Hey guys, here is another installment, and I hope you enjoy it. I love your comments; they give me life. You are the best fans a girl can have. I write just to put a happy smile on your face. Songs that were used in this chapter are "Best for Last" by Vanessa Williams, "Missing you" by Mary J. Blige, and "Falling in Love (With my best friend)" by Matt White.
Mercedes glanced down to the ring on her finger, trying her best to stop the nerves within her. Why was she feeling these things for Sam? He was such a great guy, and she knew that, but to be honest, this was all new. Her desire for Sam was growing, and she had to figure out why. Smoothing down her knee-length Navy blue dress. She slipped into her heels and took a deep breath ruffling her curls.
Sam walked into the room and whistled. "Damn Merce, you aren't supposed to outshine the bride-to-be."
Mercedes smirked, shaking her head. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Evans."
"But seriously, Mercedes, you look beautiful. I am lucky to have you on my arm."
Mercedes blushed. "You look amazing too, Sam. We will be the hottest couple there by far."
Sam nodded. "I agree."
Sam looked at her, and she raised an eyebrow. He looked like he wanted to say something. "What is it, Sam?"
He shook his head. "Nothing, we should get going. Quinn will kill me if I am not there on time, and I, for one, am not ready to die."
Mercedes nodded, letting him lead her to the car. "So, what is the plan for tonight?"
"Well, we walk in hand in hand, and on romantic parts of the ceremony, I will look at you, and you look at me. We will make it look real."
Mercedes nodded. "Okay, I got it."
Sitting in the chair, Mercedes closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She bit her bottom lip as they rode in silence.
Sam looked over to her but then looked back to the road. As he pulled into his parent's home, Sam moved to get Mercedes out of her seat. He linked his arm with hers and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Showtime."
Mercedes tried to hide her frown as they made their way to the backyard. Mary and Yvette immediately ran to the couple.
"Mary, I told you they would be the cutest couple here."
Mary laughed and hugged them both. "You guys are just in time; the rehearsal is starting. But we need a huge favor."
Sam nodded. "Whatever you need, mom."
"Not from you, Sammy. From your beautiful fiancee."
Mercedes raised an eyebrow and looked at them. "Um, okay, how can I help?"
"Quinn and Mike hired someone to sing while Quinn was walking down the aisle. But she is nowhere to be found. Please, you are the only one we can count on."
Sam smiled. "I, for one, would love to see you up there singing baby."
Mercedes felt her eyes widen and took a breath as she knew there was no way she could really do anything but say yes. "Okay, I can do it."
Mercedes shrugged. "Lead the way."
Yvette moved towards the stage and took Mercedes's arm leading her to the front. "I haven't heard you sing in years. I am so excited. Now you should go talk to Brad and see if you both know any songs."
Mercedes did as she was told. Looking back over to Sam, who blew her a kiss. She bit her bottom lip, blushing as she looked away. Once her song was selected, she took her place and waited for her cue to start singing. Closing her eyes, she began to sing as the bridesmaids walked down the aisle with the groomsmen.
"Sometimes the snow comes down in June, sometimes the sun goes around the moon, I see the passion in your eyes, sometimes it's all a big surprise. Cause there was a time when all I did was wish, you'd tell me this was love."
She opened her eyes as she realized just how much this spoke to her soul. "It's not the way I hoped or how I planned, but somehow it's enough. And now we're standing face to face, isn't this world a crazy place, just when I thought our chance had passed, you go and save the best for last."
She looked up just as Sam walked down with Rachel clinging to him, their eyes meeting. "All of the nights you came to me when some silly girl had set you free. You wondered how you'd make it through; I wondered what was wrong with you. Cause how could you give your love to someone else and share your dreams with me. Sometimes the very thing you're looking for is the one thing you can't see."
Sam let go of Rachel's hand and took his place. His eyes never leaving Mercedes, not even when the flower girl's then Quinn started down the aisle.
"But now we're standing face to face, isn't this world a crazy place? Just when you thought our chance had passed, you go and save the best for last."
She sighed, closing her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. "Sometimes, the very thing you're looking for is the one thing you can't see. Sometimes the snow comes down in June, sometimes the sun goes around the moon, just when I thought our chance has passed, you go and save the best for last. You went and saved the best...for last."
A stunned hush went around the room as Quinn stared at Mercedes. "That was beautiful."
Dwight nodded, standing in front of the couple. "I agree; it was perfect."
Mercedes caught Sam's eyes, and she noticed something she wasn't sure what it was, but it was a look she never saw before.
As the officiant went through the motions of the wedding ceremony, Mercedes felt Rachel's eyes burning through her skull. At the end of it, she waited on the sidelines as everyone said their goodbyes. Sam walked towards her when Rachel pulled him closer to her. Mercedes moved towards them, wanting to be by if Sam needed her, but she stayed in the shadows wanted to hear what Sam had to say. Wanting to listen to what Rachel had to say too,
"Sam wait, I was hoping we could talk."
"Rachel, I have to go find Mercedes. I don't have time for whatever this is."
"Sam, you act like you don't still love me. I know you may love her, but we were together for almost a year. You can't tell me that you never loved me."
"Rachel, I am just I can't do this right now."
"You can't do this! What about me?! Do you not understand how humiliating this all is? You leave me for her?!"
"First of all, you dumped me, and second, you won't talk about Mercedes that way."
"Why does she always come first? Why can't you ever just pick me!"
"Rachel Mercedes is my person; she always will be, and it's that simple. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go."
Sam pushed past her, and Mercedes came out of the shadows. "I was looking for you, Sam; you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's go. I have a gig after all."
Sam took her hand in his and smiled. "I also want to say that you were amazing up there."
"Thanks, Sam. Hate that I was put on the spot, but I guess things just change, you know?"
Sam nodded. "So let's get going."
Mercedes watched as the crowd screamed, Sam and his guys were good, and they had the girls at the bar eating out of the palm of their hands. They just finished with another song when Sam smirked down to her before taking the mic.
"Thanks for coming out, guys. Tonight has been amazing, and we want to thank you for coming out. Before we wrap up this evening with the final song, I would like to invite my best friend up here. She has the voice of an angel. And she blessed us earlier at my sister's rehearsal, and I was hoping she would do it again. My girl has always had a talent more than this town deserved. She should show you guys why, and also show you why we won Nationals with her on the Glee club team."
The crowd cheered, but Mercedes shook her head. Sam smirked. "Come on, Merce, the crowd wants a show?"
Mercedes rolled her eyes at him as she got to the stage. "I am gonna murder you tonight, I swear."
Sam kissed her cheek and handed her the mic. She moved to sit in front of the piano. The song she was about to play had been on her mind for the last few days. One that made her wonder what in the hell was going on in her mind.
She took a deep breath and began to play.
"I'm not in love; it's just some kind of thing, I'm going through, going through, going through. And it's not infatuation, ain't nothing going on tween me and you, me and you me and you. But I dream about it every night, baby, wanting you here with me. Making love to me, and oh…."
Her eyes looked over and caught Sam's. "I'm missing you like crazy. Body and soul is aching; I'm out of control. Missing you so. I'm missing you. Missing you. I'm missing you. I'm not in love. And that's what I keep telling myself, over and over again. And I'm not the least bit amused by you, baby. Yet still, I just don't wanna be with nobody else. No, no, no. And I dream about you all the time. Touching and kissing me. And making love to me, and ohhh."
She closed her eyes. "I'm missing you like crazy, body and soul is aching, I'm out of control. I am missing you so. I am missing you so."
She shook her head, feeling this song with all of her. "God knows I'm trying to keep you out of my head. I ain't trying, no, no, no. I ain't trying to get hurt again. But there's something that just gets in my skin, and all I know is I can't let go, and that's the way it is. I'm missing you like crazy; body and soul is aching. I'm out of control. Missing you so."
Once the song ended, and the applause hit. Mercedes stood up, blushing. She took her bow, and Sam pulled her to him. "And you guys wonder why this woman is my best friend? She is beautiful, talented, and amazing."
Mercedes moved from the stage and sat back in the chair, and Sam smiled. "No idea how I am gonna top that but, let's try."
Sam grabbed his guitar and nodded to Artie, Joe, and Rory, and they began to play.
"It's so good, what we got. You and me, we love a lot. Were just friends, simple as that. I don't want it to end, but I'm falling in love with the best friend I got. They say you don't really wanna fall in love; you don't really wanna mess this up. You don't really wanna fall in love, cuz falling in love just breaks your heart. Hey, Hey!"
Mercedes glances at Sam, wondering why he chose this song. Then his eyes met hers. "If we kiss, if we touch, all of this could get rough. Ain't nothing, ain't no strings, ain't no I love you, you love me. We won't get caught up in the stuff that breaks on no. They say you don't really wanna fall in love; you don't really wanna mess this up. You don't really wanna fall in love. Cuz falling in love just breaks your heart. Hey Hey! (x3)"
Sam looks at the guitar with a frown. "Falling in love just breaks your heart; falling in love just breaks your heart." He stared up at her. "Falling in love just broke my heart."
The audience applauds, and Mercedes takes a deep breathtaking in everything she just heard. As the guys wrapped up their show, Artie walked over to her.
"So, where are you headed?"
"Back to Sam's tomorrow is the wedding, and I leave right after that."
"You know, if you are interested, you should join me for a late dinner and some fun."
Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me what I think you are?"
"I am if you say yes."
Mercedes laughed and then caught Sam's eyes. There was that look of jealously, but she wasn't sure why or what was going on. "Sorry, Artie, if I am late to the wedding, there will be hell to pay."
Artie nodded. "Okay, but I would be crazy not to ask; you are smart and sexy and talented and, well, am not blind."
Mercedes shook her head. "Flattered, but I can't."
She patted his back and walked over to Sam. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Soooooo, are you coming home with me tonight or…."
Mercedes laughed. "I am coming home Sam, we do have a wedding to go to. Let's get going."