Chapter 25: The Wake-up Call

She felt warm, relaxed and blissful. Her body should have felt heavy and sluggish but she felt like floating. This was heaven to her. Her fingers found another warm body right by her side and images of the previous night flashed in her mind. They had been able to get all the pain and hurt out and all the venting had given space to honesty and love. Sami smiled and moved her lips to kiss his chest which was moving constantly up and down in time with his breathing.

"Good morning", he whispered with a hoarse voice and a smile playing on his lips.

"It's a very good morning", Sami replied and moved just a little closer to him.

"Is it? Or is this just a dream?"

"This, most definitely, isn't a dream", Sami assured him by pressing small kisses on his skin between each words she said. Then she stopped. She felt a chill and fixed her eyes to his. She didn't know why the tears rushed to the corners of her eyes nor why her jaw was clenched. All Sami knew that she might lose all this, and it scared her. She still needed to tell her family the news about her and EJ, and this peace she had built with EJ the previous night was too fragile to endure any stress.

"Samantha? What's wrong?" EJ asked with concern shining through his eyes. She shook her head and tried to smile.

"Nothing. Everything but nothing right now", she stopped to catch her breath, "Nothing is wrong while I'm in your arms. The world and it's problems can wait."

"Good", he said and leaned a little closer to kiss her. Sami waited for his touch to brush away all her doubts and fears when her phone rang and EJ froze. Their lips were only a breath away from touching as the interruption brought the cold back into the room.

"You should get that", he said gazing her lips intensely.

"No", she resisted and tried to kiss him but she was too slow. He had pulled back.

"Yes you should. Your family must be worried about you and what if it's about the twins? First the phone, then the kiss."

"They can wait. I want my kiss", Sami whispered. She didn't know how to tell EJ that if she would give in and answer the phone, her worst fears might come true and that only his touch could kill those nightmares. She shook her head to rid her mind of those foolish fears and reached for the phone.

"Hello?" Her voice was bubbly. EJ leaned to lie on his back as Samantha sat next to him with her back turned to him and her fingers running up and down his naked inner thigh. She shivered and he couldn't decide why. Something had changed in her eyes as the awareness of what they had done had reached her. Was she sorry or did she worry about her family's reaction, EJ couldn't decide which it was and which would scare him more. Her undeserving family and their acceptance meant so much to Samantha and she was about to risk it all again. She would surely blame EJ if the Brady's would turn their backs on her again and despite of his best efforts, Samantha still didn't think herself worthy of unconditional love and acceptance. She was still afraid to be who she really was.

"Does it have to be now?" he heard her ask. He did his best to hide the flinch he felt at the sound of her voice. Something was about to happen and EJ knew he wouldn't like it what ever it would be.

"Okay, stop fretting about it. I'll be there. Are the twins-" her voice faded away and EJ could tell that the conversation was almost over. Sure enough a moment later he heard her say:

"I promise I'll see you there." He saw her close the phone and tossing it on her clothes before turning to dazzle him with her smile and crawling back to him.

"Now, where were we?" she asked. He smirked and reached for a sore tone as he said:

"I feel so abused."

"It's about time you did", she whispered before her final attack.