Where Were You

Remembering A Stranger

I blushed and put my head down. I had just done my first sold out concert ever and I was ecstatic. "Thank you."

"You and Lauren have created something really amazing," she turned to look at me and cupped my cheek, "you're going to be a star."

"Sam," I grinned and leaned into her touch. "Thank you for taking time out of your studies to see me."

"Are you kidding me?" Sammy grinned and looked around the huge stage area, "and miss this?"

"I know things have been tense between us with this long distance thing," I finally breathed and looked in her blue eyes, finding some sort of sadness there, "it sucks that things aren't like they used to be."

"Hey," she smiled softly and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek, "we've been together for four years, and we've been separated for three, yet here we are," she squeezed my hand, "together."

I nodded and smiled, jumping off the stage. "This is crazy! Who would of thought that I ' d be here, singing on stage to a sold out crowd?"

Sammy smirked and slid off the stage, tucking some hair behind my ear. "I did. Lauren did," her eyes caught mine, "Camila did."

"Right," I rolled my eyes and glanced around to make sure Lauren wasn't around, "have you spoken to her?"

Sammy nodded and swallowed. "I think you should call her Sofi, she misses you. She tried calling your cell a few times within the past two weeks and you've had your phone off."

"I lost it." I shrugged and held up my new phone. "Is she okay?"

Sammy sighed heavily and nodded. "Yea, just call her, okay?"

"Is she really okay?"

"She busted her knee in a game," Sammy looked at me and shook her head, "It's all over the sport magazines, I'm shocked you haven't been keeping up to date with them."

"I've been busy."

"Still," Sam frowned, "she's back in Midtown for the summer, spending time with Lucas and your parents. She's pretty torn up about her hockey career coming to an abrupt end."

"Oh." I frowned and took a deep breath, "I'll call her."

"Promise?" Sammy raised an eyebrow. She was always there, patching things up when life turned rough.

"I promise."

"Besides," she laced her fingers with mine, "I think it's time you should go home for a bit and meet your niece. Fuck, she's a cutie," she blinked and smiled, "she has grey eyes, just like you."

I couldn't help but smile. "Okay," I nodded, "I think on my next break I'll go and see her."

//

Early morning sunrise and I groaned, trying to curse whoever it was that invented the sun. "Sofi," I heard a whisper in my ear and smiled, turning my head to face her brown eyes and freckled face, "hey." She grinned sheepishly.

"Hey you," I sat up and tilted my head as Dylan sat at the end of the bed, playing with her pajama bottom string. "Are you okay?"

Dylan nodded and crawled up and tucked herself under the covers, her face buried into the pillow. "I couldn't sleep."

I brushed some hair away from her eyes and wondered what the girl had been through for the past two years with other families and not having her mother around. "Go to sleep." I whispered.

"You won't leave me?" Dylan asked with some desperation in her voice and I shook my head.

"No, I won't." I whispered and felt bad that Camila wasn't even home at that moment. She had to get up extra early to Coach the 'Rapture Ravens' in an early morning practice.

"Camila wasn't in her bed." She snuggled closer. "I had a nightmare."

I wrapped my arm around the small body and sighed. "No worries, I'm here now."

"Sofi?" She lifted her head and blinked sleepily. I looked at her in silence and she bit her lip. "How come I've seen you before?" She whispered.

"Maybe you've seen my face on magazines." I teased, hurting at the same time that I lied to her.

"No," she yawned and licked her lips, "I think I know you from somewhere else."

My heart hammered in my chest but before I could say anything, I heard her breathing even out and I knew she was sleeping peacefully.

I laid in bed and thought about the tangled webs I allowed myself to get into. Over the past twelve years I had found out that I could hold the deepest secrets and take them to my grave if need be.

But the secrets I was holding on to were quickly showing signs of becoming unraveled and I had no way out of them.

"Leigh, you better be prepared for this." I whispered before closing my eyes.

Just when you thought the madness and drama was over...

...it snuck up on you – at least that this time around, it was more welcoming.

At least I thought so.

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