"What are you doing?"
A smile flickers through her face as though the answer to my question. She reaches her arm towards my face and casually brushes some loose strands of hair behind my ear. Her gaze falls to my eyes and hold there. Her eyes have always been a marvelous shade of blue/grey and had the amazing ability to change color with her emotions. Right now they were an icy shade of blue that looked so sexy…
She leans in and softly places a chaste kiss on my lips, gently as if pushing any harder would break me. Her lips feel soft and smooth against mine and just seem to fit perfectly. At this moment I realize how much I've missed her. I realize how horrible it has been without her and how I've had a hole gaping through me that only she can fill. I feel a tear subconsciously break from my ducts and roll down my cheek, which Sam could feel against her cheek.
Sam pulls back and looks at me disconcertedly, her eyebrows pushed close together and concern written all over her face. She reaches to my cheek and flicks the tear off before putting her lips to my ears and whispering something I can't concentrate on before she kisses a path back down to my lips. Her tongue breaks into my mouth and runs past my teeth slowly, almost teasingly. I subconsciously let out a moan deep in my throat as her tongue massages mine, I can feel her smirk because she knows that she's the only one who can make me moan like that.
Her hands run down my arms and intertwine with mine, disabling the capability to run my hands over her perfect body. My hands involuntary jerk upwards but to no avail, Sam's hands are firmly pinning mine to the bed. I wrestle my tongue against hers, trying to gain some sort of dominance. She takes this opportunity to push my arms above my head, finally letting go to journey to other parts of my body. I leave my hands there, knowing what Sam would do if I moved them and as much as I wanted to play with her, I need her right now.
Her hands move to my stomach and tug at the thin fabric of my shirt, signaling she wanted it off. I arch my back off the bed, helping her remove the shirt leaving me in my simple black bra and some shorts. She's stopped doing anything. I open my eyes and notice that she's just staring at me with approval in her eyes. When she doesn't lean forward and kiss me, I swiftly sit up and attach my lips to hers again, taking the time to discover other parts of her body with my hands.
Hastily I remove her hoodie and shirt in one swift motion, leaving us both almost half-naked. She smiles sadly and I wish more than anything right now that I can read her mind. She then leans forward, pushing me back down on the bed and at the same time crushing her body into mine. Not that I mind. In fact, I'm enjoying it quite a lot, the way her soft hands run up and down my arms, the way her smooth, hard abs feel against me…
She then kisses a path from my mouth to my jaw to my neck, nipping and sucking at it. All I can do is let our moans and sighs of. My eyes are shut tightly when she cups my breasts, feeling them, kneading them. Then suddenly, she's kissing my chest and her hands are slipping down to my waist. I open my eyes just in time to see Sam smiling sincerely at me before attaching her lips to mine again.
"Sam…"
"Sam…"
Freddie Benson tiredly opened his eyes and squinted at the glowing red numbers on the alarm clock on the bedside table.
4:43am
Damn. The combined effect of Carly's incessant shifting and the whispers being dropped from her lips woke him up at this ungodly hour. Freddie frowned at Carly. True, she probably couldn't control her shifting but it was still-
"Sam…"
Freddie blinked.
Sam?
His girlfriend was lying in bed with him and dreaming about Sam. They didn't know a Sam besides…
Freddie chuckled nervously to himself. No…it has to be some other Sam. Just anyone but…
"Sam…" Carly whispered again.
Puckett.
"Dammit." Freddie sighed. He thought that Sam Puckett was gone from his and Carly's life. He thought that she was cold, forgotten history.
"Sammy…" Carly whispered again.
Apparently not…
"Carly…Baby, wake up." Freddie Benson said, lightly shaking Carly to pull her out from her slumber. Carly's eyes shot wide open as she sat up, looking around the room nervously. "Baby?" Freddie asked from behind her, stroking her back lightly, "Are you ok? You sounded like you were having a bad dream."
Carly turned to her boyfriend and smiled uneasily, a light sweat coating her forehead.
"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine it was just having…"
"A bad dream." Freddie interrupted as he smiled reassuringly at his girlfriend.
"Yeah. Sorry," Carly blushed as she lied. She hoped that Freddie didn't hear her talk in her sleep, "I'm fine now."
"Good." Freddie smiled before lying down on the bed with Carly in his arms. Soon, he drifted off into sleep as Carly stayed awake unable to shut her eyes.
It was the third time this week she dreamt of Sam and the seventy second time since the first dream. And it was…wrong. She shouldn't be constantly dreaming of Sam Puckett, she should be dreaming of Freddie.
The man holding her, the man that cared for her, the man that loved her…
But when she went to sleep, thoughts of Sam dominated her mind. She could remember every detail of the feisty blonde, every bruise, every freckle, everything. And as much as she didn't want to dream of Sam, going to sleep and not seeing her face would be a nightmare. It had been six months since the last time she saw Sam in person, crawling into Carly's bed and cuddling her just like she used to. Then she was dragged away, ripped from Carly's arms to never be heard from or seen anywhere besides crinkled photographs, worn out from the constant folding and unfolding of it just to see her face again before…
Six months ago Carly Shay's life fell apart, seam by seam. Now as she sat up on the bed breathing heavily due to past lives and loves, desperately trying to convince herself that it was over- the pain, the trouble, the past was over- she realized that the dreams were a sign that things were far from finished.
And it was stupid that way. After all, Carly had everything she wanted. She was set for the future, had a loving and caring boyfriend that cherished the ground she walked on and an overall good life…no, a great life. A great life that she didn't want.
She only wanted one thing…
And that was her old life back.
"So what were you dreaming about last night?"
Carly turned around sharply, her neck almost getting dislocated; Freddie's voice had startled the hell out of her. Looking over at her boyfriend of almost a year lying down on his bed, the comforter barely reaching up to his stomach, leaving his chest open, Carly couldn't lie, Freddie had grown up to be a handsome guy. He had grown his hair out and let go of most of his dorky habits.
"Just a bad dream…" Carly lied, casually turning back to getting her boots on. The dream was anything but bad, in fact, it motivated her to head to the bathroom and visualize it to get her off.
"Was it about Spencer?"
Carly froze immediately. She didn't look away from her boots to acknowledge Freddie's question.
"No." She managed to mutter, her voice barely above a whisper. Freddie, in turn, saw his mistake as he watched Carly turn to display her misty eyes.
"Carly...Baby…Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Please don't cry. I'm sorry."
Freddie had his arms wrapped around Carly, rocking her forward and kissing her cheek. She held on to his shoulders as he let her cry. After a few minutes of Carly's sobs and Freddie's reassuring mumbles, she let go and headed off without another word.
Walking through the quiet, deserted park gave Carly time to ponder everything going on around her. Sitting on the bench, Carly clutched at the warm Styrofoam coffee cup in her hands trying to absorb some form of heat. She looked down at her hand and saw the ring encircling her left ring finger. She was barely 20 years old and already she was engaged to Freddie. And there was nothing wrong with that. Freddie had been her friend longer than anyone and he was the nicest sweetest guy she had ever known.
It was Freddie who took Carly in after Spencer died. It was Freddie who comforted her day after day and was there for her. It was Freddie who had professed his love for her and out of sheer loneliness Carly had reiterated that love.
The brunette's phone buzzed in her pocket, reminding her to stay out of the past and keep to the present. She looked at the Caller ID and crossed her fingers, hoping this time only good news would be given.
"Hey Claire."
"Hey, kid. You won't believe it! I got a serious buyer here, all they're requesting is to meet you. Can you make it?" Claire's voice was barely above a whisper and Carly was guessing that she was in the hallway hoping the customer didn't hear.
"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a bit. Bye."
And with that Carly hung up on her best friend/realtor and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she was getting rid of the apartment. It wasn't that she hated their old apartment, because she loved it. It had all the greatest memories and was everything that defined her and Spencer.
And that was why she had to sell it.
After Spencer died, everything reminded Carly of him. Every inch of the house had some zany item that just screamed out Spencer's kooky personality. Not to mention the various things around the house that reminded her of Sam. Like the hole in the wall near the bathroom from when Freddie locked himself in the bathroom after dousing Sam in Strawberry smoothie and Sam trying to punch through to him.
Not to mention the fact that right after Spencer's death, Carly had to live with Freddie and Mrs. Benson seeing as she was still legally underage. And immediately after that Carly moved in with Freddie in his new apartment which he bought for the sole purpose that it was almost an hour's drive from Mrs. Benson's house. She had been trying to sell the place for a few years now and finally…the apartment and the past could be erased.
Carly smiled as she stood and headed to their apartment for what was hopefully the last time.
"Oh finally! I was thinking you didn't want to sell this place at all!"
Claire sighed and ran towards Carly, her excitement emulating from every inch of her body. Carly smiled, Claire was one of her closest friends since she moved Carly and Freddie into their new apartment. She was a short woman, around 23 years old and was constantly happy. Carly didn't remember a time when she wasn't smiling or laughing. She pulled Carly into the apartment
"Ma'am I have the seller right here and…Oh crap," Claire's sentence was cut off by her phone. Figures her ringtone would be a song from High School Musical… "Carls, just go upstairs and chat up with the buyer. I gotta take this, it's my poophead boss."
"Hello Mr. Orsian. No, actually. I'm just about to sell the Shay place. Yes sir…"
Carly laughed under her breath. It was peculiar how Claire could be completely childish one minute and then switch onto business mode the next. Shaking her head, the brunette headed up the stairs, hoping to meet the person who was finally going to rid Carly's past. She looked through every room, even her own and didn't find the customer. Suspecting that Claire was playing some sort of joke on her, Carly frowned. The only room left was the old iCarly studio.
Sure enough, as Carly exited the elevator, there was someone in there looking at the walls and whatever was left of the studio including the car that Spencer made. The person's back was turned to Carly, so Carly nervously stood a few meters behind the person hoping not to scare them
"Hey…I'm selling this place…"
No answer. The person just kept looking at the furnishing, their back still to Carly. After a few awkward moments the person spoke.
"Why are you selling this place?"
Carly's breath caught in her throat. Something about this person was so…familiar. The woman's hair was blonde and reached a little below her shoulders and her voice was just like…
It couldn't be.
"It…it reminded me of the past too much."
Carly barely managed to mumble, inside she was having a mini-war with herself. It couldn't be…No way in hell...
"And what is exactly so disconcerting about the past, Carly?"
Just then the person turned around and it was, it really was…
"Sam."
CHAPTER 1