Listen

Chapter 36

Once again, I was parked on the side of the road alone. I would've kept driving, but my gas tank was basically empty. This was too much to handle in less than a full day. I laid my head against the seat and broke down. It wasn't just a sob this time though, I was hysterical.

I loved Jason so much, but I guess I wasn't good enough. We were supposed to get married and have a family. Just be happy. I'm sure he still wants all of that...just not with me.

I continued to cry until I couldn't anymore. By the time I had finished, my head was throbbing and my body was weak. I just wanted to lye down and sleep away my pain, but I had nowhere to go.

I watched my phone as it lit up and Jason's name was plastered across the screen. I slowly picked it up and just stared at his name, until the screen went black again.

Time slowly drug on as my phone continued to light up with different names. Jason, Carly, Diane, my mom, everyone. I never answered it though. They probably didn't care where I was anyway.

Just as I was about to sit my phone back down, the screen lit up again. It was Damon.

Damon was the only person that hadn't turned on me. The only person who possibly even still cared about me. I slowly lifted my phone to my ear and answered it with a cracked voice.

"Hello?"

"Sam?!"

"Yeah?"

"Oh my God, Sam! Are you ok? Where are you? Everyone is worried about you!"

"Don't lie to me." I whispered. "If anyone even really cared about me they wouldn't do this to me....What did I do Damon? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Damon went silent as I started to cry again. I tried to hold myself together, but I couldn't.

"Sam....where are you?"

"In my car."

"Why aren't you at home? Where's Ja..."

"Please don't."

"What happened?"

I stared blankly out the window, not answering his question.

"Sam?"

"Damon.....I don't know what to do."

"Where are you?"

"I told you in my car."

"No, like where are you?

"I don't know....near the nature trail."

"Can you get to my house?"

"How would I get in?"

"What do you mean? I'm going to let you in."

Let me in? I thought he was off at college somewhere.

"I thought that you would be in college right now."

Damon went silent for a second."I never went back."

"Oh....why not?"

"It just wasn't really my thing, besides plumbing isn't that bad of a job. Now back to you, can you get to my house?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm out of gas."

I could hear him sigh as he started to talk again."I'm coming to get you."

"You don't have to, I'm ok."

"Sam, you're not ok and you know it. I'm coming to get you, hang tight."

"Ok."

I hung up the phone and dropped it back in the seat next to me. At least I knew one person still cared about me.

The more I sat in silence, the more the thought of Jason and Lacy being together forced its way into my mind.

If I could have counted on anyone to always be there for me, it would have been Jason. He seemed so sincere when he told me he loved me. My eyes started to burn with tears, but I quickly rubbed them away. I didn't want to cry over him.

As soon as I saw Damon's car pull up, I started to get out of my own. I closed my door and looked up at Damon just as he was stepping around his car.

When he stretched out his arms to hug me, I fell into his chest and wrapped my arms around him. He pulled me so close that I could feel his breath on my neck.

Damon grabbed my face between his hands and stared at my tear stained face."Sam."

"He cheated on me." I cried.

Damon's face went pale when I said that. "He..he cheated on you?"

"I walked in the house and he.." I blinked the tears away from my eyes. "He was kissing Lacy and she was pulling his shirt off and..I ran Damon. I just ran."

Damon pulled me to his chest and rested his chin on the top of my head."I'm so sorry."

We stood there in silence, until Damon pulled away. He looked as if he was zoned out.

"You ready to go?" He whispered.

I nodded my head and followed him to the car.

My head bobbed back and forth on our drive back to Damon's house. All of that crying really took its toll on my body.

Damon pulled me into the house and guided me down the hall. When we stepped into his bedroom I got pretty confused.

"Why are we in here?" I asked.

Damon walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers."Come on."

I stared between him and the bed."What?"

He gave me a soft smile and motioned for me to get in the bed."I know you're tired, I saw you falling asleep in the car."

When I didn't move, he walked over and gently ushered me to the bed. After I'd laid down he pulled the covers over me and headed for the door.

"Damon?"I whispered.

He stopped in the doorway and looked back over his shoulder.

I stared at him for a second and smiled for the first time today. "Thank you so much."

He ran his fingers through his short dark brown hair and stared at me with his pale blue eyes."I really care about you Sam and I don't want you to ever feel like you have nowhere to go. You'll always have me..ok?"

I nodded my head."Ok."

Damon gave me a small grin and left the room. After he'd disappeared, I pulled the cover up to my chin and tried to clear my mind as I drifted off to sleep.

I opened my eyes and slowly sat up in bed. Everything was dark, except for the faint light coming from the living room.

I climbed out of bed and tip toed up the hall until I saw where the light was coming from.

Damon had fallen asleep on the couch and left the tv on. I crept back down the hall and grabbed an extra blanket from the hall closet for him.

Gently, I laid the blanket over Damon and turned the tv off.

I looked over at him and smiled to myself."Sweet dreams."