This Is How A Heart Breaks
Chapter 3: The Bittersweet Hangover
I've been meaning to post this chapter for ages but I totally forgot! I dont expect too many reviews seeing as it's Christmas Eve!
Merry Xmas everyone! Will update soon!
Vikki xx
Sam woke up in her bed but she was not alone, she could feel arms around her waist, hands resting on her bare stomach. She pulled away from him and wrapped the sheet around her naked body. Sam was repulsed by herself and her drunken actions of the night before. Fortunately she hadn't awoken the man who shared her bed with her. She quickly picked a black suit and a pale pink blouse from the wardrobe and took clean underwear from the pile and headed to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would make her come to her senses and help her to piece together the events of the previous night so that they actually made sense to her. The cascade of hot water woke her up physically but emotionally she was confused. How on earth had Phil Hunter ended up in her bed?
Phil Hunter awoke to find himself alone in an unfamiliar bed. Had he really slept with Natasha after knowing her for less than twenty four hours? Wait, he recognised this bedroom now that he was a little more awake. This was Samantha Nixon's house. Phil had no idea how he should react to this revelation. He could hear water running close by so he guessed that Sam must be taking a shower. He could understand why she hadn't woken him up first, things were going to be really awkward. Would the sensible option be to get up, get dressed and go to work and pretend like nothing had happened between them? Or would that be taking the easy way out? The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Sam but he wasn't sure what to do in order not to hurt her.
Sam climbed out of the shower and dried herself with a bath sheet. She wrapped her hair up with a towel and put on her suit. She didn't feel much better for having had a shower and she still had no idea how on earth she was going to face Phil. Sam had promised herself never to have a romantic liaison with anyone she worked with unless she knew it was serious and wouldn't interfere with her work. She had broken that promise and any other personal promises she had made to herself. Now she had the biggest task of actually facing Phil.
By the time Sam had finished in the show Phil had re-dressed and was waiting to talk to Sam. He knew it wasn't right to leave without saying anything. If this had been a casual one night stand then it would have been different but he cared about Sam, she was a really good friend and they worked together. Phil knew that neither Sam would never forgive him for just walking away and he probably would never forgive himself either.
Neither of them knew what to say to each other, they hated feeling so awkward.
"Sam..." Phil began. "I think we should talk."
Sam nodded. "I think you're right."
It had started the previous night, Sam, Phil, Natasha and Zain had been sat around a table for four at the Canley Arms. Natasha had offered to buy the first round of drinks as it was her first day in the job and no one objected. They talked a little about their personal lives and quite a lot about the job. Zain bought the second round and made a toast to Natasha and her new job but he was looking at Sam the whole time. Sam bought the third round and Zain offered to carry them back to the table for her. This left Phil and Natasha alone at the table together. Natasha had changed out of her suit into a pair of dark blue jeans and into a black long sleeve top with a low neckline. Phil made conversation with her while Sam and Zain were at the bar and he began to like her more and more. She and Sam were similar in many ways, they were both intelligent, attractive women and Phil liked that. When Sam and Zain came back with the drinks, he turned his attention back to Sam again. Natasha was probably a good five years younger than Sam but in Phil's eyes Sam looked more beautiful. Phil bought the next round of drinks and then they moved onto the Seven Bells.
"About last night..." Phil began, trying to look Sam in the eye but it was hard when things were so awkward.
Sam waited for Phil to continue. "I know what you're going to say."
A look of relief crossed his face. "You do?"
"It was a mistake, it never should have happened." Sam said bluntly, looking in any direction except at Phil.
"Oh." Phil said, it was quite what he had been expecting but he knew he had been foolish to get his hopes up. "I'm glad we've got that settled then." He turned and walked away, heading for the stairs and a way out of this situation.
"Wait!" Sam called, knowing that she'd hurt him but not knowing what she could do about it.
Phil turned, refusing to get his hopes up this time.
"We're still okay, aren't we?" She asked.
Phil was about to shrug but then he saw the look Sam's face.
"Of course. Just friends." He smiled wistfully before leaving for good.
Sam sighed. She knew that she had done the right thing but why was she left with such a bitter taste?
By midnight the four of them had moved onto a club and they had lost count of the amount of alcohol they had consumed. Much to Zain's disapproval Sam was dancing with Phil, he didn't have time to think twice though before Natasha pulled him up by the hand and lead him towards where all the other couples were dancing. Zain had to admit that Natasha was pretty and sexy but she did nothing for him, even with her body close against his he was still thinking about another woman; one who was equally far out of his league. Zain watched as Sam danced with Phil, their bodies pressed close together and broad smiles on their faces. He knew that the alcohol was partly to blame but Zain was surprised at how public Sam and Phil were being. He tried not to feel jealous but he couldn't help it, he knew that, if Sam gave him a chance, he would never hurt her but with Phil it was much more likely.
Zain Nadir arrived at work to see Natasha talking to Suzie about a case but there was no sign of Sam or Phil. Zain checked the rota on the wall and saw that both of them were due to be working that day and should be in by now. He was used to Phil being late but it was unusual for Sam to even be five minutes late for a shift. It made him suspicious and his detective instincts began to kick in.
At just after one o'clock Natasha said that she needed to get her beauty sleep and Zain decided to call it a night, or a morning, as well. This left Sam and Phil together, they bought themselves another round of vodka shots and laughed as they knocked back the alcohol in mouthfuls. Eventually they decided that they should probably head home to and decided to share a taxi. Sam hadn't felt this good about herself in a long time, she had only decided to come out tonight because Phil and Natasha were coming and she was glad she had. She didn't even notice when Phil's hand began to creep under the skirt she had decided to wear for their night out. By the time they reached her house, they were kissing passionately. After that Sam remembered nothing until she woke up with Phil in her bed. They had lasted four years without their relationship become sexual, they had hated each other, they had been there for each other and they had become firm friends but nothing like this had ever happened before and it looked like this was about shake the foundations of the friendship and it would either make or break their relationship.
