I decided to divide this chapter in half so I could post this part now since I apparently suck at posting while school is in session. I promise to try and post again before next weekend though. I guess it depends on school. :/

I love how many of you guys are quick to blame Rachel for everything. I think it's interesting seeing what everyone thinks. Is there anything in particular you want to see happen? I could work it in if it's not something random like Jesse being eaten by a shark or something. :P

Thank you all so much for your reviews and kind words. Enjoy!

As though seeing the bruises on his neck were a metaphorical slap to the face things quickly began to fall into place. Sam was always bailing on their plans. He would call and just cancel their lesbro nights without her permission! He never was able to give good reasons, just that he needed to be somewhere else. He seemed nervous and uneasy when questioned about it later. When they were together she would often find him stealing glances at his phone with a longing expression-as though he wished someone were texting him. Not just any someone apparently, he had a girl…or maybe a booty-call. Santana wasn't sure yet.

She continued to look him over. He was always more than okay with being single. He insisted that girls weren't something he was interested in at the moment. She thought it meant he was gay for the longest time. Maybe he still was? Maybe he was fooling around with a guy on the side. She snorted-there was no way that was the answer to the mystery she was trying to unveil.

"Okay," she stated before pushing him into the small chair by the island. "I needs to know who you been macking on." Sam turned an unflattering shade of red. Santana growled; she couldn't understand how someone with no game like Sam was walking around as a human hickie. "Who is it? Do I even know her?" Sam's face turned even redder. "Er, or him?"

"What?" Sam shrieked. "God, no, Santana. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not gay?" Santana shrugged her shoulders and rapped her nails lightly on the bar.

"We gots to get going so tell me the dirty details now." Sam inhaled deeply. For the first time she noticed the actual sadness in his eyes. He looked kind of defeated. She wondered if he had been broken for a while. Had she been a bitchy friend who never noticed his pain? 'Cause she was a bitch, yeah, but she did have a heart-sometimes. "Sam," she sighed, "what's going on?"

"I've been seeing the same girl for about a year." Santana smiled. Commitment from Sam was a rarity. Maybe he was finally growing up. She hoped not though otherwise she would have to go get wasted alone-and who likes to drink by themselves? Whoever the girl was must have been some sort of catch. Maybe she could steal her away from Sam. No, probably not. "She, uh, she's really special to me."

"Okay, get on with the Hallmark stuff." Sam groaned at the abrasive tone Santana's voice already held.

"I've been in love with her for-like-ever," he added. Santana's brows furrowed in thought. Before they had started their awkward attempt at dating (and before she realized the ladies were something she much rather preferred) Sam had told her all about the one girl he had truly fallen for. It couldn't be the same person though, right? Because that girl was totally married.

"Please don't tell me it's your pet mouse," she pleaded.

"Don't call her that, Santana," Sam snapped. And that's when she knew. It all made sense. He would be sneaking off with Rachel. He was doing the dirty with the midget-and not just any midget but the married one.

"Sam, how the hell did you let that happen?" She shouted before throwing a few phrases out in Spanish. He looked confused. She decided it was for the best that she didn't translate her ramblings. "She's married for Christ sake!"

"You don't think I know that?" He shouted while jumping out of his chair. His face was red again, this time out of anger rather than embarrassment. His eyes were beginning to water. She hoped he wasn't about to cry. "I know she's married. I know what we're doing is bad and wrong, but I love her." Santana chuckled dryly.

"She doesn't love you," Santana replied. It was a lie, she knew that much. She had always seen the way that Rachel looked at Sam-even back when she was the one dating Sam. She looked at him the way a woman looked at her husband, which was kind of weird since she had a husband that wasn't Sam Evans. But she needed her friend to move on and move on fast before he ended up drowning in his own vomit after a night of heavy drinking caused by his dysfunctional relationship.

It was a slap to the face and a stab to the heart hearing what Santana was saying to him. "You're wrong," he replied, index finger pointing at her accusingly. "You don't know anything about us." Santana rolled her eyes.

"Ay Dios mio," Santana growled before slamming her palms down against the table. "If she loved you then why is she not with you? I could be mistaken, maybe, but I'm pretty sure her name is Rachel St. James. Wait, I also think I was at her wedding. Oh, wait, I think you were there, too!" He blinked a few times processing everything that the Latina was telling him.

It wasn't anything he had never thought before but hearing it from someone else made the gears in his mind begin to turn again.

"I love her though," he whispered. Santana bit her lip before walking over to the boy. "You're telling me that if Brittany came back and was-"

The rest of his sentence was muffled by the resounding slap of her palm meeting his cheek. He began to rub the stinging skin gingerly before looking away sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Santana. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I didn't mean to…I just… I'm sorry, too," she replied before bowing her head. The angry looking red mark on his face was no doubt going to disappear anytime soon. "Sam, if you love someone then you do anything within your power to keep them from hurting." He looked at her and waited for her to continue. "If Rachel loved you then she would want you to be happy, and this?" She gestured around him. "This isn't you being happy."

"I am happy though. She makes me happy," he explained, pleading with her to understand. Santana tugged at his wrist and pulled him to the front door.

"This isn't happy, Sam. This is exactly where I was with Britts when she was engaged to him." Sam nodded. He had known that Santana and whoever Brittany was had shared some kind of weird past. He had also known that said girl was engaged and seeing Santana on the side.

Why had Sam never thought to really talk to Santana about things?

"If you think that Rachel really does want to be with you someday then that's great, sure, but today isn't someday. We need to find you a girl that isn't ashamed to show commitment to you now." Sam nodded, knowing that if he objected he might get slapped again or something. "Good, now we is going to gets our drinks on. I've got a friend meeting us there."

"A friend?" Sam questioned.

"For you." He groaned. "Hell Sam, maybe she'll make Berry jealous." Sam flinched. "I mean St. James," Santana added with distaste.

As he followed her out of the apartment and onto the streets of New York he realized that in some twisted way Santana had a point. He kind of expected the rain to fall out of the sky again or something upon coming to his revelation. Rachel had no intentions of leaving Jesse, and it was time that he got over it.

Sam Evans was going to start living his own life-a life where he wasn't tied down to Rachel St. James. Or, well, he told himself he would anyway.

Once they were seated in the taxi he let his mind begin to wander. Could he really attempt to date someone that wasn't Rachel? He didn't feel like he could cheat on Rachel. He loved her too much to share himself with someone else.

Upon coming to that conclusion he realized that Rachel really couldn't care about him. She had to go home to Jesse every night. They probably kissed. He didn't want to think about whether or not they did more than that. If she really loved him, Sam Evans, then she wouldn't be able to be intimate with Jesse, right?

"Santana," Sam whispered, ignoring the tears he knew were going to fall.

"Yes?" The Latina answered without looking away from the window. He assumed it was to avoid any awkwardness.

"I'm not feeling up to this tonight." He heard the girl sigh but knew she was going to cave. "I'll call you so we can reschedule." She looked at him and nodded. "But when I call, make sure your friend can come, too." Santana smiled, though it wasn't out of happiness.

"Okay. If she hasn't already fallen for me, anyway." Sam tilted his head back in laughter before instructing the cab to pull over. Santana assured him that she had the cost covered, but it didn't stop him from handing her twenty.

His hands were tucked into his blue jeans as he waited for the door to open. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, but he knew he had to see her. His face lit up upon seeing hers as the door swung open. "Sam, you're back early."

"I couldn't go. She had a date set up for me, and I just needed to be here with you," he mumbled before pushing his way inside and shutting the door behind him. "I need to be with you, Rachel," he smothered any other possible retort with his lips. "Just one last time," he mumbled to himself after pulling away.

"This weekend," she mumbled in between kisses. "Jesse called and said he wouldn't be back until Monday." He pulled back again and looked at the girl before him. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and she was wearing an over-sized shirt with sweatpants.

"You look beautiful," he whispered before re-claiming her lips with his. Anytime they spent together he wanted to be physically connected to her-whether it was a simple handhold or a lingering kiss. She pulled away long enough to send him her signature smile. "Let's run away this weekend then, just you and me. We can hide from the world." He knew he was going to end up getting his hopes up, but when it came to Rachel he was willing to risk it all. "We could just be Sam and Rachel," he added.

"Okay," she whispered before wrapping her arms around his neck and running her fingers through his hair. He melted with the action. "Okay, let's do it," she squealed with girlish glee before jumping into him, successfully wrapping her legs around his waist.

"I love you, Rachel. Only you, okay?" He asked. The brunette nodded into his neck before pressing a kiss there. He looked around the room before dread filled him. "But I can't do anything with you tonight."

"What?" Rachel asked while pulling away slightly. She admired the way he was effortlessly holding her up for a moment before returning her full attention to him. "I was looking forward to it," she finished with a pout. He chuckled before making a show of dropping her. At the last minute he pulled her back up and kissed her lightly. He knew if he started any kind of make-out session he would want to take things further, but he couldn't. He had gotten to the point where he would take Rachel any place he could have her: hotels, in the break room at his work, her dressing room (on days they were feeling particularly daring), but he refused to make love to the woman he loved in Jesse St. James' bed… the same bed the jackass shared with said woman.

"I want to. I really, really want to," he whimpered. "I'm a guy," he added, earning a glare from Rachel. "But I can't. Not here. Not when God knows what you and Jesse do within those same sheets." The brunette detached her legs from his waist and slid to the ground.

"Sam, he and I-we don't…not for a long time." Sam only nodded. Internally he was pleased to hear that the only person getting any favors of the sexual kind from Rachel was him. "But I didn't even think about how awkward this would be. Let's go to your place. We never get to hang out there."

"We were just there earlier," he stated in confusion before a thought struck him. "You know, Jesse knows that we're friends. I've been around like, forever." Rachel nodded. "So, if we were spotted eating together somewhere and pictures were taken then Jesse would know that it was just platonic, right?"

"I assume so…" The brunette arched an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

"Rachel Berry," he ignored the way her eyes lit up at the prospect of being called by her maiden name, "would you accompany to dinner and perhaps a movie? I would like to take you out on a very casual date."

"Well," Rachel replied with a grin, "I would love to."

Dinner had been alright. He couldn't take her to anywhere classy because it might look bad to the public eye. Instead they went to a pizza place that was more like a hole in the wall. The food had been nice, but what really sold Sam on the place was the lack of customers.

It was the first time he got to hold Rachel's hand in an actual restaurant. It had been pretty bittersweet. He had gotten to experience what it could be like to be Rachel's boyfriend out in public-not hidden behind her failing marriage. As they walked to the nearest theater he pondered what movie to go see. He hadn't been keeping up to date with what movies were hit and what were flops. "What do you want to see?" He questioned while pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. He fought the urge to wrap his arm around the small girl's waist and instead just walked a few feet away from her.

"Pick the movie that sounds the worst," was all that Rachel said. He scratched his gruff chin lightly.

"What? Why would I pay to see a bad movie?" Sam asked once the couple in front of him had moved on.

"Because," Rachel replied before looking around. "I don't intend on watching any of the movie," she finished before skipping ahead, leaving behind a befuddled Sam.

Once inside he knew things were going to be problematic. His mind was at war with his body. He knew that he was milking their last two days together for what they were worth. His heart was aching with each passing minute, knowing that it was one minute closer to him saying goodbye for good. He was falling apart while Rachel was running her hand up and down his thigh teasingly. He didn't his body to react to her touch, but when did his body not react to Rachel? Never, that's when. He gasped loudly when she began to play with the button of his jeans. "Rachel, stop," he whispered harshly, hoping the girl would actually listen. Instead she slid her hand down the front of his jeans and began to rub small circles over the crotch of his boxers. "Stop," he growled before grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand back out of his pants. "This is a bad idea. I can't do this," he whispered before excusing himself and running out of the darkened theater.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket in a flash and began frantically texting. He looked around the lobby for somewhere to go. He knew Rachel would follow him out; he just wasn't ready to face her. His phone vibrated in his hand.

Me: Bn alone will help me rite?
9:22
Lopezzz: In the long run. U cant move on til shes gone, sam.
9:25

He sighed. One weekend. He was giving himself one last weekend with the girl he had dreamed of forever with, the girl he had written countless songs about. He was giving himself two days of bliss with the girl he intended on spending forever with before he cut forever short.

"Sam," a voice panted behind him, "what happened? What's wrong?" He sighed, forced himself to smile, and turned around to look into worried brown orbs. He could see the emotion she felt shinning through them. He felt like breaking down in the middle of the theater. In the end it didn't matter that he promised her the world. It didn't matter that he intended on keeping that promise because she couldn't be his. How he could promise her anything when she would always belong to someone else? She would never be Sam's.

"Just for this weekend you are," he whispered to himself, ignoring the worried look she gave him. "I'm fine, Rachel. I just have a lot on my mind. I think maybe you should go home. I would take you, but I'm trying to follow the rules you gave me." He tore his eyes away from hers, forcing himself to look at the tattered shoes he was wearing.

"You're not telling me something," Rachel whispered before looking around the lobby. It was empty. Most people were in their respective movie screens waiting for something thrilling to happen. He was outside though, living his own messed up life worthy of a movie. "Sam, what's wrong?" She whispered before reaching out to hold his hand.

"Rachel, stop, we're in public," he snapped, remembering all of the times he had accidentally slipped and tried to reach for her hand or press a kiss to her forehead. He had perfected all of the moves for her. "Let's just meet up tomorrow? Do you have any idea where we're going?"

"My dads' vacation house. It's about five hours away," Rachel whispered sadly. Sam nodded before reaching for his buzzing phone again.

Me: One more weekend with her? Cn I have that?
9:28
Lopezzz: B careful.
9:34

He looked back up at Rachel. "I'm looking forward to it, Rach." She pulled her phone out and tapped something out. He kind of felt offended that she was texting someone while he was there, but he was just doing the same thing. Sam looked back down at his own phone in confusion when it vibrated. Again.

Rach: I love you. Please stay with me?
9:35

He made a chocking sound. Had she already figured out his plans? "What are you talking about?" He whispered.

"Tonight," she replied. "Hotel?" He sighed but reluctantly nodded.

Rach: Same place, same room. Come by around 10:30. I love you, baby. :D
9:37

With that Rachel walked away. To the rest of the world it looked like friends calling it a night. To him it looked like a girl ripping his heart away, for it to never be returned.

He wondered if the clerks at the hotel ever suspected anything. More often than not it was always the same young woman handing him the keycard. It had to look suspicious. He didn't care anymore, not when things with the brunette were going to be ending sooner than later.

The door to their room unlocked as soon as he swiped his keycard through; he eased himself inside, carrying one suitcase in before looking around the room. Rachel was underneath the covers, snoring lightly.

He felt happy and content just getting to watch her. He locked the door behind him before unbuttoning his pants and sliding them off. He kicked them away before pulling his t-shirt off and throwing it in the same direction as the pants.

With a yawn he slid beneath the covers and turned the lamp beside him off. Almost instantly Rachel rolled over and curled herself into his body. Even in her dreams she found him.

He just wondered why she couldn't do it while she was awake. He tightened his grip on her before dropping a small kiss to the brown tresses. "I love you," he whispered into the darkness. "I wish I could keep you."