This is Chapter 4, the last chapter. There will be an epilogue to follow tomorrow, I'm hoping. :)
Thank you so much all of you! You all are the most encouraging, wonderful people. I really do appreciate the reviews and alerts...all of it. You don't know how much that motivates me to continue. Happy New Year! tina
Oh God she didn't know if this was going to be a good idea, putting her stuff in Sam's garage? Well she didn't really have that much. A couch, couple of chairs, kitchen set, bed, linens…etc, she thought. She probably would only use half of the area.
Most of the things in Luke's house now were his. Her stuff was still in some boxes in the basement. She shifted from one foot to the other while they stood there waiting for her answer. She looked nervously at Sam, not sure whether he was offering to be nice or if he felt backed into a corner. His face was unreadable.
"Well," she said "if you're really okay with it Sam that would be a good idea. I plan on looking for an apartment right away so my stuff wouldn't be there…"
Sam cut her off. "It's alright really, take the time you need. Lets just get the stuff out of here today." He looked so understanding at that moment she felt her lip quiver trying to hold back. She didn't deserve him, she really didn't.
She told Traci and Jerry about the boxes in the basement. They went down there to get them into Jerry's car so that there was room in Sam's truck for the bigger things.
After she told them where to find the items and then she turned back to her packing. Sam came up beside her. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.
She turned to him. "Nope." he just shook his head, she knew she said the wrong thing to him. "Wait, I want to talk about it, I need to talk about it with you, okay? You're the only one I can talk about it with, but right now…I just want to concentrate on getting out of here."
When he still didn't say anything, she reached over and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for being here, I don't know why he called you. I can't believe he called you, but thank you for coming. You are my hero."
Sam smiled sheepishly, after everything that happened last night and the things he said, he couldn't believe he was here either. "Anything for a damsel in distress. Besides you know we wouldn't be able to make it till Monday without talking."
That gave away so much to Andy, she smiled at him. She really looked at him, he was gorgeous, inside and out.
"Andy don't look at me like that." He said staring at her.
"Like what?" She said smiling.
"You know what." He said.
"No why don't you tell me?" She teased.
Sam just grunted and said changing the subject. "Get your ass moving, would you? You think I want to hang out in this house all day?"
"Well then help me pack." She fired back.
Of course the first pile of clothes Sam went to was the lingerie pile. Andy sidestepped him and grabbed the pile. "I'll take care of these, thank you. You pack the jeans and sweatshirts in that box." She pointed.
All she heard from him was some grumbling about lack of perks and there better be some pizza and beer waiting for him somewhere along the way today.
The truce they called had worked like magic. Everyone pitched in and after two truckloads and three and a half hours later, they were done. An exhausted Traci and Jerry were waiting outside for the final run to Sam's and then to Traci's house. Andy was standing in the kitchen taking the house keys off her key ring when Sam walked in. "Ready?" he asked. "We're all loaded up and ready to go."
"Yes…I just think I should leave him a note before going." She said looking for a pen and paper.
"So what was the nature of the breakup?" she looked up at him when he asked. "You know so I can help you write the note." She knew he was just teasing her.
Andy raised an eyebrow at him; she shook her head.
"What? Before I was the hero and now I'm…?" he tried to act hurt.
"Nosy, that's what you are." She said pointing a finger at him. "Go warm the truck up, I'll be right out."
She thought for a moment before she began writing.
Luke, Since you sent Sam over, we were able to get everything out today. At least I hope so. Thank you for leaving this morning, I think it made it much easier for both of us.
I hope that we will be able to maintain some civility at work. I wish things could have worked out different for us. But as you said, I hope that you do not hate me either. Andy.
She reread her note; she could feel air on her neck. She knew he sneaked back in; he was standing over her shoulder trying to see the note.
She turned and playfully pushed him away. "I knew that you would sneak…"
Sam grabbed her arms and pulled her close. He caught her lips with his giving her a smacking kiss. He pulled away and she caught his head in her hand, bringing his head back down. They kissed hard for a moment, opening their mouths at the same time to deepen the kiss.
When they pulled away Sam noticed that Andy had one single tear just beginning to fall. He lifted his hand and let the tear fall on his finger.
"Thank you." She said again staring into his eyes. "I'm not crying because of him, I'm crying because…I don't know why I'm crying."
He seemed to understand and just held her tighter in his arms a few moments longer. She nestled in and laid her head on her shoulder. Sam stroked her hair a few times. "You okay?" he asked softly.
She pulled back and looked at him. "I am now." Was all she said as she tried to smile. They both pulled back and walked out of the kitchen and then out of the house that she once lived with Luke.
They were on their way to Sam's house when he looked at her. "Okay, so just give me a hint. Or better yet, who broke up with who?" he asked.
"Do you think that you can contain your joy about this? It's really…I don't know…childish?"
"Yeah whatever, just answer the question." He persisted.
"It was mutual, how's that?" she said.
"Mutual? That's all I get? After breaking my back today…that's what I get, mutual?"
"That's all you get. Well and pizza and beer." She said. She knew he was really just trying to tease her and make her more at ease with the situation. Her Sam, that was what he always did for her.
She picked up her phone and asked "What's the name of that place you get that really good pizza from? Do you think they'll be open today?"
"Oh yeah, after all the parties last night, who wants to cook? The number is in my phone, just use that." He said handing her his phone, she reached for it and he pulled it away. "Are you going to order my favorite?"
"Yes, I know, barbeque chicken pizza. Just give me the phone." She held her hand out for it. "That's not even real pizza."
"Hey, I know for a fact that you love it too, so cool it."
"Yeah, yeah…that's because you won't let me order anything else." She laughed; it was true it was her favorite too.
She called and placed an order; they would deliver it to Sam's house because he already had plenty of beer and other stuff left from the party.
They were unloading the last of the load into the garage. Traci and Jerry went into the house to wait for the pizza order and get things ready while Andy and Sam finished up.
She sat on her couch for a minute to rest. Sam came and sat beside her. He wouldn't have to go back to Traci's with her. The last of her stuff was in Jerry's car. She felt like this was the right time to tell him.
"Luke and I broke up last night…for a lot of different reasons but one of them is because I found out he was cheating on me." There she said it. He turned and looked at her and then jumped up.
"He what?" He started to pace the garage floor. "That bastard, what until I get my hands on him, I'm going to…"
"No, no…" she grabbed his arm to stop him. "I didn't tell you this so that you would get involved, I told you this because I don't want you to get involved. Please, Sam there are all kinds of rumors, about him, about us. Please don't make it worse."
"Rumors about us? McNally there has always been rumors about us."
"What? Why didn't you tell me?" she was stunned.
"Because they were just that, rumors. I'm not going to live my life by what other people say and think. I could care less what they say but I didn't tell you because I knew how you would react."
"Why do you always have to try to protect me? You should have told me; maybe I could have done something about it! Wait a minute, did you know he was cheating on me?" She questioned.
Sam turned to her; he didn't want to lie but… "I heard something but I didn't put a lot of stock into it, okay? I honestly didn't believe it was true." He answered.
"Why didn't you tell me? Damn it, I thought you were my friend!" She was furious now.
"Wait a minute here, your boyfriend is cheating on you and instead of kicking his ass, you're pissed off at me?" He stepped closer, his look was menacing as he started to stalk her.
Andy backed up to the garage wall. "That's not the point." She said as he reached up and planted his hands on both sides of the wall beside her head.
"So what's the point McNally?" he said close to her face.
"I don't know, I can't think when you are standing so close."
"Why is that? What are you thinking about right now?" He asked softly. She felt his breath against her face. She closed her eyes. "Look at me McNally, what are you thinking about?"
She opened her eyes but she couldn't say anything. She just stared at him ready to go wherever he led. "Never mind," he said disgustedly dropping his hands and moving away, "look you deal with your situation and I'll stay out of it." He was just so sick of being aroused by her only to have her freeze up on him.
Oh god, not now, she couldn't take anymore of this. "I'm thinking about us Sam." She said quietly with her head down. "I'm thinking about how dumb I was to wait so long...before I realized that I didn't love Luke…and that I'm never going to love him because…I'm in love with you."
Sam turned, completely surprised. He couldn't have heard what he thought he just did. "What? What did you say?"
She looked at him, her heart in her eyes. "I said that I love you! And if you twist this and try to make it seem like I'm only saying this because he was cheating. So help me Sam I will…"
She couldn't finish the rest, his mouth was on hers. They kissed long and hard, Sam pulled away to kiss her neck, "McNally? You are driving me insane."
Andy smiled lifting her head to give him better access. He reached for her mouth again.
"The pizza's here." Traci said opening the door seeing the two of them intwined. "Oh sorry, emm…the pizza's here." She repeated and shut the door. They didn't see the smile on her face as she walked into the hallway to the kitchen.
"They coming? I'm starved." Jerry said opening one of the boxes.
"I think we can start without them." Traci said.
"Barbeque chicken pizza?" Jerry exclaimed, "Errr…I hate that stuff, it's not even pizza."
I wanted a short story this time. I didn't want to drag it out. I'll try to have that epilogue done tomorrow. :) Cheers!