving across the causeway, Sam felt relieved to be leaving. He had only felt that way two times before, when he left at the start of the semester and years before after his first visit with his father.

Glad to be away from The Point, his apartment wasn't exactly a happy place either. Getting Rory's drunk text had sent him in a tailspin. Anna appeared at breakfast and dragged him out of the house.

"Come for a walk with me."

He stood firm on the driveway. "Why?"

"She called me last night. We need to talk."

He pointed next door to the other Harris house. Anna nodded, and he followed her around back to the patio. It looked sad with the black cover on the pool and the lounges and tables put away. The memories of the pool were too numerous to count. He didn't even want to think about inside the cottage. Rory had a key, and they had used it more than once for some privacy. Unlike other cottages, Ryan left the heat on and the water running so they could visit family in the winter.

"What did she say?" Sam felt desperate as he pleaded.

"She was hard to understand. Sam, did you lie to me about the girl who was here yesterday?"

He shook his head. "No, I hardly know her."

Anna's eyes drilled into him. "She thinks she knows you. Do you follow her? Because it looks like you two are together."

"What? That's stupid." Sam pulled his phone out of his back pocket and tapped. Anger etched his face. "What the! This is bullshit!"

She took a picture of him on the beach. She had the nerve to write that she comforted him over grief for his mother.

Anna glared at him. "You told her about Linda?"

"No. Yes. I told her Alison was my stepmother. It was just the facts. There is only one person I want to talk with about my mother on the beach. Two if you count my Dad."

Anna looked into his face. "Rory must be following her."

Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "All I do is miss her. I was supposed to go see her this weekend and now everything is messed up. I feel like I've lost her."

Anna lunged and hugged him. He pulled back after a few seconds. "We'll start rumors. I wish she would answer my texts."

"Call her. Sam, what have you got to lose?"

Anna walked away, and he stood looking at the murky water collected in the pool cover. If he shut his eyes, he could see the crystal blue water and hear Rory's laughter.

He took out his phone and dialed her. It went straight to voicemail, and he hung up. He wanted to talk to her, not a machine. Instead, he texted her he was visiting her family. He tried to put on a cheerful face for the rest of his visit and Maddie saw right through him.

He frowned when he entered his apartment to find five people sitting around.

Hailey jumped up. "Sam, you're home!"

Anna was right, Hailey looked like she wanted to throw her arms around him. He walked into his room and dumped his stuff. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed. He needed to set up and get to work. He had done very little over the weekend. After his visit with the kids, he opted to sleep.

When he turned around Hailey was in his doorway, startling him. She stepped inside and shut his door.

"I've figured it out. You're shy."

Sam furrowed his brow. "I'm not shy."

She laughed nervously. "It's okay. I am too. That's why we're perfect for each other."