Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-four

Chloe

It was harder than I thought to say goodbye to Sam. We spent as much time together as we could before he had to leave Silver Ridge to go home for work. Being with him feels as natural as breathing. The lost years melted away and the stars aligned in such a way that we’re finally together.

We only have a few days until we see each other, but this long-distance relationship thing is already driving me crazy. Sam had to fly home yesterday, and I’ve spent all today writing. Dad and Wendy are back now, and it was nice to spend the evening with them.

I’m in bed now, looking at flight information. I thought about staying in Silver Ridge until the weekend and then driving to Chicago since it’s not that far, but I miss Spartan way too much. Plus, I need new clothes. Specifically, lingerie since I’m spending a hot weekend with Sam.

I book my flight home for tomorrow afternoon. It doesn’t give me much time to be in LA, but I don’t need much time. I just need to do some laundry, visit my big guy, quickly repack for the weekend, and spend the rest of my time typing away. I didn’t finish my book this trip like I hoped, but my inspiration is back and the words are flowing.

Then I book another flight to Chicago and send the info to Sam. He told me he turns his phone on silent at night, and he tries to be in bed around ten when he has to get up early for work the next morning. We have very different schedules, and it will be interesting to see how it works—stop.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

It’s easy to, and I can’t help but think with absolute certainty that things crashed and burned with every single other person I dated because Sam and I were meant to be together all along. I turn off the bedside lamp and plug my phone in, settling down in bed. The nighttime chorus of katydids and crickets fills the room, and I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

*

“Don’t freak out,” I say into the phone to Farisha. Dad just dropped me off at the airport, and after a bit of a tearful goodbye, I collected myself and got through security and to my terminal in record time.

“When you start a conversation with don’t freak out, I know you have freak-out-worthy information.”

“Oh, I do.” I angle my body away from the older lady who sat right next to me, even though there are plenty of open seats. “I slept with Sam.”

A few seconds of silence tick by. “You’re not joking, are you?”

“No.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I say with a laugh. “It was mutual.”

“Well, I’d hope so,” she spits. “You’re so good with written words, Chloe, but when you verbally tell a story, you suck.”

I slip my carry-on bag over my shoulder and get up, going to the large windows so I can look at the planes coming and going as I talk. “He kissed me, and I told him I couldn’t have a one-night stand with him because I’ve loved him for years. And then he said he’s been in love with me too, he regrets not chasing after me that night at the party, and has wished every day for a way to make things right.”

“Fuck.”

“I know, right?” My heart flutters and I’m smiling like mad.

“You believe him?”

I wasn’t expecting her to say that. The smile comes right off my face. “Yeah. Why would he lie?”

“To get in your pants,” she says like it’s obvious.

“He went through a lot of effort just for that, and why would he invite me to stay with him this weekend if he was just trying to get in my pants?”

“To get in your pants again.”

Frowning, I shake my head. “He’s not like that.”

“But he was.”

“I know,” I say, not seeing the point in denying it. “And I know how saying he’s changed sounds, but he has. Maybe not changed as so much as grown up and matured.”

“That’s fair.” She lets out a sigh. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I don’t want to get hurt either.”

“Just…just be careful, okay?”

“I am,” I press, not letting her warning get to me. I trust Sam. He has changed, and I believe him.

 “Now, I have an important question.”

“Yeah?”

“Does he really have a big dick like everyone said he did in high school?”

Heat creeps over me and I get a flash of Sam on top of me, naked and sweaty as he fucked me hard. “It’s huge, like I wasn’t sure it would fit inside me without splitting me in two.” I turn and realize a couple of teenage boys are within earshot, staring at me incredulously. I pull my hat down, hoping it’s a good enough disguise and I don’t get recognized today. Without Charles on my arm, I’m easily overlooked.

Farisha laughs. “That’s all I’m going to be thinking about the next time I see him.”

“I’ll try to sneak a dick pic for you when he’s sleeping.”

“I know I should say no, but if he’s as well-hung as you—oh shit, my mother-in-law is here. They’re visiting from India and have been staying with Prasad’s sister. She’s still single and they keep trying to arrange her marriage.”

“Ugh. Poor girl.”

“Right? I got lucky my parents valued education and didn’t push to arrange mine like my grandmother wanted. I got to fall in love the old-fashioned way, and I still ended up with a ‘nice Indian boy’ who my grandma approved of.”

We laugh and she says a rushed goodbye, needing to quickly hide dirty dishes in the sink before her mother-in-law criticizes her housekeeping skills. I end the call, go back to my seat, and get out my computer. I told myself I’d try to write five thousand words from the time I got to my terminal to the time I landed in LA. I have an hour and a half left before we even board the plane, and at least four hours on the plane. That’s plenty of time to write that much. I can write it in just about three hours if I concentrate, but my mind is preoccupied.

I don’t want to put any merit into what Farisha said. She wasn’t there, she didn’t hear our conversations or see the way Sam looked at me.

She didn’t feel what I felt—what I’m still feeling.

But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little scared. Not because of Sam, but simply because I’ve wanted this so long, I’m terrified something is going to come in and take it all away from me…that the universe will punish me simply for being me.

*

“Hey, big guy,” I whisper, sliding Spartan’s stall door open. It’s late, and most of the horses are settling down for the night. Only Olivia is here, one of the trainers, and she was closing the barn up for the night when I pulled in the parking lot. “Did you miss me? I missed you.”

My big gray horse comes over, nosing my jacket pockets for treats.

“Really?” I laugh and reach inside, pulling out a peppermint. His nostrils flare and he impatiently waits for me to undo the plastic wrapper. I give him the treat and then move to his side, wrapping my arms around his neck. I landed in LA not long ago and called Sam on my way to the barn. He sounded tired from a long day at the hospital. There was a bad car accident and several victims were brought to his center, needing to be rushed into surgery.

I fell asleep on the plane, and now I’m not tired. Instead of doing what I should do and focus all my energy into my book or take some melatonin, going to sleep and then getting up early, I drove out to the barn to visit my horse. Makes sense, I know. It’s late and the horses have a decent routine here, so I only stay for about fifteen minutes, running a brush over Spartan’s soft fur. His tail has been braided, and Olivia told me the barn girls even added flowers. Spartan had to have just eaten up all their attention…and the tons of treats I’m sure they gave him.

I leave the barn feeling refreshed, as I always do after seeing my horse, and end up staying up late again writing. At some point, I should get myself on a sleep schedule, but this works for me now and I don’t have to get up early tomorrow.

I sleep a solid nine hours, and wake to a text message from my editor, which is just a bunch of fire emojis. Yeah, I might have really spiced up my sex scenes thanks to all the inspiration Sam has given me. With the smile still on my face, I get up and make myself coffee, mentally planning my day. I’ve never been the best at managing time, yet somehow, I just barely make deadlines or get everything done on time. I have a lot to do today before getting to the airport.

It’s my first trip to see Sam and this is already stressing me out a bit.

I repack my suitcase while I drink my coffee, putting in much more clothing than I need. We’re staying in tonight and going out tomorrow. Sam is on-call Sunday, so our plans are up in the air, but lounging around with him does sound wonderful.

We were so close for so long, and then we went all those years without even talking. We definitely caught up in more ways than one, but we still have a lot of getting to know each other to do. What are Sam’s annoying habits? What little things will I do that drive him crazy? We both want a relationship, and spending time together is the best way to put it to the test.

Which we will pass, I know.

I get another quick visit in at the barn and am able to take Spartan out in the round pen for light work. He’s almost healed from his injury, and I’m dying to get back on and ride.

An entire bag of carrots, five peppermints, and a bunch of hugs later, I leave and make it to the airport just in time to board the plane. My flight gets in around seven-thirty, which conflicted with Sam’s schedule. He felt terrible about not being able to get off work in time to come pick me up from the airport, but I assured him I’m perfectly capable of getting an Uber to his apartment, giving him time to get home.

He’s in the lobby waiting when the Uber drops me off and rushes out the door when he sees me, pulling me into a tight embrace. My fingers slip off the handle of my suitcase and I throw my arms around him, so desperate to feel him against me.

“Fuck, I missed you,” he breathes, eyes searching mine for a moment before kissing me. The busy Chicago street disappears behind me and my heart swells in my chest.

“I missed you, too,” I pant when we break apart.

He runs his fingers through my hair and kisses me once more before taking my suitcase and carry-on bag for me. We go into the lobby of his apartment building, and I can tell right away it’s on the swanky side, which is fitting for a doctor in the city.

Two other people get into the elevator with us, but it doesn’t stop Sam from slipping his arm around me, fingering the hem of the black dress I have on. We get out on the sixth floor and go down a long hall, stopping to unlock his door.

“I put the pizza in the oven to keep it warm,” he tells me as he pushes the door open, letting me step in first. The light above the kitchen island is on, and I look around as I take my shoes off. Sam has a one-bedroom apartment in the corner of the building, and the corner walls have floor-to-ceiling windows that give an impressive view of the city.

The entire place is nice and neat, and it wasn’t from him frantically cleaning before I got here, which is something I do more often than not. The decor is minimal and modern, mostly done in bold, blue colors.

“Are you hungry?” Sam asks as he locks the door behind us.

“I’m starving. First, where’s your bathroom?”

“First door down the hall,” he tells me, pointing to an open door. I grab my carry-on bag, wanting to freshen up a bit after sitting on a plane for hours on end. I close the door and flick the light on. Even his bathroom is clean, but I’m comforted a bit by a damp towel discarded on the floor.

I pee and then go to the sink, washing my hands and rinsing my face. I quickly run a brush through my hair, adjust my breasts in my bra, pulling them up so they look fuller than they really are, and go out of the bathroom, finding Sam in the living room. The lights are still off and he’s looking down at the city below.

“This is an amazing view,” I say, and he turns, snaking his arms around my waist. His touch is soft yet deliberate, causing butterflies to take flight in my stomach as well as turn me on.

He’s wearing a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, and part of me wonders if he speed-read some of my books to know that gray sweatpants are one of my biggest weaknesses, exhibited by pretty much all of my characters having the same flaw.

“It’s why I picked it. Corner units can be hard to come by. I moved in the floor above, and the next month, this one opened up. It was not a cost-effective move to come down here, but I like the natural light coming through in the morning.”

“That would be nice.”

He tightens his hold on me, and I stand on my toes to kiss him. One kiss is all it takes to ignite the flames between us, and Sam pushes me up against the window.

*

I pull Sam’s t-shirt over my head, wanting something more comfortable than my dress without having to go through my suitcase, and go to the bathroom to pee and clean myself up after sex. Sam is in the kitchen when I get back, wearing those damn gray sweatpants that make me want him all over again.

He brings pizza and wine into the living room, setting them on the coffee table. We watch TV while we eat, snuggled together under a blanket.

“I like this,” I say, sliding a slice of deep-dish pizza onto a plate. “This is my kinda vibe.”

“This is my ideal Friday night.”

“With anyone?” I tease.

“With you,” he says right back, turning to look at me. “I’ve never done this, you know.”

“You don’t usually eat in your living room?” I look down at the gray rug and am now worried I’m going to drop a piece of pizza on it.

“No, I usually eat in here while watching TV. I mean…this.”

I slowly shake my head. “I’m not really following.”

“Be with someone like this,” he says hesitantly. “I always said I wasn’t a relationship person, but in truth, it’s because there was only one person I wanted a relationship with.”

“I know it’s me, but I have to ask.”

“Yes,” he chuckles, playfully elbowing me. “It’s you, Chloe Fisher. It’s always been you.”

I smile. “It is, and I haven’t either.”

“You’ve never been in love before?” he asks, and I can tell he’s a little afraid of my answer.

“There were times I thought I was,” I confess. “But there was always one problem with every relationship.”

“What was it?”

“They weren’t you.”

“I had the same problem, but with you.” Sam grins. “We’re here now, together, and that’s what matters.”

I rest my head on his shoulder for a few seconds, heart so incredibly full. This is the start of something amazing, I can just feel it.

“You know we’ll get to have a ‘coming out’ of our relationship for the tabloids,” I say and take a bite of my pizza.

“You mean like leak a sex tape?” Sam asks hopefully.

I laugh. “No, I was thinking more along the lines of eating outside while holding hands or something. But we can totally make a sex tape.”

“We should get started on it tonight. I’m thinking the shower will be a good place to say we ‘accidentally’ recorded ourselves.”

“My phone case is waterproof.”

“Perfect. I’ll make sure to turn on the mood-music too.”

“And what will that be?”

“For you,” he starts, cocking an eyebrow, “the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.”

“Hey!” I laugh, playfully swatting him. “But yeah, I could actually see that getting me in the mood.”

“See? I was right.”

We both laugh, snuggling a little closer together as we finish our pizza. Deciding to put the sex tape off until the morning since we’re both tired, we get ready for bed together. There are double sinks in the bathroom, and it’s almost silly how something as mundane as brushing our teeth can have such significance, yet it does.

“Did you hear more from the network who wants you to write for them?” Sam asks, taking two decorative pillows off his bed. I’m impressed, really, by how well put together his whole apartment is.

“My agent emailed me today saying she was arranging a meeting for Monday or Tuesday. I don’t think I’m going to take it, though.”

We get into bed, and Sam takes me right into his arms. “Why not?”

“It would take time away from my usual writing, and it would require me to be in LA more.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud, but the one thing that brings us both comfort about being in a long-distance relationship is our ability to travel back and forth. I have more freedom to travel than Sam, and signing the contract to work on a TV show would change that.

“I selfishly want you to myself.”

“I selfishly want that too,” I say back, feeling sleepy already. There is no place on earth more comfortable than Sam’s bed—as long as he’s in it with me.

“Good thing I have you all weekend.”

Everything is perfect, and I know that right here, snuggled up in Sam’s arms, is where I’m meant to be. All the pain I’ve held onto, all the fear that’s kept me in the dark, melted away the moment Sam kissed me.

We sure took our sweet time coming together, but now that we’re here, there’s no going back.

I am in love with Sam Harris.

And he is in love with me.