Chapter Eleven: Beautiful Friendships.
Addison and Sam were both glad that for the remainder of the evening Cooper was occupied with drinking copious amounts of alcohol and retelling stories of his visit to South America. Sam was grateful for the moment he and Addison had shared a few hours earlier and found it easier to relax and enjoy the company of his friends, although unlike Charlotte, Cooper and Violet. he kept his alcohol consumption minimal, preferring to endure the flight home with a clear head. As the evening drew on the group decided to enjoy the vast garden of the hotel. As Addison and Violet took the opportunity to marvel at the mountainous scenery Cooper and Sam were left sitting on the covered veranda nursing bottles of beer.
"So, you and Charlotte, it's going to happen huh?" Sam said as he took a small swig of the beer he'd been carrying around all night.
"Yeh," smiled Cooper as he took a gulp of his beer and a smile spread across his face "Me and Charlotte. There were times when I thought, well I thought we wouldn't make it, times I didn't want us to make it, times neither of us could see past the pain we were causing each other, but you know Sam it was the pain that made me realise that I love her, it was the pain that made me realise she was worth fighting for, it was the pain that made me realise I was alive and that I wanted...needed Charlotte in my life."
Sam listened intently as Cooper unveiled his feelings, it had been a long time since the two of them had spoken properly, it had been a long time since any of them had spoken properly and he recognised that in its own way this weekend had been the roaring success Violet had hoped it would be.
"And you and Addison?" Cooper asked casually as he drained the remaining beer from the bottle in his hand.
"Me and Addison?" Sam blushed "I don't know...why would Addison..." Sam tripped over his words as he realised he had, once again, been rumbled.
"In you room earlier," Cooper began "there was something different, something I couldn't put my finger on but then this evening, watching you skilfully avoid each other, it all became clear, the stolen glances, the way you've both been avoiding each other."
Sam smiled as he thought of the way he and Addison had tried to be discreet, the way they'd tried to keep a secret from their friends but they should have known better than to think that their friends would be fooled, spending as much as time as they did with each other meant that they knew each other inside out. Sam's embarrassment left him speechless as he felt Cooper's eyes burning into him.
"I'm happy for you Sam, you deserve to be happy, you deserve happiness. It was hard Sam, for all of us, watching you and Naomi fall apart and feeling powerless to stop it but it was clear that it was for the best, you guys weren't happy, your marriage was over and continuing would only cause you both more hurt. We all only ever wanted to see you both happy Sam." Cooper explained, he and Sam hadn't talked much lately but he knew what his friend had been through in the past few months.
"Thanks Coop, Naomi and I, we never meant to involve our friends in our break up, it just all happened so quickly and I felt everything starting to slip away, spiral out of control but I have to believe that I did the right thing and I have to believe that Naomi will forgive me someday." Sam explained.
"I take it the secrecy is due to the fact you haven't told Naomi yet?" Cooper asked.
"Hmm" Sam smiled in response, it was all he needed to do to tell Cooper that telling Naomi was a mountain he and Addison were attempting to climb. "We know we need to tell her, I know I need to tell her but she was my wife, she was my choice, for all those years it was her and there is still a part of me that, an instinctive part of me, that wants to protect her, that feels the duty to protect her from things that will hurt her and that doesn't just disappear, that doesn't just fade away but I'm with Addison now and although Naomi will always be a part of my life, a part of me, I have to do what is best for Addison, what is best for me. Naomi and I, we owe it to ourselves to try and find happiness, and Addison, she's my happiness." Sam felt good as he spoke about his feelings, as he allowed himself to be honest, as he confided in his friend. Sam thought back to the start of his relationship with Addison, they had needed each other for comfort at first but then they had grown closer, he'd grown closer to her and despite the fight they'd both put up they'd come to seek something more than comfort from each other. There had been a moment when Sam had been ready to give up, when he'd been ready to admit defeat but it had been his daughter that had made him fight, it had been seeing Maya growing up, making choices , choices that didn't always suit everyone that made him realise that everyone deserved happiness and that you had go out there and secure the happiness you wanted, you had to go out there and fight for the things and for the people that made you happy.
"Naomi will understand Sam, she'll understand that Addison makes you happy, that you can't live your life for someone else. We all have to be selfish sometimes Sam, it doesn't make us bad people." Cooper reassured his friend.
Sam nodded as he digested Cooper's words, it was good to hear someone telling him he was right, supporting him.
"Thanks" Sam said simply as he took another sip of his beer.
"Well, we've both got women who are a handful," Cooper joked breaking the tension "they'll keep us on our toes."
"Yes, they will," Sam smiled "they will."
On the other side of the garden Violet and Addison were enjoying the warmth of the night air.
"Addison, I...I just wanted to say thanks" Violet began "thanks for supporting me this weekend, for...for supporting me."
"That's ok," Addison smiled, slightly taken aback by Violet's kindness "It's been a good weekend, even if Cooper has acted like a spoilt child."
"Did you see him on the assault course?" Violet smiled.
A smile radiated from Addison's lips in reply.
"And Addison, I know I may not have shown it but I am grateful for what you did for Lucas, when I wasn't here, I am grateful." Violet's words were fuelled with honesty and compassion, an honesty that made Addison uncomfortable, she had Sam now, she was happy but the months she spent with Lucas, with Pete, were months of her life that taught her who she was, months of her life that taught her what it meant to be in a family.
"Violet I..." Addison didn't know how to respond to Violet but she knew she didn't want to continue the conversation.
"Addison, I know you don't want to talk about it, that there is still a lot better left unsaid but it is important to me to tell you that I am grateful for what you did, for the way you took care of Lucas and of Pete. I know how lucky I am to get a second chance, I know how lucky I am that there were people there to look after my baby and..." Violet meant every word she said and she wanted Addison to know that whatever had happened was in the past, that it was a long time ago and that she wanted to forget the things she had done, that she was a new person now and that being friends with Addison was something she wanted. "I hope that you...that we can have a second chance to be friends... to be..."
"Violet," Addison stopped her, she knew what it took for Violet to discuss her feelings and she wanted to offer her friend support "We don't need a second chance, we're still on the first. Whilst you were away Pete and I did what we did, we turned to each other for comfort and tried to convince ourselves we were in love, that we could be in love but deep down we both knew that it was never going to be that, it was never going to be anything more than a place to hide because what we were trying to hide from, it was too big."
Violet appreciated Addison's response, appreciated the honesty she knew Addison found hard to give and she was happy that the two of them had the chance to build a good friendship.
"So," Violet said changing the subject in an attempt to clear the awkward air that hung between them "Pete says you and Sam visited Pacific Welfare the other day, looking for Naomi."
Addison smiled, she knew from the look on her face exactly what Violet ws getting at. She knew that as a woman and an employee of Oceanside Wellness that Violet was well aware of when she had unearthed a juicy piece of gossip.
"He said you wanted to talk to Naomi about something" Violet's words came with a knowing edge that told Addison she could no longer hide.
Addison couldn't prevent a smile spreading across her face at the thought of telling the first person about her and Sam, at the thought of sharing her new and exciting relationship. The smile was enough to confirm Violet's suspicions and she too couldn't help but smile as she placed a hand on Addison's shoulder.
"That's so good Addison," Violet smiled "you and Sam, I'd never of..."
"Me neither," smiled Addison "but, I don't know, I just happened and..."
"And it feels good?"Violet asked with a smile, encouraging her to expand.
"Yeh it feels good," Addison smiled, enjoying the opportunity to voice the warm feeling that was building inside her "It feels...it feels happy, safe, it feels like with Sam I can be myself, that he's already seen me, all sides of me and he still wants me and that feels good Violet, it feels good to know I'm with a man who accepts me, all the parts of me even the parts I don't like."
Leaving Charlotte, Cooper and Violet to enjoy the bar Addison retired to the sanctuary of her room, this time the knock on her door was expected as was Sam's appearance on the other side of it. This time Sam wasn't there to talk, at that point in time there was nothing more to be said and with longing and desire he gently pushed Addison into the room before wrapping his arms around her and gently lifting her feet from the floor. As she felt her feet leave the floor Addison's arms instinctively curled around Sam's neck, feeling his pulse race against her hand. Sam's lips met hers as he invited her legs to his waist and took her weight, her kiss was warm and sweet her lipstick mixing with the sweet taste of wine. Sam felt a moan emanate from his throat as Addison tilted her head to allow him access to the skin of her neck. Sam devoured the invitation whilst carefully making his way across the room and towards her bed. Addison's body responded to support the bed offered as she felt the weight of Sam's body upon her. There were no words between them, there didn't need to be ,their bodies told each other how they felt, told them that they needed each other, that they wanted each other, that they loved each other.
The next morning Sam and Addison arrived in the foyer to find their three friends very hungover, obviously they had not called it a night early enough and their drinking had continued long into the early hours of the morning. Sam, looking around at their pale faces, congratulated himself on his ability to stay sober.
"Morning" Sam smiled with a flash of smugness spreading across his face.
The only reply he got was a grumble from Cooper who, after dragging himself from his bed had managed to shove the clothes into the suitcase he was now using as a pillow.
"The flight leaves in an our guys, we need to get to the airport, the cab will be here in five minutes." Addison informed the collective lump that was Charlotte, Cooper and Violet.
Once at the airport Sam and Addison left Charlotte, Cooper and Violet in the waiting area whilst they went to the check in desk to sort out the flight and luggage.
"They make a such a cute couple" Violet slurred, caught up in her own thoughts as Sam and Addison walked away. She immediately realised her indiscretion and raised her hand to her mouth as she saw Cooper looking at her.
"It's ok, I already know," Cooper reassured her, he had meant to gloat in the privilege of knowing some gossip Violet didn't once they were back in LA but it was obvious now that he had lost his chance.
"You knew?" Violet questioned, if she'd been in a more stable state she'd have found the energy to interrogate Cooper for the information he was holding "How did you..."
"You know for intelligent people you really can be slow sometimes." Charlotte's voice came from nowhere, her words laced with an air of frustration, she had known about Sam and Addison for months, quite possibly before they did, all the late nights, after work drinks, cosy chats it was obvious there was something going on between the two of them.
"Ok, let's get you three on the plane," Sam interrupted as he came to tell them the plane was ready. As they boarded the plane Addison took a look around at her friends, the weekend, although it probably didn't seem like it to them at that moment, was a roaring success, it had given them all time to talk and to listen and to begin to understand how the events of the last few months had burnt them all in different ways. Sam was the last to enter the plane and made his way to the seat he had occupied on the outward journey, he was about to sit down when when Violet called to him from her seat next to Addison.
"Sam, you want to swap with me?" she asked, "I don't want to put Addison through the torture of seeing me try to resist throwing up all the way home." It was a lie and everyone on the place knew it but Sam was glad of the invitation to spend the flight next to Addison and accepted Violet's offer.
Within half an hour of take off Violet, Charlotte and Cooper were happily catching up on some much needed sleep. Sam turned towards Addison and smiled, he loved their friends, they'd been through a lot together and he had a feeling that, in true keeping with their lives, they'd have a whole lot more to get through when they got home. With a happiness they hadn't felt free to feel all weekend Sam and Addison enjoyed a stolen kiss in the quiet plane as they flew back towards their LA lives with a strengthened resolve that told them they could survive anything – even the wrath of Naomi Bennett.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far, please let me know if you are enjoying it and want to carry on reading it. I am enjoying writing it and am happy to carry on if there are people out there reading it.
Louise.
