I wanted to upload this a bit earlier than usual. I can't sleep so hey why not, right? You guys are awesome and it's Memorial Day weekend here! This chapter covers a couple of topics but mostly the repercussion of the morning after! Plus something you guys have been anxiously waiting for! Fun stuff guys!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot and my own characters.
Chapter 6 The Dreaded Day After
Streams of light slithered towards the sleeping duo. Sam groaned as she felt a heaviness surround her torso. She tried to release the tension, but it tightened. Opening her eyes, she furiously blinked her eyesight correctly. The light from the closed blinds that escaped reflected off the carpeted floor, giving her a glare of a headache. Her head pounded as she snuggled her body under the sheets. Noticing that her body was unusually cool, she opened her eyes under the sheets to see her naked body shine back.
Gasping loudly, she followed the arm around her body to face with a sleeping body next to her. She groaned loudly as the realization of what they did flooded back to her. Releasing his grip from her, she slithered out of the warm nest and searched for her undergarments. Pulling them on, she realized that her dress would cause too much alarm to slip back on and decided on grabbing his skewed button up shirt, clutching her dress in her arms. She buttoned the dress shirt as much as she could and slipped out of the room discretely.
Knocking on the door leading to her suite, Sam realized that she forgot her pumps back in his room. Groaning, she held her head in her hands as the squeal of the door opened. "It's so nice of you to join us again," her sister voiced.
Sam groaned in embarrassment and shoved her way past her twin. "I don't want to hear any of it, Melanie."
Melanie closed the door and leaned on the kitchen counter. Crossing her arms, she held a set seriousness to her face Sam's never seen. "Charlie's still sleeping, if you even care. Topher's been awake and has been watching cartoons for the past thirty minutes in the room I slept in. Those are your children, Sam; your new responsibilities. I can't believe you went and did exactly what I told you not to do. How can you be so stupid?"
Sam threw herself on the closest available landing and lay on the couch. "Melanie, I don't know what you didn't understand when I said that I really don't want to hear it."
Melanie sighed and sat on the single couch across from her twin. "I just want to know what was going on through your mind when you decided to go back to his place for the night."
Sam raised her head and flipped onto her back. "I don't know. It was the spur of the moment."
"No it wasn't; and don't even try to lie to me because you'll only be lying to yourself," Melanie scolded.
"Seriously, why are you getting on my case about this, Mel? It was a mistake, I know that!" Sam almost shouted.
"I'm getting on your case because this is exactly what got you in the mess in the first place. You two can't hold your hormones well enough to realize that sex can have a consequence. Hell, Charlie and Topher were the outcome of the last time you two fucked up!"
Sam snorted, "I can't believe you just cursed."
Melanie glared, "You're missing the point, Sam."
"No I'm not. I am completely aware of what you're trying to get across. But at the same time, what we did was due to alcohol."
"And the fact that you still love him has no factor in this what so ever, right?"
Sam lay quietly at Melanie's last comment. Closing her eyes, she remembered the feeling of his arm tighten itself around her warm body, leaving a trail of hot skin. "I'm done talking about it if you are," Sam stated.
Melanie sighed in defeat. "Sure. You have to go meet Carly with Charlie before she leaves later anyway. I think I'm going to visit Mom for a few hours to see how she's doing. I think you should take Topher as well, seeing as their both your children."
Sam chuckled, "Probably better off without me interrupting her sessions with the multiple boyfriends she always had over."
Melanie glared at Sam but got up from her spot on the single couch. Sam lay for a couple of minutes on the couch, which turned into two hours. Opening her eyes, she realized she had fallen asleep. Charlie was sitting in front of the television alongside Topher with a bowl of cereal watching cartoons. "Guys, don't sit so close to the television."
Charlie looked up from her bowl of cereal and scooted back with a smile. Topher silently slid back as well. Sam sat up and began to get ready to go to Carly's. She checked the clock; she had an hour to get there. "I'm going to shower, babies. I'll leave it unlocked in case you need anything. If someone knocks, don't answer."
Charlie nodded and went back to her cartoons. "Yes, momma," Topher answered, looking at Sam.
Sam smiled at them. Charlie and Topher were still in their pajamas; hers was a pink and white zebra print one piece and his was a light blue one piece with penguin footsies. Jumping into the shower, Sam recollected her thoughts as she lathered her blonde curls. The rest of her routine was monotone as she pulled out a pair of jeans and a loose fitting band t-shirt; also helping the twins through her routine. Finishing her make-up, Sam glanced at the clock; five minutes left.
Smiling, she turned to the two who sat in front of the television again. "Ready?"
Charlie jumped up and smiled, "Ready, Momma!" Topher stood up and flipped the television off with a silent nod.
The walk from the hotel to Carly's was short and adventurous for the twins. As they were waiting for the elevator, Topher tugged on Sam's sleeve. Sam looked down and smiled, "What's wrong, Topher?"
Topher stared at her with an inquisitive glance. Motioning for her to kneel down, he reached up and kissed Sam's cheek. "Thank you for being a good Mommy. I heard Aunty Melanie say you weren't a good Mommy. I think you are."
Sam stared in surprise at Topher. Kissing his cheek as well, she smiled at him. "Thank you, Topher." They rode the elevator up to the eighth floor and as the door dinged opened; Charlie sped through them and knocked furiously on Carly's door, Topher close behind her. As Sam caught up to them, the door silently hinged open, revealing an excited Carly.
Sam smiled at her bouncing friend and walked in to the apartment. Spencer was in the kitchen cooking when Charlie ran straight towards him with a smile. Topher ran towards Spencer's legs and hugged him tight. Carly led Sam to the couches as the girls sat down.
"Are you ready for Hawaii?" Sam joked.
"You have no idea how ready I've been!" Carly smiled back.
"How was yesterday for you?" Carly asked in a slightly serious tone.
Sam shrugged her shoulders. "It was better than I thought it was going to be when I made the decision to come back for you."
"Melanie told me last night that he still doesn't know," Carly said slowly.
Sam frowned and sighed, "Of course she told you. What else did Melanie mention about last night?"
At this detail, Carly frowned as well, "Did something happen that I should know about, Sam?"
"What did Melanie tell you so I know what to fill you in with?"
"Mel just told me that you played a game with Charlie and Topher so Freddie wouldn't figure out that he was the father. She also mentioned that you spent a good amount of time with him last night after you convinced him that Mel was the mother. I swear that's all she told me."
"I went back to his place last night…"
"You did what, Sam?" Carly shrieked. Sam glared at her friend so as to not alarm the twins and Spencer. Carly sighed and brushed a hand through her delicately placed curls.
"I was drunk…he was drunk…we didn't even drive back to the hotel because of how drunk we both were!" Sam protested.
"If you two were so drunk, then why didn't it occur to you not to drink so much since of last time's repercussion?" Carly scolded.
Sam merely shrugged. "I know you're hiding something from me, Sam." Carly whispered.
Sam put up her hard face. "He doesn't know what he does to me. I didn't want to come back because he would never even guess that I still get butterflies when I see him. I thought…I thought that if I ran away and never saw him again that…they would go away. Every time I see Topher I see Freddie in him; Charlie as well when she likes to sit down to read, when she begs me to practice writing with her. And he doesn't even know…" Tears had started to form at the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them spill.
Carly gave her a sympathetic smile and hugged her friend. "Call him," Carly whispered in Sam's ear.
Sam gasped at the mere suggestion that her friend was telling her. Pulling away from the hug, Sam stared blankly at Carly, "Do you know what that would mean if I called him. I fucking slept with him when I hadn't even seen him in five years and I left his room so fast, I left my shoes."
Carly laughed lightly, "Out of all the things that could have happened in the morning after, you realize you forgot your shoes back at his place?"
Sam chuckled as well, "Well when you put it that way it does seem absurd."
Smiling, Carly held Sam's hand in reassurance. "Trust me, just give him a call."
"I-I don't know, Carly."
"Sam…he leaves tomorrow back to Texas…give him a call," Carly spoke sternly.
OxOxOxOxOxOxOxOx
Sam doesn't really know how, but Carly convinced her to call Freddie and invite him to the park. Sam figured, if they're going to talk, she rather it be in public where it's less likely to make a scene.
Somehow, Sam had made it to the park they used to hang around when they were younger and carefree. She sat on a swing watching Charlie climb the staircase for the slide and Topher push her. Sam could feel her heart practically pound out of her chest; thrumming in her ears. Freddie was crossing the street to jump on the grass of the public park. Keeping her peripheral on the twins, Sam smiled softly as Freddie reached her and sat down on the empty swing beside her.
Casting her blue eyes on the mulch beneath her feet, she could feel his gaze on her body. "We need to talk through what happened last night, Sam," Freddie spoke in a wispy voice.
"What do you want to talk about?" Sam muttered.
"Well…I don't think we should have done what we did…you know…last night…" he spoke hesitantly.
Sam looked up from the mulch and dead in his brown eyes. Her gaze intensified as she spoke, "Look we both know that what we did is not what we should have done but the deed's been finished. We can't take it back now, even if we wanted to. So let me ask you again Fredward…what do you want to talk about?"
Freddie took a deep sigh. "Sam…I'm not trying to upset you at all…I just thought we should talk through our feelings about what happened last night. If you feel so strongly that it was a mistake, just say so."
"I thought I just did. Fuck Benson, can't you read between the lines?" Sam muttered.
Freddie chuckled. "Sam I've known you long enough to know your defense mechanism. Anyway, I know we didn't leave off on the best of terms since you bolted from my suite before I had any say."
"Would you rather face the awkward morning after as soon as it happens or after you've collected your thoughts and reflected on what happened the night before?"
"Wow Sam…that's pretty deep…even for you."
"I've grown up since I last saw you…life happens and the situations I went through made me grow up fast."
"Situations like what, Sam?"
"Situations that are none of your business Benson."
"Sam…why can't you talk to me anymore?"
"Because we aren't the same people we were five years ago! When was the last time you had a Spaghetti Taco?"
"Semester break because I actually come back to visit my mother, Spencer and Carly so I won't lose touch with some important people."
"Don't fucking get technical on me, Benson. Besides, I've had a shit load of work cut out for me in the last couple of years."
"How am I supposed to understand what you mean if you don't even tell me what you've gone through?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you."
"I'm not asking you to…Sam I understand that our lives have drastically changed over the last couple of years but that doesn't mean you can't share anything with me...I thought we were friends."
"Nub. We were friends once…that doesn't mean anything now since I haven't heard from you since we saw each other during thanksgiving break freshman year."
"You think I stopped thinking of you as my friend then? Sam, I never even considered dropping you as a friend. I thought you were one of my best friends," Freddie said softly.
Sam's vision cast back down to the mulch. The two weren't getting anywhere in this conversation. "I've done stuff you wouldn't even think morally correct. I don't need you to lecture me about it."
Freddie parted his lips to rebuttal when his phone buzzed. Frowning, he dug in his pocket and fished for his phone. When he answered, Sam looked up to realize he wore a façade she knew all too well. Topher had seen the scene unraveling before him. Leaving Charlie alone on the slide, he ran towards Sam and climbed into her lap. Sam brushed his brown waves away from his face lovingly as Freddie spoke into the phone. "Hey babe, how are you?...I'm good…Nah just talking with an old friend of mine…yep…yep…babe, where did that come from?...why would you ask if I was with anyone last night?...why would you believe them?...of all people to believe…no…no I know…I promise…okay…yes…yes…I love you too…yes I'll see you tomorrow afternoon…bye."
Sam scoffed, "Trouble in paradise?"
Freddie sighed, "Her name's Sierra and she's really nice. We've been dating for about 8 months and she's a great girl…I don't want her to know what happened between us; which is why we need to talk about it."
Sam glanced back up at him, furious, "You're over here preaching about being friends when you failed to tell me this entire trip that you are in a steady relationship. Meanwhile, we slept together and that counts as cheating on your so called "perfect" girlfriend."
Freddie sighed, "Look I know how sketchy that sounds but this is exactly why we need to express our feelings so we know that we don't have any thoughts harbored since our night."
Sam frowned. Letting Topher down gently, she stood up abruptly, the swing flinging wildly behind her from her motion, and she made her way towards Charlie, who played with neighboring children. "I'm done with this shit. Charlie! Let's go!" Topher's hand gripped tightly in her own.
Charlie, who was at the top of the slide smiled at Sam and threw herself down, "Coming!"
The younger girl ran up to Sam with a wide smile and latched onto the bigger hand Sam extended. Freddie watched the three interact and stood up from the swing. "Sam!" He called out.
Sam turned her head and frowned. "Leave me alone Benson."
Freddie shook his head. He watched them walk away from him and cross the street together. He noticed how the younger girl's eyes light up as she held Sam's hand. He noticed the surprising resemblance between the two girl's styles of natural hair, the shape of their eyes, and lips. He also noticed the familiar shape of the younger girl's nose and shape of her face. But it was the little boy's features that struck Freddie the most; the wavy brown hair, brown eyes and the familiar facial expressions. Freddie wasn't sure why he hadn't notice the familiarities before but he felt the need to talk to Sam immediately.
Running after their retreating forms, his thoughts raced as he tried to remember the distinct features Charlie and Topher wore. As he reached the hotel, his phone buzzed with a text message. It was his mother, he realized, when her picture flashed on his phone. Instantly, he froze on his spot in the lobby. Shoving his phone back in his pocket, he raced up the stairs, desperately trying to beat Sam on the elevator.
The doors dinged as they slid opened and Sam stepped out. Charlie's eyes lit up when she saw Freddie. Freddie stood there, mouth agape as he stared at the trio. Sam cocked her hip. "I thought I told you to leave me alone."
Freddie felt like a fish out of water. Kneeling down, he smirked, "Hey Topher, Charlie."
Topher smiled shyly as Charlie let go of Sam's hand, "Hi Freddie! You were at the park talking with Momma! You know, Momma doesn't really talk with a lot of people…unless you count Ms. Irene."
"Charlie!" Sam shrieked as her daughter slipped personal information. Freddie chuckled. "Oh really? You know Charlie…I'm really curious to know when your birthday is."
"OH! It's not just my birthday, its Topher's too! Our birthday's next month! April 25!" Charlie smiled, showing an empty spot between her bottom set of teeth.
"Charlie, that's enough. Let's go," Sam knelt down and picked up her stunned daughter, Topher gripped Sam's shirt.
"Bye Freddie!" Charlie called out as she faced Freddie from Sam's shoulder.
Freddie chuckled. "Sam…I know who they are. I know Melanie is not their mother. I know you are. Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?"
Sam scoffed and turned around. "Like you figured out how I had a twin named Melanie, Freddie?"
Freddie's cheeks dusted pink as she brought up the old memory. "I can count too, Sam."
Sam's cheeks glowed bright pink. "SO?"
Freddie laughed again. "They're the exact age of when we had our moment during senior year; exactly nine months from August."
Sam frowned. "What if they are?"
"I know what they are to me."
"You can't be sure of that. I could have fooled around with anyone around that time."
"Oh really? I remember you being single that entire summer and not interesting in anyone at all. I also remember you being sick the last time I saw you. Why didn't you tell me earlier? I had a right to know too."
Sam's expression changed as she heard him say that last sentence. "Think about how different your life would have been if you had to raise a child for the past couple of years while you worked your way through college; now imagine raising two! Don't even bother answering that, either. I made my decisions and you made yours."
"That doesn't mean you should have kept it to yourself, Sam," Freddie frowned.
"I didn't want to ruin your perfect plan after college, all right? So please, just leave us alone. You wouldn't know what to do anyway. It's too late," Sam said softly.
"It's an overwhelming situation, yes. But you're being selfish Sam."
Sam scoffed, "I'm being selfish? You know what; I knew it was going to be a mistake coming back to Seattle. Do me a favor and never talk to me again, Benson." Sam turned on her heel and stared at her twin at the open door. Melanie had heard the entire conversation and stood with a somber expression with her arms crossed. Sam glared at Melanie. Pushing past her, Sam stomped through the entryway with Charlie still in her arms.
Topher let go of Sam's shirt and approached Freddie. "Every time you talk to Momma, she cries. You make her have a booboo in her heart. Why can't you be nice to her? She has a picture of you in her purse. I saw it when Momma let me grab a dollar for the machine so I can have a snack. You look happy. Can you please make her happy again, like in the picture?" Freddie smiled at Topher.
Kneeling down, he whispered, "I wish it were that easy, Topher. But your Momma needs to let me be happy too."
Sam growled from the open door of the suite, "Christopher Levi, I will not repeat myself. Get in here now." Topher nodded and walked in through the door.
"Momma…I don't understand what happened," Charlie spoke in a confused voice, behind Sam's legs. Freddie didn't get to hear what Sam told Charlie since the door slammed closed. Freddie stood there, plagued and baffled. "Think about how different your life would have been if you had to raise a child for the past couple of years while you worked your way through college; now imagine raising two!," was what rang through his head. He realized what Sam meant when she spoke about the struggles she went through and why she didn't want to tell him. Moving his feet to his suite, he pulled his own key out and stepped inside. Sitting on his bed, he pulled out his phone and sent a text back to his mother.
SENT TO Mother:
Yes, everything here has gone well. I think I'll be heading back to Texas earlier than I planned due to a situation back at home with Sierra. I'll call you tonight to see how you're doing. ~Freddie
WHAAAT? THEY MET? How'd I do guys? Were you satisfied with this chapter? I've almost finished the next chapter so I might upload that soon and not next Monday. Seriously, tell me what you guys thought about this chapter. A lot happened. Love y'all!