Chapter 2

Sam couldn't believe the woman before her was serious, she was Brenda. The Brenda Sam had heard so much about, the Brenda who married Jason. Remembering that fact also made her remember she'd never marry Jason because he broke her heart, she couldn't forgive him. "Nice to meet you." Sam said as she shook Brenda's out struck hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Don't believe any of it." Brenda said with a smile as she sat down on one of the stools. "I heard a lot about you too. I was just talking to Jason, that guy's crazy about you." She added. Jason had helped Brenda through so many tough times, the least she could do was try and help him get Sam back.

"Yeah well don't believe any of that either." Sam said as she turned back to her cup of coffee.

Brenda saw the sadness in the other woman's profile. "Jason may be a lot of things but a liar isn't one of them. He loves you, a lot, and he misses you." She explained.

"I know you and Jason are friends and he talked to you about this but I won't. A lot has happened, thing's I just can't forget." Sam explained to Brenda then again went back to her now empty cup.

Brenda was silent for a few seconds. "No one's perfect, you're mad now but love is a big deal, you can't just forget that in a few days. You love him as much as he loves you, I see that. Don't let a few mistakes stand in the way of what is happening." She had to explain. She didn't want Sam to make the same mistake she did, running away from what could've been so great.

Sam knew she was right but she couldn't admit that fact so she stayed quite. Sam missed Jason more then anything but the sharp pain she felt wouldn't let her go back to him. She needed him so much, to help her keep the child she loved a great deal, but he took the easy way out.

"So you've been staying here?" Brenda asked as she glanced around Kelly's.

"Yeah." Sam answered. "It's cheap and enough room for me. And you have a great place to eat just downstairs." Talking about something else was better then to think of Jason over and over. She felt like crawling into a corner and just crying.

"I heard Sonny moved into huge house. I'm going to try and snag his penthouse, it's a great place." Brenda explained.

"So you're staying in town?"

"It's home, everywhere else was….it wasn't Port Charles. I was unhappy to I came back to where I was happy and I missed some people." Brenda explained with a shrug.

"Did you miss Jason?" Sam simply asked.

So simple that it took Brenda by surprise but she didn't let it show. "He's a friend, kind of. An annoying friend that I did miss. Good friends are hard to come by." Brenda answered.

"You came back because you missed it, that's it?" Sam asked. That sounded too easy, there seemed to be something else behind Brenda's deep brown eyes.

Brenda smiled. "Oh yeah, you and Jason belong together, you both think alike. He asked the same thing and yes that's it." It almost scared Brenda how easy it was becoming for her to lie.

Sam nodded as she stood from her seat. "I hope it works out for you and you find what you're looking for." She paid for her cup of coffee. "It was nice meeting you." She said to Brenda before she headed upstairs to her room.

Brenda got her order to go and left Kelly's, she went to the hotel she was staying at until she found a place.

-

The next morning Jason woke up and headed to Kelly's, Brenda wanted to meet him. He had no idea for what but he agreed to the meeting. It was early, only a few people inside the diner. Brenda was seated at the counter. "What's going on?" Jason asked as he sat in the stool beside her.

"Always to the point, gotta love that about you." Brenda said as she turned and faced him. "Well I wanted to let you know, I talked to Sonny an hour ago and he's letting me lease the penthouse. So howdy neighbor." She explained.

Jason wasn't sure how he felt about having Brenda live across the hall. She was already so nosey when she was in his life, now it would be worse. He looked at her face, she seemed happy about it so he was happy for her. "That's what you called me over here for?" Jason asked.

"No, that's not all." Brenda said as she kept glancing at the staircase. She didn't know if Sam was a morning person or not but she had gone up to her room pretty early so she should be done soon. At least Brenda hoped so. "I wanted to know how you're doing; you looked like hell last night." She could've jumped for joy when she saw Sam coming downstairs.

"I'm fine but I have other thing's to be doing." Jason explained as he stood from his seat and turned around in time to see Sam. "Hey." He softly told her.

"Hi." Sam said, her tone was soft, as id nervous to see him.

"How are you?" Jason asked as he felt his chest fill with love for the woman before him. Seeing her brought back all the good times they shared and the painful times. When he looked into her eyes, all he could hear was her saying she didn't love him, she never did.

"I'm fine, better then the last time we talked." Sam answered. She wouldn't look into his eyes because every time she had, it only made her remember everything they shared. Everything they still could share.

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope you can find happiness, even if it isn't with me." Jason said. "I have to get going." He said then left. He had to meet sonny and seeing Sam just made the pain worse, sharper.

Sam stood there and watched him leave. Once the doors closed she looked at Brenda. "You set that up didn't you?"

"Me?" Brenda asked, seeming she was shocked Sam had asked that. "What would make you think that?"

Sam shrugged as she crossed her arms and sat down. "Seems like something you would do."

"But we just met." Brenda pointed out.

"Exactly, you're an easy person to read. Last night you were telling me about Jason and how we're meant to be. Now we run into each other and you're here. It was clearly a set up." Sam explained.

"Ok, maybe it was but you can't say you weren't glad to see him." Brenda challenged.

"It's not about that, there's other thing's going on. But I don't want to talk about my relationship with Jason." Sam explained as she looked the other woman in the eye. "Let's talk about you."

Brenda knew Sam just turned very serious and determined. "What about me?"

"Let's just say I was curious and did a little digging. I know why you're in town."

-

Isabelle A.