Chapter Four


"… and he had the nerrveeee, the gaulll to have this bitch show up."

"Wait, so he invited you to dinner and then that trick showed up?"

"Hold up, hold up, so the same bitch you picked over me to have as your maid of honor?"

"Tina, I thought we were past that?" Mercedes questioned, looking at her phone confused.

"Right, like we have more pressing shit." Santana chimed.

Tina shrugged. "I'm just getting clarification."

After their romp in the hay, Mercedes went back to her airbnb and immediately called her friends to vent. It had been so long since she was in a situation like this that even she couldn't believe it. She called for an emergency FaceTime and was going over that disaster of a dinner as she ignored texts from Sam.

"Anyway, then this bitch gone tell me it was my fault that we divorced. Like excuse me?"

"Oh hells no, tell me you slapped her?" Santana asked and Mercedes let out a long breath.

"I wanted to, I can tell you how badly I wanted to take her to the carpet but I respect his parents too much to tear up their home."

"You should've drug her to them stables, locked her in there and beat her ass." Tina said and Santana nodded in agreement.

She couldn't help feeling her cheeks warm at the mention of the stables. She hated how good it felt with Sam but she also hated that she was too weak to stop it.

"Yeah…" She said, biting her nail. "I got to see my horse."

Santana narrowed her eyes, leaning into the screen. "Hold up. I thought you left the dinner midway. You made a pit stop?"

Looking away, she nodded before looking back at the screen seeing her friends sporting knowing looks. "Well, yes. It may be the last time I get to see her and it's been so long so I wanted to make sure everything was okay and y'all know that was my safe place and so I just-"

"YOU FUCKED SAM!" Tina shouted. "Oh M geee! I know that look because I walked in on you two enough to have it burned in my mind."

Mercedes sighed, rolling her eyes. "I mean there was some rolling around in the hay but it was a serious lapse of judgment on my part."

Santana laughed. "That white boy put it on you! I remember the stories you told me about him. So was this time good?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Uh-uh, I'm not talking about that." Mercedes said, shaking her head. "Besides, we need to figure out what I should do…"

Tina snickered. "It's not like you can undo doing him so why not do it again."

"I mean, T has a point. Why not ride him like a rodeo and then when the week is done, don't look back?"

Mercedes considered what her friends were telling her before a stubborn tear rolled down her cheek. "It's not that cut and dry… I know it was foolish of me to assume… to hope that he'd want to try again forreal. That maybe we could figure out a long distance-" She stopped, trying to find the right words. "I don't think I can get past him being with Jane… she's been with him."

"But when you were with him did it feel wrong?" Tina asked.

Shaking her head, she thought about it. It had never felt wrong, it always just felt like she was home. "No. Even if I did storm away after, it felt as good, if not better than I remembered."

"Then what are you waiting for, girl?" Tina exclaimed. "You clearly still have feelings for him, and from what it sounds like, he feels the same way too."

"But he's with Jane," Mercedes reminded them.

"And? That's not your problem," Santana retorted.

"From what you're telling us, he doesn't seem that interested in her. If he was, why would he run to you the moment he sees you? Running so fast, he even forgot his pants."

Mercedes couldn't help but laugh at Santana's joke. Her friends had always known how to lighten the mood.

"Look," Tina began after they'd all stopped laughing. "We're not saying you have to marry him again or anything crazy like that. Just see where it goes. There's obviously something still there."

"Besides," Santana added. "Long distance could work. Hell, it worked for me and Dani for three years before we ended things."

"I don't know…" Mercedes said.

"Look, Mercedes," Tina said, her voice soft but firm. "You've got one week left here. One week to see if this... thing with Sam is worth risking your heart for."

"But what about Jane?" Mercedes fretted. "She really thinks he's in love with her."

"What about her?" Santana countered sharply. "She's not the one in this equation. It's you and Sam."

"But she was his choice..." Mercedes' voice trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"And now he's regretting that choice," Tina interjected. "Isn't that clear from how he acted?"

"Yes," Mercedes admitted hesitantly, "but still..."

"No more 'buts', girl," Santana commanded. "This is your chance, your opportunity, to recapture something that was stolen from you. If you don't take it, you'll only be left wondering 'what if.'"

Mercedes bit her lip, eyes still trained on the floor. "But what if I get hurt again...I mean, I just...I can't go through that again..."

Tina sighed deeply; her voice softened when she spoke next. "Love's a bitch, Mercedes. It's not easy and it sure as hell isn't always fair. But Sam was once your world - don't you owe it to yourself to see if he could be again?"

Santana nodded vigorously, her dark curls bouncing with the motion. "If he hurts you again, he'll have to answer to us."

Mercedes sat in silence for a moment, letting their words sink in. Her heart hammered loudly in her chest, echoing her uncertainty and fear. But underlying those emotions was a glimmer of hope, and that hope was what eventually got her to nod.

"Okay," she conceded quietly, "Okay, I'll see where this goes."

"That's my girl!" Tina cheered, her face lighting up on the screen.

"Just remember one thing, Mercedes," Santana added seriously. "No matter what happens, we've got your back. You're not alone in this."

Nodding, she could feel her encouragement and support behind her. Yes, she still had reservations about rekindling things with Sam. Yes, she was terrified of getting hurt again. But at least now she knew she wasn't going to face whatever lay ahead alone.

"Thanks, guys," Mercedes said with a heartfelt smile, her eyes shining with a mix of relief and gratitude. "You guys... you're the best."

They all smiled at her, their faces mirroring her own relief. "We're always here for you, Mercedes," Tina said warmly. Santana gave her a thumbs-up, a teasing spark in her eyes.

"And remember," she said with a mischievous grin, "once you've ridden that white stallion again, we want all the dirty details."

Mercedes laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

With goodbyes exchanged and promises to update each other soon, Mercedes ended the call. She was left sitting alone in the quiet of the room, staring at the now dark screen. The silence gave her solitude to consider what her friends had said.

Flashback

"He's cutee." Tina said looking at the picture Mercedes was showing them.

Santana and Jane leaned over their shoulders looking at the picture before Santana grabbed the phone. "I mean he got some big lips… but he's alright. Does nothing for me but I can see how he got you."

Jane took the phone looking at it. "He has nice eyes, he looks sweet so he's def perfect for you!" She chimed in, handing Mercedes her phone back.

Mercedes blushed. "Yeah, we've been playing phone tag since we ran into each other at the coffee shop. We're finally going out tonight. I'm kinda nervous…"

Tina smiled at her friend. "Don't be, you're gonna have a great time. What are you gonna wear?"

"Please say you don't know so we can go shopping! I really need some new shoes." Jane said, making them laugh.

"I agree, Mike has been hinting at something big so I need to have some outfit options." Tina added and everyone looked at her. "What? I got something on my face?"

Santana kissed her teeth, "Seriously? Y'all have been together for what? Four years and you don't think that something big involves a ring?"

Tina looked at them confused before realization hit her. "Oh my God… do you think? I mean we talked about it but he's not done with med school yet and we just got a puppy…"

Santana rolled her eyes. "You're so naive, Tina. That man would walk over hot coals for you, and you're worried about waiting for the end of med school? If he has something big planned, I'll bet you a hundred bucks it's a proposal."

Jane laughed lightly at Santana's bold prediction. "Does this mean we might have to go shopping for a wedding dress too?"

Tina blushed, her fingers instinctively touching the pendant she always wore, a gift from Mike. "I...I don't know for sure."

Mercedes smiled at Tina's uncertainty. It was just like her to be modest and humble even when faced with such exciting possibilities. "I think with Mike, you should definitely expect something big if he said it was big, it's straight forward."

Santana gave Tina an encouraging pat on the back before turning her attention back to Mercedes. "Now, back to your guy – Sam, wasn't it? Let's not take any chances tonight. We are going shopping."

The girls burst into laughter and cheers, eagerly planning a shopping trip. Mercedes couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm, her nerves temporarily forgotten in the whirlwind of their excitement.

As the initial thrill of the plan settled down, Tina turned to Santana with a smirk. "I'm just saying, if Mike does propose, I expect you to make good on that bet."

Santana rolled her eyes playfully. "Only if you pay up when he doesn't."

Tina raised an eyebrow, her confident smile never faltering. "Deal."

They shook on it, and Mercedes laughed along with Jane as they watched their friends dive headfirst into a friendly rivalry. The rest of the day was spent in a flurry of clothes and laughter, trying on all sorts of outfits until they found the perfect one for Mercedes - a beautiful maroon dress that hugged her curves wonderfully.

As the sun began to set and they headed home, Mercedes couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over her. Her heart was still fluttering with nerves, but the day's events had done wonders to alleviate some of her fears. She felt stronger, bolstered by her friends' support and belief in her.

She reached home just as twilight set in, the remaining sunlight casting long shadows over the apartment. Exhausted but at peace, she collapsed on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She could still see Sam's face when he'd asked her out - hesitant yet hopeful, his eyes shining with a sincerity that was hard to ignore.

A gentle knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. Swinging the door open, she found herself face-to-face with a delivery boy holding a large bouquet of roses in his hands.

"Are you Mercedes?" he asked, looking at the name on his sheet.

"Yes," she answered, her heart beginning to race as she accepted the flowers.

"There's a card," he added before heading off.

She closed the door and hurried back inside, carefully setting the bouquet on her coffee table. Her hands trembled excitedly as she reached for the small piece of cardstock nestled amongst the roses. She unfolded it, her breath hitching as she read the neat handwriting.

"Looking forward to tonight. - S."

A smile tugged at her lips as she clutched the card to her chest. He had thought of her, sent her roses before their date - an old-fashioned gesture that made her heart flutter with anticipation. Perhaps tonight wouldn't be as terrifying as she thought.


Mercedes sighed as the memory of her first date with Sam played in her head. She wasn't sure why it popped but she was happy it still gave her the same butterflies it always had. Standing, she stretched, her body still sore from earlier and decided to call it a night but before she could make it down the hallway there was a knock on the door. Stilling her in place- she hadn't told anyone where she was staying and the only person she would have told was Tina but she was in Ireland with Mike and their kids.

She tiptoed towards the door, her heart pounding against her rib cage. She peered through the peephole, but the hallway was dimly lit, and she couldn't make out the figure standing outside. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she slowly unlatched the door.

Before she could swing it open fully, a familiar face appeared in the sliver of light that streamed in from the corridor. Her heart froze for a moment, then began to race even faster.

"Sam," she breathed out, holding onto the door for support. His eyes searched hers, his expression unreadable.

"Hi," he said quietly, offering her a small smile as he shuffled on his feet.

An awkward silence hung between them as they held each other's gaze. She wasn't sure what to say or how to react. An unexpected knot formed in her stomach, equal parts excitement and anxiousness.

"How… how the hell did you find me?" She finally managed to stammer out.

Sam gave her a small, almost shy grin. "You were never lost to me, Merce." He said. "I know I fucked up and I know what happened in the barn only made it worse but let me make it up to you … let me take you on a real date. No strings, no expectations just a proper date."

Mercedes blinked, taken aback by his words. She looked at him, remembering what her friends said but also considering everything that could happen if she opened the door again before finally deciding. "One date- that's all you get." She replied before slamming the door in his face. She couldn't help the slow smile that graced her face when she heard him chuckle through the door.

"Tomorrow then." Sam said before walking back to his truck, punching the air in glee.