Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

Successful people keep moving, they make mistakes, but they don't quit.

Sam smiled as he walked into his apartment, the radio was high, but he could still hear her voice singing along to the song as if she were on stage singing to thousands of people. He dropped his bag on the floor kicked his shoes off and made his way across the room towards the bedroom.

Mm-mm Eh-mm, aye, aye

Good vibes, drunk night put your hand on my right thigh, now I, I, I, I, went so blind, I forgot about that thin line like why-y-y-y?
Used to look like brother from another mother, now you look like my lover, and I just want to touch you tonight-ight-ight

He giggled at her trying to sing the male vocals to 'Homies' by Saint Harrison & Tiana Major9 as loud and out of tune as she possibly could, he leaned on the door trying to catch her off guard. Pulling back when he realised, he'd leaned too hard as the door moved an inch or so, showing more of the room, he gasped, and for a second, he couldn't catch his breath "What the fuck?" he finally got out as he pushed the door wide open, startled at the sight of a naked guy sitting in the bathtub with her, it was clear what they were doing

I let my emotions run away with me, yet they got me wondering so many questions like, what does it all mean?

I think we should've stayed homies, should've never let you in

"Sam" she jumped sharply "This isn't what it looks like"

"Are you shitting me?" he laughed at the ridiculous comment "What does it look like if it's not what I'm seeing?" there was a moment he stood waiting to hear the alternative to what he was looking at, maybe wanting to believe it, he almost smiled as he watched her brain trying to come up with something workable.

"Who's this?" the strange guy asked breaking the silence

"Who am I?" Sam snapped "Who the fuck are you?" he turned his attention to the stranger

"Who is he?" the guy asked her

"Babe, this is..."

"Babe?" Sam asked, "What the fuck is this man doing in my fucking tub?"

"Your tub?" the guy asked

"Let me explain" she stood up to get out the bath

"Fuck sake" Sam hissed "Get dressed" he turned and walked out the bathroom

He wasn't playing with this woman, he walked across the living room and into the bedroom, picking up everything of hers he could find as he crossed the room and swung the wardrobe door open, grabbed a case, it was an expensive one, but worth the loss if he never had to see her again.

He'd come home early today, to surprise her, she'd been on his back for a while about his late nights and early mornings, accusing him of neglecting her and after two years he thought he needed to start listening to her and doing better. She'd gone one step further today by sending him a picture of her laying on their bed in the sexy underwear he'd left her this morning, and he was fired up, ready for sex, but thinking about their future too.

He dragged clothes out the wardrobe shaking his head at how wrong he's judged the situation, he'd expected her to be surprised and even grateful for him taking the time to be with her, instead she was in his house, that he paid for, eating the food that he'd brought, wearing the underwear that he'd brought her, in the bubble bath that he'd brought, servicing another man.

"Sam" she burst into the bedroom wrapped in a towel "I'm sorry we're friends he was just..."

"Friends?" he snapped "He's sitting in my fucking bath naked, his hand was between your legs, and you were singing like a fucking Banchi, I'm not deaf or blind"

"It was just... it just happened, we had a drink, it was a stupid thing to do, I'm sorry"

"Which bit, the drink, the sex, or the bath?"

"All of it"

"Why didn't you take him to your own place?" he snapped "This is so fucking disrespectful"

"It was a mistake" she walked towards him

"Don't come any closer" he held his hand out "You fucking disgust me"

"Sam" she looked at him teary eyed

"Babe, my clothes" the guy shouted

"I better get his..."

"You came in here to get his clothes?" Sam asked in disbelief

"Sam I..." she looked around the room

"Who is he?"

"He's my ex"

"The guy that used to beat you?" he asked shocked

"He's changed"

"Good luck with that" Sam laughed

"Clothes" the guy was stood at the door asking impatiently

"You better get his clothes" Sam told her turning to carry on removing every trace of the woman from his apartment

"Can we talk?"

"No" Sam snapped without turning to look at her

"What do you want to talk to him about?" the guy asked her

"I just don't want to leave things like this"

"Consider them sorted" Sam finally turned to hand her the case "That's everything" he looked at the naked man standing in his bedroom doorway "A picture I'll never forget" he shook his head "His clothes" he pointed to the floor on his side of the bed "In my fucking bed?" he grabbed the neatly placed divan and flung it to the floor "Get out" he shouted watching her walk around the bed to grab the guys clothes, her case and walk out "Fuck" he sat on the bed unsure whether he wanted to cry, or make an attempt at beating down a man that was twice his size.

"Sam" she stopped at the bedroom door, Sam lifted his head, smiling at the irony of his situation, watching the man putting his clothes on behind her, wondering how the hell he was letting her walk out without so much as an angry word "I'm really sorry you found out like this"

"Me too" was all he had, he scraped up the bedsheets, pulled the rest of the bedding off the bed, and following them out, he needed to get rid of everything she'd ever touched "Was that the first time?" he asked the guy as they got to the garbage bins

"Yes" she turned to look at him

"No" the guy frowned at her, it seemed like he was just as shocked about the situation as Sam, but right now he really didn't care about the man's feelings "We've been together for a while, she told me you two were done"

"Well, she's telling the truth now" Sam told him lifting the bedsheets into the bin "Good luck with that" he nodded at the guy. He could hear him questioning her as they walked away, but care he not, her cheating ass was someone else's problem now, he closed his eyes and swore never again, that was the last time any woman took advantage of him like that. Kicking the bin before he made his way back upstairs wondering how he was going to learn to see his home in a different light

He went back up with the intentions of moving his shit around, the new start had to start now, or he knew himself he'd be wallowing for months on her ass, she was fine, she'd done this sneaky, made sure she had a warm bed to fall into before she made her move. But instead, he sat on the couch and cried, this was the loneliness he'd been running away from for three years, it had taken him over a year to get from under his last break up, and he'd promised himself never again then too. He wished he was the kind of guy to hook up to get over heartbreak, but unfortunately, he wasn't, he preferred to get all the way over it, and move on naturally, and he really didn't mind how long that took, because the right girl took time to find.

The night in with her, turned into a night out with the guys, they'd been telling him for ages he was falling too deep into the girl, tonight they'd have some I told you so's to pass over and in order for him to hold that down he'd expect some serious rounds to get rid of the urge to kick their heads in. The night went as he'd expected lots of blame throwing, but these were his friends and right now he needed more of those than enemies, so he held it down, didn't drink too much and went home to sulk at the end of it all.

One Month Later

"Hey" he woke up exactly a month after the break up to his phone ringing, biting his lip because he hadn't given himself time to check the caller, he'd assumed it was more flak from the lads "I just wanted to check you hadn't done anything stupid" he could hear a smile in her voice

"Get over your fucking self and lose my damn number" he snapped and threw the phone down, picking it up again to make sure he blocked her number, and that was the end of that.

If only she'd known that same night he'd turned back into a man's man again, partying all night, work all day, in fact his working days had gotten longer, and his fast food habit had reared its ugly head again

"Mike" he looked up from his paperwork shocked to see his friend at his workplace "What are you doing here?"

"It's been a month and well..." he looked around the office "I thought I'd stage an intervention"

"Yep" he rubbed his hands together, not knowing what was coming next "Who needs us?"

"You bro" Mike sat on the chair in front of his friends desk "And it's not about her, before you start jumping to conclusions, it's about you, you're going down that hole again and we can see it. I'm sure you're familiar with it"

"Don't lecture me about getting back on horses"

"I wasn't going to" Mike sat forward "I was going to invite you to the gym, all work and too much of the wrong sort of playing" he frowned "I wouldn't be your friend if I didn't tell you, you're letting yourself go"

"I'm fine"

"You might be fine, but I'm not fine looking at you bro, we need to get in that gym, and I say this with love"

"I don't have time, between work and..."

"Don't say meeting us at the bar" Mike held his hand up "That's the time"

"Is there anything I can say to get out of it?"

"Maybe you want her with no morals to come with us" Mike frowned

"Hell, just froze over" he laughed pushing his laptop away from him "Let's do it"

"Great" Mike slapped his thighs "Tonight five thirty, finish work on time for once" he got up knocked fists with Sam and left his office

"Kitty" he pressed his intercom button

"Sir?" her voice came back at him

"Get me some sportswear, I'm going to the gym"

"Yes sir" she clicked the intercom off

The Gym

"It's been a while" Sam stood looking at the gym, all the fitness conscious people going full belt on the bikes in the front window, the place looked like it was bursting at the rafters "Is this the new night club?" he asked surprised

"Stress release" Mike nudged him "Come on" he walked towards the front door "Like the gear"

"Kitty has good taste" he smiled

"She's begging for it" Mike laughed "Have you never..."

"She's my PA" Sam stopped him "You know me, never one to mx business and pleasure"

"She seems to know you better than any other girl you know"

"She knows my business needs, and that's all I need her to know" Sam opened the door "Let's do this"

"Start easy with some running maybe" Mike suggested

"Today that's my start, middle and end, easing myself back in" Sam laughed, Mike showed his pass while Sam paid for his session, walking into the gym past the rowing machines, bikes, and a few weights to get to the strollers

"I'll use the toners" Mike walked past the strollers seeing only one available "I'll catch up with you in a bit, got my routine" he patted his chest

Sam grabbed the stroller, set his workout for thirty minutes and started with the program, regretting his choice when the machine started raising to work his muscles, there was a woman to his left and a well-built man to his right, he had to act this out, he'd only just started. "Breathing" he tried to regulate it, praying the pace didn't change to quick. Suddenly the woman next to him stepped the pace up on her machine, she looked angry, but it wasn't his business, he checked to see if he was safe and carried on, leaving her to get whatever it was out of her system.

Maybe it was because he was concentrating on the woman's movements, ready to protect himself or something, but he heard her singing, he slowed on his jog wondering how someone could be jogging that fast and still find the breath to sing, let alone sing the way she was singing

I let my emotions run away with me (run away with me), yet, they got me wondering so many questions like, what does it all mean?

I think we should've stayed homies should've never let you in
But now, I'm in my feelings I really want to go back to being just friends, all this confusion, illusion, assuming over and over again
Should've just stayed homies Should've never let you, never let you in (ah, ah) 'Homies' by Saint Harrison & Tiana Major9

"That was that song" he looked at her "That was that song"

"Sorry?" she lifted the headphone to ask "Was that out loud?"

"It was" he smiled "But it wasn't offensive" he assured her

"Thanks" she smiled putting her headphones back on

In that second everything that had happened on that day flooded back, he was stood in that bathroom door again, seeing the same thing repeatedly, he wasn't aware he'd speeded up until he felt eyes on him, smiling when he saw Mike stood watching him

"Glad to see it's helping"

"What are you doing next?" he huffed totally out of breath

"I've done my forty-five minutes" Mike told him "Funny how time flies when you're having fun"

"Forty-five minutes?" he looked either side of him to see the people he'd started next to had gone, and there were two others in their place "Wow, I'm done" he tapped the switch to stop the machine "I thought I'd set that for fifteen minutes"

"One hour and fifty minutes by the look of it" Mike looked at his workout stats, watching Sam in cooldown mode

"I'm going to regret this tomorrow"

"I'm going to get washed up" he tapped the machine "See you in there, we'll go meet the guys" Mike laughed "At least you'll be too tanked up tonight to feel it setting in"

Three Months Later

Sam was instigating trips to the gym now, he was hooked on the adrenalin rush, by week two he'd hooked up with the instructor, worked out his routine, so now once he was in there, he just got on with it for the full hour. Work was good, everyone was doing what they were getting paid for, and right now the single life was allowing him to get focused, he could almost thank her for the opportunity she'd given him to find himself.

He was at the gym, he'd completed his usual ritual and was on route to shower ready for his evening with the guys, when he heard whimpering, he looked between the clothes and saw a woman curled up and crying "Are you alright?" he asked rolling his eyes at the stupid question

"I'm fine" she quickly wiped her face and put on a smile "Thanks for asking"

"You don't look..."

"...I'm fine, thanks" she interrupted him, her tone dismissive, he took the hint and walked away, trying to think through reasons why someone would be sat in a changing room crying, but thoughts of the night ahead soon took over and by the end of the night there was no thoughts about anything, except getting home in one piece.

Two days later and it was like déjà vu she was there again doing the same thing, something was wrong, and he didn't feel like letting things ride, someone crying like that in public was definitely crying for help "I know you said you were alright the other evening but it's clear you're not, can I help?" he moved the clothing on the pegs to look at her

"I'm fine" she muttered

"That's just it, you're not" he huffed

"Well, I'm not your problem" she snapped at him

"You're not, that's true, but what kind of person would it make me to just walk away when it's clear you need help"

"Honestly" she looked into his eyes "I'm not fine this minute, but I will be" she frowned "I promise, I just need to get it all out"

"So, you're trying to get over something... someone?"

"No" she huffed "I'm trying to keep hold of someone"

"Oh" Sam raised his eyebrows "I see" he looked around the room trying to stop himself from asking her what the point in doing that was "Pretty important person then?"

"My mom"

"Oh" he felt like slapping himself for his thoughts, feeling safer at being a listening ear rather than a contributing mouth

"She's" she wiped her eyes and looked at her wet hands "She's dying, today's the day we think, I use this place to get away from it all, and I try to be strong for her, but it's not easy"

"I imagine not" he sat down next to her, happy Mike wasn't there with him today rushing him on

"I mean I know it's going to happen, I've known for three months now, they gave her six weeks, so she's done well you know, it's just the shock of realising I'm never going to see her face again or hold her, you know" she looked at him

"I'm an orphan, so no I don't really, but I had a great foster mom once"

"Sorry" she looked at bit shocked at his revelation "I need to get back" she looked up at the clock "Thanks for listening" she got up and left the changing room, Sam sat thinking how he'd first thought everyone in the place were fitness fanatics when he joined the gym, but now he wondered if most of them were much like him, troubled souls that needed an outlet

Two Months Later

It had been a while since he'd seen the mysterious crying lady at the gym, he thought about her often after their first encounter, he felt like he hadn't been any use to her and feared she might have done something desperate. He preferred to assume she was right, and her mother had passed away, he hoped she wasn't somewhere letting the grief consume her, like he'd seen it consume his friend Blaine when his father passed, that was some intervention.

"Time to meet the guys" Mike was stood in front of him watching him wind down, Mike had been away for work, for the past month, and now he was back, it seemed he was going harder than usual on the circuits.

"One minute" he smiled grabbing his water bottle twenty minutes later they were at the bar being their usual rowdy selves

"Hey" he heard spinning around and being pleasantly surprised to see the mysterious crying woman stood behind him

"Hey" he smiled as this friends gave him the really look "Don't mind them" he laughed "Idiots" he looked at Artie talking the loudest "These were my friends Artie, Mike, Rory" he pointed at them "You don't have to remember their names" he laughed "Can I get you a drink?"

"I have one thanks" she pointed at the table "I saw you come in and I couldn't not speak after you helped me that day"

"I didn't do anything" he smiled pointing to her table "Should we get some quiet?" he turned to cut his eye again at his friends being asses

They sat talking, she told him her mother had passed a night later, the family had turned up like vultures, there had been lots of arguments and to top it all her relationship of five years hadn't lasted two days after the funeral as he wasn't very supportive. The drinks were flowing, the conversation was seamless, tongues were loosening and suddenly they were kindred spirit, felt the same pains, travels like journey's, and had shared goals going forward

"I need to go" she suddenly got up "I've got so much to sort out, I just needed a minute to clear my head" she smiled at him "You seem to be my go to person, without even trying" she laughed "Thanks for the ear"

"Any time" he smiled watching her leave the bar before he went back to his friends

"What was that?" Artie asked grinning

"Just someone I helped once, catching up, she was nursing her sick mom, who passed" he told them "She was just telling me about her messed up family at the funeral"

"Proper flirty stuff" Rory laughed

"She needed to talk" Sam told them laughing at the insinuation "Come on guys, it's not like that"

"Yet" Mike smiled

"I told you guys, I'm not going there again" he told them "Stop"

"Six months is a long time to go without" Artie warned him

"I don't want that"

"That's right our Sam's not stranger focused when it comes to sex, is he?" Rory tapped his back

Sam was more than fed up of the conversation the guys were having, his mind was still on the conversation he'd just had and the pain that was still in the woman's voice "Give me a second" he walked off quickly with the intention of catching up with her "Hey" he called after her stood waiting for a cab

"Hey" she looked around wondering why he was coming after her "Something wrong?"

"No" he smiled "I just thought... are you catching a cab?"

"If it comes"

"I can take you" he pointed at his car

"Sure?"

"Yeah, come on" he walked towards his car making sure she was following

The drive to her bedsit was full of conversations, some inquisitive, some suggestive, he knew before he got to her place, he was attracted to her "Do you want to come up, grab a coffee or something?"

"You're alright with me coming up" he looked up at the three-story building

"I've got nosy neighbours; you won't get away with anything" she laughed

"Okay" he watched her open the door and followed her in, climbing up to the top floor behind her "This is where you lived with your mother?"

"No" she laughed "I left that to the vultures" she opened the door and held it open for him "I got the money, I'm good with that"

"Okay" he nodded looking around the place full of packed boxes, it was clear she hadn't long moved in and maybe wasn't interested in the place

"Hot, cold?"

"Hot, coffee please" he watched her walking around the small kitchenette, put her phone in the pod to put music in the background "I see you walked away with the family heirloom" he laughed at the wooden elephant on the coffee table

"The whole family" she turned and nodded at another box

"Can I have a look?" he walked over to the box "I've never seen a family of elephants"

She walked over the give him his coffee and suddenly they were dancing, neither asked permission it was just something they fell into. She kissed him first as they moved around the small space, they were both shocked at the urgency and the tenderness of it all. It was clear she was nervous; she was shaking as his hands wondered over the body, the next thing they knew, they were making love on the couch. It was fast and afterwards they just lay for a moment taking it all in

"Are you alright?" he asked

"I'm fine" she smiled awkwardly "I really don't know where that came from, were you alright with it?"

"I didn't come up here with the intention, but yes I was fine with it" he hugged her "So much so I want to do it again"

"We can do that" she giggled going in to kiss him again

Six Weeks Later

"You alright?" he asked as she walked towards him her face telling him she wasn't "What's wrong?"

"Sam" she sat in front of him "I'm so sorry"

"What's happened?" he sat forward to listen to what she has to say

"I... that bastard" she sat back in the chair watching people walk into the café, it was lunchtime, so the crowd was expected

"What's up?" he looked in the same direction "Fuck" he gasped

"That's my ex" they both said at the same time

"Seriously?" she asked, "What are the odds on this happening?"

"Sam" Quinn stood smiling down at him

"Mercedes" Noah stood beside her smiling down at her "Didn't know you two knew each other?"

"There's a lot you don't know about me" Mercedes snapped

"Well, I know you like getting naked and shoving your hand up sluts in the bath" Sam snapped

"Looks like you're getting even" Noah nodded at Mercedes

"He's not" Mercedes snapped "Bye" she dismissed them turning away

"Was that what you were upset about?"

"No" she grabbed his hand

"You were saying?"

"I know we've been super careful, but I'm late and I don't feel right, I brought a test and..."

"Pregnant?" he gasped

"I might be, how do you feel about that?"

"Let's do the test" he got up leaving the drinks where they were

Half an hour later they were sitting on her couch looking at two blue lines on a stick "What are you thinking?" she looked at him, unable to express how she felt until she saw his reaction

He looked around the tiny room before smiling at her "I guess you're moving out"

"You sure?"

"We both are this is our new start"