SAM's POV
~One Week Later~
Time passes so quickly, doesn't it? I just graduated from high school and in less than a month, I'll be kickin' it in Los Angeles, shooting hoops, scrimmaging, and laying it up at UCLA's basketball training sessions for entering Freshman. I'm super excited to get into training and conditioning again and to attend one of the best schools in the country. I feel so grateful to play the sport that I love at a college level - and even more grateful that my friends will be by my side. Even if one of them recently confessed their feelings to me. Yeah, still haven't moved past that.
Outside of my own personal achievements, my mom and Antonio are going strong since their wedding back in February. It's been three months since they became Mr. and Mrs. Martinez, but they treat each other like lifelong soulmates; like they've known each other since birth. It's kinda shocking but assuring to watch them be all lovey-dovey and affectionate with each other. Even though they playfully joke around with each other, they do it in a respectful way that doesn't cross the line. My mom seems a lot happier and she doesn't argue with me as much these days, which I can appreciate! And Antonio is a huge ball of positivity. We hosted a dinner with his brother, Javier, his wife, and Julie at our house and he was nothing but supportive of everyone's situation. He was like a life coach rooting for everyone and quoting the Bible every now and then. It's nice to have a father figure who knows how to make others feel heard and worthy of love, and even better that he treats my mom like a queen.
I've never seen two people seem to get along so well. Seeing their relationship on a daily basis reminds me of what Jake and I had...
It's been two weeks, but I don't get as teary-eyed when thinking about our breakup. I think I did all the crying that I could do. Now it's time to face the future. Jake still texts me to chat about his family, and how I'm doing, and he tells me how much he cares about me. I answer his texts because I don't feel right ignoring them, but I do find myself putting up a wall. I'm not as silly or flirty like I used to be for obvious reasons, and I'm not sure how long it'll take for me to get back to a comfortable friend zone with him. Guess time will tell. Distance helps too, or at least that's what they say, right? Being a thousand miles apart from a loved one can make you appreciate them much more, so I'm hoping that'll happen with us when I move.
Speaking of moving, everything is set for when we return from our cruise vacation. I got all my stuff packed, we contacted the moving company, and we paid the on-campus housing tuition for UCLA which covers my early move-in starting next month. Me, Khalil, and Diggy's parents planned it so we could take the same plane ride into Los Angeles together and take a shuttle onto the campus to move into our dorms. My mom constantly reminds me not to worry and enjoy our vacation, because everything is taken care of. Just this morning on our drive to the pier, she told me to use these next two weeks to relax and forget about all my problems. Heh... we'll see how well that goes.
***
We step onto the pier near downtown NYC, my mom and Antonio holding hands a couple of steps in front of me with their rolling suitcases. They're dressed for warm weather and a lot of sunshine. I follow them, tugging my own suitcase as we approach a Titanic-sized cruise ship with multiple floors and staircases leading into the ship.
"Woah..." I say.
I follow them to the stairs where an employee is checking tickets and IDs. I feel the ocean breeze blowing through my hair and feel refreshed for the first time in a while. Another employee takes our luggage and we casually walk up the long staircase leading to the ship. And that's when I hear my name being called. I wrinkle my eyebrows and look back towards the deck.
"Diggy?"
"SAM!" Diggy is waving from the deck and running down the pier to catch us.
I look back at my mom, who is also confused, then slowly descend the stairs to meet him. He's out of breath when I ask, "What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't let you leave before answering my question..." He says as people watch him with judgment. I move off of the staircase so that the other passengers can board and the workers can do their jobs and check everyone in.
"What question?" I ask as I stand near the edge of the pier, a few steps away from the staircase.
"You still haven't told me if you felt something when we kissed..."
"You two kissed?! When did this happen?" My mom exclaims as she and Antonio also come down the stairs out of people's way and approach us on the pier.
I wave her off, feeling slightly embarrassed, "Ma! Just give us a minute..."
"Diggy, what are you doing here?" My mom asks, glancing around the dock in search of the rest of his family, but they're not in sight. It's just him.
Diggy grins at my mom and Antonio. "Hey, guys. I know you're about to leave for vacation, but I needed to see Sam..." Diggy looks back at me. "It's a yes or no question. I feel like you're stalling because you know the answer..."
I glance around guiltily but say nothing. I cross my arms.
Diggy continues, a fire in his eyes. "Maybe you think your feelings will ruin our friendship, but it won't. I promise nothing can ruin our friendship. Look how much we've gone through just this year. If this year's drama couldn't break us, neither will this..."
I shake my head. I can't believe Diggy is bringing this up right here right now. He couldn't have texted me? Or waited until I came back from vacation? Like, what am I supposed to say?
"Why are you still talking about this? It's in the past... it's over. It happened, but it doesn't mean anything--" I say in hopes of ending this conversation. I feel weird and exposed with all these people watching us.
"I just want the truth. Maybe I'm completely wrong, but I'm willing to take the risk," Diggy pauses; he glances at my mom and Antonio and clears his throat before continuing. A nervous laugh exits his lips as he takes a step toward me. "I love you, Sam... not only as my best friend but as someone that I couldn't imagine living life without."
The sound of my mom gasping fills my left ear, and heat fills my cheeks as I rub my arm with nervousness.
"You mean the world to me. Please... tell me that you also felt something between us lately... and that it's not just me," Diggy confesses while never breaking eye contact with me.
My mouth feels dry when I reply, "...so what if I have...?"
Diggy's smile grows bigger as he gently grabs my hand, squeezing it. "Then I want to give us a try. I want to hold you close and protect you from all the bad things in the world..."
"Awww..." A collective group of sighs coo from the side of the pier. I glance back and realize the line of passengers and crew are staring at us.
"You're embarrassing me..." I complain to Diggy with a shy grin, covering my face.
"I don't care," Diggy smiles, "I'll be the butt of every joke if it means I get to call you mine..."
"Diggy!" I gasp and hit his shoulder. Why in the world is he saying all of this? Why is he being so sweet and romantic all of a sudden? This is not the best friend that I know of.
"You don't have to decide now. Enjoy your vacation, and I'll see you when you get back. I'm just happy knowing you feel the same," Diggy replies in high spirits.
I frown, listening to his words. "But... what does this mean?"
"We'll figure it out when you get back. Don't worry about anything. I'm gonna be here when we fly to L.A., and when we move into the dorms at UCLA, and during basketball camp. I'll see you around campus and at different events, and we'll still hang out like normal. And when the time's right, I'm gonna take you out on a date because I like you, Sam, and my life would suck without you in it."
"Aww..." This time it's my mom sounding like she's about to sob. "This is so sweet."
I ignore her comments and shake my head. "Diggy... I don't know what to say."
"Just say yes to the possibility of dating me in the near future..."
"Are you sure you're not gonna get tired of me in college?"
"That'll never happen..." Diggy smirks and wraps his arms around me. I do the same, hugging him and letting all of my worries go. I'm not sure what this means for us and our relationship, but it feels good. It feels right. Even if these feelings are new, and exciting, and scary, I know that Diggy is being honest with me. I know that he cares and he'll never want to hurt me. I really care about him too, even if I don't have the words to say it.
A small round of applause is heard from the line of passengers waiting to board the cruise ship. We stop hugging and I look at them with red cheeks.
I groan, "So embarrassing..."
Diggy on the other hand is enjoying the attention, and waves to the crowd of strangers. "Thank you for your support. I'm afraid the show's over now. You can go about your day!" He turns to me, squeezing my shoulders. "And you... I'll talk to you later. Be safe and enjoy your cruise."
"What about Jake?" My mom asks from beside us. She looks teary-eyed as she rests her hand on her chest with Antonio wrapping his arm around her.
"Yeah, I don't think he's in the picture anymore..." Antonio whispers as he winks at me.
I chuckle then use this as an opportunity to come clean. "Yeah, ma, we kinda broke up two weeks ago."
"Two weeks?! Why didn't you tell us?" My mom asks, looking shocked as her eyes glance from me to Antonio to Diggy. Antonio shrugs; I didn't tell him either.
"It was complicated..." I sigh with a shrug.
"Sam doesn't have to get into that now," Antonio speaks up with a smile. "She told us when she was ready, that's all that matters. Also, I think she has more important things to focus on..." He nods towards Diggy then walks up to me and wraps his arms around me in a warm hug. "I'm proud of you, Sam. No matter what you choose to do in life, where you are, who you're with, I'll always be proud of you for being true to yourself."
I hug Antonio back, feeling a weight lift off of my shoulders. I didn't realize how good it is to hear that. I'm so thankful to have a stepfather like him in my life.
"Thanks, Antonio..." I reply.
Antonio rubs my back and pulls away. He glances at an amused Diggy and pats his back. "Come here..." I watch as Antonio and Diggy share a familial hug, feeling happy that two of my favorite people are getting along. "You are a bright young man. If you need anything while you're out in L.A., don't hesitate to contact me. Alright? I got your back."
Diggy nods his head. "Will do, sir."
Then it's my mom's turn to wrap Diggy in a loving hug. "Diggy... I didn't know you felt this way about Sam, but I can't say I didn't see it coming. You two were always two peas in a pod. I love ya!" My mom smooches his cheeks a few times as he chuckles.
"I love you too, Mrs. Martha..."
After we shared our hugs, we waved to Diggy and boarded the ship. Seeing him appear before our vacation was so unexpected! More unexpected was him revealing that he loved me! I couldn't have predicted this moment at all, but I also wouldn't change a thing. It seems like the hurdles I faced this year can lead to a good ending after all...