Masquerade Lovers
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Evasion
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"Good. Then you wouldn't mind telling me this: how the hell did you get that mark on your neck?"
Britney's surprising question caught Sam off-guard. She'd absent-mindedly pushed her hair back, forgetting that Britney, being a close friend, would have known that the mark on her neck was no natural mark.
"I – I don't think that's any of your business," Sam said, finally. Darn, she berated herself as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Now she knows there's something.
"I would be correct in assuming neither Clover nor Alex know about the mark on your neck, do they?"
Sam nodded slowly. Britney came and sat down next to Sam.
"Then what's wrong? I know it must have been a man who gave you that mark, and I know you wouldn't settle for just anyone. If you had really let a guy do that to you, you must have really trusted, really loved, that man. Just tell me, what's the matter?"
Sam was silent, unsure of what to say.
"You can tell me, you know. I promise I won't tell anyone," Britney said gently.
Sam later told herself it was because Britney, although a close friend, wasn't either Alex or Clover, so she wouldn't judge her, be as disappointed in her (as she felt they must be if ever they found out) as she thought they would be if they knew what happened. But how could she go about the story, without revealing too much of what had happened? How could she tell the truth and not reveal the whole truth, and yet not tell a lie?
Sam drew in a deep breath. "You promise?" Sam said, nervously.
Britney gave a faint smile. "Of course. And I'll go first and tell my own secret first."
"You have a secret?" Sam asked.
Britney nodded. "You remember I wrote to you telling I met Charles at a party where I was undercover?"
Sam nodded.
"I did."
Sam frowned. "I don't see how that's a secret. You already told us that."
"It wasn't quite that, you see." Here, Britney drew in a deep breath. "I did meet him there, but he was part of my mission."
"So he knows about WOOHP?"
Britney nodded. "And he's been against the idea from day one of our relationship. I love him so much – and I know how much he loves me. But Sam, I'm really scared, and I can't leave WOOHP. Not now at least, not at the moment. And this is driving a wedge into our relationship."
"He seemed like the perfect man," Sam couldn't help saying. Britney nodded.
"He is. Even when I was working with him, he always insisted on my well-being, even though he couldn't fight to save his life. And they say chivalry is dead," Britney gave a brittle laughter.
"Oh Britney," Sam said awkwardly, not knowing what to do. But Britney did not need prompting.
"I feel so confused. I can't leave WOOHP; they won't let me – and I can't let them hurt Charles."
"Why would they hurt Charles? Why would they prevent you from leaving?" Sam asked. Blinking, Britney shook her head.
"I have said too much, Sam. And you haven't told me anything," Britney answered, pointedly.
"It's nothing important. I met some guy in a mask, and fell asleep on the roof."
"Did you sleep with him?" Britney asked.
Sam's silence was taken as a yes. Britney's mouth formed a small 'o' of surprise.
"Why?"
That question shook Sam out of her reverie. Why indeed? She'd only known that guy for a short while under his anonymous persona, and before she knew it, they were kissing underneath the moon –
"I don't really know," Sam finally said.
"Indeed. Couldn't fight the moonlight, I suppose. It was a full moon, last night, Alex told me."
Sam managed a smile in spite of herself. "It was moon-madness, I suppose."
"It's still a part of you, Clover noticed, although she didn't say so in such succinct terms. And I have to agree. For you to have – well, it couldn't have been all moon-madness."
Sam remembered how before he'd seemed so right for her. They shared the same opinions, the same ideas – it was uncanny, the similarities between them. And yet they were fighting on different sides. A smile formed on her face as she forgot that she was supposed to be angry, to be thinking of those memories as repugnant to her, because they weren't, really. But they had to be, and that is what she had forgotten.
Britney noticed the secret smile, but said nothing. Instead, she asked Sam, "Are you going to see him again?"
That wiped the smile off Sam's face. "No," she sad, the sadness traceable in her voice and she felt somewhat dejected, before she tried to maintain an impassive expression on her face. She succeeded, but it was a case of too little, too late.
Britney frowned. Why not? She thought. She wanted to ask Sam out loud, but she'd already moved to her study table, and opened up a book. She wasn't going to learn anything from Sam now, but she'd keep an eye out for opportunity, to learn what really happened to Sam last night. It was her duty, as a friend.
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Author's Note
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Filler chapter, but if you look closely, it simply develops the story. Can't fight the moonlight? More like can't fight love.
On a different note, Iran is awesome. Except for the lack of internet connection. That's awful. But I see all my darling cousins and I'm glad.
Review and enjoy!
lianneharmony
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References
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"Indeed. Couldn't fight the moonlight, I suppose. It was a full moon, last night, Alex told me."
That line was influenced by the song Can't Fight the Moonlight by Leann Rimes.
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Shoutouts
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To everyone who read and reviewed and loved and waited oh-so-patiently. I haven't had much time to just put this up. :( Like last time, where you see I forgot to put shout-outs. No matter, you know who you are… :)