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Standard disclaimer.

Last Chapter.

MERCEDES

A breeze rolled across campus, stirring the loose curls around my face.

An hour had passed, since Shay had dropped me off and I'd texted Sam. And I really didn't know if he would come or not.

I do know, my phone was in my purse beside me, and I hadn't obsessively checked it. I was maturing and that made me happy.

It had been a while since Sam had visited me in rehab and I haven't seen him since I'd gotten out.

For all I knew, he could've moved on. It wasn't like I expected him to seriously wait for me.

People's lives changed in a matter of minutes. That was the way life was.

Yes, he'd said he loved me, and while love was strong, things could change.

It would suck if they had.

Admittedly, there were many moments while in treatment, that I had cling to the idea of him and me...the promise of a sweet future, and that dream had helped get me through the roughest of the moments.

But if there wasn't going to be an us...I was going to be okay in the end. I'd be sad. I'd cry. And I'd want to take a drink, but I wouldn't.

Today, I was ready to face the future with or without him.

Moving my hand to my wrist, I toyed with my newest fashion accessory...my über-chic, medical-alert bracelet, which made people aware of the fact, I was spleen-less.

It wasn't like I'd drop at any given moment without a spleen, but I was more susceptible to infectious diseases.

But there was good news, I didn't have to take antibiotics every day, and one of the first things I'd done when I'd left rehab, was get all kinds of immunizations.

It was just another way my life...my life had changed.

While I'd been in rehab, I hadn't been on medication to treat the chemical imbalance.

At first, they had wanted to try a more holistic approach, considering, I had addictive tendencies. So they decided to go with things like talking, developing coping skills, and all that jazz.

After a few weeks, though, they knew I needed more. So, another thing I had done within the last couple of days, was pick up my prescription.

It was strange, thinking, that I might have to be on the medication for the rest of my life, but it was far better than the alternative.

I watched a bird hop across the grass, as it twitched its wings. Then, it stopped, glanced in my direction and then took flight.

It flew to a nearby branch and landed, rattling the leaves.

I'd watched the leaves changing color, while I was in rehab. They were no longer green, and the few that remained on the branches, dropped to the ground in lazy spirals.

Just then, a shadow fell over me and as I lifted my gaze, my breath hitched in my throat.

Sam stood at the other end of the bench, his hands shoved into the pockets of his dark denim jeans. He had a dark blue baseball cap on, and it was pulled low, shielding his eyes.

For a moment, neither of us moved or said a word, but then, one side of his lips quirked up in a lopsided grin.

"Hey," he said.

Hope blossomed, at his presence and just hearing his voice.

My heart started to pound fast and that hope spread like a wildfire, burning in my chest.

"You came."

"Of course I did." He sat beside me, so close his thigh pressed against mine. And his eyes never left my face.

He stared at me so long, I felt my cheeks start to heat.

"What?" I whispered. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

His grin spread.

"You just look different. I don't know what it is. Maybe, because, it's been forty-two days since I last saw you."

My brows flew up.

"You've been keeping track of the days?"

"Hell yeah, I have been." He angled his body towards me, dropping his arm along the back of the bench. "I've missed you, Andy. You look good...great. Beautiful."

"I've missed you, too," I admitted.

His shoulders loosened, as if some unseen tension bled out of him.

"So...did you talk to your advisor?"

I blinked, surprised.

"How did you know about that?"

Sam grinned.

"Not to sound creepy, but I've been keeping myself updated, on what you've been doing." When I arched a brow, he looked sheepish. "I've asked Shay. I know I could've asked you, but I wanted...no...I knew I needed to give you time."

Shay hadn't said anything to me about it and part of me could understand why.

The other half wanted to throttle her.

"I did talk to my advisor. And I was honest, about why I missed, virtually half the semester. There's no making up for lost time at this point, but they're going to work with me. He's checking to see how tuition can be moved to next semester, and we're checking to see, how having a DUI on my record, may affect future employment."

Saying DUI out loud was still hard, but I needed to speak it, because, that made it real.

"It could be tricky with teaching," I added.

"What will you do then, if it does make an impact?"

That was an important question. Good thing I'd spent a lot of time thinking about it.

"You remember how you kept asking, why I wasn't going to become a therapist? Turns out, that might be a good option."

His smile was back, spreading across his handsome face.

"I like the sound of that."

I grinned as I shrugged.

"Obviously, I have firsthand experience with some of these things, and I think I could help other people. I don't know...it's something I'm considering. I have time to decide and I can change my mind. And I'm okay with that...with either one. But nothing is written in stone."

"You're right," he agreed, lightly knocking his knee against mine. "You can do whatever you want."

"It's such a...a relief knowing that," I said, and I could tell that he was surprised, by the fact I'd spoken that out loud.

I too, was even a little bit surprised, but I'd been surprising myself every day recently.

I drew in a deep breath, as I glanced out over the grassy knoll.

"When you visited me, you said..."

"I told you that I loved you," he cut in, and my heart jumped a little. "That hasn't changed, Andy. I love you."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

"I didn't know if you'd still feel that way."

"Why? Did you think how I felt would change, because you have depression?" he asked, his gaze unwavering, as he reached up and twisted his cap backward. "Andy, I really hope you don't think that badly of me."

"No," I immediately replied. "You're a wonderful person."

"And so are you. You are an amazing person, Mercedes. Frankly, you did something so many people never do. You realized you had a problem and willingly got help for it. Yeah, it took something drastic and it could've been worse, but you did it. You turned your life around and you're still turning your life around."

I blinked back sudden tears. Oh gosh, he was going to make me ugly cry.

"Like I told you before, you made a shitty decision, that could've been so much worse. You could've died. You could've killed someone else. You're lucky that those two things didn't happen, but you didn't wallow in that and make more mistakes. You owned what you did and what could've happened. I saw your heart break, when you told me. You had already realized how badly that night could've gone. You didn't fight what your family wanted. You willingly went into rehab and stayed longer than the minimum. You got help, and for that, you have my utmost respect. Seriously."

Sam smiled at me ever so sweetly.

"You are incredibly courageous and you're remarkably strong. You're beautiful and you're funny. And you are kind," he continued. "Why wouldn't I feel the same way about you?"

"But I..."

I almost stopped right there, and keep what I wanted and needed to say to myself. Almost.

Part of healing and getting better was to be honest. To speak. To not bottle everything up.

"I have baggage. Real baggage. But I'm working on it. I know there are going to be moments when I'm annoying and it's going to be hard. So hard. That's a lot to want to be a part of."

"You don't see me running, do you?"

I shook my head.

"And I want you to know something else, okay? I hear you," he said.

My throat closed up.

"Sam..."

"I hear you. Okay? I'm always going to hear you," he said, and my heart broke and was stitched back together in the same moment.

He'd remembered what I'd told him, about the people who called the hotline, just needing someone to hear them.

He tipped his chin to the side.

"I just have one question for you, Andy."

"What?" I whispered, still desperately trying to prevent the tears from falling.

"Why in the world did you have paint and summer sausage in your car?"

His words took a moment to sink in and when they did, a shaky laugh escaped me, and that laugh turned into a longer, deeper one...a full body laugh.

Boy did it feel good, to laugh like this.

Tears snuck out the corners of my eyes, and I wiped them away, still chuckling, as I tried to compose myself.

"Yeah, I bet that was a weird combo for everyone to see."

"It was." He lifted his hand, carefully swiping away a tear. "I missed your laugh."

Blinking my eyes, I met his stare.

"So have I."

"I have something to tell you." He leaned in so close, I could almost taste his kiss. "You've ruined me," he said against my mouth, his breath hot. "You've ruined me for anyone else. You know that, right?"

My heart was pounding again, but this time for a very good reason.

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

He rested his forehead against mine.

"You've ruined me in the best possible way. So yeah, it's a good thing."

"You really want to do this?" I asked.

Sam stared into my eyes as he cupped my jaw, gently smoothing his thumb along my cheek.

A naked Santa Claus could come prancing out from behind the trees, and I wouldn't look away from those beautiful, brilliant green eyes.

"I love you, Mercedes. I'm in love with you," he said, voice firm. "And I'm going to be right here with you, through all of it. That's what love makes you do."

Tilting my head, I brushed my lips over his in the lightest touch, but I felt it all the way through me, invading every cell with its warmth.

And I made sure, when he stared into my eyes, all he saw was happiness.

"I love you, Sam. I love you," I said. "Do you see it?"

He made a deep sound in his chest, and it rumbled through me. And I could feel his hands trembling as he said,

"I see it. I see the happiness."

That hope that had sparked in my chest, was now burning steadily, and I fanned it, wanting it to burn hotter and brighter, because hope was not the enemy.

It was a friend, a savior.

Hope was more than a new beginning.

Hope was tomorrow, and hope was the symbol that I would get better, that I would undo the bad choices I'd made, and never make them again.

Hope was more than a chance of redemption. It was the promise of one day finding absolution...forgiving myself.

Yet still, it was more than that.

Hope was also today, and today was so very important.

There would be no more rushing through seconds and minutes. I promised myself that.

I was going to live, and it was going to be hard at times. There would be setbacks and days when everything would feel dull and tarnished somehow, but I had hope and I had the knowledge to face, what was causing me to suffer.

I had my friends.

And I had Sam.

And most importantly, I had myself.

Two months later…

MERCEDES

"Your parents like me."

I grinned, as I glanced over to where Sam stood in the doorway of my bedroom, watching me tug the rings off my fingers and drop them in the little jewelry box on my dresser.

"I think they like you too."

He folded his arms across his broad chest, stretching the plain white T-shirt he'd worn, under the button-down.

His dress shirt had come off the moment we'd entered my apartment and now hung over the back of a chair.

"Everyone likes me."

I rolled my eyes, and giggled, but truthfully, the fact my parents had openly welcomed him, had me giddy with relief.

I'd held off on formally introducing them to him, waiting until now, a few days before Christmas, before bringing him to Sunday dinner. And it went great.

Once the rings were off, I kicked off my heels and moved to the center of the bedroom.

"Seriously, though, they really do like you. I think my mom wants to adopt you."

Sam grinned.

"I'm all about being adopted by rich doctors, except, that would make things a bit awkward between you and me."

"Just a little."

I walked towards him, my heart fluttering, as he pushed off the door-frame and met me halfway.

I slipped my arms around his waist, hugging him tight, as I pressed my cheek against his chest.

One of his hands curved around the back of my head and the other landed on the small of my back.

He didn't speak as we held each other, and that was okay. I was content with the quiet moment, with me just listening to his heart beat steadily.

It was peaceful, serene and exactly what I wanted.

The last couple of months had been a mixture of failure and triumph, of peace and chaos, as Sam and I navigated my sobriety and treatment together.

It hadn't been all easy.

There had been times, when I'd wanted nothing more than, to give in to my past behaviors, like when I thought about him leaving for the academy, or when the seemingly, never-ending consequences of my actions resurfaced, to give me a nice smack in the face...reality style.

Over the last couple of months, there had been times, when I had come really close to picking up a beer, telling myself it was just one beer and one beer wasn't going to hurt me.

But I'd been able to catch myself and stop that line of thinking, because, one beer would hurt me. I was a binge drinker. One beer would not be enough.

I wouldn't stop after it touched my tongue.

And the times when the desire was too great for common sense to make a difference, I had my friends. I had Sam.

Artie had suggested, that I take some time away from volunteering at the hotline and the hospitals.

The admins in charge had agreed, feeling it would be best for me to take a break. It was a nice way of them saying, they weren't confident I could handle the pressure, and I understood that.

As much as it sucked, I really did understand. And I also understood, that while the depression wasn't my fault, the way I had coped with it, had been a terrible decision, and I was going to have to prove, that I was capable of handling my illness and stress.

I still worried about the long-term consequences...like, what having a DUI on my record would mean for employment and the fact I was still adapting to living without a spleen.

I still dealt with the guilt over my parents stepping forward and paying the ass-load of fines, associated with my DUI and the lawyer fees, which had enabled me to avoid jail time.

I'd been lucky.

With no previous record, and the fact that I had willingly entered rehab and had stayed beyond the required minimum, had helped.

But some days it was hard to look in the mirror, and every so often, I wondered how Artie did it every day.

Alcoholism and depression, I was learning, wasn't a one-person problem. It affected everyone you came into contact with, sometimes in ways you didn't even know, and not necessarily negatively either.

People wanted to help you. They wanted to understand. You just had to let them.

And one of the most important things, I kept forcing myself to remember, was that, I wasn't alone in this.

Through the ups and downs, since I'd gotten out of rehab, Shay and Caleb had been there.

And Sam had been there, as a constant source of love, acceptance, and support.

Even when I was sure he wanted to strangle me.

"Hey," Sam murmured, his fingers sifting through my hair. "Where'd you go?"

Lifting my head, I smiled up at him and felt my chest swell with all the love I felt for him.

Sometimes that was scary, holding on so tightly to those feelings, but it was also exhilarating, and downright magical. And I knew now, I would never trade what I was feeling for a beer.

"I'm still here," I told him.

His hand slid out from my hair to cup my cheek and those green eye of his, filled with tenderness as they met mine.

I stretched up on the tips of my toes and looped my arms around his neck. I didn't have to ask. He lowered his mouth to mine.

The kiss was gentle at first, a soft exploration, that sent a pleasant hum though my veins, and then, when his tongue touched mine, raw passion exploded.

My fingers tightened along the back of his neck. as I pressed my hips against him.

He groaned into my mouth, and I felt his reaction swell against my belly.

I slid my other hand down his chest and pulled on his shirt, a silent plea that was answered, by him pulling back, his eyes glazed over with pent-up desire.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his gaze searching mine. "Are you ready for this?"

Sam and I had held off on taking our relationship back, to what we'd shared while we were at the cabin.

My counselor had recommended against having sex, because, it was quite possible, that I would substitute one addiction for the other, to cope with the depression.

At first, that didn't make a damn bit of sense to me, because, I'd never used sex, as a way to not deal with things.

Until I realized, through the weekly sessions, that yes, I had used sex to not deal with things.

That had also sucked, understanding just how deeply my illness had penetrated every facet of my life, but I wanted to get better.

I wanted to be better, so I followed the rules, and even though, I'd been more or less cleared for sexual fun stuff weeks ago, I had held off.

Sam had understood. He was patient. He just waited.

But damn, it had been hard. The tension, the chemistry, was always there between us, and denying it was torture, even though I hadn't been ready to go there.

But I was ready now.

"Yes."

And to prove my word, I reached down and cupped him through his trousers. He was hard and thick, straining against the material.

"I'm ready. Like, way passed ready," I added.

Sam's eyes closed and he shuddered. And when he spoke, his voice was rough.

"We can wait..."

I squeezed him through his pants and arched a brow.

"Fuck! Okay. You're ready."

His mouth smothered my giggle. This time, the kiss was not sweet or slow. His mouth dominated mine and set fire to my blood.

He backed me up, as his hands coasted down my sides, balling around the material of my blouse.

Not having time for buttons, he pulled the thin material up over my head while I started to pull off his shirt.

We broke apart long enough for him to strip, and dear Lord, I'd never seen someone get their clothes off that fast, even though he'd forgotten to take his shoes off first and got hung up on that for a moment.

I didn't waste time as he undressed.

With trembling hands, I undid the zipper on my pants and dragged them down, taking my panties along with them.

By the time I straightened, Sam's fingers had already found the clasp of my bra.

There would be time later for a slow seduction, because, I was really looking forward to him undressing me, but I was aching and I knew he was too.

In a matter of seconds, Sam's hands and mouth were all over me, kissing and licking, nipping and tasting.

I grew impossibly damp and he became so much harder.

We stopped long enough for him to grab protection, and then he shoved his hands under my arms, lifting me up and tossing me on the bed.

I laughed as I bounced, and he came up over me, his mouth claiming mine, while he reached between us, guiding his erection.

His hips thrust forward and I nearly exploded right then. Immediately, he started moving, pumping in and out, and I tilted my hips up, wrapping my legs around him, taking him in as far as he could go.

Our mouths were greedy for one another, our bodies not easily sated.

We clamored for one another, fully focused on each other's sighs and groans, oblivious to the rattle of the headboard against the wall.

Tension coiled tight, when his large hand curved around my cheek in a tender, gentle grip. It was completely at odds with the surges of his hips.

"I love you," he gasped out, his voice guttural. "I fucking love you."

At that, I tightened around him, breaking apart, as I said those words back to him, over and over, until he gave a hoarse shout as he came, his hips grinding against mine and then stilling.

I was spinning and spinning, tossed up so high, that when I came back down, I was shocked to find that I was still in one piece.

Afterwards, we lay together, our arms and legs tangled, my cheek resting on his chest.

There was no need for words, not when his hand trailed up and down my back lazily.

Not when the last words we'd spoken to one another, were ones of love.

Quiet moments could still be really tough, but they weren't all bad, I realized.

A sleepy smile stretched my lips, as I told myself internally,

'Nope. Sometimes, those quiet moments could be heaven.'

Another journey taken and ended with you lovely people. Sincere thanks.

Stay safe!