Page 93 of Something Good
He’d come to the bar the night of my divorce. Taken late-night phone calls. Helped with my tire. He’d been patient with me when I’d told him I was scared, pushing him away on more than one occasion. He’d taken my damn dog this weekend, even after I’d dismissed his offer to come with me to this wedding.
With a sickening feeling in my gut, I finally understood what my mom had been trying to tell me. I’d started to get it last night, but now, I realized just how deeply I’d been punishing him, making him prove himself to me over and over again. I’d thought I was just being cautious, protecting my heart, but I think, subconsciously, I’d needed to know that even if I pushed him away, he’d still be there. That he really was invested in this relationship. That he wasn’t going to hurt me again.
But I hadn’t been fair. I hadn’t shown him the same kind of investment. I’d forced him to take all the risk without being willing to take any myself. And he hadn’t deserved it. My mom was right. I’d been punishing him for something that had happened when we were eighteen. Something he hadn’t wanted to do but had done forme.
We watched as the bridal party finished their dances and the floor opened up to everyone. “Come dance with me?” Sammy asked.
I smiled as I took his hand, and we headed out to the dance floor. We did the “Cupid Shuffle” and the “Electric Slide,” things I never thought I’d ever see Sammy do. He smiled and laughed as we moved together, his chocolate-brown eyes alight with happiness. At some point, we took our jackets off and rolled up our sleeves, and Sammy tied his hair back as one song blendedinto another and then another. Sammy kept pace with me the whole time, a smile plastered across his face. I didn’t deserve him.
As the music finally gave way to a slower song, Sammy took me in his arms and pulled me close, swaying to the beat as we held each other.
“I still can’t believe you’re here.”
He nuzzled into my neck. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”
“Sammy, I?—”
Someone bumped into us hard enough that we stumbled, though we managed to stay upright. We both turned to find Dmitri looking at us, a glint in his eye that I didn’t like. Earlier in the evening, I’d spotted him and Sebastian eating dinner on the other side of the ballroom, but now it was just Dmitri looking at us with a sneer.
“Is there something I can do for you, Dmitri?” I asked, keeping my tone as even as I could. I felt Sammy stiffen beside me, recognizing the name of the man standing in front of us.
“Are you two enjoying yourselves?”
“Yes, actually. Or, at least, we were.” I raised my eyebrow pointedly, then turned my back to him, shifting my attention to Sammy. “You ready to go up to the room, baby?”
“Absolutely,” he said, pulling me in for a possessive kiss. Without bothering to look back, he took my hand and began pulling me toward the table where we’d left our jackets.
“Good luck with him,” Dmitri called out behind us. “He’s an absolute bore in bed.”
Sammy turned around, letting go of my hand, and strode purposefully toward Dmitri, only stopping when he was just a few inches from his face. “I can’t imagine our paths will ever cross again, but if they do, it would be in your best interest to turn and walk the other way. Will Hartley is the best man I’ve ever known. You should consider yourself lucky he gave you amoment of his time, let aloneyearsin marriage. One day you’ll realize how badly you fucked up, but by then, it’ll be too late.”
“Why?” He eyed Sammy up and down with derision. “Because he’s withyou? Who are you, anyway?”
“I’m the man who loves him. And I’ll continue loving him the way he deserves to be loved. I lost him a long time ago, but you bet your ass I won’t make that mistake twice.” He turned and looked at me, reaching out his hand. “I love you, golden boy.”
I took his hand, stepping forward and trapping it between our chests. “The things you say…” I pressed my forehead to his, my eyes closed while I breathed him in. “I love you too. Jesus fucking Christ, I love you so damn much. I’m sorry it took me so long to pull my head out of my ass.”
“You mean it?” he asked, and my eyes snapped open, meeting his searching gaze.
“Yes.” I pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. “I think I’ve loved you my whole damn life.”
His eyes went glassy with unshed tears. “I was willing to wait as long as it took for you to come around, but I don’t think I realized how much I needed to hear those words. To hear you say them.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I know why you did what you did all those years ago, and honestly, I think if our positions were reversed, I would have done the same thing. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it. To realize that you did itbecauseyou loved me.”
“Good fucking grief,” Dmitri muttered, his tone indicating he was clearly disgusted by our display. I’d forgotten he was still standing there, but when we turned to look at him, he was walking away.
“Sammy?”
“Yeah?”
“Take me upstairs.”
EPILOGUE
SAMMY
“I can’t believeyou talked me into going to this thing today.” We’d just passed the sign for Astaire’s city limits and were headed to our class reunion bonfire. “I don’t even like most of these people, and you didn’t even graduate from Astaire High.”
