I don't know if you guys still read this story since I haven't updated it in like years…which I really have to apologise for. My second year has been so hard thus far and I'm trying to get good enough marks so that I can start applying for international scholarships at the end of the year so that I can do my postgrad studies overseas (so please keep me in your prayers) plus, I'm kinda trying to work on a novel to publish (blushies…yeah, your girl is trying to become a published author…thus far I only have the first paragraph of the first chapter of the story on my laptop…but you got to start somewhere I guess).
Anyway, I am sorry for the long wait…I just really don't get much time for creative writing anymore. So this is my first attempt at writing after like, 4-5 months of not writing anything, so be gentle with your reviews…cause this might suck. I just need to get into writing again.
A special shout out to 'whoknowstv', girl your reviews give me life! Thank you for your messages and reviews (and sorry I don't always reply; I haven't been on here in like, forever). I keep on receiving emails from this website to notify of messages and reviews and then I'm like 'ah, I'll reply later' but fast forward and later turns into months because I forgot. I'm really sooooo sorry
Thank you to all my reviewers and readers for your understanding. I sincerely hope you enjoy this. Please excuse any mistakes; I tried to update as fast I could so there might be some minor mistakes.
Sam was inebriated.
The amount of alcohol in his bloodstream was way beyond that of the legal limit. Since finding out about Aria Sam tried his best to stay away from heavy alcohol. But now he found himself sitting on the tiled kitchen floor drinking a bottle of some overpriced foreign whisky that's name Sam did not even dare try to pronounce, straight out of the bottle and pulling a face each time the burning alcohol made its way down his throat. Next to him was his second packet of Cool Ranch Doritos and a mountain of empty wrappers that his personal chef would disapprove of since he was not getting the daily nutrients an athlete should be.
Sam brought the bottle up to his lips again resting his head against the cupboard. He closed his eyes cursing underneath his breath. He felt like a failure; like a lost failure. It was too late. Mercedes chose Matt. He blew it with her. He was doomed to spend an eternity alone and incomplete because his soul mate was with another person. He was jealous; he was angry but most of all- he was heartbroken. She should have chosen him. She should have been here in his arms laughing at his corny jokes as he peppered kisses on the skin stretched across her beautiful body that once belonged to him as he belonged to her.
"I know this will sound mean but you look pathetic my friend," a voice said interrupting his self-deprecation session. He opened his eyes to find Blaine and Mike making their way towards him wearing identical disapproving yet worried expression directed at him. Sam swallowed a groan closing his eyes in the hopes of finding nothing but air in the places they stood once he opened them again.
No such luck
It was times like these that he really wished he had never given them the code to his gate. He was in no shape nor in the mood for any company right now that did not have at least an alcohol volume percentile of 30%. Hell, if he could drink pure 100% alcohol he probably would have.
"Blaine, you have such tact," Mike said sarcastically as he sat down next to Sam. He forced the bottle out of the hands of an unwilling Sam causing some of it to spill on the floor. Sam pouted but said nothing as Mike took a sip out of the bottle before handing it over to Blaine who was now seated on the other side of Sam and proceeded to do the same.
"So we're just going to sit here and feel bad for ourselves?" Blaine asked slowly and as gently as he could.
Mike gave Blaine a look this time, politely and silently telling him to shut up. The fragile soul needed to be handled with the same amount of care as a newborn deer. Blaine lifted his arms in surrender before he brought the bottle to his lips again to stop himself from speaking. He decided to let their Asian friend have his way and try to console Sam.
"Are you okay?" Mike asked gently.
Sam shook his head.
"She chose him. She wants him. It's over."
"Hey, maybe it's a good thing. This will give you the time to focus on yourself," Mike said with painfully unconcealed false hope. "Go take this time to find the inner Sam."
"How can I be 'Sam' when a part of me is linked to her?" Sam asked staring at his lap. "I love her, Mike. I'll never love anybody the way I love her."
"Maybe-" before Mike could stutter out something to say Blaine swooped in.
"She isn't marrying him; she isn't carrying his baby. You still got the upper hand; you two of a bundle of genes and all mixed together in the beautiful shape of little Aria. There is still hope." Blaine said enthusiastically.
"She chose him," Sam whispered trying to take the bottle from her hand but she kept it out of his reach. "She saw the photo of some random girl dancing on me and she chose him."
"Make her choose you by being yourself," Mike said.
Sam looked at his best friend.
"You are a good guy, Sam. Yeah, you made some mistakes but the good thing is that you're learning from them and you're bettering yourself. And honestly, Mercedes has no right to make you feel worthless about what happened in the past. You cannot grovel anymore…you've already did that. All you can do right now is be yourself and trust me she will fall in love with you all over again. Stop over thinking every move you make and just be 'Sam'. Be her friend if you have to…just be you and be honest with her and trust me; she will choose you because you are a great guy. She knows where you stand, the ball is in her court right now, you did all you could. This is not you giving up; this is you realising that you've done everything in your power to show her how much you love her. So get your butt off the floor and wipe that look off your face."
Sam took a moment to ponder over his words. He was running out of arsenal to use to against that concrete wall surrounding her heart. Maybe his Asian friend was right; all he could now do was wait and pray. Training season was soon approaching which would put a dent in his plans anyway. He was leaving it in the hands of God. If it was the Father's will, they would find their ways back to each other. Sam was not giving up, he was just giving it to a Higher Power, because, honestly only a miracle could get through Mercedes now.
Sam sighed as he grabbed the bottle from Blaine. He struggled to his feet and stumbled to his sink to pour the contents of the bottle down the drain much to Blaine's disappointment. Honestly, that was some good alcohol he just wasted.
"Mike, are you in love with, Sam. That got uncomfortably deep there for a second," Blaine joked only to receive a playful punch on the shoulder from Mike. Sam, however, was too lost in his own thoughts to notice their banter.
"Guys, I'm going to take a shower and take a nap. I need to be alone for a while; so just let yourself out."
"I'm coming!" Mercedes calls as she takes off the boiling pot from the stove. She curses when the once compressed steam inside the pot is released when the lid shifted allowing the steam to burn the inside of her wrist. She quickly grabs a cold dishcloth pressing it on the burning flesh making her way towards her front door.
"Aria, your daddy is here!"
She finds him standing at her front door with his hands in his pocket looking like a damn Guess model. It was the first time they have seen each other face-to-face since the wedding. It was a reunion neither of them was looking forward to.
Tonight would be the first night Aria spends alone with her father. Practice was soon starting so Sam attempted to spend as much time with Aria as he could before work started and he would have to go to training camp. Mercedes was going to take the opportunity to spend some time with Matt tonight. Honestly, she was quite nervous about tonight. She'd be spending time with him alone for the first time since officially dating...no Aria to keep them on their toes.
"Come in."
Sam obliged closing the door behind him. He studied the beauty dressed in a long flowing skirt, white shirts tucked underneath and a cardigan. Her straightened hair hung over one of her shoulders.
"You look pretty," Sam says with a gentle earnest smile. "You always look pretty."
Mercedes awkwardly cleared her throat trying to ignore Sam's gaze that soon fell on the pots cooking on the stove.
"Are you expecting company?" He asked running a hand through his dark hair awkwardly.
"Yeah."
"Matt?" He asks already knowing the answer to said question.
"Yeah."
He nods but said nothing only continuing to stand in his little spot next to the door. Mercedes noticed there was something different about Sam today. He wore a badge of bashfulness. The Samuel Evans she knew was not a timid man. He was an annoyingly persistent man.
"Sam, are you okay?" She asks gently.
Sam gave her a small grin that did not even try to reach his eyes. His beautiful green gaze no longer resembled a meadow on a spring morning sparkling with innocence and beauty, today, however, his eyes looked rather dull.
"Yeah…I'm just tired, Mercedes," he explained. "I'm tired of fighting this war."
He stood in front of her looking at her with earnest eyes varnished with the unshed tears of a broken heart.
"I love you, Mercedes. I will always love you. You know that. You know where I stand. So, I'm going to give you what you want; I'm going to stop. I just hope and pray you realise that what you think you want is not what you really want. You love me; you may hate the fact that you love me, but that does not change the fact that you do."
They stared at each other for a few seconds; neither daring to say a word.
"Daddy!" his daughter shouts as she pulls the comically big bag afterwards her. She let go of the duffle bag before running towards her father oblivious to the tension between her parents. Sam picked her up painting a big smile on his face before giving his oblivious daughter a quick kiss.
"Oh Princess, I missed you so much," Sam says enthusiastically even though he felt anything but.
"I missed you too, Daddy."
While Aria proceeded to tell her father a story of her adventures in New York and LA Mercedes busied herself with her task of cooking food. Mercedes did her best to ignore Sam's eyes that would jump to her repeatedly before focusing his attention back on Aria. A knock came from the door causing Mercedes to thank the Lord above that she could escape the awkwardness threatening to suffocate her in its hold. She rushed to the door opening it to find her boyfriend.
Mathew gave Sam a polite tight smile which Sam returns once he walked into the door. Mercedes picks up Aria's forgotten bag to give to Sam. Sam looks at her with broken eyes as she leads him to the door to say goodbye.
"You be good for your Daddy, okay."
Aria nodded as she leans towards her mother to give her a goodbye kiss. Mercedes kissed her daughter avoiding the eyes of her father. Too broken to try and fight Sam left with Aria perched on his hip and clutching her duffle bag in another hand. He paints a smile on his face for Aria deciding to swallow his pain for now and just spend time with his girl who he had missed so much. He kept reminding himself that their relationship was now in the hands of God.
Mercedes stared at the man gleefully showing her around his new apartment. His face beamed with excitement as he pulled her around the apartment gifted to him by the football team wanting to draft him. The Bears were pulling out all the tricks to try and entice him. It was working. They pursued Samuel like lovers pursue their conquest, pulling out more surprises out of their magic hat much to the amazement of the witness. Mercedes tried her best to keep the fake smile rooted on her face as Sam pulled her into the kitchen.
"-I mean it's crazy, 'Cedes. They're giving me an apartment! And look at how amazing it is-"
Mercedes stopped listening as her gaze fell on the marble countertops to the shiny new appliances that Sam had no intention of ever using. Her gaze moved to her excited boyfriend, yet again, whose mouth didn't stop moving since the car ride from her dorm room. His child-like green eyes shone with the excitement of a child eating an ice cream cone for the first time, a smile painted over his beautiful soft lips. He was so happy (and rightfully so). He deserved it. Not only was Sam a naturally gifted athlete but he also worked his butt off to be drafted in the NFL. He deserved it and she was happy for him. Really she was but…but at the same time she was not. And she felt terrible about that small fact.
"'Cedes, are you okay? You've been quiet the whole afternoon," Sam said bringing Mercedes out of the kaleidoscope of thoughts occupying her mind.
Mercedes gave a tight forced smile wishing that she could honestly be as excited as he was.
"Yeah."
Sam slid up the kitchen island not let go of Mercedes' small brown hand, He opened his legs giving Mercedes room to slip in between them. He placed his hands on either side of her waist securing her in his hold.
"What's up?"
Mercedes was about to lie but the look in Sam's eyes told her not to bullshit him. She stood on her toes wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You deserve this, Sam. You've been working for this all your life and I am so happy for you, baby-"
"I see a 'but' approaching. Am I right?"
Mercedes sighed not knowing how to answer that question.
Sam placed one of his hands on her cheek silently coaxing her to continue as he stared into her liquid cocoa eyes.
"I'm….I'm not sure if I belong in this, Sam," she croaked out looking at her shoes. Sam lifted her chin forcing her to look at him. He saw insecurity written in her eyes broke his heart.
"What are you talking about, 'Cedes?"
"You're finally reaching your dreams. You are going places and I feel …like, I'm just going through the motions. I mean, I don't even know if I have the ability to finish college at this rate." She covers her face with her hands to stop him from seeing her cry. Life was not on her side at the moment. Her grades were busy slipping, her family was on her case because of it. She was fighting with one of her friends. Life sucked at the moment.
Sam kissed Mercedes with such ferocity air left her breathless. He attempted to kiss away those thoughts. All Mercedes could do was tremble in his arms. Sam's kisses were amazing. Sometimes they were short and sweet, other times they were long and passionate and they were always filled with such love. But there was something different to these kinds of ferocious kisses. They were laced with the usual passion and love but also irritation. Irritation that she would dare think those thoughts. During those kisses, he would have his hands in her hair pulling her closer drowning her under the waves of heat coming from his warm body.
"I love you, Mercedes. I want to share this life with you and only you. You were made for amazing things, Mercedes Jones-future-Evans. Don't dare doubt yourself." T
He picks up her short frame and even though Sam works out a lot Mercedes still felt somewhat uncomfortable when he picked her but before she could allow her insecurities to linger, he kissed her until she forgot her name and nationality. When she returned back to planet earth she was on his bed with him straddling her about to lose herself in the green maze of passion and desire in his eyes. In the haste of undressing each other and unravelling the threads within their bodies until they both were laying beside each other momentarily paralysed with satisfaction, neither realised nor cared, about the fact that they were not using any sort of protection.
Little did they know that nine months from now the consequences of such recklessness would result in the birth of a certain green-eyed little person.
Sam: What are you doing?
Mercedes *hisses pulling Sam down*: Be quiet before they find me.
Sam *looks around their kitchen before looking back at his wife sitting on the floor hidden behind the kitchen island eating a tub of ice cream*: Who?
Mercedes *whispers with a mouthful of ice cream*: Those evil creatures known as your children.
Sam *rolls his eyes making himself comfortable next to her*: Bit dramatic don't you think?
Mercedes: I feel like a damn mother bird; every time I hold something that resembles food they basically stare at my mouth until I give them some too. I just want to eat my damn ice cream in peace and curse like a sailor. I'm sick of family friendly language! I just want to talk like an adult for a little while. *thinks of a curse word to say* So, here it goes, I'm going to curse now- crap, damn it.
Sam *laughs sarcastically*: Yeah, let me go get the soap for that potty mouth of yours.
Mercedes *glares at him resembling an angry chipmunk with her cheeks stuffed with ice cream*: Screw you.
Sam *leans over to kiss her full cheek*: You're so adorable, babe.