Chapter 14:
I'll Be Your Crying Shoulder.
(Freddie's POV)
We sat in the car for a few silent moments, intertwined with one another, just listening to the sound of the other's breath and the patter of rain on the roof of the car. Finally, I spoke: "Sam, just one more thing. I'm a nerd, right?"
She nodded against my chest. "The nerdiest."
"Are nerds smart?" I asked.
Another nod.
"When I say something, aren't I usually right?"
Another nod.
"Then you have to believe what I'm about to tell you, okay?"
"Okay," she mumbled. Her voice sounded exhausted.
"Sam, you're wonderful-"
She cut me off. "No, I'm not. I'm just a screwup."
"Shh. No. You're a lot of things, Sam, but a screwup isn't one of them. Even after everything you just told me, I don't see you as damaged, or scarred, or imperfect. If anything, you're more perfect to me now. You are, without a doubt, the strongest, bravest girl I have ever met." I slung my arms around her shoulders and pulled her in even closer. "And you may not believe me, but I promise it's true, and I never break a promise." She released her grip for a minute, pulling away from me, and for a split second, I was afraid that she was going to run off again, but she didn't. Instead, she pushed herself closer to me until she was literally sitting on my lap, her slight body curled up against mine.
"Why are you being so nice to me, Freddie?" she whispered, fiddling with the zipper on my jacket. "I've never been nice to you."
"Because I love you," I said simply, wrapping my arms around her waist.
"My dad said he loved me, too," she whispered pitifully, snuggling in closer.
"Samantha Riley Puckett," I said sternly, "You listen to me. None of that was your fault, do you understand?" I gently placed a hand on either side of her face and made her look me right in the eye. "The way your father treated you? I can promise you this, Sam: that wasn't love. That was a very sick man's way of dealing with his problems by taking out his anger on a defenseless little girl."
I stroked her bangs back away from her face, still staring into her blue eyes.
"But this? What I feel for you? It's real, Sam. I'm as sure of it as I have ever been of anything. I promise you that I will never love you the way your father did. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore. Please, just give me a chance to show you what love is supposed to be."
I kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, Sam. It's weird and I don't know how it happened, but I do."
"But I'm such a weak little nub, Freddie!" she whimpered. "I can't ever really tell you how I feel. I run away from all of my problems. I still have nightmares- I wake up crying sometimes, and I don't know where I am. Are you sure you can handle all of that? Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"
"Shh," I soothed, stroking her hair. "Listen: you aren't weak; you're strong. You won't have to tell me how you feel; I'll know. If you run away, I'll come after you, no matter how far. And if you have a nightmare, call me and I will comfort you." I held her tighter, arms wrapped around her scarred shoulders. "In short, the answer is yes, I can handle it, and I do know what I'm getting myself into. But do you know what you need to know?"
"What's that?"
"You are absolutely, positively worth every bit of it."
Author's Note: The title of this chapter comes from a lyric from the song "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain.
I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are welcome and appreciated! :)