After saying goodbye, she called triple A so they could fix her tire. The entire time she sat there, her mind wandered to Sam, how his flight was, how his family was doing. She wanted everything to be okay, but watching Sam walk away, watching him leave her. It felt more like an ending.
She walked around the retreat, but she really wasn't present. Her heart and her mind just wasn't in being there. Thank goodness, all the big things were done, and no one expected her to stay with Sam's sister being hurt, so she took a lonely car ride home, feeling all the emotions from the weekend. Though she held off crying until she was halfway home. She honestly had to pull over and just cry. Just let it all out, and when she did, she sent up a prayer that everything would be okay. She needed to believe everything would be because if not, her life wouldn't be the same.
As she got back onto the road, she checked her phone, waiting patiently for Sam to text or call her. She knew when Sam landed and not hearing from him, it hurt her; she hoped she would at least get a text, but nothing.
As she made it back to her home, she was incredibly lonely. It seemed every time she was with Sam, she felt so full of love and happiness, but when he left her, she was lonely.
Her house felt empty, her life felt empty, and all she wanted was for Sam to talk to her, was for him to let her know that he was okay. She pulled out her phone and sent him a text asking how the family was, but there wasn't an answer.
Dailing her mom, she closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions as her mom answered. "Hi honey, how are you?"
"I'm okay; how are the Evans?"
"They are okay. Quinn has surgery this week. Hasn't Sam called you?"
"I haven't heard from him. But I know things are busy for him."
"Honey, have you decided if you want to move to Lima or stay in New York?"
Mercedes sighed. "I don't know. I really want to be with Sam, but honestly. I am not sure where we are. If Sam and I are even going to be okay."
Yvette nodded. "Mercedes, you have to do what is best for you. And if being with Sam is what is best for you, then you know you have a great job waiting for you."
"Mom."
"No, Mercedes, you are amazing, and we would be lucky to have you. I know you wanted to make your own way, but you know I don't show favoritism. I wouldn't offer you this job if you weren't good enough for it."
"You mean that?"
"Mercedes, you are incredible, and if being in New York has made you doubt that then you need to move back home because they are obviously not showing you your worth."
As Mercedes hung up with her mom, she realized she had a lot to think about.
A whole week later, she still hadn't heard from Sam, her texts had gone unanswered, and her calls were sent to voicemail. She didn't know why he wasn't replying, but she knew he made it home. She had checked his Facebook page, and though he hadn't posted, Artie had tagged him in photos.
Hearing a knock at her door, she gave a slight smile seeing Kurt and Blaine with a bottle of wine. "How did you know?"
"My dad called about Sam; we gave you enough time to call us, but you never did, so we are here. How is Sam? His sister."
She shrugged, looking away to hide her tears. "I don't know. Sam hasn't called or texted. Plus, I think he's furious at me."
Kurt raised an eyebrow, "What? Why would he be mad at you?"
Mercedes sat down on the couch and sighed as they walked in. "Sam told me he wanted to be with me, for real that he loved me, and then we made love, and I freaked out. Totally freaked out, but honestly, I realized that I loved him too much to let go. But when I tried to tell him, his mom called about Quinn."
Kurt leaned in and hugged her. "Mercy me that man loves you. I know it, and you know it."
"Sometimes love doesn't matter."
Blaine frowned. "Merce, you should call him. No matter how stubborn he is being, he needs you."
Mercedes bit her bottom lip with a nod. Standing, she grabbed her phone and moved towards the kitchen. Dialing Sam's number, it rang a few times before his mom picked up.
"Mercedes, hi, how are you, sweetie?"
"Concerned about you guys, how are you, Q, Sam? And everyone else?"
"We are making it. Quinn's surgery went well, she's expected to make a full recovery, and they are 90 percent sure she won't have any lasting issues."
"That's great."
Mercedes sighed, and Mary continued. "So I know you called wanting to talk to Sam."
"Yeah, I haven't spoken to him all week. I was worried."
"Yeah, hold on."
Mercedes bit her bottom lip as she waited for Sam to answer, but instead, she was met with the scuffle of the phone, and then Sam's voice clear as day talking to his mother.
"I don't want to talk about her; I told you that when you stole my phone and answered it."
"Sam, she's your fiancee; you owe it to her to let her know you are okay."
"She's not! I told you it was a lie we made up."
"Please, you can lie to yourself but not to me. I know love when I see it. Talk to her."
"No, I want nothing to do with her. I told you that!"
Mercedes felt her heart sink as she fell down to the seat. She heard a door open and close and Mary asking if she was there.
"I should go, Mary."
"Mercedes, a lot has happened in the last week, probably before; Sam is just going through some things he doesn't mean it."
"He sounds like he means it."
"He almost lost his sister, and that can mess with your head."
Mercedes heard the door open again, and some whispering before Sam took the phone. "Mercedes, right now, I need to focus on helping my family."
"And I know that, Sam, but we need to talk."
"Mercedes, what I am saying is I don't want to talk to you. Don't call me again."
With that, Sam hung up the phone, and Mercedes frowned, resisting the urge to call him back. She walked back into the living room and grabbed her full glass of wine. She downed it holding the bottle refilling her glass.
Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and then looked towards Mercedes.
"What happened?" Kurt asked, pulling her to him.
"He told me not to call him again."
Mercedes didn't catch the glare Kurt gave Blaine or notice Blaine leave the room. She just put her glass down and cried herself to sleep on Kurt'sKurt's shoulder. Sam broke her heart, and now she had no idea if Sam was even her friend, let alone anything else.
Mercedes took a breath as she walked into the office Monday morning. Her mom had offered her a partnership at her firm in Lima last night, and Mercedes said she needed to think about it. Walking towards her office, Marley stopped her in her tracks.
"Mercedes, Mr. Hummel would like to see you in his office."
Mercedes nodded, heading to the man's office and knocking before entering and taking a seat.
"Ms. Jones, thank you for coming in here." Mercedes nodded as Burt continued. "We were all very impressed with the work you have been doing here, and if I am honest, the only reason you haven't been promoted is that Will had made it seem like you weren't a team player. But what we saw this weekend proved that you were."
"Sir, I have always been a hard worker, and I have respect for this place, but Will is a bad move away from this place getting a lawsuit for a hazardous work environment. He is disrespectful, rude and takes credit for my work to prop himself up. Will not only belittles me, but he is a creep."
Burt nodded. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. But to be honest, I brought you in here because I wanted to talk about your future here."
"My future."
"I want to offer you a Jr. Partner position. And if in a year you have continued to prove yourself, then we will offer you a Senior partner position." He handed Mercedes a contract, and she glanced over it. Staring at the five-year commitment, that was something she wasn't sure she could do. No, she hadn't heard from Sam, but she had planned on going to him this weekend so that she would show Sam he meant the world to her. Signing this contract meant she wouldn't move home for at least five years. Looking at Burt, she smiled.
"Thank you, this is amazing. Could I have until the end of the day to decide?"
Burt nodded. "Of course, this is a big deal, and I know you want to make the right choice for yourself."
Mercedes thanked him and made her way back to her desk. She stopped hearing her name fall from Will's lips.
"Mercedes isn't qualified to lick the dirt off my shoe, let alone be a Jr, Partner, she is going to run this Firm into the ground."
Mercedes walked into the room, staring at Will. "You are pathetic, so threatened by me that you can't even see how disgusting you are. Your wife, she must be a saint to put up with you. You are a horrible person, and to be honest with you, if I do take this position they offered me, I will make it my mission to make sure you can't do this to anyone else. And just to be clear, even if I don't take this job, I will still make it my mission."
"Just who the hell do you think you are!"
Mercedes stood tall and smirked. "I am Mercedes Jones; if you don't know, you better ask somebody cause I am not the one. Not anymore."
She turned away from him, flipping her hair as she made her way to her desk. She grabbed her phone and called Sam. It was time she took control of her life.