Living In Her Shadow
Chapter 1
Matt entered the bedroom to find Samantha moving back and forth between the dresser and a nearly full suitcase which laid open on the bed. He stopped at the foot of the bed, watching her as she placed more clothing into the suitcase. Samantha turned and started towards the dresser again without acknowledging Matt's presence.
"What's happened? What's going on?" Matt asked still following her with his eyes.
Samantha didn't answer him, she didn't look at him. She continued to take more clothing from the dresser drawer and turned back towards the bed.
Matt reached forward and closed the suitcase. "What is going on?" Where are you going?" Matt yelled, his eyes searching her face for answers. "Samantha . . . talk to me, please?" He pleaded with her.
Samantha looked down at the clothes in her arms, seemingly ashamed. "I'm leaving, Matt." She answered, still focused on the clothes.
Matt placed his hand on her arm hoping she would face him. "I can see that. Where are you going?"
"I'm staying with Jen for a while." Samantha said softly, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Why? Samantha, what is this?" Matt questioned, shocked by her response.
Samantha looked up to face Matt for the first time and her face was expressionless. She had to be strong. She had to deal with this. She had let things go on long enough. Now was the time. "I can't do this anymore. I can't stay here . . . with you." She paused, allowing him to hear what she was saying. She knew these were difficult things to hear. "We have been together for five years now and you still can't talk about our future. We fight all the time and when we aren't fighting, we barely say two words to each other. You don't even touch me anymore." Samantha looked away from Matt. She had practiced this a million times in her head and she knew this would be difficult, but it was almost too much to bear. She knew she had to hold her ground and not show signs of doubt or weakness. It was all for the best. Turning away from him, she tried to hide her tears. "I know I'm not your first choice." She started. "You're here because she's isn't . . . because she never will be. And I can accept that. I miss her too, but it's been more than seven years. Lately, I feel like you don't think of me as a friend, never mind a girl friend. It's like you don't even know I'm here."
Matt was dumbfounded. Had she felt this way all this time? Did she think their time together had been a waste? "How could you say that?" He asked, almost demanding an answer.
Samantha pushed his hand from her arms and backed away from Matt. In all the time she had known this man, she had never seen him like this, so upset. Staring at him, her eyes fixed on his, she almost didn't recognize him. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were wide. He even seemed to be bearing his teeth. This was not the gentle, kind man she had given her heart to. Samantha was frightened by this change in Matt.
Matt saw the fear and concern in Samantha's eyes. He turned his back to her. He couldn't face her like this, not until he was able to control his emotions.
Samantha was giving her dresser one last glance, making sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything when she felt Matt's left hand lightly touch the small of her back and his right hand gently massage her shoulder.
"Don't you know how much you mean to me?" He asked quietly, almost whispering.
Samantha didn't respond. She wasn't sure what to expect from him.
Matt reached around her to grab her arms. Slowly and gently, he turned Samantha to face him. "I was going to wait until tomorrow night, but I think now is just as good a time." He then lowered himself to one knee before her. She saw him take something from the back pocket of his jeans. "Samantha McAllister, will you marry me?"
Samantha pulled her eyes from his and noticed that what he had taken from his pocket was a sparkling diamond ring set delicately in a black velvet box. She was overwhelmed. She had to think. Wasn't this what she wanted? Obviously he had planned to ask her to marry him and he truly cared for her.
Chapter 1
Matt entered the bedroom to find Samantha moving back and forth between the dresser and a nearly full suitcase which laid open on the bed. He stopped at the foot of the bed, watching her as she placed more clothing into the suitcase. Samantha turned and started towards the dresser again without acknowledging Matt's presence.
"What's happened? What's going on?" Matt asked still following her with his eyes.
Samantha didn't answer him, she didn't look at him. She continued to take more clothing from the dresser drawer and turned back towards the bed.
Matt reached forward and closed the suitcase. "What is going on?" Where are you going?" Matt yelled, his eyes searching her face for answers. "Samantha . . . talk to me, please?" He pleaded with her.
Samantha looked down at the clothes in her arms, seemingly ashamed. "I'm leaving, Matt." She answered, still focused on the clothes.
Matt placed his hand on her arm hoping she would face him. "I can see that. Where are you going?"
"I'm staying with Jen for a while." Samantha said softly, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Why? Samantha, what is this?" Matt questioned, shocked by her response.
Samantha looked up to face Matt for the first time and her face was expressionless. She had to be strong. She had to deal with this. She had let things go on long enough. Now was the time. "I can't do this anymore. I can't stay here . . . with you." She paused, allowing him to hear what she was saying. She knew these were difficult things to hear. "We have been together for five years now and you still can't talk about our future. We fight all the time and when we aren't fighting, we barely say two words to each other. You don't even touch me anymore." Samantha looked away from Matt. She had practiced this a million times in her head and she knew this would be difficult, but it was almost too much to bear. She knew she had to hold her ground and not show signs of doubt or weakness. It was all for the best. Turning away from him, she tried to hide her tears. "I know I'm not your first choice." She started. "You're here because she's isn't . . . because she never will be. And I can accept that. I miss her too, but it's been more than seven years. Lately, I feel like you don't think of me as a friend, never mind a girl friend. It's like you don't even know I'm here."
Matt was dumbfounded. Had she felt this way all this time? Did she think their time together had been a waste? "How could you say that?" He asked, almost demanding an answer.
Samantha pushed his hand from her arms and backed away from Matt. In all the time she had known this man, she had never seen him like this, so upset. Staring at him, her eyes fixed on his, she almost didn't recognize him. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were wide. He even seemed to be bearing his teeth. This was not the gentle, kind man she had given her heart to. Samantha was frightened by this change in Matt.
Matt saw the fear and concern in Samantha's eyes. He turned his back to her. He couldn't face her like this, not until he was able to control his emotions.
Samantha was giving her dresser one last glance, making sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything when she felt Matt's left hand lightly touch the small of her back and his right hand gently massage her shoulder.
"Don't you know how much you mean to me?" He asked quietly, almost whispering.
Samantha didn't respond. She wasn't sure what to expect from him.
Matt reached around her to grab her arms. Slowly and gently, he turned Samantha to face him. "I was going to wait until tomorrow night, but I think now is just as good a time." He then lowered himself to one knee before her. She saw him take something from the back pocket of his jeans. "Samantha McAllister, will you marry me?"
Samantha pulled her eyes from his and noticed that what he had taken from his pocket was a sparkling diamond ring set delicately in a black velvet box. She was overwhelmed. She had to think. Wasn't this what she wanted? Obviously he had planned to ask her to marry him and he truly cared for her.