Hello! ^-^ Moving full steam ahead with RM as promised because I really, really, reallllly want to finish this story some day and there is still way too much left to go! x_x
DISCLAIMER: Totally Spies does not belong to me. If it did this would legit be an arc on the show ending in a fancy Sam/Scam wedding and babies lol.
DEDICATION: A BIG THANK YOU TO Panthrax! You made my heart swell with glee when you said this was your favourite story! I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much again for making me smile! :)
Now where were we? ...
4:27 am - Sam's House, Sam's Bedroom
She sat in the pitch darkness as still as a statue, her eyes wide and her mouth parted as the echoes of that question tormented her over and over like the hauntings of a particularly terrifying ghost.
Was she? Could she possibly be? In love with him? With Tim? Tim Scam?
That would explain the heartbreak, the loss, the hurt, loneliness, the longing to see even just a glimpse of his face, her dreams, everything that she'd been experiencing since that day in Florence.
But then ...
"No ... " Sam whispered pale as she raised her hands and began fisting her long hair distressedly. "No, I won't. I can't!" She rambled to herself like a mental patient as she shook her head and started to whimper. She couldn't go down this road. No, there was nothing but hardships and misery on it! Nothing but pain!
Sure being away from him hurt her, hurt her ever so deeply but she was convinced that uncovering the true reason why that was would end up wounding her to the depths of her very soul. And she didn't want to break in a way that she could never be repaired. As difficult as it was to ignore, it was just better for her to do her best not to think about this. About him.
Forcing herself to lay back down and get under the covers, Sam closed her eyes and tried to stubbornly will herself back into slumber while hoping it would be a dreamless one this time.
She ignored her active mind which was still riled up from the passionate image of him and her kissing in her dream and her full bladder which begged for release, not even daring to make the short excursion to the bathroom because she was far too afraid of catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror and the possibility of seeing that her face, her expression bore a yes in reply to the question she was determined to never answer with anything other than a no.
No matter what happened.
6:15 am - Scam's Mansion, Scam's Foyer
"And ... all good to go," Tim murmured to himself as he placed his keys into his pocket of his pants, grabbed his water bottle, and made his way towards the front door.
While he moved to unlock it and let himself outside, his other hand was busied with shuffling through his iPod touch to access his workout play list and play the first song (Dream on by Aerosmith, one of his favourites). He was just about to hit play when a knock sounded telling him he had a visitor.
His eyes landing on the dark wood before him, Scam bit his cheek in thought wondering who on earth could be dropping by to see him this early? Even Darren didn't usually come around at this time because he knew this was when he always went for his morning run.
Curious he pulled the door open to find not Darren but Skylar Bradford at his doorstep with a smile on her lips that turned into a small grin upon seeing him. And he blinked in speechless surprise not having expected to see her again so soon after last night.
"Hey you," She greeted simply, raising a hand and waving at him while her blue eyes gave him a slow once-over in his form-fitting, tight black t-shirt that easily revealed an imprint of the muscular abdomen that hid just underneath it, loose sweatpants which gave an impression of long and strong legs, and sensible, slightly worn-out gray and white Adidas Ultraboost All Terrain running shoes that concealed large feet.
Her gaze becoming mesmerized while her mouth slightly parted she thought to herself that if she'd decided that he'd looked good yesterday night when she'd first seen him on that dark street and thought perhaps he wasn't even real because he was that drop dead gorgeous, then right now? Right now he looked even more incredible in the early rays of the morning sun.
Skylar finally snapped out of her distracted daze at the sound of his voice which was asking her what she was doing here so early in the morning.
"Do you want the truth ... or a lie?" She replied cryptically with a question of her own. Without giving him a chance to decide she took a step closer to him, looked him right in the eye, and continued boldly.
"If you want a lie, then I forgot my purse last night and came over to see if you might have it. But if you want the truth—"
She paused then, taking in a deep breath and putting a dazzling smile on her lips that could blind before finishing her sentence.
"I had to come here because ... I just couldn't stop thinking about you."
Skylar couldn't help but feel the pace of her heart quicken inside her chest at the way his beautiful sea green eyes widened at her flirtatious comment and at how he looked down at his feet clearing his throat cutely while the very faintest of pink streaks appeared across his jaw line at her flattery.
Glad that her words had had their intended effect on him, she was about to say something more when he spoke first saying something that left her feeling completely taken aback.
"Did uh ... Darren tell you to say that?"
A confused "huh?" leaving her lips, she stared at Tim in disbelief as he gave her somewhat of a pained but knowing half-smile and went on. "It's just that ... I know that he wanted us to meet up and this is all just going a little too well so—"
"I said it because that was how I felt ..." Skylar cut him off frowning a little both at how shockingly low his self esteem must be for such a perfect guy to find receiving a compliment suspicious and more so with how he was choosing to explain away the clear connection they'd made, the raw chemistry she'd felt between them already with their coincidentally mutual friendship with Darren Evans.
Yes he'd introduced the two of them indirectly but that was where his part ended. To be honest she'd never once thought that the Tim he kept telling her about was as ideal for her as he insisted until she'd happened to bump into him thanks to sheer luck and realized that shockingly he hadn't been lying. Tim Scam had turned out to be even better than advertised.
And now that she'd met him ...
"And I'm here because I want to be," she added firmly, reaching out and gently placing her hand on his arm as she spoke with nothing but honesty overbearing in her now gentle tone.
"Seriously Tim I swear ... after you dropped me off at my place all I could think of was you and the short time that we spent together. That bike ride we took, that meal we shared together. I ... I couldn't focus on anything else," Skylar confessed while knowing even saying that much was an understatement.
She hadn't slept last night, she'd tossed and turned as thoughts of him hadn't spared her for even a second. And even when she had tried to close her eyes he was all she could picture behind her closed lids.
"I've never known anyone like you and I just want to get to know you better." Drawing in a long breath she seemed to gather up her courage before she whispered almost timidly, as if afraid he wasn't going to like what she was going to say next.
"I was actually hoping that we could maybe spend the day together," she finally revealed the true reason behind her appearance. It was the weekend after all and she couldn't think of a better thing to do today than be with the man that had captured all her attention since first glance in a way that no one ever quite had before.
But hearing that he was still totally silent and finding him just staring at her face she worried that maybe she was getting ahead of herself, that he didn't feel that spark for her that she had for him, that he was still way too wound up over a certain someone she'd been warned about togive another girl a chance and she sighed, releasing his arm and mumbling dejectedly.
"Unless you already have other plans or of course ... don't want to."
"It's not that. You just caught me at a bad time. I was actually just on my way out," Tim thankfully said right after those words left her lips stopping her from already giving up on him.
Pointing towards his attire, he explained himself further with a small but still charming smile. "Just for some exercise. See, I take my workouts very seriously and try my best to avoid veering away from my routine. I run every morning—"
"So do I," Skylar surprised him by stating and for the very first time he noticed how she was dressed right now. Once again they looked like mirror images of each other just as they had last night in their leather jackets but this time they both wore active wear.
Skylar was wearing tight black leggings which were perfect for running in and showed off shapely, chiselled legs that could only be achieved with the devotion of a dedicated runner, a dark cropped hoodie that came up to her stomach and highlighted a toned, flat belly with sculpted abs in it, and red sneakers on her feet. Her ginger blonde hair was swept up into a messy but still neat high bun and her phone was tucked inside the running armband on her upper right arm.
"She's just like you Tim. She's absolutely perfect for you ..." Scam couldn't help but remember his best friend's words regarding Skylar that he'd heard so many times and scoffed at as he looked upon her now starting to feel differently.
Maybe, just maybe he'd been wrong about Skylar. Perhaps Darren had been the one who'd been right about whom was truly the woman meant for him. Maybe she'd been Skylar all along and not her.
But even while he had that thought, just the simple memory of her name made his heart tug inside his chest as though it was trying to jog his memory, to never let him forget that it already belonged to—
"Maybe I could join you?" Skylar proposed snapping him out of his distracted thoughts while playing with a stray lock of her hair just as cutely as she had when it'd been in a ponytail when he'd first seen her.
Somehow he found himself giving in and saying yes seeing no real reason not to. As much as he preferred to work out on his own, he didn't want to be rude to the girl who had made him truly smile last night after so long of being down in the dumps.
And he found his lips itching to smile once more when her entire face lit up at something so simple as his letting her accompany him to the park for a jog.
"Just don't slow me down, kay?" Scam smirked taking a harmless jab at her as he locked up his place and moved to break into a sprint only to have Skylar return his smirk with one of her own. A smirk that was dare he admit it, so much like his own.
He watched her as she stretched her arms behind her back and then picked up each foot and bent it back at her knee before putting them down and jogging on the spot for five seconds to get her blood pumping. When she was done warming up she glanced at him from the corner of her eye and winked mischievously.
"I could say the same thing to you ... Tim."
With that she darted off with such speed that it almost knocked him off his feet. Staring after her in awe, Scam couldn't help but be impressed. He'd never known anyone besides himself to be able to move that quickly.
"Last one there is a rotten egg!" Scam heard Skylar call out playfully and soon enough he started to follow after her intent on getting ahead and not being the slowpoke between them.
6:45 am - Streets of Los Angeles
A smile was fixed on her face as she felt the early morning breeze sift through her red tresses and dry off her sweat as she ran.
"This was exactly what I needed," Sam thought as she moved along the quiet street in her running clothes. The sounds of the soles of her shoes making contact on the cement sidewalk and her uneven breaths were the only things she could hear save for the occasional pedestrian or cyclist she passed by.
There really was nothing like getting up early and starting the day off right with a nice long run. Nothing cleared her head more than an intense workout and if this didn't work to settle her nerves then the cool shower she intended to take right after definitely would. She'd taken a route she normally didn't and had opted to leave her music at home deciding that the sights and sounds of a new running trail would be enough to keep her engaged and so far that was definitely turning out to be the case.
Spotting the sign of Elysian Park just up ahead she decided to circle through it. Her water bottle had just a few drops left in it and she could hopefully fill up again at a fountain there.
Sure enough just a few steps from the entrance was a stone drinking fountain and she slowed down into a walk and made her way to it. Sam bent down taking a long drink of the cool liquid and catching her breath before opening up her bottle and holding it under the tap while hitting the fountain pedal with her foot.
When it was full she secured the lid and was about to get back to running when she stopped dead spotting someone from the corner of her eye. A tall, muscular, absolute looker of a guy.
It was Tim Scam.
Even though she'd decided to not think about him anymore she still couldn't help but feel a small spark of joy go off inside her at having discovered his new running trail by accident. He'd stopped coming to the one through Beverly Hills Park which was nearest to her home what felt like ages ago and it was just another place she'd sorely missed seeing him at during her everyday.
Grateful for this small and unexpected gift from the universe this morning, Sam smiled to herself contentedly gazing upon him from a safe distance and attempting to get her fill of him. But her happiness was short-lived as she soon noticed that Tim wasn't alone. There was someone else with him.
A girl.
At first she naturally assumed that the young woman tailing just behind him was Taylor Hayes, his other best friend but then she noticed her hair which glowed bright under the rays of the luminous sunlight. Taylor Hayes had brown hair and this female had what was clearly blonde hair on her head. This ... wasn't Taylor.
Her emerald eyes narrowed suspiciously towards the girl when she realized that she'd never seen her before. Who was she? Some random chick who was thirstily chasing after a cute guy she'd seen while out exercising in an attempt to get his attention and his phone number?
But then when she saw Tim smile wide enough that she could easily detect it even from the fifty or so feet away that she was at and turn to converse with the girl, she realized sunkenly that she wasn't just some stranger. She and he were actually here together.
Instantly Sam flew into action and ducked behind a nearby tree. Now concealed (even though it wasn't really necessary as she hadn't been seen in the spot she'd been in before) she stared hard at the pair with her head sticking out from behind the thick trunk . With her ears strained she tried to eavesdrop on what they were saying to one another hoping to pick up a clue or two on this woman's identity.
"See? I beat you," She heard Tim taunt while he smirked his signature smirk at his company who was still gasping a little to recover her oxygen.
"Only because you're as fast as a freaking bullet!" The mystery woman whined loudly leaving him to chuckle.
When she finally stopped wheezing Sam saw her lower her eyelids halfway almost in a seductive manner and take a step to be even closer to him. Instantly red flags and warning sirens started to blare around her. And then she did something that made her blood pressure shoot up in a fraction of a second.
She touched him.
"You know something Tim? With that body and discipline you could totally be a professional athlete."
As she said that both her hands held the sides of his waist and gave it a little squeeze before proceeding to lazily roam over the entirety of his chest and with no subtlety at all, feel up the abs and muscles there.
And Sam watched with her jaw on the grass unable to bring herself to believe what she was seeing here. Why the hell was he allowing this bimbo to put her grubby hands all over him? Desecrate himself like that?! Why hadn't he pushed her off him and told her to get lost already?!
"Get off of him you slut!" Her irrational yet angry scream exploded inside her brain like an erupting volcano at the woman who was crossing the invisible line that she had no right to have drawn on a man she had no claim on but had drawn regardless.
Sam growled like an angry lioness protecting her territory from an intruder and her nails began to claw into the bark of the tree ruining the tips of her manicure but she couldn't find it in herself to care because she was much too focused on the man and woman before her who looked just a little too cozy with one another for her comfort.
And things just got a whole lot worse when she witnessed Tim respond to her caresses. She felt as though he'd slapped her across her own face as he reached out brushing back a lock of this woman's hair behind her ear ever so gently like a boyfriend would to his girlfriend in an effort to tidy her up on a windy day. And then she heard him say her name with what to her fuming ears sounded as only affection.
Skylar he called her while thanking her for her compliment and Sam felt her whole body go cold like she'd been hit with a mountain of snow out of nowhere when she recognized at last who this girl was. Because she'd only heard about her just last night from Tim's best friend's own mouth.
She was the girl that Darren had mentioned Tim was going to meet soon, the one that he'd claimed to Alex was so much like him that when he did meet her it was going to be love at first sight.
Gulping dryly Sam could only look at the two of them as they smiled, held each other close and continued talking. And as much as she wanted to disagree, as much as it pained her to admit it ... it was obvious that they were enjoying each other's company.
Raging jealousy coursed through her every vein and pore like bubbling lava. At most it had to have been what? A day since they'd met and already they were acting so inappropriately intimate with one another. Like a pair of lovebirds. Like a legit couple. Like Romeo and Juliet.
Seriously! It almost looked as though they'd been dating for weeks instead of—
Her eyes going wide Sam shook her head vehemently and harshly bit her own tongue as punishment for even going there.
Why was she being so ridiculous? They weren't on a date! They were just at the park working out together! Neighbours went to the same gym for crying out loud! Brothers and sisters followed the same exercise routines if they were effective! This didn't mean anything! Anything at all!
But regardless of adamantly deciding that that was the case despite the ease in their conversation and willingness in their physical proximity, she still found herself closing her eyes bitterly and then turning and running as fast as her legs could take her back in the direction of her home without giving either of them a single glance.
Because even if she wouldn't dare admit it with her lips, it really was just that unbearable for her to see them together.
7:39 am - Sam's House, Just Outside
The redhead grumbled to herself as she walked in through the door of her home feeling cheated. When she'd gone on her run she'd expected to come back feeling light, carefree, and with the pleasant tingling of endorphins having boosted her glum disposition but instead she was now so steamed that she could quite literally strangle someone.
Her brain easily picking a target for said strangulation, a certain blonde girl whose name started with an "S" and ended with an "R", Sam didn't care to remind herself just how illogical and insane she was being right now. Her anger at Skylar was technically unwarranted. All she'd done was met up with Tim Scam, a man that was fully single and free to see whomever he pleased. Even an attractive woman who was super into him and looked ready to devour him whole if he'd give her the chance.
What right did she have to object? None if she was being reasonable but every right to if she was really being honest.
Still shaking from her adrenaline and fury now needing that cold shower so much more right now than she'd earlier anticipated, she slammed her water bottle down hard onto the coffee table attracting the attention of her mother who'd been sitting watching her favourite breakfast show in the living room.
"Oh hello sweetheart! Back from your run?" Gabby chirpily asked her daughter only for her brow to pinch in concern at the lack of response and the expression on her Sammie's face. To say she looked upset would be a massive understatement. It looked like someone had hit her face with super glue to permanently fix that frown that was deeply set on her lips there forever and she picked up the remote to mute her show and ask if she was alright.
Had something happened while she'd been out? But then again she'd long noticed that Sam had been acting a little off ever since her birthday celebration. However whenever she'd asked her about it she'd been completely unwilling to talk.
And once more she did just that as she simply nodded a "yes" to her that she was all done running for today and wanted to take a shower. With that she swiftly began to mount the stairs up to her room stomping her feet with every step along the way much like she used to when she was throwing a temper tantrum back when she was a toddler.
Concerned Gabby wondered if she should follow her, corner her, and make her speak to her about what had her so troubled and was just about to get up from the couch when she stopped deciding against it.
Clover was already here and her Sammie was much more likely to open up to her about her issues to the girl she saw as a sister than her old mama. Especially seeing that her years of experience gave her the hunch that this had something to do with a boy.
And if she had to guess further, she'd say that he was the same one that had so openly and honestly confessed his love for her daughter on her birthday via his love letter. The same Tim.
Trusting Clover to help Sam through this and cheer her kid up like she always did, Gabby made up her mind not to pry into matters anymore just yet and resumed her show leaving the girls alone for a much needed heart-to-heart.
Finally having reached the top of the stairway Sam walked the short distance to her bedroom and opened the door intent on grabbing a towel and going straight into the attached bathroom to cleanse herself.
But she scowled when she noticed that she had something waiting there for her that she was currently in no mood for, namely company.
Clover was perched lazily on her bed, her phone held up and her arm angled towards her face, her lips in a duck face pout as she was busied with taking snapshots of herself in the natural lighting of the sun pouring in through the large, circular, bay windows of her room that the blonde had many times expressed a great liking for.
For a second Sam wondered if she could just sneak past her and into the bathroom undetected because she really wanted to be alone right now. Seeing that Clover was totally engrossed in her selfie session she decided to go for it. Tiptoeing towards her wardrobe she located her fluffy, blue, cotton towel and bathrobe. But that was as far as she got as she heard her name being called excitedly by the blonde and she cringed.
"Finally you're back! Okay so cancel whatevvvvvver plans you have for today Sammie because I just found out that Kacy's is having a secret 50% off sale in exactly 30 minutes!"
Pumping her fists up and down in the air much like a hyper child on a massive sugar rush, Clover's eyes had stars in them as she imagined all the fabulous things she was going to purchase. Kacy's was her second favourite story in the entire Beverly Hills Mall only second to Chic Boutique. From her snooping she'd learned that even Mandy didn't know about this sale yet which meant she'd get first dibs on the hottest items. This was hugely huge!
Her enthusiasm becoming dulled by Sam's uninterested mumble of "not interested" just seconds later, the blonde rolled her eyes. "Typical," she thought feeling annoyed as she stared at Sam's back which was still turned to her.
Ever since her birthday, Sam had been such a massive snooze. Save for the small outings they'd managed to drag her to, she'd only agreed to go on that one triple date with Dean which had ended with her cutting the evening short and going home hours before they'd earlier planned for her to.
And she just couldn't figure out what was wrong with her despite it being months now. Had she come down with some weird illness or gotten a personality transplant? Summer was racing away, college would soon be here and yet Sam wasn't seizing the moment.
She didn't go anywhere, didn't do anything, didn't even talk to anyone. She just stayed home like some hermit.
All. The. Time.
Well she was determined to get Sam back to normal and snap her out of this bizzaro phase she was in and that started today with this very sale.
"Um excuse me? Kacy's is like one of our faaaaaaaav stores and we are NOT missing this!" Clover declared no longer caring if Sam really wanted to go or not.
Pulling herself off the mattress she placed her hands on her hips and with a blonde eyebrow raised in her direction continued firmly. "I already told Alex and she's waiting in line for us! I just came here to get you because you didn't bother to take your phone when you went running so we couldn't tell you sooner. So come on already! Get dressed, we're going!"
Feeling the large vein in her forehead pulsing at Clover barking orders at her like she was her pet dog that she'd decided to talk for a walk and had no free will but to go, Sam felt her self control slipping away.
Whipping around with a scowl on her features she was just about to tell her bossy best friend that she needed to learn to take no for an answer when she stopped short as her eyes landed on what Clover was wearing on her neck.
It was a necklace. A very familiar looking, beautifully handcrafted, gold chain with shimmering Fleur-de-lis coins dangling from it.
Her eyes widening, her hand automatically lifted itself up and pointed right at it. "Clover ... where did you get that?"
"Hmm?" Clover replied before following Sam's finger to the trinket around her neck and grinning sheepishly. "Oh this?" Giggling now she flicked it with her finger and explained quickly. "While I was waiting for you to come back I sorta got bored so I kinda went through your room. You know just to see if you'd bought anything cute lately."
Clover shrugged not finding this to be a big deal because this was normal for her and all her friends knew that all the while failing to notice how Sam's eye was twitching as she listened to her prattle on and on.
"And I found this in the drawer of your desk. It was buried under a Physics textbook for some reason; I guess you forgot you put it in there or something? So anyway I couldn't help but notice that it was just the perfeccccct piece to add that extra pizzazz to my outfit so I borrowed it." Striking a pose she went on. "Doesn't it look just amazinggggg on me-OWWW!"
Clover yelped loud in surprise as Sam shocked her by ripping the chain off her throat mid-sentence.
Rubbing her neck to ease the stinging pain she felt from the impact, Clover shot a hot glare at the redhead and screeched. "Ouch! Wh-what the hell Sammie! What'd you do that for?!"
Sam said nothing as she just glared back at her while holding the necklace tight in her hand and frowning deeply. How dare Clover think it was okay for her to touch it without permission? This was the memento that Tim had gotten for her as a surprise upon the completion of their first mission together in Florence, it wasn't just something she'd bought at the mall and would be easily replaced if clumsy Clover lost it or broke it like she had a habit of doing. This was a gift! It was irreplaceable!
But when she noticed how Clover was still making sounds of being in discomfort and pouting, Sam finally came back to her senses.
Blinking once she stared down at the chain in her grasp and gulped slowly as she realized what she'd done. She honestly hadn't meant to hurt Clover or even take the necklace from her it had somehow just ... happened. Like it was a reflex, an instinctual move that her body made before her mind had a chance to register it. For some reason she'd snatched the jewellery like a drowning person would snatch at a lifeline.
And while she did her best to pretend that she hadn't behaved as such because she'd accepted that this necklace may very well be the last remaining link that she had left to a man that she had almost completely lost now, her hold on it remained so hard that the delicate patterns of its flowers dug deep imprints into the flesh of her palm and started to actually hurt.
Yet still she could not find it in herself to let it go.
Breathing hard and knowing she had to give Clover some excuse for her seemingly insane behaviour as she was still waiting for one with her eyes trained on her face, Sam quietly informed her that this particular necklace had been a present and that was why she didn't want anyone else wearing it besides herself.
"It was given to me by someone very special," she whispered honestly hoping that would be enough to get Clover off her back. But sadly she didn't seem satisfied with her explanation as she took a step closer to her, looked her right in the eye, and huffed out a miffed sounding retort.
"So what?!" Clover snapped like a crocodile. "You let me wear the tennis bracelet that your dad bought you for your 16th birthday and the sapphire earrings that your grandma just gave you at your high school graduation!"
Both of which had been offerings from people very special to Sam but that hadn't stopped her from lending them to her. What made this necklace so damn special that Sam had outright mauled her like a tiger for daring to wear it?
"Who's more special that they are?! Clover angrily demanded to know and Sam shrank inside herself, her head bowed down and unable to look her in the eye.
"He's nothing to me Clover … but also everything," she answered her best friend inside her head but no words would leave her lips because she still was so badly trying to remain in the dark about what Tim Scam truly meant to her.
With every second that ticked by with her rendered mute she feared that Clover was putting two and two together and she felt more and more exposed.
But then a miracle happened and the bedroom floor opened up beneath her and Clover's feet leading them down a familiar blue spiralling tunnel. They were being WOOHPed and it couldn't have come at a better time.
The precise second they landed on the uncomfortable red couch in Jerry's office, Alex noticed Clover's fuming face and immediately asked her what was wrong.
"Nothing!" Clover snorted before raising her nose up, crossing her arms over her chest and looking away but not without giving Sam another acidic glare who was busied with shoving the necklace she still held into the pocket of her yoga pants before Alex could ask about it.
"I uh ... I said no for going to the mall so she's a little mad at me," Sam tried to deflect with a small harmless shrug and fake smile but Clover immediately jumped in with an angry growl knowing full well that that was big fat lie.
"No! That's is sooo NOT what happened! I'm pissed because SAM got all aggro and acted like I was MANDY or something who had BROKEN into her house and STOLEN from her just because I BORROWED a piece of her jewellery!" She raged dramatically with her arms waving around like projectiles all the while she spat out those words.
"Whaaaaat?" Alex blinked in shock looking at Sam who was now no longer smiling and then back at Clover and asking to know more like what this jewel in question was that this disagreement had sprung over.
"A necklace!" Clover clued her in leaving Alex even more lost. Why would Sam ever get irked over that? They all routinely wore each others clothing, shoes, makeup, and accessories. That was just what besties of their level of closeness did! Unless this particular one had some kind of special meaning to Sam and that was why Clover's taking it had set her off.
"What necklace—"
"Ahem." Jerry interrupted loudly to get their attention and when they looked his way they found him standing there with a stern expression that looked tired of their squabbling.
Realizing they had to shut up about this now because they had a mission to deal with and that was way more important, they closed their mouths. But still the blonde and redhead kept firing little laser beams of antagonism at each other with their eyes all throughout Jerry's briefing about their latest case.
When they'd collected their gadgets from G.L.A.D.I.S. (Heat Sensor 6000 Infrared Motion Detector Sunglasses, Cat Fight Glove, Fiber Analyzing Lint Brush, Flashlight Ring, Friendship Ring Zirconium Tracker, and Jetpack Backpacks) it was Clover who stormed out first from Jerry's office to the underground parking where a Jet aircraft was waiting to transport them while still audibly muttering about Sam under her breath.
Once she was out of the doorway Sam aimed a dirty look into her back and shook her head to herself feeling agitated and riled up.
But then she calmed down a little bit when she realized that the perfect outlet for all her frustration had just been presented to her with this mission. She certainly was more pumped to kick someone's ass right now than she had been in a long, long time.
Changing into her green spy suit with the press of a button on her X-powder she left the office behind Alex fully believing that this mission would be just the ticket to making her feel better.
Because God did she need that right now.
1:44 pm - Spago, Beverly Hills
"Tim's not coming?" Taylor asked from in between taking bites of her Tiramisu dessert now that she was done with the Pastina chicken soup she'd ordered for lunch.
When she'd received a text asking her if she wanted to do lunch this afternoon from Darren, she'd expected Tim to also be there as the two had been joined at the hip ever since they'd been assigned to the same spy team by Jerry.
Hearing Darren shortly mumble that Tim was still with Skylar and then return to his Eggplant Parmigiana, Taylor had to do her best to suppress the long sigh she felt like letting out right now.
Every time she'd asked for Tim today she'd learned that he was tied up with Skylar. It seemed like he had almost constantly been with Skylar since he'd met her last night and she wasn't sure if that was the best thing for him to be doing. Her brown eyes glazed over in thought.
As much as she'd once wanted to be in a romantic relationship with Tim she'd finally come to terms with the fact that it wasn't going to happen for her. Tim just didn't feel the same way about her. Sadly she'd been friend zoned years ago likely from the moment Tim had accepted her into his group of friends back in Grade 9 after he'd beat her in the 10 km run at the fall Cross Country event. He'd clocked in at just 35 minutes and she'd finished in 40.
Instead of being a sore loser about her loss as he'd expected, she'd coolly told him that there was no shame in coming second behind someone like him. The knowledge that she was to face him had made her strive and push herself like never before and despite her falling short in the end, she'd still ending up increasing her speed dramatically compared to before so she hadn't walked away empty-handed from the race.
Impressed by her being such a good sport Tim had smiled, given her a nod of approval, and surprised her by handing her the 1st place trophy he'd won telling her that she'd deserved it. He'd dubbed her as "one of the guys" and it seemed that that was still how he saw her today despite it being so many years later.
His feelings for her were totally platonic, maybe even sisterly and that was all. If that wasn't true wouldn't he have turned to her now that his heart had been broken? As more than a friend and a shoulder to cry on? Like he had to Skylar Bradford?
But was Skylar right for him? Yes she had Tim smiling again (according to Darren at least) but was that smile even real? Knowing Tim as well as she did, she couldn't help but feel like he was being compelled to give Skylar a shot with him when the one he still truly wanted to be with was ... Samantha Simpson.
It wasn't even because she'd heard of his confession of love to her that had been so cruelly rejected, even before he'd said anything it had been obvious. She'd just been pretending to be blind because she'd wanted Tim for herself but honestly? Never once had she seen Tim look at a girl, look at anyone the way he looked at Samantha. With so much tenderness, so much admiration, so much … love.
"You think Tim's falling for Skylar?" Taylor found herself blurting out.
Darren looked a little stunned at the directness of her question but didn't take long to answer it.
"Of course he is," he said with a great deal of confidence. "She's just his type. She's smart, pretty, funny; what else could he want?"
"Sam?" Taylor retorted bluntly catching him off guard.
Instantly Darren's jaw twitched while he quickly grew unnerved at the mention of her again. Trying not to make a scene in a public place as he had once before thanks to her, he looked down at his plate pretending to have not heard Taylor as he started eating again in silence.
"… You know she's the one he wants Dare," Taylor continued anyway knowing that she'd hit a nerve and was speaking nothing but the truth. Tim didn't need a rebound relationship right now. Didn't Darren get it? That was all that Skylar or any other woman stood a chance at being and nothing more. Because Tim no longer had his heart up for grabs. No, he'd already given it away. All of it to Sam.
And now that he'd found his true love in this planet full of billions she wanted him to have his happy ending with her, not live with Skylar or some other random girl as a plaster on his wounds. Tim deserved better than that. So much better than that and she knew that Darren knew that too even with him acting otherwise.
"He's moved on," he insisted leaving her to roll her eyes as if telling him to get real. She reminded him that it had been just a day since he'd known Skylar, the implied message in her words being that Tim Scam nor any man was going to be getting over a girl he'd loved for months for that.
"Tim WILL move on," he almost hissed this time as if trying to get her to back off and drop this subject. But she refused to because she was just as much Tim's friend as he was and had just as much of a right to express her concern for him as he did.
"You can't replace true love like that," she cautioned but Darren only snorted and repeated the words "true love" with so much sarcasm that one could choke on it.
"Well, have you ever seen him that way about any other girl before? Well Darren?" Taylor asked demandingly leaving him to once more steal his gaze from her.
Truthfully? No he'd never seen Tim so gaga over a woman like he had been for Sam. He couldn't understand it and likely never would. Sam was pretty yes and said to be smart but he'd always felt there was some hidden reason that a man as picky as Tim, one with such high standards had fallen so quickly for her. After all it wasn't like she was the only attractive and clever girl on the entire planet, there had be something else.
But he refused to think about it. Whatever it was, it was in the past. Skylar was his future now, not Sam.
"Skylar suits Tim way more than Sam ever will," he tried to dismiss.
Listening to his naivety, Taylor couldn't help but let out a small laugh and shake her head. Why were men so stupidly ignorant sometimes? Love didn't work like that. Just because two people had a lot in common it didn't mean that they would fall in love. It wasn't as simple as adding two plus two like he was trying to make it sound.
No matter, she'd realized that Tim loved Sam and could only ever love Sam and eventually Darren would have to too. It was just a matter of time.
Paying for her half of the bill Taylor rose from her seat and tucked in her chair. Picking up her purse she was about to make her way to the exit of the restaurant when she paused and looked Darren straight in the face saying one last thing that she felt had to be said.
"She can be his friend, a very good friend. Tim may even feel drawn towards her but he'll never love her Darren. Never."
The declaration came with ease because she'd never been one to live under false pretences and she finished it just as unwaveringly. "Tim's heart belongs to Samantha, it's not available anymore. Not to Skylar, not to ... anyone."
With that she left a very pale looking Darren behind her to think about what she's said to him. And while Darren did his best not to let her comments disturb him on the surface, inside he felt himself panicking.
Could Taylor be right? Was Tim doomed to forever long for a girl whom he could never have? Would he never move on?
Feeling tormented by that thought and fearful of what it could mean for Tim's mental balance in his state of unknown fragility, he took out his phone and speed dialled Skylar's number. He just had to know if Tim had taken a real liking to her or not. If he'd gained any feelings for her whatsoever.
And there was just one way to find out.
5:55 pm - Abandoned Factory, Somewhere in Thailand
Sam was angry. No she wasn't merely angry, she was downright furious. This was not how this mission was supposed to go.
Blowing the lock of hair that was poking her eye out of her face by curling her lip inwards, Sam tried again to move her body only to fail once more as she remained trapped with zero wiggle room whatsoever.
She glanced down at the icky, thick, white, webby strands fixed to her arms, legs, looped around her waist and neck that held her prisoner in the massive spider web-like hammock on the wall just like the others.
All because of stupid Clover and her even stupider plan.
And when she heard the blonde dare to giggle and say "oopsie" as if this was just some small misstep that was funny and they weren't in big trouble now as the bad guy had just left them here to rot while he went off to complete his evil plan, she absolutely lost it.
"OOPSIE? IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF CLOVER? SERIOUSLY? OOPSIE?!"
Both Alex and Clover's heads strained to look at Sam to find the redhead's face now turned just as red as her hair and steam practically fizzing out of her ears while she looked at Clover with even more venom than a black widow could possess.
"Maybe if you hadn't been so freaking distracted by your reflection in that broken mirror, you'd have realized that your brilliant plan had us walking straight into a trap!" She ranted with needless hostility because at one point or another, all of them had been guilty of coming up with ideas that had landed them in hot water during the course of WOOHP missions. Even Sam herself, but she seemed to be ignoring that at the moment as she kept raging on and on.
"SERIOUSLY! DO YOU HAVE A BRAIN INSIDE THAT HEAD OR IS IT JUST FILLED WITH AIR? DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO USE IT FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN TRACKING SEASONAL FASHION TRENDS, CUTE BOYS' PHONE NUMBERS, AND SECRET SALES AT THE MALL?!"
Now having had enough of what she felt was Sam's unfair attack on her character and efficiency as a super spy (Like hello? She'd been the one who'd won the title of Most WOOHP-tastic Agent, not Sam!), Clover started defending herself with gusto.
"WELL I SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO COME UP WITH A PLAN IN THE FIRST PLACE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BRAINS OF THE TEAM, NOT ME!" She argued because it was true. Sam never used to expect her or Alex to come up with their plan of attack before. She used to be perfectly cool, happy even to be their tactical leader so what had changed now?
"OHHHH SO IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK YOU TO CONTRIBUTE? PAY ATTENTION AND PULL YOUR WEIGHT FOR ONCE?!" Sam only yelled pushing Clover past her tipping point.
And before she could stop herself and not seeing any reason to do so anymore seeing how downright bitchy and sanctimonious Sam was being with her, she icily said that which she'd been itching to say to the redhead for a long, long time now.
"WELL I'M SORRY SAM ... BUT I'M NOT TIM SCAM."
Dead silence from Sam was the only response that came to her words and suddenly it became so quiet in the factory that a pin could be heard falling from a mile away.
Having just the ammunition she needed now, Clover continued letting it all out, taking it all off her chest and unburdening herself.
"UGH I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I WAS SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO BE SPYING WITH US AGAIN! I REALLY THOUGHT THAT THINGS WOULD BE JUST LIKE BEFORE, THREE BESTIES FIGHTING CRIME SIDE BY SIDE BUT NOOO! I WAS WRONG! SOOO TOTALLY WRONG! YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO BE WITH US! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN US! YOU'D RATHER BE BACK WITH SCAM! ALL YOU WANT IS SCAM! ADMIT IT SAM! JUST ADMIT IT ALREADY! SAY IT! YOU WANT HIM! YOU WANT TIM SCAM! YOU WANT HIM SO SO BAD—"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH CLOVER! SHUT IT! SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Sam started screaming at the top of her lungs, her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets with how hard she was glaring while thrashing her body around in the web violently, trying to get free and looking like she was just about ready to murder Clover right then and there with her bare hands or die trying.
Her ears throbbing from all their screaming from either side of her head and feeling that this situation had blown way out of control, Alex finally cut in trying to be the much needed voice of reason and play peacemaker between the two females engaging in World War III.
"OH MY GOD, BOTH OF YOU STOP IT! ENOUGH! NOT ANOTHER WORD! WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU TWO?!"
"ME?! Clover howled in outrage. "UH, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED ALEX, IT'S SAM THAT'S ACTING LIKE A TOTAL, UTTER LOON!"
Ignoring Alex's plea she once again took a jab at Sam because she was still so furious with her so-called best friend.
"WHAT? IS IT THAT TIME OF MONTH AGAIN?!" She called out, unable to think of anything else that could make Sam PMS this much. Unless of course it was that other thing that Alex kept hinting at and right now, it definitely seemed like it with how Sam had reacted at the mere mention of his name.
She was done giving Sam the benefit of the doubt anymore when it came to this. So beyond freaking done!
"HOW DARE YOU CLOVER?!" Sam snarled incensed at the crude menstruation joke that had been directed at her.
But before she could say anything more, Alex took control of the fight and finally broke it up with her wise words.
"ENOUGH ALREADY! WE CAN DO THIS LATER! RIGHT NOW INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO BE TURNED INTO DINOSAURS AND IT'S UP TO US TO SAVE THEM! SO UNLESS ANY OF YOU HAS AN IDEA ON HOW TO GET US OUT OF HERE AND STOP DR. JURASSIC, SAVE IT FOR LATER!"
Holding up her hands the best she could in her current predicament to say that fine she was done with Sam anyway and wasn't going to be dealing with her anymore, Clover looked away crossly mumbling that they could maybe use the Cat Fight Gloves to try and claw their way out of this web. The gadget's retractable claws were supposed to be able to slice through anything.
Shuffling around in her back pocket and locating the weapon, as Clover got to work on that and made decent progress Alex turned her attention to Sam and gave her a pointed look that she understood straight away having known the raven-haired girl for as long as she had.
This conversation was going to be continued when this mission was over. They were going to talk about this fight, her constant mood swings, and Tim Scam … whether she wanted to or not.
7:37 pm - Sam's House, Main Entrance
Sam dreaded opening the door when she heard the knock on it. She'd been back home now for around an hour and she just knew that it was Clover and Alex here to confront her about what had gone down today now that they'd had a chance to distress from the mission. But luckily when she got up her nerve and unlocked it only Alex stood there.
Feeling like she had a much better shot at getting out of this now than she would have had Clover come with her, Sam remained planted right before Alex and didn't waste any time in firmly protesting her visit. "Look Alex, I really don't want to talk about today okay?"
"But you're going to," Alex shrugged unphased and simply walking around her to let herself in.
Groaning Sam closed the door and turned around to face her friend who immediately started asking her what had made her lash out at Clover in the harsh manner that she had.
"She's the reason we got stuck in that trap Alez," Sam replied crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive way and with a jaded expression that screamed that the reason for her anger was obvious and not something they had to spend so much time analyzing. After all she was reputably a dedicated spy and her being ticked off by her partner's incompetence was a valid reason enough.
Alex stared back at her for a long moment as if trying to judge how truthful she was being before surprising her when she nodded her head and seemed to drop this subject.
"Okay fine, I guess we don't need to talk about it then."
Feeling relieved Sam's mood immediately improved and she smiled, about to ask Alex if she wanted to maybe watch a movie or something. Assuming her answer to be yes, she began to make her way to the living room to pop one in the DVD player only to stop dead at the next words that she heard Alex say from behind her.
"Let's talk about something else then. Let's talk about your birthday celebration. You know? The one from two months ago in Florence where you said you yelled at Tim Scam in public because he went too far? Yea let's talk about that."
Sam stood there at a loss for words not even breathing or even daring to turn around. Even with her carefully spliced explanation of that incident, Alex had figured out that there was something missing. Something that she hadn't told them which had been the true trigger to her having that meltdown in that hotel dining room. Something that had nothing to do with anything Tim Scam had done but her own actions.
She almost jumped when Alex spoke again while slowly walking towards her. "What really happened that day Sammie? And I want the whole story this time."
Sam sharply sucked in her breath as she felt Alex stop right next to her making her feel trapped. She tried to move to get away but soon enough Alex reached out and placed her hand on her shoulder stopping her from going anywhere.
"Sammie?" She asked again patiently only for Sam to still not even make a peep.
Realizing she had to do this the hard way, Alex decided to just talk for her. She couldn't afford to let Sam take her sweet time in opening her eyes anymore, this whole situation was starting to literally destroy every aspect of her life and it needed to be dealt with now before something worse than what had already happened took place.
Taking in a deep breath she started rapid firing questions at her.
"That necklace you got mad at Clover for wearing this morning ... it came from Scam didn't it?"
Sam said nothing.
"The reason why you didn't enjoy your date with Dean last night was because you were constantly thinking of Tim Scam during it, weren't you?"
Still nothing.
"While wishing you a happy birthday in Italy ... did Scam do something inappropriate to you Sammie? Did he put his hands on you? Did he, I dunno try to kiss you or something when you didn't want him to? Did he force himself on you?"
This caused the redhead to react violently.
"No!" Sam glowered with a mixture of half disgust and half disbelief on every millimetre of her scrunched up face as if she was so wrong for even going there. "No he didn't Alex! Come on! Tim would never do something like that!"
"Then what did he do that justified your knee-jerk reaction of humiliating him in front of all those people?" Alex shouted now having successfully led her into a corner that there was no backing out of.
With how passionately she'd defended his character just now it only made it more evident that it hadn't been something he'd done at all that had made Sam lose it. She even couldn't lie that he'd told her that he'd loved her and she hadn't felt the same so she'd gotten mad at him because she hadn't learned of his feelings until she'd seen the card he'd left at her home until after she got back from Florence.
"WHAT. DID. HE. DO. SAM?!" Alex demanded to know and Sam once more forgot how to speak as she looked away staring fixedly and stubbornly at the tiles of the hardwood flooring.
But her refusal to answer with her mouth didn't stop her face from doing it for her as it turned red with clear guilt and shame.
Sam did her best to make it stop, to look stoic but all she could think of was the answer to Alex's question over and over. The airplane kiss she'd stolen from an unconscious Tim Scam replayed itself inside her head like a short film on loop and she squirmed more and more every time that it did.
And then while she stood there uncomfortably, Alex asked a question that made her gasp out loud.
"... Do you love Tim, Sammie? Are you in love with Tim Scam?"
Sam's head whipped around to look Alex's way and when she did she found her giving her a knowing look as if she already knew the answer to that question but just wanted to hear her say it.
Watching Sam look like a deer in headlights, Alex gave her a kind, encouraging smile trying to tell her that it was okay for her to admit it because she wouldn't judge her if she did.
To this day she remembered that once upon a time Sam had had very real, very strong feelings for Tim Scam when he'd been under the alias of Mac Smit, feelings which had only faded away when she'd learned he was a baddie.
So if they had resurfaced due to all the time she'd been spending with a "good" Tim Scam, the same man she'd once admired to no end then it was only natural wasn't it? She could empathize with that because were she in the same very extraordinary situation, she'd probably have fallen in love with the guy again as well.
But Alex's sympathy and understanding wavered when once again Sam chose to just staunchly deny.
"No I don't love him ALEX!" Sam hissed, seething like a wounded snake. "Why would I ever love TIM SCAM!? Ugh! Are you totally insane?!" She asked rudely as she reached out and actually started shaking her by her shoulders all the while screaming right into her face.
"AS IF I WOULD EVER FALL FOR HIM OUT OF ALL THE BILLIONS OF MEN ON THE PLANET! TIM SCAM AND ME? WHAT COULD MAKE YOU THINK SOMETHING SO STUPID? SERIOUSLY ALEX, YOU-YOU'RE AS DUMB AS CLOVER!"
Finally Alex snapped, unable to take this nonsense anymore. Glaring daggers at Sam with her amber eyes, she forcefully pushed her hands off her shoulders and took a big step back from the redhead no longer wanting to be anywhere near her.
She was so damn tired of dealing with this garbage day in and day out. Even though Sam hadn't done much to warrant it as of late, she'd come here to be a friend to her in her time of need. She'd hoped to have a civil conversation with her so she could maybe help her accept her complicated feelings for Tim Scam and figure out what to do about them like two mature adults.
Yet without Sam willing to cooperate ... there just wasn't any point in her trying. She couldn't fix this. The only one that could was Sam but she was too busy holding her hands over the blindfold she'd wilfully put on to notice how her refusal to accept the truth was affecting literally everyone. Clover, her, Darren, Jerry, WOOHP, Tim Scam … but most of all herself.
And so she gave up, feeling drained and exhausted and having had it up to her limits. She was tired of juggling her love for Darren and her friendship with Sam. She was sick of having to calm Clover down on a daily basis and deal with Sam's endless snark and attitude. She was done. Completely and totally done. From this point on, this was no longer her problem.
"FINE!" Alex screamed now past her tipping point, losing her temper in a way that she never had before.
The word echoed around the room and startled Sam with how loudly it had been stated. And while she was trying to recover, Alex stomped her way over the door in big steps and ripped it open.
She was about to just leave already when she stopped and paused in the doorway only to give a bewildered Sam one last look from over her shoulder, frowning and looking disgusted as she shouted out.
"JUST KEEP BEING A BIG DUMB IDIOT AND STAY IN DENIAL SAMMIE! THAT'LL FIX EVERYTHING!"
With that she slammed the door behind her so hard that its hinges actually shook.
And only after screaming for Alex to come back for a good five minutes and calling her several times on her cell only to get no response did Sam realize what had just happened.
Just like Clover, just like Jerry, just like Tim ... Alex had chosen to shut her out.
Sealing her eyes in pain she tossed her phone onto the couch and sighed sadly. She'd finally managed in pushing everyone away.
8:31 pm - Streets of Los Angeles, Near Skylar's Condominium
"Thanks," Skylar said as she reluctantly let go of Tim's waist and dismounted herself off the back of his motorcycle now that they'd reached her place despite her having done her best to make this journey last as long as possible.
She almost moved in slow motion as she removed the spare helmet off her head still desperately trying to cling onto the seconds they still had together, unhappy that the day had gone by at such an alarmingly fast pace.
Even though she'd spent the last 15 hours together with him, it still somehow didn't seem like nearly enough. If only she could have it her way then the gorgeous man who was presently smiling, waving her adieu and telling her to have a good night would never ever say goodbye to her.
Staring at him with enamoured eyes she once again caught herself wondering the same thing she'd been wondering since her fateful run in with him. Did he like her the way she liked him or not?
Normally she wouldn't need to know the answer to a question like that so soon after meeting a guy but ... Tim was different.
Throughout her life Skylar had dated her share of men but never had she found one so smart, so witty, and so incredibly handsome. And she knew that she was falling for him fast and hard.
"If I just had some way of knowing if he's falling for me too," Skylar thought then almost as a reflex her eyes slowly travelled a straight path down his beautiful face to land smack dab on his lips.
Staring at them fixedly she licked her own, a fierce burning desire taking over her as she remembered the phone conversation she'd had earlier. The one that had occurred while Tim had had to use the restroom when they'd stopped by The Groove to grab a quick bite for lunch:
"So how's it going with you two?"
"Great! So great! Tim's amazing, we're having such a good time!" Skylar enthusiastically replied as she couldn't stop smiling for one second thinking of all the fun she'd been having all morning and afternoon with the man in question.
But Darren's next question dimmed her mood instantly.
"Has Tim mentioned her at all?"
"Her? You mean ... Samantha?"
"Yea, her. Has she been on his mind?"
"No," she confidently stated at first but then amended her response remembering that Tim had spaced out a few times and very well could have been thinking about the girl they were discussing. It wasn't like she was mind reader that could conclusively tell what thoughts were going through his head. All she could do was hope that they were thoughts of herself and not another.
"I mean ... I don't think so. Not that I could tell anyway."
She then changed the subject. "He's really been getting to know me you know? We've been talking a lot about our family backgrounds, areas of study, stuff we like doing and just things like that. I've learned a lot about him and vice versa.
"Good. That's really good," Darren sounded pleased at this before he went silent as if thinking over something else he wanted to say.
And when he finally said it she was surprised by the words that left his mouth.
"Skylar ... has Tim kissed you yet?"
"..."
Having heard her go mute on the other end Darren quickly explained why he'd asked her such a personal and seemingly intrusive question.
"It might not seem like it right now ..." He stated knowing after his ego had taken the colossal blow that it had, Tim had grown withdrawn and uncharacteristically reserved with women. But he knew the real Tim and knew that if meeting Skylar had done anything in terms of bringing him back to life then a kiss between them would be the unquestionable proof of it. Would be evidence beyond question that he was ready ... to finally let Samantha go.
"—But Tim's not a shy guy, Sky. If he really likes a girl then he'll for sure kiss her just after the first date."
Skylar instantly picked up on the veiled meaning in his words and became nervous. Their first "date" had technically been last night. According to Darren's statement, Tim and her should have already kissed but … they hadn't. Did that mean all of the interest she was thinking that Tim had in her was just her imagination? Was fake? Or was it just friendly and platonic?
Did he like her that way ... or not?
Her blue-eyed stare on Tim's full lips intensified as the seed of doubt that had been planted into her brain ever since that conversation started to grow into a sapling and then a full on tree. And she decided she couldn't go on like this. Maybe she was being hasty and possibly a little pushy but she had to know if they had a real chance or not before she got any more invested in him.
And thanks to Darren she knew just what she needed to do to find out.
Before she could stop herself she grabbed his wrist off his motorcycle's handlebar to stop him from driving away as he'd been just seconds away from doing.
Through the tinted visor of his black helmet he gave her a questioning gaze which only turned more curious when she further delayed his departure by taking off his helmet for him and holding it captive in her hands.
"Skylar?" He said her name expectantly, clearly wanting to know what was up and why she'd done that.
Knowing she had all of Tim's attention where she needed it to be, she tucked his helmet under one of her arms before raising her free hand and letting it touch his broad shoulder. Her fingertips gently traced along the soft leather of his jacket, taking their sweet time in roaming down the entire length of his buff arm.
When she finally reached his hand she stopped and slowly intertwined her fingers with his own as she placed a half amused, half seductive smile on her lips and shrugged back at him while asking him an enticing question. One that would hopefully lead to them making out right here and right now just as she was dying to.
"So tell me ... Does it always take you this long to kiss a girl who's clearly into you or am I an exception Tim?"
"…"
Falling completely silent Scam just stared back at the blonde before him with wide eyes not having expected this. But even while he was dumbfounded, the answer to her question came easily to him.
Of course not. He was the kind of guy to always show his attraction to a woman if he felt it. Any girlfriend he'd had from the first one he could recall, he'd kissed just as soon as the opportunity presented itself. While some guys may think that making such a move so soon could be a mistake, he never did.
Because unlike many men who just needed a girlfriend for having a girlfriend's sake, he didn't waste his time dating anyone or getting into a relationship if he didn't feel something real for them.
And upon accepting that he had developed true feelings for someone, he didn't like beating around the bush. That was something that had been a rule of thumb of sorts for him when it came to his love life. Perhaps an influence of his late father who'd never spared any chance to show his mother just how much he loved her. Because he understood that every passing second was one that would never come back and the next one was never guaranteed so it was wise to take advantage of every one to show your feelings instead of wait for some special day like Valentine's or a next birthday that you may never even make it to.
Right from when he'd been a kid in Grade 6, he'd been just like his dad. He'd been brave and straightforward when it came to romance. He'd walked Katherine "Katie" Walton right to the mistletoe at their elementary school Christmas party and locked lips with her. And when that kiss had ended she'd known exactly how he felt, told him she reciprocated his feelings, and had become his very first girlfriend.
And Scam smiled to himself knowing deep down he was still that boy all this time later. If he'd truly fallen for a girl he'd kiss her. Heck if he'd spent the whole day with Sam as he just had with Skylar, then by now it was a no brainer that he would have kissed her. Kissed her breathless. Not just once but enough times to lose coun—"
He stopped dead. The smile on his face fast demolishing away as clarity all but slapped him harshly in the face.
Sam.
He still wanted ... Sam.
Even though she didn't want him.
He still wanted her.
No one but her. Not even someone like Skylar who seemed a better fit for him by all aspects and was openly interested in him. Even though he really was finding himself liking her the more that he saw her. But it just didn't seem to matter. And he had a sinking doubt that it didn't matter how much he liked Skylar because … he loved Sam. He still loved her like a madman and … always would.
Suddenly he felt ashamed. He had to do everything in his power to keep his face from giving away his epiphany all the while he cursed at himself with every insult possible for once again feeling that which he thought he'd successfully shaken off. That gaping hole in his heart that he'd attempted to stick a bandage on now throbbing violently with open pain and longing for its cure.
For one, just one person alone.
He tried to scold it to stop torturing him. What it, what he wanted could never be. Yet the insane yearning didn't give him any mercy or take any pity on him.
Frustrated by the hold she possessed on him despite her breaking his heart into bits, he knew that he had free himself once and for all for the sake of his own sanity.
He ... he had to do this. Force himself to because it was for his own good. He had to kiss Skylar even if he didn't want to. Even if he didn't see her as anything more than a new friend yet. Because if he didn't then he'd never move on from Sam.
And he had to. He so very much needed to get over her.
His jaw trembled and eyes darkened with unforgotten fury as he remembered just how much she'd humiliated him. Made an utter fool out of him. No, he couldn't wait any longer for a girl who hated him so much for no good cause. He wouldn't! Even if for some inexplicable reason deep down inside himself he felt the hate was somehow deserved. That the pain he was feeling now was just payback from some deep wound he'd inflicted on her some lifetime long long ago ...
"I can't believe I thought you were actually cool," she whispered looking broken and wounded, her emerald eyes the definition of disappointment and disbelief in both him and herself.
"You seemed so smart …" she admitted before her face contorted into one of pure, unhampered hatred as every trace of affection that had been there previously faded away.
She huffed and glared embers at him, balling up her fists. "But now I see you're just another run of the mill terrorist! We are like so—"
Scam shook his head as he fought off that heartbroken voice of hers that he'd imagined inside his head.
Bullshit. He'd never done anything to hurt her. This was all just himself still being a stupid lover boy and making excuses justifying her cruel and thoughtless actions.
Well it ended now. Right now. His hopeless obsession with Sam was in the past. He was moving on with Skylar and this was the first step that he had to take. His decision made he answered Skylar's question with actions instead of words. Using her grip on his hand, he made her gasp as he pulled her down towards him.
And then he closed his eyes, and in one swift motion crashed his mouth against her own.
Tim kissed Skylar with all the heat and ferocity that he could muster absolutely devouring her glossed lips while she moaned in bliss. He was determined to make himself enjoy this just as she was no matter what.
Regardless of how much he had to war with himself with every passing second to keep kissing her instead of break it like every fibre in his body fought to. Despite how hard he had to become deaf to ignore the sounds of his own screams which were thundering inside his head to push her away.
"This shouldn't be happening!"
"You don't love her!"
"You'll never love her!"
"She's not Sam!"
"She'll never be Sam!"
But stubbornly he kept going only kissing Skylar harder and harder hoping to change how he felt about her, adamantly attempting he'd be able to turn her from friend into something more if he just tried hard enough.
And because he was so focused on that difficult task, he never saw the girl who was standing there just on the other side of the dark street under a lamppost staring right at him, its dim lighting more than enough for her to make out his familiar features and recognize him without question when she saw his telltale black and red Agusta F4CC motorcycle that he'd once given her a ride on. The same that he currently had Skylar draped over as he keenly made out with her with reckless abandon.
Up until this moment she'd been walking around wallowing in self pity, fully believing that she couldn't possibly feel any lower, any emptier, any more worthless than she had been feeling as of late.
But she'd been wrong.
Dead wrong.
Sam couldn't even breathe as she stared unblinkingly at her worst nightmare as it played out for her in real life. Her mouth fell mouth open and tears started brimming in her shocked, torn, and bleeding emerald eyes as she felt nothing but pain as though her every sense was drowned in it. She felt as though she'd actually died and this was hell itself as she witnessed Tim Scam passionately kissing another girl right before her very own eyes.
Right then and there the missing piece of the puzzle, the very one that she'd herself been hiding clicked into place. Her blinders were torn off painfully with brute force and she knew the truth for what it was once and for all.
Her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces inside the cavern of her chest and her lips quivered as her legs buckled under her and she slid down to the cold pavement on her knees not even feeling the impact when she landed on it with a crash because it didn't compare with the tornado of grief that was ripping her apart inside out.
And the fact that she'd been trying to avoid, trying so hard to pretend wasn't true quickly became impossible to deny any longer. Sam's salty tears finally fell as she at long last defeatedly admitted it to herself.
Yes she was in love.
Deeply and desperately in love.
She was in love ... with Tim Scam.
...
...
..
AT LASTTTTTTT! I can't say how GOOD it felt to type out that last line. *breathes sigh of relief and throws confetti in the air to celebrate after waiting 10 years to get to this moment*
So, our Sammie has finally seen the light but what will it lead to? A happy ending for her and Tim? But what about Skylar? And what about Scam's anger towards Sam but most importantly his still lost but not totally gone memory? *coughhisflashbackofSamcough*
What will happen next?
*runs off to work on more updates including hopefully Proposal*
Till next time,
Cres :)