"Sam, I'm sorry," Addison told him softly, the phone to her ear as she let out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe this. The past couple of months she and Sam were getting so close and both of them knew it was far beyond a friendly relationship, and then Naomi had to kill it. It wasn't her fault, but still, it was easier to blame this all on Naomi.
She could hear him groan over the phone. "Addison, I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Well I said no," she told him quietly. She tried to push him away even though it was obvious she was yearning for him.
He knew her all too well. Regardless of what she told him, he knew what wanted him. She's made it clear plenty of time before in person and even over the phone, she couldn't hide it. "But you don't want to say no. You want us to be together." He was willing to do anything it took to be with Addison. Anything.
Sitting in his kitchen, he took down the rest of his vodka and poured himself another while he waited for Addison to answer him.
Reluctantly, she answered. "You know I do Sam, but Naomi-"
"Oh so this is about Naomi?" he cut her off. "So your best friend tells you you can't be with a single man that's willing to give you the world and you're going to listen?"
"Sam, she's my best friend. You're her ex husband."
"Exactly. Ex husband Addison. Ex husband."
"I know, but I can't. I tried to mention it to her. I tried to put us in a scenario where we were a couple and all she could do is laugh Sam. She laughed and told me how that would make me the worst person ever."
"And you're going to listen to her?"
"How can I not Sam? She's right. I'm a cheater. I am a cheater and I'm trying not to be, but I am Sam. First I slept with my ex husband's best friend, and now if I sleep with my best friend's ex husband, than I really will be the worst person ever."
"And she told you this?" he asked after the silence stretched for so long, he needed to say something to break it.
She nodded her head, almost forgetting he couldn't see her. "Yes, she did, but she's right." Even now she felt the need to defend her best friend. "It's not as easy as it sounds Sam. Me and Naomi never used to fight and now that I'm here in L.A. we week fighting. First over Maya when I first came, then when I told you the practice was sinking, and don't even get me started on when I was put in charge. And then finally when she left. It took us forever to get back to being friends."
"All those times you were right Addison. Don't let her control your life just to keep her as a friend. You know she's only happy when she gets her way and it's not fair. This is your life. It's our lives. Not her life, so don't let her do this. Please don't let her do this Addison."
Addison fell silent for a couple seconds. A part of her wanted to get up and go straight to Sam's house and give in, but she just couldn't. She wanted to tell him that everything could work in their favor, but it was too difficult with Naomi in the way. "I'm sorry Sam," she told him before hanging up the phone. Dropping the phone to the empty spot next to her on her bed, she felt her eyes begin to tear. She hated this so much.
"Addison," Sam called out into the phone. "Addison!" he looked at his cell phone to see the screen flashing to let him know the call ended. Tossing his phone to the counter, he downed his drink and got up from his seat. He almost fell over at first, but quickly caught himself. Taking his phone, he shoved it in his pocket and grabbed his coat from the empty spot next to him. Slipping it on, he pulled the keys out of his coat pocket and walked out of the house.
*
*
Knocking on the door, Sam tried his best to keep his balance as he waited. Within a couple seconds, the door opened to reveal a confused looking Naomi.
"Sam, what are you doing here?" she asked as she looked over at him, raising a brow.
"I came here to talk to you about something very important," he slurred.
"Samuel, are you drunk?"
At first he shook his head, but a couple seconds later, he nodded it. "Yes, I am drunk. But that doesn't matter; I need to talk to you."
Naomi couldn't help but be pissed. Sam came all the way to her house drunk with all she's been dealing with, he couldn't be considerate. "Did you drive here?" she asked as she looked behind him, looking for his car.
"No, I did not. I'm drunk Naomi. I drove like a smart person would."
Crossing her arms against her chest, Naomi leaned against the door frame. "What is it Sam? What's so important that you had to walk here drunk?"
"It's about Addison."
"Is she okay?" she asked curiously, looking about ready to make a run for her car.
He shook his head. "No, she's not okay, that's why I'm here. She's in her bedroom upset and probably in tears right now and I wanted to talk about that."
"Why what's wrong with her?" she asked, not having the slightest idea as to what was going on. She had no idea what was coming next because the last time she saw Addison, they were laughing over Addison saying that she and Sam have been like a couple lately. It wasn't serious, it was just a joke. At least, that's what she thought.
If Sam were sober, he'd probably chicken out and turn the other way, but he was drunk and had much more courage than anyone would ever know. He wanted Addison and was willing to fight for her, no matter who it was he'd have to fight, even if it happened to be Naomi.
"I want Addison," he told her, keeping it short, sweet, and blunt.
"What do you mean you want Addison?"
"I want her, as in she's become one of my closest friends since you left the practice. We've been spending a lot of time together as friends and I want more. She does too, but she refuses to because you're her best friend and I want you to tell her it's okay."
"Samuel," she bit her lip, her heart pounding against her chest as she realized what was going on. When Addison joked about her and Sam being a couple, it wasn't really a joke. She was trying to see what Naomi thought so she could ease her in to let her know she had feelings for him. But it didn't work that way and now Sam was here telling her to tell Addison it was okay. "I am not going to tell my best friend it's okay to be with my husband."
"Ex husband."
"Oh same thing Sam. Do you really think it matters right now? You and my best friend together? That's too weird Sam, absolutely not."
"Why not? Because it isn't the way you want things? You would hate for another thing to not go your way, wouldn't you? You just can't stand it."
"Because I'm not getting my way again? Are you serious Sam. Can you honestly say that Maya being pregnant and getting married is your way?" she asked, even though she knew for a fact that she was mostly upset because things didn't go her way. She spoke to Violet, and she knew things weren't going her way and that's what upset her. But this was disgusting. Her best friend and her ex husband?
"You're going to tell her it's okay Naomi," he told her, completely dismissing the Maya comment. If they got into that, he would be there all night and he just wanted to get back to Addison. "You're going to tell her it's okay Naomi," he turned his back to her and started to walk away. "You're going to be Addison's best friend just as she's been yours, and you're going to tell her this is okay."
And with that, he was gone.
*
*
Lying in bed, Addison still couldn't feel the strength to get up. This wasn't supposed to hurt the way it did. She wasn't supposed to fall for Sam. It just wasn't supposed to happen.
But she did fall for him. She wanted him so badly, it actually hurt that she was saying no, but she needed to consider Naomi's feelings. If she didn't do it, Sam certainly wouldn't. He wasn't at all, and someone just had to do it.
There was that part of her that told her that she and Sam could make it. When Addison and Derek were together, there was never a doubt in her mind that they could make it, and then they drifted apart and things went south from there. She lost him and after that, she told herself she wanted a family with someone, but she just couldn't find someone she could imagine spending the rest of her life with.
Then she and Sam got close and it scared her so much because she was able to see them lasting. She was able to see them grow old with each other, and she didn't know whether it was her head or her heart telling her that, but she couldn't help but feel that maybe it was a bit of both. Her entire being did want to be with Sam. Figures she'd find the right person and they'd be completely wrong for her.
The doorbell rang and pulled her from the thoughts running through her mind for just a second until she realized it was probably Sam. She didn't want to answer it, but after a couple seconds, it rang again, then again, and the cycle continued.
Getting up, Addison walked out of her bedroom in sweats and mascara tears running down her face. She didn't care because after all, Sam has seen her like this before. He wouldn't be around long anyway. She was going to tell him to go home and that would be that.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she made her way to the front door, opening it to find an obviously drunk Sam.
"Sam, you're drunk, go home," she went to close the door and leave it at that, but Sam reached out and stopped her from closing the door in his face.
"Yes, I am drunk, but I need to talk to you."
She shook her head. "Sam, there's nothing to talk about. Please don't do this."
"But there is something to talk about." When he saw that she was waiting for him to continue and that he wouldn't close the door in his face, he dropped his hand. "I went over to Naomi's house before and I spoke to her-"
"You what?" she cut him off, shocked, opening the door completely as she stared at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I went there and I told her how I felt about you. I told her that she's going to accept this and that she had no choice. She knows now Addison. She knows there's feelings so it would be stupid to ignore them now. So don't."
"Sam, she's going to kill me!" she yelled, feeling her eyes well up with tears again. She knew the next morning was going to be a horror show at work.
He shook his head as he took a step forward, wiping her tears away with his thumb. To his shock, she didn't move away. "I'm not going to let her kill you. Don't be mad at me, I had to do this Addison. I'm not losing you to anyone. I'm sorry, but I refuse."
"But everyone's going to be judging us Sam."
"Who cares? All I care about is how we feel. Just you and me. I know how I feel about you and it isn't going away. Now you tell me how you feel about me. Not how you think everyone else is going to feel, but how you feel about me."
She looked up at him, reaching up for his hand. "You know how I feel Sam. I feel the same way."
"Then that's all that matters," he leaned down and pecked her lips softly. "We'll worry about everything else later, but for now, let's just be who we want to be. Let's be Sam and Addison, okay?"
He surprised her again, nodding her head without a fight.
"Good. Now come here." He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face so they were looking each other in the eyes once again. He kissed her again, softly.
She returned it despite the worries of what everyone would say. She listened to him and worried about them and what they wanted. Giving in opened so many doors for her and as wrong as it was, it felt so right.