:: Holly's POV ::
"You were great." I smiled over at Sam as we walked towards his truck. We had wandered off in hopes of having some privacy in order to talk. There were so many things that had gone left unsaid over the years. However, I was dreading the conversation I knew I was going to have to have with him.
"Thanks." He laughed nervously as he pulled down the tailgate providing us with a place to sit. I hopped up on the back of the truck attempting to make myself comfortable on the makeshift bench it had created and Sam joined me.
Silence fell between us as we spent a few minutes people watching. The couple across the parking lot made for some pretty good entertainment. The girl had obviously had one drink too many and had all she could to hold herself up in a pair of heels that I doubted she could even master walking in sober. The guy with her was serving as her crutch and he looked less than thrilled to be playing babysitter. Sam and I both laughed and it felt good. We had always been on the same page when it came to things like that; he made it so easy to be happy around him.
"I'm sorry." His words cut through the silence and seemed to hold more meaning than I ever knew two words could. I wasn't sure if he was sorry for laughing or if he was sorry for the past, but it definitely meant something to me. It was almost as if I had been waiting to hear those words for years.
"I know." I nodded my head as I glanced over at him. Frankly, I did know; and if I didn't know before, I knew now. There was no denying the regret that clung to his voice. He was truly sorry. I couldn't help but wonder how long he had waited to say that, how long he waited to get that off his chest. I only knew how long I had waited to hear it, and it certainly felt like an eternity.
"You are so beautiful." Sam's voice grew softer as his eyes locked with mine. They were soft and sincere and I could feel myself melting beneath his gaze. He made it so easy to get lost in his eyes, to forget where I was or who was around. Like there was no one else in this world other than the two of us, for a moment I had wished so much for that to be true in order to avoid the conversation I was going to have to have.
His warm hand rested on my cheek and I allowed myself to relax into his touch. He lit a fire in me that I forget even existed. There was no other guy out there quite like Sam Hunt and I had come to learn that the hard way over the years. My mind couldn't stop wandering. I know I have a boyfriend and that it may be wrong but, I had hoped for the chance to feel Sam's lips. To taste his kiss once again. To feel my stomach turn into a cave of butterflies flapping their wings like crazy trying to escape. How I missed those butterflies.
My phone began to vibrate against the bed of the truck causing both of us to jump. I looked at the screen that lit up the darkness, it was Kyle. I gave Sam a small smile before putting the phone to my ear. Kyle had been a friend of Sam's growing up, but their friendship diminished when Sam had left town. Kyle had helped me pick up the pieces for so long, I always kept a safe distance from him out of respect for Sam, but once I realized he wasn't coming back, I allowed myself grow closer to Kyle. As of late I was struggling to figure out how I truly felt about him though. I was unsure if I was drawn to him simply for the fact he was safe or if I truly loved him. Well, of course I love him, I just wasn't sure I was in love with him.
After a brief conversation I had hung up from my phone call with Kyle. I replaced my phone beside me on the tailgate. Sam was looking down at the ground and once again we were surrounded by silence. I wasn't sure if he had seen Kyle's name on my phone but I wasn't looking forward to telling him I was dating his old friend.
"Was that your boyfriend?" Sam's voice was soft and slightly more insecure than it had been previously. It killed me to hear him sounding so unsure of himself. That was the last thing I ever wanted.
