DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer, along with Little, Brown and Company, owns all the rights to the Twilight Saga. I own nothing and profit nothing from this story.

We walked inside of the restaurant and a woman greeted us. The woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties, looked at Sam appreciatively.

"Hello, Sam," she cooed. My eyes narrowed at the woman.

"Sadie, how are you?" So he knows the woman, interesting.

"I'm good, though I haven't seen you around lately."

"Been busy."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Always hard at work you are."

"I try," he said awkwardly. "Could we get a table?"

"Oh sure. Just the two of you then," she asked while inspecting me, "or will some more friends being joining you?"

"Nope," Sam answered wrapping his arm around me, "just my girlfriend and I today, thanks."

"Right, just this way then." She led us to a booth off to the side of the café. "You're server will be right with you," she smiled.

"Thanks," Sam said, sliding in.

"She started walk away before I could ask her where the restrooms was located. I turned to look at Sam who already had his head in the menu.

"Sam?" He looked up from the menu and blinked at me. His eyebrows knitted together and a small frown replaced his smile.

"Bella, why are you standing? Sit down, baby." Sam patted the spot next to him.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Oh, it's behind this wall and down the short hall."

"All right, I'll be right back."

"In case the server comes, what do you want to drink? Coke or they have good strawberry lemonade here?"

"Strawberry lemonade, please."

"You got it, babe."

I headed for the hall and found the bathroom easily. As I closed the stall door, I heard the door from the hall open.

"Leah is such a shameless flirt." I recognized the voice as Sadie's.

"Yeah, well, it's not like she really has to try too hard."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, they'll be together in the end. Everyone knows that." I certainly didn't know that.

"He came in today with his new 'girlfriend'."

"Why do you say it like that?"

"She's some little girl from Forks. She's probably still in high school. Nothing special from what I could see. Really not sure what he's thinking there to be honest." I couldn't really argue when I was being compared with Native goddess, Leah Clearwater.

"Really now? Leah can't be happy about that."

"Nope, but she's not too worried. Like you said, everyone knows the two of them will get married eventually. Sam knows it too, even if he's having his little Forks adventure currently."

"Makes sense though. He and Leah were together forever, maybe he's just checking out the local inventory before he settles down."

"Last tasting before the final show." Sam's not like that. They don't know him at all. He loves me. He wants forever with me. Leah's in his past. I'm his future. Right?

"Yeah, he has to get his man fill before committing to Leah."

"I can't wait for them to get married." They're not getting married ever.

"Why?"

"Can you imagine the party this tribe is going to put on? The celebration will probably last a week."

"Right you are. He needs to get rid of whatever it is in his system, so we can get the party started." The two of them laughed and exited the restroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Guess, Paul and Marissa weren't exaggerating when they said the whole tribe expected Sam and Leah to end up together.

While I tried to push the voices of the waitresses out of my head, I noticed my hair was looking a little rough. Hanging out with the kids made a mess of my hair. I used the band on my wrist to throw it up in a ponytail, trying to tame it a little. Though obviously, my first impression had already been made at the restaurant.

After I determining there wasn't much else I could do, I headed back toward our table. We could eat our meal, hopefully in peace. Then I could forget about the conversation I'd just heard. I belonged with Sam. Fate said so.

Just as I went to turn around the corner I heard Sam laugh. I stopped, but only because his laugh wasn't alone. A female voice that I unfortunately recognized joined his.

"Sammy, you're too perfect." Sammy?

"I'm not perfect, Lee-lee. You know that." They have pet names for each other. How not cute.

"Well, you're certainly are as close as they come. And you're perfect for me."

"Lee, stop it."

"You remember that time when we decided at six o'clock at night to go to Seattle?"

"Yeah, sure."

"That was the most incredible weekend. I mean we didn't get there until past ten and we ate at that shitty little whole in the wall. What was the name?"

"One-eyed Ray's," Sam chuckled. "The food was God awful."

"And the bartender…"

"…wouldn't stop staring at your ass. I gad to beat his scrawny ass."

"Always my hero, Sammy. Yeah, and then we stayed at hotel with the very…"

"…loud neighbors." They both burst out laughing.

I stood dumbfounded how they so easily finished one another's sentences. Leah probably knew more about him than I ever would. I knew about the wolf thing, but she knew so many more things.

"Of course no weekend can beat the camping trip we went on with Falon and Reese."

"I don't know which part was funnier, Reese catching his pants on fire while trying to light the fireworks or you and Falon trying to flirt our way out of being hauled to jail for possessing illegal fireworks on state land."

"All my best memories have you in them, Sammy."

"You're in some of mine too, Lee."

"That won't ever change, right?"

"Of course not, Leah. You're a huge part of who I am. I don't think I'd be the guy I am if you hadn't been in my life." I felt my heart plunge. I knew he had a past, but I would think that it would be our memories that would be his favorite.

"I'm sorry for your mom's dinner. Marissa invited me and she never told me that she was going to be there."

"I'm sorry too if I was an ass at all. I just didn't like that the two of you appeared to be ganging up on my girlfriend."

"It's not serious, right? I mean, I just thought you planned to be with another native. That's how you always talked."

"I thought that was what I wanted, but things changed." More like fate made him change, I thought bitterly.

"They didn't have to, Sam. We worked so well together. Everyone thought so, they still do. Why can't you see that? What does she have that I don't? All I see is what I have and she doesn't." That's all I'm starting to see as well, so you're not alone, Lee-lee. Sam didn't have a nickname for me. He called me baby, but half the men in American call their girlfriends that too.

"Leah, don't be like that. Bella's great and she's who I want."

"You're going to face so many problems with her."

"Then I'll overcome them with her by my side." At least he's admitting that they're will be issues. I was starting to think he wouldn't.

"We were easy. We were simple. We didn't have to overcome anything. We fit together naturally." I cringed. She had it perfect. If there was no magic, she would still have Sam. And me, I'd be alone. "You used to see that, believe that. I don't understand what happened. You just break up with me for no reason out of the blue one day. Give me one good reason, Sam. Don't I deserve that?"

"Of course you do, Lee. I just don't have an answer for you."

"Did you not love me anymore?"

"I did, Leah. I really did." Crack, there went the last pieces of my heart.

"I just don't understand, Sam. Make me understand why she gets you."

"She's who I'm meant to be with."

"Meant to be with? What like fate? Screw fate, Sam. When did you become someone that is told what to do? You make your own decisions."

"Leah, you don't understand, and I can't make you. I'm sorry, I just can't give you the answers you need or want. I wish I could." I bet he wishes he could be with her. That he never imprinted. That he never had to give up his chosen love.

"Well, from where I stand, you're just making a mistake. The whole tribe knows how perfect we were together. You're the only one who can't seem to see it, though from you're lack of answers, it makes me wonder if you know it deep down too."

"Leah…"

"It's fine. Go do your little rebellious thing with the pale face girl. I'll be here waiting for you to get whatever it is that's gotten into your system out. And then we'll be together like we always planned."

"Leah, that won't be happening. You need to move on." Not that he's once said that he didn't want it to happen. Never has he said that he loved me more, that we fit together better. Never did Sam say he wanted me. That he chose me. It was the imprint and only the imprint. He didn't really want me, he was given no choice.

"I don't think I do. I know you, Samuel Uley, better than anyone, and I say we'll be together once and for all in due time."

"No, Leah, we won't."

"Whatever you say, Sam. I'll just go get your drinks then."

"Lee, I think it would be best if someone else waited on us."

"Oh come on, Sammy. Can't your girl take a little competition?"

"Lee-lee, please." There was those stupid names again.

"Fine, Tammy will be over then. I know you're not a fan of Sadie's."

"Thank you."

"Right," she muttered before walking back toward the kitchen in back of the restaurant.

"Baby, you get lost back there? I was just about to send out the search party." Yeah, right. He probably hardly noticed my being in the bathroom for nearly twenty minutes since he had his dear Leah to keep him company.

"Yeah, sorry, Renée called and it's nearly impossible to get her to hang up," I lied.

"Oh yeah, well, she doesn't get to see or talk to you often. She probably just misses you."

"Uh huh, you're most likely right. So where are our drinks?"

"Oh, um, Tammy hasn't brought them back. Food here is great, service not always such," he chuckled.

"Okay."

Tammy soon enough brought us our drinks and took our orders. Sam told me more about the girls from the rec center and how the leather work went. While he spoke, I played with my own bracelet, wondering if Sam ever would have noticed me without the imprint. And if he had, would he go through all the trouble he is to keep me.

The remainder of the meal went quietly. Sam could tell something was bothering me, but left me to my own thoughts. Once upon a time I thought that was because he knew me so well, but now I was wondering if it was because he didn't really care. I knew that was wrong to think. Sam loved me, I didn't doubt that. I just wondered how true his love was and how better off he would be without me. Leah still meant a lot to him, which was easy to see. If he had the choice, he would probably have chosen a life with her by his side.

Sam offered to drive me back to Forks, but I declined. I wanted some time to myself to think about what I'd heard that day and decide if it meant anything. Or if it would change anything.