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Andy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She's finally decided that it was time to talk to Sam. Talk to him properly. Hear him out. She wasn't about to run back into him arms. No way. She had more self-respect than that.

Telling Nick had almost crushed her. She'd invited him round, and told him to take a seat. She's been pondering the best way to tell him for hours before he showed up, and she'd come to the conclusion that it was best to just come out and say it, rather than delay the agony. So that's what she'd done. She waited until he'd settled on the couch, and made sure she had his full attention.

'I don't really know how to say this Nick. But I figure it's much like a bandaid, as they say. Rip it off, it'll hurt less. And I'm guessing you know it's coming by now, so I'm just gonna say it,' she saw his face fall. 'I can't be with you.'

He hadn't said much, just stared blankly at her, letting it sink in. When he did speak, eventually, his words were stunted and she thought he must have been struggling to keep it together.

'I get it Andy, I do. I'm not happy about it. But I get it.'

It was simple and to the point. She thanked him silently for that. He hadn't hung about. He raised his hand to stroke her cheek and smiled poignantly at her, before he got up and left. She thought she saw a tear fall as he rushed for the door, and the thought that she'd reduced him to that killed her.

Andy had stayed on her sofa and cried silent tears. She didn't know how long she had sat there for, but it was light when he'd left and dark when she snapped out of it. She wasn't crying because she regretted her decision. She knew she was doing the right thing ultimately. She had always been told by everyone around her that she was an emotional sponge. She'd never really taken them seriously before, but in that moment, seeing the pain in Nick's eyes, she knew it was true. She felt her own pain at the prospect of her ruined relationship with one of her best friends. She felt his pain at being rejected, and his loneliness for being without Gail too. Hell, she even felt Marlo's pain, at watching someone she loved walk away. Andy had sent Nick away, and yet she still hurt. It was selfish, and that's why she cried. She cried for herself. She cried for Nick. She cried for Marlo, and for Traci, finally releasing the tears at the thought of Jerry's death that she'd held back for so long while she was trying to be strong for her friend. Then she cried for Sam. She cried because he'd lost a friend and would never get him back. She cried because he'd left her, pushed her away instead of letting her help him. She cried because he loved her.

And now she sat breathing heavily, waiting for Sam to show up. She'd asked him to meet her in the park. She didn't want to go to his place and see traces of Marlo scattered around. And she didn't want to go to hers either. It would be all too comfortable for Andy, surrounded by her familiar things, with Sam. It would be too easy to cave. So she'd opted for the park. Safe ground.

She was perched on a picnic bench, scanning the faces of the people milling around, waiting to spot him striding towards her. But so far she hadn't seen him. He was late. Not a good start for Sam.

When he finally showed up he was wearing a sheepish grin on his face.

'I'm sorry,' he offered, sitting down opposite her. 'Traffic was dire.'

Andy raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. She could tell he was lying but she didn't want to push it. If he wanted to start off lying then that was his choice, but he had to know she could see right through him, so she hoped he would tell her the truth as they talked.

'You going to tell me why I'm here then?' he asked, curious.

'To apologise, I hope,' Andy said.

He scoffed, 'Apologise? For what?'

'For your note.'

He smiled one of his boyish grins and looked away.

'You don't see a problem, do you?' she asked him.

'Look, Andy. I'm not saying I'm innocent here, but really? Apologise? That's a two way street McNally! You slept with Collins the night before that.'

'Sam you practically forced yourself on me that night, then deserted me in my own bed so you could run back to your girlfriend and break her heart without a second thought.'

'I didn't hear you complaining at the time.'

'Grow up.' She shot back at him.

'McNally, I didn't want to leave you that morning. I just knew it would be a million times worse if I didn't sort things with Marlo straight away. I mean, I kind of took it as a sign that we were getting back together when you asked me to be with you that night. I'm sorry if I read the signals wrong?' he ranted.

Andy blushed at the memory of her murmuring it against his lips.

'Yeah well that was a heat of the moment thing,' she said defensively. 'What I'm more worried about is the fact that you didn't even break up with her right away. You worked a whole shift and then told her after. I might be able to understand why you left in such a hurry that morning if you'd actually gone striahgt round there and told her,' she threw at him.

He looked a bit shocked at her outburst.

'Andy, its not like I planned to have sex with you and then delay it a day before telling Marlo. I told her the first chance I got. I could hardly stroll up to her in parade and tell her then, could I!?'

'You made me feel cheap.'

He raised his eyes to meet hers as she said that. He could see pools of tears threatening to escape as he watched her. She brushed her hands against them and took a deep breath, bracing herself.

'You are anything but cheap, Andy.'

'And that's supposed to make me feel better? I slept with two guys in two days. Does that sound like the Andy McNally you know? Because it sounds like a whore to me.' She mused, more to herself than to him.

Sam reached out and covered her hand with his on the table.

'It's not like it was random guys McNally. Collins is your friend, well, colleague – with benefits. And you love me. That doesn't make you cheap.' Sam defended her.

She blushed and buried her face in her hands hastily.

'Come on Andy, this is me you're talking to. I know you. I see the way you look at Collins, and it's not the same. He doesn't make your heart flutter and you knees shake. You don't tremble when he runs his hands over you.' Sam probed, tracing patterns on her arm as he spoke.

She pulled her arm back and composed herself. Rubbing away the goosebumps his touch had caused.

'Just because you broke up with Marlo, and sort of apologised for the other day, doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you Sam.' She said sternly.

'I was gathering that much, McNally. You always were strong-minded. But like I said before you left for Dakota….I love you. I know it now more than I ever did before. And I'm even more determined to show you just how much by making those dinners, taking out your garbage, rubbing your feet, anything you ask, I'll do it.'

'I don't want you to do any of those things Sam,' Andy said stoically. 'None of it will help.'

'Well then what can I do? Tell me Andy, because I'm going out of my mind over here, wondering what it's going to take to get you back.'

'Trust,' she said simply.

'Trust?' he repeated, raising an eyebrow at her.

'I need to know I can trust you. Trust you to stay, and not leave me when it gets tough. Trust you not to find somebody else just because it's easier. Trust you to be there when I need you. Trust you to love me, no matter what. And right now, I don't trust you to do any of that.' Andy shrugged and dropped her eyes from his.

Sam got up from his side of the bench and moved round to sit next to her. He took her face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs along her cheeks.

'Andy McNally, I love you more than you could ever understand. I know I make it hard, and that I don't always show it, but I really do Andy. So if you'll let me, I want to teach you to trust me again, because if that's what it takes to get you back, then that's what I'll do.'

He leaned forwards and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. She didn't resist him but she didn't kiss him back.

'Good,' she told him when he let her go.

'Does that mean we're back together?'

'No.'

Sam sighed and ran his hand over his face and through his hair.

'I need to see it Sam. I'm not gonna lie, I do want to be with you. But we can't rebuild a relationship on nothing. We have to be friends before we can be together, and the past few weeks we haven't even been that! Give it time Sam. Show me I can trust you. Let me get over what I've just done to Nick, smooth things out in the office. It's going to be awkward, especially with Gail. I need to deal with that on my own. I can't put a relationship with you in the mix as well.'

He nodded, a slightly pained look on his face at the prospect of weeks without her.

'I know what you're thinking,' she smiled at him teasingly. 'I'm thinking it to. That's why we're here and not at my condo. We don't have enough control for that yet!' she laughed a little at the look on his face, he was clearly reliving their night together. 'It was never just about the sex Sam. And that's what I want to get back to.'

He nodded again, reluctantly.

She smiled. 'I'll see you tomorrow, at work,' she said as she moved to go home.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

'Can I at least have a kiss goodbye, to keep me going?' he asked cheekily, smiling a huge dimply grin at her.

She pressed her lips to his without saying a word. He pulled her closer, his hand on her back, pressing her body against his. Andy slowly and teasingly ran her tongue over his lips, dipping into his mouth so he could taste her, biting his lip gently with her teeth, driving him crazy.

She pulled back before she got carried away. She would see him at work.

And she walked away.

Let me know what you think!

Just want to say a big thank you to: Kou Shun'u, bellapaige88, jh126, and bacio4hope who review every chapter I post in this story. Thank you so much for your thoughts and support! Steffie xo