Okay, this chapter didn't come out quite the way I wanted but it still get the message across. And just to clarify for anyone confused, even though Naomi rejoined Oceanside Wellness, she had not bought back the shares she sold when she left for New York. She is supposed to be buying them back in the near future but I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out if she does or not. A usual, thanks for reading guys :) XOXO

Chapter Nineteen

"I think that covers everything for this week's meeting. Are there any announcements someone else would like to make" Sheldon asked, standing at the head of the conference table. He looked at each individual sitting at the table and was met with silence.

"Good, we'll meet..."

"Wait" Naomi interrupted. "I have something to say". After weeks of procrastinating, the moment had finally come. She'd been trying to find the right words all morning but she was out of time. She was going to have to wing it. Ignoring the eye rolls and annoyed grunts she received, she began. "The end of the calendar year and our fiscal year is approaching".

"Yes, we know how to keep track of the date. We're all well aware" Violet said smartly.

"I don't doubt it" Naomi responded civilly, though inwardly she was more than tired of being rebuked for every little thing she did and said. If she needed any more conviction in her decision, Violet had just given it to her. It was time to leave. "However, the point I was trying to make is that the start of a new year is a time for new beginnings, fresh starts. Therefore, I've decided to turn in my resignation and leave the practice at the end of this year". Silence permeated the room, surprising Naomi. She'd expected certain people to clap, sigh with relief, or at the very least, Naomi thought she'd catch a few sly smiles. She just knew her impending departure would be received as good news. But no one smiled; not even Amelia, Violet, or Addison, the ones who hated her most.

"Why" Charlotte finally asked, breaking the silence; though it was pretty obvious why Naomi would want to leave. But Charlotte didn't want her to go; they'd grown so close over the past few months.

Naomi took a deep breath and looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone except Sam. She wasn't ready to see his reaction. "Let's face it; me coming back in the first place was a big mistake. All my presence has done is cause a toxic work environment. Some people in this room are barely talking to me and some of the ones who are, are probably catching hell at home for talking to me. It was never my intention to cause so much tension and division. So, I think it's best that I just get out of the way and let you guys go back to being a harmonious group without me. It's the easiest solution. I wasn't scheduled to buy back into the practice until the New Year and now I've saved everyone the trouble".

Sam felt absolutely blind sighted. He'd felt Naomi distancing herself in recent weeks, withdrawing into herself, but he'd never thought she would actually leave; at least not without telling him first. He hadn't even gotten the chance to convince her to stay. When would Naomi stop knocking his feet from under him? When would she stop keeping him off balance? "Naomi…"

"Don't worry Sam" Naomi said, cutting him off. She still refused to look directly at him. "This won't affect your time with Isaiah. I have every intention of keeping our schedule. We might just have to rearrange meeting spots but we'll work it out later".

Sam nodded absently, still in shock. He was appreciative that Naomi had assuaged any fears that might arise concerning their son, but that hadn't been his first thought. His first thought had been about her. Naomi announcing that she was leaving felt personal; it made Sam sad and angry and too afraid to figure out why he felt so strongly about it. He wanted to look into Naomi's eyes to make sure this was really happening, make sure she wasn't playing some cruel joke; but she wouldn't look at him. Why wouldn't she look at him?

"There you go, playing the martyr again" Addison scoffed, annoyed by the scene playing out in front of her. "Even though you brought this all on yourself, you still want to play the victim".

Shaking her head, Naomi chuckled humorlessly. No matter what she did, Addison found a way to blame her for something. "How am I playing the martyr? I've acknowledged the wrongs I've done countless times over the last few months. If you want to stay mad at me, that's your right, but don't pretend I haven't accepted responsibility for my actions. Hell, I've even taken accountability for things that I believed weren't my fault. All I want is a little peace, that's all. And if leaving is the only way to accomplish that, so be it". Naomi could feel Sam staring at her out of the corner of her eye. It was almost as if he was compelling her to look in his direction.

"No, taking accountability would be explaining why you're such a slut" Amelia spewed.

"That's wasn't necessary Amelia" Sheldon reprimanded, leaving no room for Amelia to challenge him. He looked back at Naomi apologetically. "Naomi doesn't owe us any more explanations than she's already given. If you don't like her answers, that your problem, not hers". Sheldon had more or less tried to remain neutral about the whole situation, but enough was enough. They were about to lose a colleague and people were still being catty. When would the madness stop?

"Thank you Sheldon" Naomi said quietly. Amelia had no idea how much her words hurt. Granted, Amelia had always been closer to Addison than her, but Naomi had considered her family for years. The blind loyalty Amelia was showing to Addison had opened her eyes.

"I don't like her answers and I don't accept them" Violet retorted. "I want the truth".

Pete sighed. "Violet baby, come on. Isn't it time to let this go? Just because you don't like her answers doesn't mean Naomi isn't telling the truth; and if she's lying, that's her business". Pete gave a subtle glance towards Naomi; he'd kept quiet about his suspicions for months but Pete was sure Naomi knew he had put most of the puzzle pieces together. He was aware Charlotte was onto her as well.

"Until she tells me why, I'm not letting anything go" Violet said stubbornly.

"Why WHAT" Naomi exclaimed. "I am so sick of your pissy attitude. What is that you want to know that I haven't answered"?

"Why you slept with Sam" Cooper said, speaking for his best friend, surprising everyone. Though he had been sticking by Violet's side, everyone knew he was more or less indifferent about the whole situation. But now Cooper was also fed up. He wanted a resolution so things would finally go back to normal. He was tired of feeling torn between his wife and best friend while they took opposite sides.

"Seriously?! How many times do I have to say I was drunk" Naomi asked, frustrated, her legs bouncing under the table. Technically it was a lie, but why did it matter as long as she stayed out of Sam and Addison's way; which she had, despite accusations to the contrary. People lied everyday and were never second-guessed let alone persecuted. "How come no one keeps questioning Sam? How is it a perfectly acceptable answer for him and not me" Naomi deflected. She didn't want to drag Sam into the conversation, but Naomi still couldn't understand how they could hate her so much but not him.

"Because it's not you Naomi" Charlotte said quietly, hoping Naomi wouldn't hate her. In no way did she agree with Violet's tactics or recent behavior towards Naomi, but there was some validity to her complaint. Naomi wasn't being completely honest. "You know how supportive I've been over the last few months, how close we've grown. But that part of your story has never made sense to me. It's just not you. Most of us, including Sam, are impulsive; we sometimes act without thinking, but you don't. You're a thinker who always weighs the consequences. I don't care how drunk you were, it still doesn't make sense. There has to be a more concrete reason".

Naomi stared at Charlotte for a moment, feeling a little betrayed. If she cared so much, why hadn't she asked these questions before in private? Why confront her in front of everyone?

"Don't be mad at me Nae, I'm just trying to understand" Charlotte pleaded, reading her friend's thoughts. And secretly, she wanted Naomi to finally confess what she and Pete had been suspecting for some time. "Since the subject was brought up, I couldn't resist asking".

Naomi was so tired. Their interrogation was breaking her down; it was beginning to take too much work to keep her feelings to herself. Now Charlotte had jumped on the bandwagon. Even though she was coming from a good place, it made Naomi's load that much heavier. She could feel the truth bubbling to the surface.

"Okay, everybody just stop" Sam demanded, about to lose his mind. His ex-wife had just announced she was leaving the practice and no one seemed to care. All they wanted to do was further interrogate her about a subject that should have been put to bed a long time ago. "Naomi might not be as spontaneous as the rest of us and she has a habit of keeping secrets, but she's not a liar. Naomi and I both made a mistake and I'm tired of her taking all the blame for it. I want to apologize to you Naomi for letting it go on for so long". He looked around the rest of the room. "This has got to stop, it ends now. Everyone needs to look at what the real problem is. We're about to lose one of the top fertility specialists in the country over some petty drama. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard". Sam glanced back at Naomi, who still refused to look at him. "Is there any chance you would consider staying"?

As usual, Sam had the worst timing. He'd finally decided to defend her honor when she deserved it least. Becoming restless, she fidgeted in her seat. "I'm sorry but no, Sam. I can't stay. Thank you for sticking up for me but I'm afraid they're right. I have been lying".

"I KNEW IT" Addison yelled, feeling vindicated. "You've been trying to break Sam and me up from the beginning"!

"No, you're still wrong Addison. I've done nothing of the sort" Naomi said calmly.

"Then what are you lying about, Naomi? If you keep insisting you weren't trying to sabotage Sam and Addison, then why did you sleep with Sam and hide Isaiah? Tell the truth for once" Violet spat, her tone more unforgiving than ever.

Naomi placed her hands on the table and stared down at them, contemplating. She'd silently vowed to herself to never tell any of them the real story. But she was leaving; and she no longer had anything left to lose. Plus, Jake had been right. Holding onto her secret feelings for Sam was affecting her ability to truly move on with Jake. Or at least Naomi hoped that was the reason. What else could it be? Looking up, her throat suddenly felt tight. She fought through it and finally told them what they wanted to hear. Looking at no one in particular, Naomi whispered "I was in love with him".

"WHAT" Sam blurted, scooting back from the table like a bullet shot out of a gun. He was in complete shock. There was no way he could have heard her correctly. He looked around the room and witnessed similar stunned expressions. Had they heard the same thing he had?

"What did you say" Addison demanded, completely and utterly surprised. She'd considered several times the possibility of Sam still being in love with her but had never considered Naomi still being in love with him, not even when Sam's mother had suggested it. She'd been too focused on trying to keep Sam. It couldn't be true.

Naomi finally looked directly into Sam's astonished eyes; her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Clearing her throat, she spoke louder this time. "I was in love with Sam".

"You...you're lying" Sam stuttered, his own heart becoming erratic. "If you were in love with me, why didn't you tell me how you felt"? The answer was becoming obvious. Naomi would never stop knocking him flat on his ass. They were supposed to be friends again and she had kept this to herself. She didn't even bring it up when their parents had harassed them about still having feelings for each other, not once! Did his ex-wife live to torture him?

"I wanted to, I was going to. But the day I finally worked up the nerve to tell you..." Naomi broke eye contact and stared off into space, watching the scene of that fateful day unfold in front of her... "You and Addison came into my office and announced you two were in love. I didn't get a warning or any indication that you had feelings for each other beforehand. I was just supposed to accept you two as a couple and deal, so I tried to. Looking back, I think almost everyone in this room had some idea of what was going on, but somehow I missed all the signs. And no one thought to give me a friendly warning. I was completely caught off guard". Lots of bodies began to fidget, confirming Naomi's suspicions.

"But that was at least six months before you moved to New York; and a year before Sam came to New York. Are you trying to tell us that you harbored feelings for him for that long" Violet asked, completely floored. Her attitude had completely altered as understanding finally hit her. Things were starting to make sense. She suddenly felt an overwhelming sensation in the pit of her stomach; remorse.

"Yes. Why do you think I fled to New York so fast? I did want to help Maya, but the real reason was because I could no longer stand to witness my best friend and my ex-husband, whom I was still in love with, have a relationship; not when I wanted to be with him myself. It was killing me so at the first opportunity, I ran". Naomi reached up and massaged her chest over the spot where her heart beat like crazy. Recalling the past was once again bringing up old emotions; she felt completely vulnerable and exposed. Charlotte stood up and was about to come around the table to comfort her, but Naomi stopped her. "Don't, I'm fine" she said shakily. "Instead, why don't you ask me another question? If anyone wants their questions answered, this is the first and last time I'm ever discussing this".

"Alright" Charlotte said slowly, sitting back down. She was so proud her friend was finally opening up. Even though it was painful, getting this off her chest would be good for her. Obeying Naomi's wishes, she asked the next question. "What happened the night Sam showed up"?

Sure, let's start with the easy questions Naomi thought to herself. She took another deep breath. "Sam was drunk out of his mind and talking nonsense, but I wasn't. I'd had some wine but to even call me tipsy would have been a reach. The truth is, I wanted him so I fooled myself into thinking he wanted me. I didn't sleep with him out of vengeance or spite; I slept with him because I loved him and hoped he loved me". Naomi's voice cracked; she didn't know how long she could walk down memory lane but she was determined; she wanted to enter into her business venture with Jake with a clean slate.

"What exactly was Sam talking about" Addison asked mechanically, in a daze; she still couldn't wrap her head around this. She wanted to believe so badly that Naomi was lying, but Addison had known it was the truth from the moment it left Naomi's lips. A swirl of emotions hit her full force; so many, she couldn't compute any of them to decipher what or how she was feeling. Naomi had still been in love with Sam. She and her best friend had been in love with the same man. Or… a scarier idea emerged. Maybe Naomi had never stopped loving Sam; which would mean they were STILL in love with the same man. The very thought shattered Addison's soul.

Naomi looked at Sam again, recalling the conversation in her head; she shook her head. "Like I said, it was nonsense. Sam most likely had no idea who I even was. The fact that he wasn't aware of his actions and regretted what happened, couldn't have been any clearer when I woke up the next morning in bed alone. That's when I knew how badly I'd messed up".

Sam looked like a mannequin as he stared in disbelief. He was lost in his own hurricane of emotions as question after question arose in his head. Naomi had still loved him; how could she not have told him? How could he have not known? And why, even in the midst of a confession, was she being so secretive about that night? What had he said? If only he could get his mouth to work. "Naomi…." Sam stuttered, before falling silent again. He was slipping into a catatonic state.

"Yes Sam"?

Sam still couldn't find any words.

"How come you didn't tell me how you felt. We were supposed to be best friends" Addison cried, taking Sam's missed opportunity. The full gravity of the situation was starting to sink in. Addison desperately wanted to hang onto her anger to prevent the guilt from seeping in and crippling her.

"You mean just like you told me you were interested in Sam" Naomi asked boldly, staring Addison down.

"If you would have told me, I would've…"

"You would have what Addison" Naomi shouted. "I didn't know I had to tell my best friend I was in love with my ex-husband just so she wouldn't date him". She turned to the rest of the group; saw their guilt-ridden and sympathetic faces. "Why would I tell any of you? What would it have accomplished? Would it have kept Sam and Addison apart? Would it have made Sam love me" Naomi spit out, barraging them with her own questions. "No. All it would have done was have you feeling sorry for me and looking at me like I'm wounded puppy; much like you are right now. Though I guess in some ways, it would have been the better option. I can't say I ever expected to be ostracized and branded a backstabbing whore. That's been fun. I went from a wife to the other woman and the enemy in your eyes. No one except Pete and Charlotte ever thought to look at it from my side, even if they didn't have all the facts. Talk about getting the shock of my life; I didn't expect a free pass, I know I'm not innocent in all of this, but to be condemned...WOW! I'm guess I'm not the good person I thought I was".

Chairs moved as more bodies began to fidget. The conference room was getting smaller and smaller as everyone's dark emotions filled the atmosphere.

"It's no excuse, but I think everyone was just taken aback because of your son. He came out of nowhere" Pete said, playing buffer and trying to soften the mounting tension. He was happy Naomi had finally let some of the secrets she was keeping out in the open; but this was only the beginning. Sam was now aware of Naomi's harbored feelings, but instinct told Pete there was still plenty unsettled between them. The look of utter shock and bewilderment on Sam's face confirmed his misgivings.

"Why did you keep Isaiah hidden" Sheldon asked, his therapist tone in his voice. He was beginning to regret his choice to stay indifferent. He hadn't realized how deep the rift had grown between the two sides of the practice. Maybe if he had inserted himself sooner as a neutral party, there would have been a quicker resolution.

"For the exact same reason I slept with Sam; because I was in love with him. But this time, I had finally accepted I would never be with him again, that he didn't love me …" Naomi paused to regain her composure. She started over. "When I found out I was pregnant, I did plan to tell Sam. I stared at the phone every day for three months trying to get up the nerve. Then one day, it hit me. I would never be able to move on, to get over Sam if I was forced to raise a child with him. It was already hard enough carrying his child know…knowing…" Naomi covered her mouth to keep wrenching sobs from leaving her mouth. Her body wracked with pain as she fought tooth and nail to drive them back down her throat. "I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore. Now you know the truth and we can all get on with our lives. Consider this confession my parting gift". Naomi stood and exited the conference room, walking as fast as her weakened body would let her.

Sam, who had lost his ability to think, speak, move, and barely breath since Naomi had admitted her feelings felt disoriented. This had to be some crazy dream. He'd heard the whole conversation, her reason for her actions, but it still didn't seem real; that is until she left the conference room. Still unable to quite process what she said, Sam finally got his body to function again. This was not over. Naomi couldn't just drop a bombshell and run away. "Naomi, wait" Sam shouted as he stood up and ran after her.

Naomi didn't wait for him. He had to sprint half way down the hall before he caught up with her. Not taking any chances that she might run, Sam grabbed Naomi by the waist and pushed her against the wall. They were both breathing heavy as they looked into each other's eyes. "We need to talk".