A/N: This is the last real chapter. 22 will be the short, sappy ending (because I am cheezy lol) and then the epi. Enjoy!
**********
Sam was sitting quietly at her kitchen table the next morning paying bills and sorting her other mail. The reception had finished around midnight, and it had been another few hours before the clean up was finished. They had seen Matt and Amy off on their 'honeymoon', and Sam had went home and crashed. She was reading when there was a knock at the sliding screen door. She looked up to see Ronnie standing there, looking nervous. "Can I come in?"
"Sure. Have a seat." She did. "What's going on?"
"I really need to talk to you, Sam."
"OK, shoot."
She took a deep breath. "I am in love with Shane." Sam started to interrupt. "Please let me finish." Sam nodded. "I'm in love with him. And so are you. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. They, and I, also know that he feels the same about you. I told you once that you never knew the entire story about what happened between me and Shane."
"I remember."
"I cheated on him because I didn't want to have to break up with him, and I didn't want him to break up with me."
Sam gave her a confused look. "I don't understand."
Ronnie sighed. "He has been in love with you for a very long time Sam. I knew it, and I should have done the adult thing and told him that I knew, but I couldn't. And I agreed to go back out with him because I was jealous. I was still in love with him, even though I knew it could never work. Besides, the only reason he asked me was because you agreed to go on a date with Randy."
"You mean I have been miserable because none of us are adults?"
"What about Randy?"
"He isn't Shane." Ronnie nodded and stood.
"I'm breaking it off this afternoon. Don't miss this opportunity Sam. You two are perfect for each other." She opened the door, but Sam stopped her.
"Thank you Ronnie."
"Your welcome, Sam. Just be happy." She left, and Sam continued to sit quietly at the table. Unbeknownst to her, Randy, who had stayed in the guest room last night, had heard the entire conversation.
**********
Shane answered his door when he heard the knock. "Hey, Ronnie, come on in." He went to kiss her, but she backed away. He shrugged and sat down with her at the table.
"Shane, I need to say all of this before you say anything, ok?"
"OK."
"I am in love with you. Totally, completely in love with you. But you aren't in love with me. You're in love with Sam, who feels the same way about you, I'm sure of it. Yes, I cheated on you four years ago. Because I was a coward and couldn't break up with you to your face, because even then I could see how you felt about her. So obviously, we can't see each other anymore. And I have no doubt that Sam will soon be single. So take advantage of that Shane." She stood up, walked around the table, and kissed him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow Shane." She then walked out the door while Shane still sat there, speechless.
**********
Sam got up a few minutes later and went to find Randy. The door to his room was ajar, so she went in and sat in the chair across from the bed. She picked up his balled up sock and tossed it at him. "Wake up sleepyhead!"
"I'm up, Sam."
She was a bit taken aback by his tone. "Oh, sorry." He sat up and looked her in the eye.
"You're in love with Shane." He didn't say that any particular way, he just made a statement.
"I....well...yes, Randy, I am."
He stood and gave her a weak smile. "I think I've known that for awhile. I just couldn't admit it." He pulled a shirt on and went to the door. "But if he hurts you Sam, I'll be the one helping Matt and Jeff kick his ass."
She laughed. "I don't think that will be necessary, Randy. But thanks...for everything."
**********
Randy and Sam hung out for most of the day, just having fun as friends. When she heard a knock at the door, she wasn't sure who it could be, but was surprised to see Shane.
"Shane, hey." She pulled back the door and he came in.
"Hey, can you talk?"
"Of course." They went into the living room, and Sam could see that Randy had left them with some privacy. They both sat on the couch. 'So what's on your mind?"
"Ronnie broke up with me this afternoon."
"Shane, I'm sorry." 'Yeah,' she thought, 'that she didn't do it before.'
"Me too." 'That I ever got back with her to begin with.'
"Don't feel too bad, Randy broke up with me too." Shane moved a little closer to her.
"Did he say why?"
She nodded, and Shane's hand came up to caress her cheek. "Did Ronnie tell you why?"
He nodded, but said nothing. They were inches from touching when they heard the holler from the kitchen.
"Hey everybody, we're back!" Amy yelled as she and Matt came in the house. Sam and Shane sprung apart and went into the kitchen. "Guys, you look kind of flushed."
Sam shook her head and glared at Amy. "We're fine thanks."
Shane cleared his throat. "So, how was it?"
Matt got a huge grin on his face. "Fabulous. That's all I'm saying."
Sam laughed at that. "That's all you'll say, but what about the Mrs.?"
"Details will come at a later time." After Amy said that it quieted down. Amy thought it was obvious what was going on between Sam and Shane, but she needed the entire story first. "Sam, wanna go get some ice cream?"
"Yeah." They walked out quickly, leaving Shane to get grilled by Matt.
**********
As she got in the car, Sam remembered that Randy was still upstairs, so she pulled out her cell and called his.
"Hello?"
"Hey Randy, I'm sorry. Amy and I just left, but Matt and Shane are still there."
"It's no big deal Sam. See you when you get back."
"Bye Randy." She hung up the phone and sighed. "Amy, I am going to go crazy if I don't tell him. He consumes my every thought."
"You want to get it ready tonight?"
"Oh yeah."
**********
Sam and Amy came back to the house to find Matt and Shane gone. They holed themselves up in the office and got Sam's 'project' ready. Amy left a little while later, with the promise that she was headed to Shane's to deliver it. She was at his house just a few minutes later. He answered the door shortly after she knocked.
"Hey, shouldn't you be home with your husband?"
"I should, but I need to do this first. Can I come in?"
He pulled back the door. "Of course." She came in and handed him the package she was holding. "What's this?"
"Something you need to read and listen to, and then figure out what you want to do about it. I'll see you later." She turned and left. He shook his head and turned the package over. All it said was his name, but he recognized Sam's handwriting. He opened it to find a small folded note and a CD. He popped the CD in and sat down with the note. It said: "Shane- Our friends, though we both love them dearly, have big mouths, so I am sure you know how I feel. And if by some miracle you don't know, then the CD should tell you. You also know that I am a corny, helpless romantic, so I couldn't have told you any other way. Play the CD now Shane. Love, Sam." He did just that, hitting play. When the song was over, he had tears in his eyes, and a plan in his head. Tomorrow night, he would have her right back where she should be- in his arms.
**********
A/N: The song, and all other details will be revealed in the next chapter. I am a hopeless romantic, so I had to end this on a cheesy note, but I think it will be ok. I hope so!
Lisa
**********
Sam was sitting quietly at her kitchen table the next morning paying bills and sorting her other mail. The reception had finished around midnight, and it had been another few hours before the clean up was finished. They had seen Matt and Amy off on their 'honeymoon', and Sam had went home and crashed. She was reading when there was a knock at the sliding screen door. She looked up to see Ronnie standing there, looking nervous. "Can I come in?"
"Sure. Have a seat." She did. "What's going on?"
"I really need to talk to you, Sam."
"OK, shoot."
She took a deep breath. "I am in love with Shane." Sam started to interrupt. "Please let me finish." Sam nodded. "I'm in love with him. And so are you. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. They, and I, also know that he feels the same about you. I told you once that you never knew the entire story about what happened between me and Shane."
"I remember."
"I cheated on him because I didn't want to have to break up with him, and I didn't want him to break up with me."
Sam gave her a confused look. "I don't understand."
Ronnie sighed. "He has been in love with you for a very long time Sam. I knew it, and I should have done the adult thing and told him that I knew, but I couldn't. And I agreed to go back out with him because I was jealous. I was still in love with him, even though I knew it could never work. Besides, the only reason he asked me was because you agreed to go on a date with Randy."
"You mean I have been miserable because none of us are adults?"
"What about Randy?"
"He isn't Shane." Ronnie nodded and stood.
"I'm breaking it off this afternoon. Don't miss this opportunity Sam. You two are perfect for each other." She opened the door, but Sam stopped her.
"Thank you Ronnie."
"Your welcome, Sam. Just be happy." She left, and Sam continued to sit quietly at the table. Unbeknownst to her, Randy, who had stayed in the guest room last night, had heard the entire conversation.
**********
Shane answered his door when he heard the knock. "Hey, Ronnie, come on in." He went to kiss her, but she backed away. He shrugged and sat down with her at the table.
"Shane, I need to say all of this before you say anything, ok?"
"OK."
"I am in love with you. Totally, completely in love with you. But you aren't in love with me. You're in love with Sam, who feels the same way about you, I'm sure of it. Yes, I cheated on you four years ago. Because I was a coward and couldn't break up with you to your face, because even then I could see how you felt about her. So obviously, we can't see each other anymore. And I have no doubt that Sam will soon be single. So take advantage of that Shane." She stood up, walked around the table, and kissed him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow Shane." She then walked out the door while Shane still sat there, speechless.
**********
Sam got up a few minutes later and went to find Randy. The door to his room was ajar, so she went in and sat in the chair across from the bed. She picked up his balled up sock and tossed it at him. "Wake up sleepyhead!"
"I'm up, Sam."
She was a bit taken aback by his tone. "Oh, sorry." He sat up and looked her in the eye.
"You're in love with Shane." He didn't say that any particular way, he just made a statement.
"I....well...yes, Randy, I am."
He stood and gave her a weak smile. "I think I've known that for awhile. I just couldn't admit it." He pulled a shirt on and went to the door. "But if he hurts you Sam, I'll be the one helping Matt and Jeff kick his ass."
She laughed. "I don't think that will be necessary, Randy. But thanks...for everything."
**********
Randy and Sam hung out for most of the day, just having fun as friends. When she heard a knock at the door, she wasn't sure who it could be, but was surprised to see Shane.
"Shane, hey." She pulled back the door and he came in.
"Hey, can you talk?"
"Of course." They went into the living room, and Sam could see that Randy had left them with some privacy. They both sat on the couch. 'So what's on your mind?"
"Ronnie broke up with me this afternoon."
"Shane, I'm sorry." 'Yeah,' she thought, 'that she didn't do it before.'
"Me too." 'That I ever got back with her to begin with.'
"Don't feel too bad, Randy broke up with me too." Shane moved a little closer to her.
"Did he say why?"
She nodded, and Shane's hand came up to caress her cheek. "Did Ronnie tell you why?"
He nodded, but said nothing. They were inches from touching when they heard the holler from the kitchen.
"Hey everybody, we're back!" Amy yelled as she and Matt came in the house. Sam and Shane sprung apart and went into the kitchen. "Guys, you look kind of flushed."
Sam shook her head and glared at Amy. "We're fine thanks."
Shane cleared his throat. "So, how was it?"
Matt got a huge grin on his face. "Fabulous. That's all I'm saying."
Sam laughed at that. "That's all you'll say, but what about the Mrs.?"
"Details will come at a later time." After Amy said that it quieted down. Amy thought it was obvious what was going on between Sam and Shane, but she needed the entire story first. "Sam, wanna go get some ice cream?"
"Yeah." They walked out quickly, leaving Shane to get grilled by Matt.
**********
As she got in the car, Sam remembered that Randy was still upstairs, so she pulled out her cell and called his.
"Hello?"
"Hey Randy, I'm sorry. Amy and I just left, but Matt and Shane are still there."
"It's no big deal Sam. See you when you get back."
"Bye Randy." She hung up the phone and sighed. "Amy, I am going to go crazy if I don't tell him. He consumes my every thought."
"You want to get it ready tonight?"
"Oh yeah."
**********
Sam and Amy came back to the house to find Matt and Shane gone. They holed themselves up in the office and got Sam's 'project' ready. Amy left a little while later, with the promise that she was headed to Shane's to deliver it. She was at his house just a few minutes later. He answered the door shortly after she knocked.
"Hey, shouldn't you be home with your husband?"
"I should, but I need to do this first. Can I come in?"
He pulled back the door. "Of course." She came in and handed him the package she was holding. "What's this?"
"Something you need to read and listen to, and then figure out what you want to do about it. I'll see you later." She turned and left. He shook his head and turned the package over. All it said was his name, but he recognized Sam's handwriting. He opened it to find a small folded note and a CD. He popped the CD in and sat down with the note. It said: "Shane- Our friends, though we both love them dearly, have big mouths, so I am sure you know how I feel. And if by some miracle you don't know, then the CD should tell you. You also know that I am a corny, helpless romantic, so I couldn't have told you any other way. Play the CD now Shane. Love, Sam." He did just that, hitting play. When the song was over, he had tears in his eyes, and a plan in his head. Tomorrow night, he would have her right back where she should be- in his arms.
**********
A/N: The song, and all other details will be revealed in the next chapter. I am a hopeless romantic, so I had to end this on a cheesy note, but I think it will be ok. I hope so!
Lisa