AN: hello my people! New chapter new chapter yay! So I updated "Years Later" and my one shot series, so please check that out.

RANDOM SHOUT OUT TIME: Please check out my fellow author Not-What-It-Looks-Like's stories! They're great and he/she (I haven't figured that out yet :p) is an amazing author. Please don't ask me why I did this, I just felt like doing it...heheh...

So...enjoy and review!

Sam's PoV:

Correction: everything was going perfectly until I saw Craig enter the diner with a girl, who was wearing a shirt that said, "I've been taken for one year now!"

Who was that girl with him? It shouldn't bother me, and it didn't. What bothered me was the girl's T-shirt, and why she was with him. Maybe she was his friend, and maybe her one year anniversary was with someone else. But why would he be here then? She didn't look like that gal pal he introduced me to. Could he be-

"Sam?" Charlie said, shaking my hand, making me jump.

"Yeah, sorry...what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything. You were saying something about your evil science teacher in middle school, and then you just kind of zoned out. Is everything alright?" He sounded concerned, which made me feel bad.

"Yes, everything's fine. I just...I thought I saw something...someone," I replied while staring at them.

"It seems to me that you're still watching that something...or someone," he said and I looked at him. Apparently he had followed my gaze and was staring at them too.

"Who are they?" He asked, but I didn't reply. I felt his intense stare on me, and I looked everywhere but at him.

"Who are they, Sam?" He asked again.

I sighed, he wouldn't let it go unless I told him. "He's my ex-boyfriend, the one I broke up with yesterday. I don't know who the girl is."

He was quiet, I looked up to see a dark expression on his face. He asked quietly, "Do you think he was..." I knew what he was talking about.

"I don't know. Maybe he was."

"How long had you both been going out?" He asked gently, like he was tending to a fresh wound.

"One and a half years last month. He was my longest relationship so far." It disturbed me how easily he could get me to talk about things I would be uncomfortable discussing with someone I barely knew. Someone like him. He didn't say anything, but I noticed that he didn't let go of my hand. I felt grateful to him, because I needed somebody's support if I wanted to stay here any longer, and Charlie gave me that support. We watched intently as a waitress brought out a "happy anniversary" cake, and they both grinned at each other. My suspicions were pretty strong now, and instead of feeling angry at him for cheating on me, I felt sorry for the girl. I wondered who he was cheating on her with. And I wondered how she would have her heart broken. He said something to her and went to the men's room. I watched the girl for a few moments, she didn't look all that bad. She was pretty, with dirty blond hair and brown eyes, and she had-wait. Was that Charlie? Why was he walking to her? Did he know her? He would have told me if he did. He walked to her and said something. The girl glanced at the men's room and replied to him. They both said something and smiled, and he walked back to our booth.

I gave him a death glare, and I swear he cringed. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" I hissed at him.

"I asked her who the boy with her was. I said I thought I recognised him from somewhere and was wondering if I had the right person. She said...she said..." Oh.

"What did she say?" I said, it came out harsher than I'd meant it to.

"She said he was her boyfriend, his name was Craig, and they're out here to celebrate their one year anniversary," he said angrily. But I had a feeling that the anger wasn't directed at me.

It took a while for that information to sink in. But when it did, it hit me like lightening. I just sat there, staring at nothing, trying to process it all. And then I got up, and said, "I have to go. I had a great time today, Charlie. Bye." Without giving him a chance to say anything, I walked out. I wasn't sure where I was going, and I wasn't sure when the tears starting coming. But before I knew it, I was in the park sobbing heavily.

I heard a familiar voice calling, "Sam! Sam!" But I didn't stop. Charlie's steps got louder, which meant he was getting closer, and soon his hand grabbed my arm tightly and stopped me. I'm not sure who reached out to hug whom first, I guess his hand sort of unintentionally yanked me into his arms. I didn't pull away, neither did he. In fact I tightened my grip on him and snuggled deep into his chest and cried, and he held me close against him. We stood there for quite some time as I cried and he rubbed my back and occasionally stroked my hair. He pulled me over to a bench in the corner, and we sat down. Fifteen minutes of crying later, I calmed down and said, "I was always loyal to him, Charlie. I got endless chances, but I never cheated. Not even a one night stand. I met so many people who were willing to be in a relationship with me, but I always refused. Then why did he do this to me?"

"I can't see why, Sam. I really can't. He is crazy to not see how amazing you are."

"Was I not good enough for him? Was I that bad that he had to cheat on me?" I started crying again, and he pulled me closer.

He made me look at him and said, "Sam, don't ever say that again. He was not good enough for you, not the other way round. You're so beautiful, and you deserve so much more."

I snuggled back into his chest and said, "It always happens. Always. I just keep asking myself, why do I, and everyone I love, pick people who treat us like we're nothing?"

He didn't say anything for a few moments. Eventually he whispered, "We accept the love we think we deserve." I was quiet. And I didn't say anything for a very long time.

"This is not the first time I've been betrayed," I whispered, hoping he would see where I was going with this.

"That doesn't mean it can't be the last time you'll ever get betrayed. I promise, you'll find someone someday. And this person will be honest with you, and he'll love you the way you deserve to be loved. Don't lose hope, Sam."

"When? When will I find someone who will be honest with me? How will I find him?"

"You'll know. You'll see him, and even in the most trying times, you'll see him and everything will be okay. And you'll know that he loves you and he would know that you are a gorgeous woman. And to him, you'll be the most gorgeous woman in the world," he said.

I shook my head and said, "No. I don't think I can. I don't think I can love someone again. I'm sorry. I can't. I'm tired of falling, Charlie. I'm tired of falling hard, and I'm tired of getting hurt. I'm sorry." He sighed heavily.

He said, "Don't apologise, Sam. I understand. I know how much it hurts when you love somebody and they just throw you away. It hurts so bad." It surprised me when he said that. He was generally the happy and optimistic person, but now he sounded damaged and hurt. I had a hunch that I was not the only one who had been betrayed.

"What happened?" I asked him in a gentle whisper. He said nothing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Charlie."

"No, it's okay. It happened last year, right at the beginning. We had been together for almost two years, I had never been with someone that long. I loved her very much, she meant a great deal to me. I had been noticing her strange behaviour for almost six months. The first four months I thought I was hallucinating, but then she started to get seriously weird for those two months. She would zone out, snap at the simplest of things. That's when I realised that something was wrong. I probably wouldn't have done anything about it, if not for my friends, who saw her at the club with...someone. An ugly showdown happened, and she...she told me...that she never loved me. I haven't dated anyone ever since, despite my friends telling me to move on and date girls. I don't mean anything bad by this, but that's the reason why my friend Michael told me to bring a date to the party. So, I understand that you feel this way, and it's okay." I felt a tornado of emotions go through me after he finished talking. I felt extremely grateful and relieved that he understood that I didn't want to go out with anyone, and I felt devastated that someone as wonderful as him was treated that way. He didn't deserve this; getting cheated upon by the girl he loved, and then just when he started moving on, he got rejected by me before we even started anything.

"You'll find someone, Charlie. Someone a million times better than me," I said.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you deserve it. Believe me, any girl would kill to have you as her boyfriend." He laughed at my compliment, which for some reason made me smile.

"Or maybe I'll just die a single man," he said. I pretended to think about it.

"No, I don't think the ladies will let you stay that way for very long. I think I'll die a single woman."

"I don't see how. But let's not think about it. I get bad thoughts." He said uncomfortably, and I laughed, having almost forgotten about everything.

"Like what?"

"Firstly, it makes me want to be with you very bad, but don't worry about that. Secondly, I get bad visions of old age that I'd rather not describe," he said. I stiffened ever so slightly at his comment about wanting to be with me, but I ignored it and managed another laugh.

"I think we'll be fine...single or taken," I said, looking up at him.

He smiled and said, "We'll be fine."

AN: two updates! You're welcome XD you didn't see that coming (the rejection part. I guess everyone saw the cheating thing coming) did you? Heheh I'm evil... MWOOOHAHAHAHAHA.

Anyway...tell me if you liked this chapter...and stuff like that...

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