FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS.

3.

"What was that you said again, I'm never sleeping with him again?" Jane Foster, Sam's best friend and only friend ever since she arrived in Philly, mused thoughtfully as she tapped one finger against her chin. "But you jumped into bed with him the very day you see him. Sure that makes sense. "

Sam hung her head briefly, then lifted it to look at her best friend. Jane's place was two blocks away off main street. It was a quaint brick house with a great backyard. The living room was cosy, the kitchen was fabulous, the bathroom was gorgeous - and the rest of the house still needed a bit of work here and there.

Sitting on her friend's couch sipping tea and eating cookies was pure comfort. Which Sam really needed at the moment. In fact, it almost took the sting out of what Jane was saying.

"I made a mistake, " Sam agreed. "I know that. "

"Good for you," Jane said, injecting false cheer into her voice. "Always best you recognize when you've completely sabotage the 'Getting over my first love plan.'"

"You're not helping."

"Of course I am not helping. " Jane shook her head, sending the large silver hoops at her ears swinging. "For Christ sake, Sam, what were you thinking? I know how unhappy you were when you arrived in Philly. You've set yourself up for God knows what, and now you're back to the beginning."

Sam knew all of that, but hearing it made her feel worse somehow. Honestly, she still wasn't sure what made her give in that easily in the first place. It's been a month and there was no sign of Trevor even though he knew where she lived. Sam tried to come up with many excuses as why he didn't come back to see her, but she knew the truth. He went back to his wife.

His pregnant wife.

Sam still couldn't believe she let him take her in the elevator - which had become a torture since there was no way she didn't remember what happened between them whenever she was in the box.

"I have been feeling queasy for the last three days," Sam said softly. "I can't even smell toast without feeling like throwing up. "

Jane's concerned frown only deepened. "What? Have you-"

"No." Sam sighed. "No sign of it. Not since Trevor and I happened in the elevator."

"I still can't believe you did it in the elevator."

Scowling, Sam picked up a lemon cookie drizzled with thin caramel stripes and took a bite. Seriously, nobody made better cookies than Jane. People clogged up her tiny coffee shop just to buy the baked goods. And they weren't wrong to do so.

"You're my best friend," Sam said. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"And if you want to drive off a cliff or rob a store, I should just shrug on my cheer leading outfit and pick up my pom-poms and cheer you on? "

"That's hardly the same thing as—"

Jane held up one hand. "I'm sorry. You refused to sleep with Terry whom you dated for three months but you jump into bed with Trevor the very day he showed his face. Never mind that he has a very pregnant wife."

"It wasn't planned."

"I stand corrected." Jane finished off her tea and set the cup on the coffee table in front of them. "Really, though, I am on your side, Sam. I'm just not sure what your side is."

"If it makes you feel any better, neither am I. " She rubbed circles over her chest as the feeling of nausea welled up in it prompted by the smell of coffee.

She grabbed the last cookie and popped it into her mouth, then said, "Okay, enough 'Torture Sam time.'"

"Oh, I'm not nearly finished," Jane told her.