Daniel was in shock. Sam had never yelled at him before.
He wanted to believe he had heard her correctly. He wanted to think that he had understood what she had said. If he was right, she had just told him that while she didn't want to be with him, she didn't want anyone but him.
He couldn't believe how stupid and foolish he had been. Maybe she loved him and maybe she didn't. It shouldn't have mattered.
He suddenly realized that she had just run out his door. "Damn it," he muttered as he jumped up and banged his leg into the coffee table, knocking over both still-full cups of coffee.
He raced out the front door, leaving it open behind him. He could still hear her footsteps on the stairs as he ran after her.
"Sam," he called out. "Sam, wait!"
Her footsteps kept going, and he shouted louder, "Sam!! Please stop!" He was probably waking up half his neighbors, but he didn't care. He could deal with their complaints. He couldn't deal with losing Sam.
He came out the front door and looked to where she had parked her car earlier in the night. He was relieved to see that it was still there. He rushed over to it, hoping she would talk him. As he approached, he expected it speed away, but it didn't. When he got close enough to look inside the windows, he saw there was no one inside.
*********************************************************
Sam was frustrated with the lock, she wanted to break it. She tried to stop crying so that she could see, but the fact that should couldn't only made her cry harder, which made it more impossible to see. She knew she had to get away from her car. If she didn't he would come down any second and find her there. She also knew she couldn't run away. He would just see her running and chase after her.
She hurried across the street, hiding in the deep shadows of the bushes. As she turned around, she saw that Daniel already outside, running in her direction. She held her breath and hoped he hadn't seen her.
She covered her mouth and nose to muffle the sounds and allowed herself to breathe again when she saw him stop at her car and look inside. Once he saw she wasn't there, he turned in every direction, searching for her.
She stood still as stone; she couldn't let him find her. She didn't want face him or have to keep pretending that she didn't love him. Worst of all, she didn't want him to see how much she really did love him. She feared it was already too late for that. She had foolishly blurted out everything she had been trying to hide, and storming out of his apartment in tears hadn't helped either.
"Sam," he called out gently. "Sam, where are you?"
Her tears continued to fall and she was now shaking, but she stayed out of sight.
His voice got louder. "Sam, please come out." He turned in circles looking for her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. Please come out!"
He put his head down on her car, and Sam thought she might be able to get away without him noticing. But before she had a chance to move, he lifted his head and began walking back toward his apartment. Sam thought he was giving up and going inside, but he simply turned and sat down on the sidewalk.
"You may as well come out now, because I'm going to sit here until you do!"
Determined not to give up her hiding spot, she remained motionless.
*********************************************************
"Please, Sam," he begged her. He had to find her to be certain that she was all right. He hated himself for what he had done, and now all he wanted to do was to fix it.
"Sam, I know you're out here!" He was lying. He didn't know. She could have had a greater head start on him than he thought, and she had already run too far away for him to see. A taxi could have happened by, and she had taken it home.
Still the possibility that she was outside his apartment somewhere was the greatest. Not only that, but he simply felt that she was there. He was determined to get her to come out. He wasn't sure what he would say to her when she did, but he knew he had to say something. He couldn't just leave things the way they were.
"I'm gonna keep shouting until you come out!" He was becoming exhausted, and he knew he could be shouting his lungs out to no one. He laid back on the sidewalk with his knees up and tears running down his face.
*********************************************************
Daniel screamed louder than Sam had ever thought possible. The emotion in his voice was overpowering. She'd never thought he could love her this much, but here he was screaming like a lunatic in the middle of the night for her.
She saw lights coming on upstairs. Window curtains moved aside and faces poked out to see what was going on. Somebody was probably going to call the police, and the last thing she wanted was for him to go to jail for disturbing the peace.
She took a deep breath to compose herself and stepped out of her hiding spot. Her bare feet moved silently across the cold ground. As she came within a few feet of him she spoke quietly. "I couldn't unlock my door."
He sat up quickly at the sound of her voice. When he saw her, he scrambled to his feet and hurried to close the distance between them. He wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"I'm an idiot, Sam."
He wanted to believe he had heard her correctly. He wanted to think that he had understood what she had said. If he was right, she had just told him that while she didn't want to be with him, she didn't want anyone but him.
He couldn't believe how stupid and foolish he had been. Maybe she loved him and maybe she didn't. It shouldn't have mattered.
He suddenly realized that she had just run out his door. "Damn it," he muttered as he jumped up and banged his leg into the coffee table, knocking over both still-full cups of coffee.
He raced out the front door, leaving it open behind him. He could still hear her footsteps on the stairs as he ran after her.
"Sam," he called out. "Sam, wait!"
Her footsteps kept going, and he shouted louder, "Sam!! Please stop!" He was probably waking up half his neighbors, but he didn't care. He could deal with their complaints. He couldn't deal with losing Sam.
He came out the front door and looked to where she had parked her car earlier in the night. He was relieved to see that it was still there. He rushed over to it, hoping she would talk him. As he approached, he expected it speed away, but it didn't. When he got close enough to look inside the windows, he saw there was no one inside.
*********************************************************
Sam was frustrated with the lock, she wanted to break it. She tried to stop crying so that she could see, but the fact that should couldn't only made her cry harder, which made it more impossible to see. She knew she had to get away from her car. If she didn't he would come down any second and find her there. She also knew she couldn't run away. He would just see her running and chase after her.
She hurried across the street, hiding in the deep shadows of the bushes. As she turned around, she saw that Daniel already outside, running in her direction. She held her breath and hoped he hadn't seen her.
She covered her mouth and nose to muffle the sounds and allowed herself to breathe again when she saw him stop at her car and look inside. Once he saw she wasn't there, he turned in every direction, searching for her.
She stood still as stone; she couldn't let him find her. She didn't want face him or have to keep pretending that she didn't love him. Worst of all, she didn't want him to see how much she really did love him. She feared it was already too late for that. She had foolishly blurted out everything she had been trying to hide, and storming out of his apartment in tears hadn't helped either.
"Sam," he called out gently. "Sam, where are you?"
Her tears continued to fall and she was now shaking, but she stayed out of sight.
His voice got louder. "Sam, please come out." He turned in circles looking for her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. Please come out!"
He put his head down on her car, and Sam thought she might be able to get away without him noticing. But before she had a chance to move, he lifted his head and began walking back toward his apartment. Sam thought he was giving up and going inside, but he simply turned and sat down on the sidewalk.
"You may as well come out now, because I'm going to sit here until you do!"
Determined not to give up her hiding spot, she remained motionless.
*********************************************************
"Please, Sam," he begged her. He had to find her to be certain that she was all right. He hated himself for what he had done, and now all he wanted to do was to fix it.
"Sam, I know you're out here!" He was lying. He didn't know. She could have had a greater head start on him than he thought, and she had already run too far away for him to see. A taxi could have happened by, and she had taken it home.
Still the possibility that she was outside his apartment somewhere was the greatest. Not only that, but he simply felt that she was there. He was determined to get her to come out. He wasn't sure what he would say to her when she did, but he knew he had to say something. He couldn't just leave things the way they were.
"I'm gonna keep shouting until you come out!" He was becoming exhausted, and he knew he could be shouting his lungs out to no one. He laid back on the sidewalk with his knees up and tears running down his face.
*********************************************************
Daniel screamed louder than Sam had ever thought possible. The emotion in his voice was overpowering. She'd never thought he could love her this much, but here he was screaming like a lunatic in the middle of the night for her.
She saw lights coming on upstairs. Window curtains moved aside and faces poked out to see what was going on. Somebody was probably going to call the police, and the last thing she wanted was for him to go to jail for disturbing the peace.
She took a deep breath to compose herself and stepped out of her hiding spot. Her bare feet moved silently across the cold ground. As she came within a few feet of him she spoke quietly. "I couldn't unlock my door."
He sat up quickly at the sound of her voice. When he saw her, he scrambled to his feet and hurried to close the distance between them. He wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"I'm an idiot, Sam."