Interlude: A Perfect Idea

"This is the captain speaking. We've been cleared to begin our descent into Manchester Airport. We should be landing in the next few minutes. Please ensure your seat belts are buckled and you remain in your seat, and please refrain from using any electronic devices."

I couldn't help but giggle at the captain's accent. I got to hear plenty of different accents during my time in New York when I played Ginger in Carl Crane's musical, but I think the pilot had my favorite. He was Welsh and so polite. It made me think of the guy on Star Trek who never had enough power.

We had flown over Ireland just a little bit ago, but now we were about to land in Manchester. The airport seemed kind of far from the city, in the middle of a field with lots of houses around it. We wouldn't have time to visit much of the city; we had to catch a train in just over an hour.

I watched out the window as the Manchester Airport slowly appeared through the clouds below us. "Yay, look! Sam, we're here!"

I turned to Sam—my best friend, my true love—and pointed out the window. I don't think she saw me. Her eyes were closed, and her pretty face was pale. Well, she was always pale but she was a lot more pale than usual.

"Sam? You okay?"

She opened an eye and groaned. "How long have we been flying?"

I checked the timer I had set on my phone. We flew backward through a bunch of time zones and I had trouble remembering just the ones in the United States. So I set a timer to run on my phone so I could figure out how long we were up in the sky.

"Almost twelve-and-a-half hours," I said.

She winced. "It's very possible I shouldn't have eaten those six burritos right before we left. Or the other three at dinner. Or the fried chicken. Or–"

"I warned you about all that," I said. "You never listen."

"I listen," Sam groaned. "I just don't take action. Big difference." Even her normally pink lips were pale and white as she frowned. "From now on, I only want to drive. If I can't get there on my motorcycle or with Vin Diesel, I don't wanna go."

"The smell in that car makes me sick," I said. "I can't believe you two bought that thing. I could have gotten us a new car."

"Because," Sam huffed, "it was something Carly and I wanted to do. Since she let us crash with her for a few months and we needed it," Sam said. "And I've tried to get that smell out, but…it's just part of the car now." She groaned as the plane dipped. Her hand slid into mine. "Why haven't we landed yet?"

"We're almost there. At least we don't have to parachute out the back, though. Right? Get it?"

I gently squeezed her hand. I wasn't sure if mentioning the story she told me of her flight to Japan years ago would help distract her, but it was worth a try. Sam was great at distracting me when I started worrying too much. I tried to learn from Sam's social cues and tricks because I wasn't very good at those things myself.

"That flight was a nightmare," she said. "You wanna talk about terrible smells? Jumping out was the best part."

The plane dropped again and Sam squeezed my hand. Even though I felt bad that she was sick from all the flying, it gave me tingles to know I was her person. That she counted on me enough to show me that she was vulnerable and scared or even sick.

"Just don't let go, okay?" It was a whisper, but I heard it. I squeezed her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Never."

The ground seemed to jump up in the air to catch us as we fell. The plane shook as it landed. Sam's grip got tighter and tighter until we finally stopped.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Manchester Airport in Manchester, England. The local time is Fourteen-thirteen. We thank you for choosing Eastern Air. Please enjoy your stay."

It felt like everyone on the plane had been holding their breath and we all let it out at once. Sam finally let go of my hand. She gave me what I call her look of gratitude: eyes lowered just a bit, with a quick nod and a smile that anyone who hasn't spent hours staring at her beautiful face wouldn't even notice.

"What's fourteen-thirteen?" I asked. "That's not a time."

"It's the way most countries in Europe tell time."

The answer came from behind me. I turned and found Carly Shay standing up from her seat just behind us. I think she slept for most of the flight so she wouldn't get an upset stomach. At least it seemed that way, judging from all the snoring behind me. Sam once told me she snored but I refused to believe such a pretty woman could make that kind of noise.

I was very wrong.

"Instead of going by twelve hours twice with AM and PM, they use a twenty-four-hour clock. You can figure it out by subtracting twelve from whatever time they say it is. So fourteen-thirteen just means it's 2:13 PM."

"Nerd," Sam groaned from her seat.

Carly made a pouty face. "I'll forgive that because you're airsick," she said.

Freddie Benson got up from his seat next to Carly and stretched. He was a cutie; I could see why Sam liked him for a while. And he had so many muscles for being such a shy smarty-pants. "What's wrong, Sam? Big tough badass can't handle a little plane ride?"

Okay, even though he was a really smart guy, sometimes he did really dumb things. He should have known better. It really was his own fault that Sam made a fist and jabbed him right in the gut without even looking. I winced a little but laughed a little too. It's one of those things where you have to laugh because you knew it was going to happen and you kind of hoped it wouldn't, but it did anyway.

Freddie doubled over and groaned.

Carly laughed at him; she had such a sweet, pretty laugh, even when she was being ornery. "Weren't you the one who told me the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?"

"Sounds like me," Freddie grunted, trying to stand upright.

"And yet, you keep tormenting Sam, over and over…"

"Yeah. I get it. Thanks. Can we go find some ice? They have ice in the UK, right?"

Carly patted him on the back and they headed for the exit. "Men," she grumbled as she walked by.

I knew just what she meant. Well, not really. But I pretended. I was good at that. I kind of did it for a living, after all.

Sam and Carly were best friends their whole lives. And in the few years since Sam and I started dating, she had become one of my good friends too. She had come back from Italy about six months ago, around the same time Ginger in July's run finally ended. Carly got an apartment with us at first just to make things easier on all of us.

That's right, I live in Seattle now. Sam gave up her home in Los Angeles to follow me to New York. She managed our money so we could afford an amazing apartment, and she filled it with all of our things from home. She supported me in everything I did out there and never once complained.

Well, okay. She complained. A little. Or maybe a lot. But in all fairness, she complains about everything. Besides, I knew she missed Carly so much. Eventually, we got an apartment across the hall from Carly's. Sam still spent a lot of time with her, but we always made time for each other, too. Carly had started college, so that left Sam free a lot.

And no, I wasn't jealous. I understood they were friends, like sisters. Besides, I had a feeling Carly was in love with someone else, although I didn't think she was ready to hear about it. One thing I learned from Jade and Tori is not to push things too soon.

I was trying to get my music career going. I got really great reviews for my performance in New York and got kind of addicted to being up on stage. I loved doing musical theater and got to do a bunch of local shows in Seattle, but I was ready to try to branch out and be a singer. Lots of great musicians lived in Seattle, including one of my best friends, Andre Harris. So it was a smart thing to do. Happy wife, happy life.

Well, okay. Sam wasn't my wife. We were dating for almost three years. But I didn't mind. I just loved being with her, I didn't really care what we called it. Although I admit, weddings were on my mind a lot. After all, we were on our way to Tori and Jade's wedding in this little town somewhere in Wales. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever get to plan my own special day.

Oh well. What's the old saying? Don't look at a horse's gift? No, don't gift a horse a mouth…? I forget.

The train station was right at Manchester airport. I thought maybe I'd feel different the first time I put my feet on foreign soil. Like, I don't know, maybe I'd feel British or something. But it was just soil. Pavement, actually. To be honest, I felt way more British eating bibble.

We timed our arrival perfectly; twenty minutes later, the train was pulling out. Sam got a bit of her color back from the fresh air, but she turned whiter once the train started moving. Carly offered her some medicine she bought for motion sickness at the airport. It was so thoughtful of her, but I felt bad. I should have thought of it.

Maybe that's why she hasn't asked me to marry her. Maybe I'm not a good enough girlfriend.

I sat next to the window and watched the land fly by. Everything close to the train moved so fast, but everything in the distance moved so much slower. But we were moving at the same speed. It didn't make any sense.

"Sam?"

"Mm."

That was her, I'm sleeping, I won't hear you grunt. I didn't mind. Sometimes I still talked to her like that. Sometimes just being with her helped.

"Did you ever notice how fast everything moves right next to the train, but how much slower everything farther away moves?"

"Hrm."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Distance," she mumbled.

"What?"

She shifted and put her arm through mine. A bit of drool trickled from the side of her mouth. The butterflies in my tummy kicked up. Although I think that's a silly phrase; it didn't really feel like butterflies. I kinda knew what real butterflies felt like since one flew into my ear once.

Don't ask.

"Small things take longer to get out of sight. Big things take up more of our vision so they move out faster."

Well, knock me over with a feather.

I leaned in closer. "Sam, that was really smart," I whispered. "How'd you know that?"

"Mrmm. Hmm." She tapped the side of her head. "Smart. Don't tell Cat."

I giggled. I wondered why she didn't want me to know that she was smart. Maybe she thought it would hurt her reputation. She always said she didn't care what people thought of her, but she really did. She liked it when people thought she didn't care about things or when they underestimated her because she loved surprising people.

I watched the countryside pass by. It was the prettiest land I'd ever seen. It was beautiful and green around Manchester and all through England. I didn't couldn't even tell the difference when we passed into Wales. Everything was so amazing, like a fantasy world come to life.

The train ride seemed to take a long time. In fact, it felt like we'd been traveling forever. My timer said sixteen hours since we'd flown out of Seattle. But it had been daylight the entire time. It was messing with my head a little bit. I wanted to close my eyes and doze off like Sam, but I just couldn't take them away from the countryside rolling by.

We stopped in a bunch of towns on the way. People got on and off; sports fans going to soccer—I mean football—games. People traveling to see family. It was fun and kind of interesting to watch them and listen to them. The things they talked about. Weather, politics, movies. It really wasn't all that different than what we talked about back home. But at the same time, it seemed very different. Everyone was polite and friendly toward each other, and some folks even took a special interest in our little group. I'm pretty sure a few people our age recognized Carly; one of them mentioned a web show, but her friend insisted there was no way those "bloody yanks" would be on some random train to nowhere.

As the train rose up towards the highlands, the beautiful green country became dusted with snow. Half an hour later, almost the entire countryside was white. It looked like the biggest, most comfy blanket spreading out as far as I could see.

Funny how something so cold looks like something so warm, I thought. Sam shifted next to me and pulled my arm closer to her. I realized the same thing was true of her. Or maybe not the same, maybe the opposite. She seemed so cold to people who didn't know her but to me, she was the warmest, most beautiful person in the world.

As we approached our final stop, a little town called Lianberis, the train was mostly empty. It pulled to a stop at the station just at the foot of Mount Snowdon. I thought the name was silly, but as I looked at the huge thing rising up behind the town, I was really impressed. I couldn't even see the top from where I was.

I woke Sam up. She had gotten some of her color back, so I guess the four and a half hour nap did her some good. Outside the train station, a pair of tiny red cars waited to take us up the mountain. One said, "Creddie" and the other said, "Puckelltine." I giggled.

"I bet Jade gave them those names," I said to Sam.

"I'd be disappointed if she hadn't."

"That's going to dog us forever, isn't it?" Carly mumbled.

Freddie smiled. "If I'm lucky. I mean…if we're lucky."

The drivers, both men with flaming red hair, greeted us pleasantly and held the doors open for us. It would take about twenty minutes to reach the town of Alba, a third of the way up the mountain.

Jade said that Alba was Liz's ancestral home and members of her family still lived there. Her great-aunt had managed an Inn for her whole life, and it passed to her aunt, who now ran it with her own daughter. Alba Inn, it was called. Not very original if you ask me, but maybe naming standards were more practical in the UK.

According to Liz, the best part about Alba was Edrychdros Castle. She said the name was a contraction that just meant "overlook" because that is what the castle did: it sat on the mountain, overlooking the town.

Honestly, all of these things just made Liz the coolest person I knew, outside of my friends.

Sam stayed awake for the car ride up the mountain. The car was small enough that we were able to sit with our arms linked and still see out the windows. The road was long and winding, but it was free from the snow that covered everything else. And I mean everything else. Every branch of every tree, every bush and shrub, every blade of grass, all of it was glowing white with soft snow. I can't tell you how much I wanted to just run and dive right in. Growing up in Los Angeles, I didn't get to see snow too often. I hoped we'd have time to have some fun in it.

We drove up these little hills for a little while, until we finally reached a big, beautiful stone bridge. As we got closer it looked like one of those bridges you see in pictures online, where the bridge is perfectly reflected in the water below it. It made my heart swell in ways I didn't understand; I just knew I loved it.

We crossed it and then a second one that looked just like it, and at the end of that road was the end of our journey: the gorgeous little town of Alba.

From what I could tell, the town was just a single street. It was lined with beautiful buildings on both sides, but they weren't like the buildings I was used to seeing at home. They were made from stone or wood, or sometimes both. They had regular glass windows and everything, but they looked so lovely on the outside. Like they belonged here in the mountains, like they were a part of them. It was like a postcard or a living slideshow from a travel blog. I took so many pictures!

The biggest in town was almost near its end; this one was made of wood, with some stone at the base and corners of the main floor. It was covered in windows with green shutters that stood out against the dark wood. Although the bushes that lined the walkway were covered in snow, the walkway itself was perfectly clear.

"It's like a fairytale," I muttered. "Right?"

Sam nodded. "Sure, kid. Whatever floats your boat."

I turned to Sam. Maybe it was the beauty all around me, but my heart leapt out of my chest. I kissed her cheek. "You float my boat, Miss Puckell," I said. "And water. Water floats all the boats."

Sam smiled and kissed me back. "Well, you float mine too. And lava. I want a boat that can sail on lava."

I giggled. "Oh, Sam. You're so morbid."

"Thank you."

She kissed me again.

The car stopped and the driver hurried around to open our doors. He took our bags out for us, too. "I hope you'll be enjoyin' yer stay," he said.

I thanked him and gave him a big tip for his help. I overheard Carly and Freddie do the same for their driver.

Sam stretched her arms and her back out next to me. "Oh that feels good," she muttered. My cheeks got all warm to hear her say those words; I loved getting her to stay stuff like that in our private moments. It sounded just as sexy when she said it while stretching, though.

I did the same thing, and she was right.

"I hope we get a bigger car to get back to the train station," she mumbled. "That was so uncomfortable."

"But if you didn't experience how uncomfortable it was, you wouldn't feel so good right now while you're stretching," I said.

Sam stopped herself mid-stretch and stared at me. I knew that look and suddenly I was nervous.

"Did I say something dumb?"

She smiled nod my heart went wobbly. "Just the opposite," she said. "That was very profound."

I loved Sam so much.

"It's so pretty here," Carly said as she and Freddie joined us. "I just want to bottle up all this snow and take it home."

"Pretty sure you'd just have a bunch of bottles of water by the time we got there."

Carly frowned as if she hadn't thought of that. I don't blame her, I wouldn't have either."But it would be Welsh water," she said, as if proving her point.

The little cars drove off. I watched them until they vanished further up the mountain; that was when I noticed the castle for the first time. Way above the road the cars had vanished on, the big white walls of Edrychdros Castle almost disappeared into the falling snow.

"Ohmygosh, Sam! Look!"

Sam Puckett gasped. And she never gasped.

Well, unless we were…having relations.

From where we stood, we could see what looked like the side of the castle: big stone walls with lots of windows and a tower that was even taller than the walls. It looked like Sleeping Beauty's castle! So pretty. And with all the snow and the thick forest of white trees, it looked like the castle was floating in the sky.

"Now it looks like a fairytale," Sam said quietly.

"I always thought so, too."

The familiar voice startled me. I turned to find Elizabeth Hannah behind us, looking up at the castle, too.

"Liz! Hi!"

"Hey, everyone! So good to see you all! I'm glad you made it."

Liz hurried over to us, handing out handshakes and hugs. When she got to me, she asked, "So when are you going to sign with us to do a horror movie?"

She always said that. She meant it the first few times, but when Jade told her what happened when I had to watch even part of The Scissoring, she understood. She asked me as a joke now; it was kind of our thing when we saw each other.

"When Sam dresses up as My Little Pony," I answered her the same way each time. I couldn't think of a less likely thing than Sam dressing up as a pony from a cartoon.

"Ha, ha," Sam grumbled. "You know, one day I'll do it out of spite."

"Sure you will, honey," I said and kissed her cheek.

Liz led the four of us into the her family's inn. She had handled the check-in for us and everything. The place was so fancy and magical, like something out of The Hobbit. Everything was made out of wood and there were pretty carvings everywhere. It must have taken weeks or months to make it all. I loved it; I was so happy that my best friends chose this most perfect place for their perfect wedding. I could hardly wait to see the castle!

Another thing I noticed as we walked to our room: I didn't see any electric lights. There were no switches on the walls or anything; just covered lanterns hanging everywhere. They were kind of hard to see through but I could make out the flickering flames.

Our room was on the second floor. It was so cozy! Fur rugs everywhere, a blazing fire in the fireplace and a set of chairs to sit in next to it. And there were mounds of blankets on the bed, which seemed much too big for just two people.

"I can't believe it!"

I rushed over to the bed and started jumping. What else could I do? It was almost as big as a trampoline!

"Where's Tori and Jade?" Sam asked.

"They're up at the castle. They'll be back down for dinner in a few hours. There's a lovely dining room here. The food is amazing. My niece has a way with food. And wait until you taste her meade."

"What's meade?" I asked.

Liz just smiled. "You'll see."

"If dinner's a few hours away, I may need a pick-me-up. Any grub in the room?" Sam asked.

"There's a vending machine down the hall to the left. And a market across the street, but they'll be closing up shop soon."

"How do they run a vending machine with no electricity?"

Liz had that look on her face where I could tell she thought I was making a joke. People got it when I said something they thought was dumb. Like wow, is she joking?

"There's power here." She flicked the sconce on the wall. The fire wasn't real; it was a light bulb that looked like a flame. I'd never seen anything like it before. I tried to hide my surprise.

"Well obviously," I said, hoping my cheeks weren't turning too red. "Just joking."

Liz didn't seem too sure, but she laughed along with me anyway. "I'm sure you're tired, I'll let you two get settled."

She left and pulled the door shut behind her. I dropped to my bottom and slid off the bed as Sam came close to me. She seemed concerned.

"Why do you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"You know what." She took my hands in hers. "I didn't notice the bulbs were bulbs either. They looked real. Nothing wrong with that. You didn't need to make it seem like you were joking."

The gentleness in her voice and the way she touched my cheek made me melt and catch on fire all at once. I was so lucky to have her. My belly was really warm. I turned into her hand on my cheek and kissed the palm so softly, letting my tongue just barely, barely brush against it. She took a sharp breath; she knew what I was hoping for.

"You know, that vending machine can wait," Sam said softly, leaning close to me.

I couldn't breathe. "I thought you were hungry."

"Ravenous."

When her lips touched mine, my body exploded in hot and cold waves and I knew what she was hungry for. My heart raced as she gently pushed me back on the bed. She followed me down, kissing me the entire way. Her tongue tickled my lips; I smiled, and she slipped it inside my mouth. Her breath tasted like fried chicken and spearmint gum, both things I was actually very used to by now.

She straddled me just below my stomach and kept kissing and kissing and kissing me. First gently, then rough, then she'd nibble on my bottom lip, then rub my tongue with hers, then repeat it all again. I don't think she ever kissed me so much and to be honest, it was driving me crazy. I was so excited and so…well…wet down there. I just wanted her to touch me all over. I whimpered into her mouth as she kissed me.

Finally, Sam scooted off of my stomach and I felt her hand brush against my thigh. My leggings felt suffocating; I wanted them off, wanted to feel her hand on my bare skin. But she kept kissing me and inching her fingers between my legs on top of the leggings. Just when I thought she was going to touch me, her fingers slid over to the other thigh.

I groaned; didn't she know how badly I wanted her hands on me? Instead, she kept pressing into my thigh, moving her fingers closer and closer, then sliding them away. I swear each time it happened, I lost a little more of my ability to think. I was desperate for her touch. I was ready to grab her hand and put it just where I wanted it.

"Please," I gasped between her kisses.

"Patience, kitten," she whispered back. For the first time in minutes, she moved away from my lips, kissing my neck all the way up my jawline to my ear. Her tongue slid down my neck to the neckline of my top. Each kiss felt like lava, making me warmer. I practically writhed underneath her stubborn touch.

"I need you right now," I begged. "Please, Sam."

She sat up and smiled, then made a face as if she were being thoughtful. "I guess since you said please."

She scooted down to my feet and I spread my legs. Her nails scratched my hips as she pulled off my leggings but I didn't care. I lay there on my back, legs spread before my beautiful Sam, only my pink and white unicorn panties between her and…well, me.

She looked at my body like she was looking at a plate of bacon. Some people might find that weird but I know how much Sam loves to eat bacon and I could barely wait for her to take me with that same hunger. She lifted my right leg up and pulled off my sock, then gently kissed the side of my foot. Then my ankle. Then my calf. One lone kiss at a time, Sam worked her way up my leg. As she got closer to my panties, she slowed down. She nibbled on my thigh, sucking a bit of my skin between her lips and nibbling on it before moving on.

Finally, she reached the top and kissed right in the crook of my thigh. I felt her lips through the very edge of my panties. One more move and she'd be there. Just one more…

Her lips touched my other thigh.

Ah, dang it! Come on, Sam!

She nibbled that one just like the first, slowly moving closer to my panties. And just when I gave up hope and expected her to change direction again, she pulled my panties aside and her tongue slipped inside of me.

I was anticipating it but I wasn't expecting it. I was so ready, but it caught me completely off-guard. She was barely inside of me for a few seconds before my whole body trembled and shook.

I groaned because my brain suddenly couldn't say words. Instead, I grabbed two handfuls of Sam's hair and pulled her closer to me, trying to make her tongue go even deeper. It was such an intense orgasm, one of the best I'd ever experienced (and I experienced so many with Sam). As it passed, I expected Sam to stop.

She didn't.

I tried to pull her face up to mine so we could kiss, but she wouldn't budge. My body didn't know what to do; usually, I had some time to cool down. I was so sensitive down there, but her tongue didn't once hesitate or stop.

"Sam…what are you…oh gosh…"

I glanced down at her. She stared at me, this lusty look in her eyes. I knew she wasn't going to stop even if I wanted her to. No matter how I moved. No matter how much her lips tickled or made me jump or buck my hips, her mouth was glued where it was. And somehow that thought got me so excited, so fast. I stared back in disbelief as my hips twitched again.

Ohgosh…

She slipped a finger deep inside and curled it. She knew just where to go and what to do; she always did, from the very first time we made love after prom. My muscles felt spongy. My head dropped and I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe it…I was close again. So close…if she would move her finger just a little more…and her tongue on my…

Then everything stopped.

Wait…what? No…

I opened my eyes and found Sam climbing on top of me. Somehow she had taken off her pants and panties. She pulled mine off next and I knew what was coming. I bit my lip as the beautiful blond goddess straddled me, crossing our legs so we were scissoring.

I was so wet already, but wasn't prepared for how wet Sam was. Her lady lips kissed mine. She settled in and started grinding, and my mind went blank again. I could only react to her on some weird emotional level I didn't even understand. I thrust my hips towards her as she ground hers into me. It felt like jolts of electricity shooting through me, up through my belly and into my arms and legs.

Sam's hair covered her face but I could see her eyes; she was as lost in the pleasure just like me. Her eyes found mine through the loose strands of hair. "Cat," she groaned. "Oh God. Cat..."

Sam reached out to me. I gave her my hand and our fingers interlaced. That simple touch…the way she said my name…it was different. Overwhelming, as if something within her reached out and touched me deeper than my skin. I wiggled my hips against her. The gentle wet slipping sounds between us seemed to make her want more. She ground into me harder. I bucked back. It felt so incredible. Beyond words.

She pulled my hand to her breast and pressed it hard. I squeezed, twisting her nipple the way I knew she liked. She groaned and squeezed her other breast. Her jaw locked and she ground downward even harder.

"Caaatt…"

My back arched. I was throbbing, aching, crawling out of my skin. Our lips slipped and slid, each movement sending fire and ice through my whole body. In all the times we did this over the years I never felt so close to Sam, like we were touching more than each other's bodies.

She slid her hands between us; I felt her fingers slipping against me. When she pulled her hand out it was all wet. She reached out and put her fingers in my mouth.

The moment I licked them, my whole body went rigid. The taste of both of us together pushed me hard over the edge. I watched silently as she took them into her own mouth and groaned. Her body went rigid, too; it was so wet between us I can't believe she didn't slide off. I bucked my hips against her grinding. The entire bed shook.

"Sam! Ohgodohgod!"

"Cat…!"

We were screaming. Not whispering romantically. Not groaning sensually. Screaming. Loud. The blankets under us shifted. I thought the bed might break. It had been a long time since we had orgasms at the same time and these ones were indescribable. My voice was scratchy from screaming by the time it ended.

Sam collapsed on top of me. I pulled her close and we kissed. Well, sort of. We licked each other's faces, tasting each other in our breath. Our tongues wrestled and wrapped around each other as our lips—well, our upper lips—touched and smashed just like our other lips had.

Even as Sam's strength gave out and she rolled off of me, I kept her in my arms and kissed her. I wanted her to know every single second how much I loved her and wanted to be with her. Sometimes, she didn't like too much kissy stuff after we make love, but that day she wanted to keep going, and so did I.

We didn't even talk. We just kissed until we couldn't anymore. Until Sam finally fell asleep. I stayed awake and just watched her. I kissed her nose and caressed her cheek and brushed her hair. She meant so much to me. And it really felt like something about that lovemaking brought us closer. Like more in sync, only without Justin Timberlake.

I wanted to tell her how much I loved her. How much I always wanted to be there with her. My own eyes started to feel heavy, but before I fell asleep, an idea hit me. I don't get many, and most of them aren't very good, but this one was perfect. It was just what I was looking for.

I'm not gonna wait anymore. I'm gonna ask Sam to marry me.

I fell asleep thinking and dreaming of just how I wanted to do it. Engaged at the wedding of our best friends! What could be more perfect?