I followed behind her as she stomped down the steps, and Joey trailed behind me. "Sam! Listen to me, please?"
She finally came to a stop near the kitchen and looked at me with so much disgust and hurt. Her nose flared with anger as she tried figuring out what she wanted to say to me.
"Why did you lie to me?" Samantha raised her voice. "Why did you break your promise?"
I stared in her face, seeing the tears streaming and staining her red face. Joey approached her, grabbing onto her arm, but she pulled herself away from his reach.
"Don't fucking touch me, Joey!" She yelled as Joey clenched his jaw, backing away from his sister. I couldn't stop crying, fogging my vision, and witnessing the sorrow in Joey's eyes. I've never been speechless, but I couldn't find the words to say because I fucked up. I should've been an adult and told her what happened between Joey and me, but I kept it from her. The last thing I ever wanted was for Samantha to hate me and not trust me with her family after she told me to stay away romantically.
With Sam's loud yelling, Dylan and Cameron rushed downstairs, thrown aback by everyone's faces. I knew Dylan knew what was happening, but Cameron was oblivious, continually asking for someone to fill him in.
I choked on my words, trying not to say the wrong thing. "Sam, I-I didn't mean to hurt you. Please—"
She cut me off. "You know how much promises mean to me, Riley. My parents promised me so many times and disappointed me so many fucking times, and I didn't expect that from you. I trusted you with my life and around my family like you didn't hear anything I told you when we first came. I had one rule and you promised me. Did you or did you not?"
I closed my eyes to let the tears fall to regain my vision. "I did promise you," I muttered, unable to rip my eyes away from her. At first, I had no intention to run straight to Joey, but then I didn't see the problem.
Cameron raised his voice, hoping someone would answer him. "What's going on?"
Sam brought her attention toward Joey as her lip quivered. "And you looked me dead in my face and told me you wouldn't touch her. You promised me you wouldn't hurt me again and ruin my only friendship. There's all these women in the fucking world, and you picked my friend. You know hard it is for me to find friends and you, of all people, should know that. I believed you, and I forgave you for what happened with Ashley, and you did it again. Like you can't keep your dick in your pants." Samantha raised her voice, wiping her nose as it started running.
Joey exhaled and wiped his hand against his forehead. "Sam, it wasn't intentional, and you know that I didn't mean to hurt you on fucking purpose. I know you, and I know that I broke my promise, but it just happened. Please don't do this." His eyes became glossy, watching his little sister break.
My best friend paced around the room before looking at me. "I love my brother to death, more than I love myself, okay? I know what he does; we all do. I told you he doesn't stay with any woman, ever. I saw him break so many hearts, and I didn't want that to be you. I was looking out for you, Riley, and you went behind my back."
I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when she said, "Was all that stuff about Chris a lie? Or you strung him along?"
My chest caved as I lost all feeling in my body. I betrayed someone that I can't imagine losing. "Most of it wasn't true," I admitted, looking at the ground. Everything was coming out, and Samantha was too stubborn to listen or understand that I wasn't trying to hurt her.
"You used Chris. You led me to believe you were seeing him, and I'm your best friend. I've never lied to you about anything. How long has this been going on?" Sam shouted. Dylan and Cameron remained quiet, looking back and forth at each other.
Joey answered, honestly. "A while."
She laughed through gritted teeth. "You both disgust me. Riley, don't come to me when he breaks your heart. Whatever is going on between you two, Riley leaves in two days. That's enough time for Joey to get bored and move on. He can tell you whatever you want to hear, but it's true."
I bit down on my lip and closed my eyes to cry. My tears started to become overwhelming, along with my heart pounding. "Sam, let's talk a walk or something?" Dylan added, trying to calm the situation down.
"Did you know? Don't lie to me." Sam put Dylan in the hot seat, clenching her jaw.
He exhaled. "Yes," He pushed, "But listen to him. Listen to them, Samantha."
She ignored her brother. "Cameron?"
He quickly replied, "No."
"Don't lie to me." She roared.
My voice cracked. "He's telling the truth. He doesn't know."
Her breathing pattern increased. "I can't do this right now." Sam raced back upstairs into her room.
I broke down in tears. "She hates me." I couldn't control my tears in front of the boys. Everything inside of me broke into tiny pieces, and I hated myself even more.
Cameron swallowed and clenched his jaw. "She'll never hate you, but she didn't expect you of all people to lie to her." He quickly followed after his fiancée.
Seconds later, it was just Joey and me, standing dumbfounded in the kitchen. I couldn't stop crying, and Joey probably had no clue what to say. Samantha said hurtful things to him, and I could only imagine how he feels, hearing that from her. I know Joey's soft spot is his sister, and I understand why she's so mad at the both of us.
It was selfish of me because I thought about myself the entire time, and not once did I think of what it would do to my friendship. Throughout the years of our relationship, I never broke a promise.
Joey kept quiet, stepping towards me to comfort me as I sobbed. As he ran his hands down my arms, I could feel the tenseness in his body and how hesitant he had become.
Once he pulled me into a hug, I dug my face into his chest and let out every ounce of pain I felt. This was a different type of hurt, the kind I thought I'd never experience because she's been a big part of my life. I trusted her with everything else, so why couldn't I talk to her? Instead, she found out at the wrong time.
My throat tightened as I lost my breath.
"Riley?"