Thirty

I'M SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG😭 but a lot of thing are going on. I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter, let me know what you think of it❣️

It starts with smut, so you have been warned👀

_______________________________________________________

I was wrong.

Two weeks could last forever.

That though what was clouding my mind as Sam rammed into me, pushing my back harder against the wall with each thrust as we       grasped onto the other's body in almost desperation. He had come back from tour the previous night, and to say those fifteen had been long would have been an understatement.

At the beginning, Sam leaving hadn't been bad at all. On the first couple of days, it had actually been nice to have some time and space for myself. I'd had more time to catch up with stuff for my classes, more time to clean up the house and more time to simply dedicate to myself.

Sam had never been much of a phone guy but we had managed to exchange a couple of texts daily, with an occasional phone call if time allowed. It had been kind of difficult to have long conversations over the phone due to our mismatching schedules. Whenever he had been on the road bored out of his mind during the day, as they had changed locations almost daily, I had been busy with classes or work. But when night came and I had been free, he had always been busy with soundchecks and shows. It hadn't been until the late at night he could snatch his phone, since they always enjoyed a couple drinks in the bars where they played before heading back to their hotel rooms. Thus we had mostly texted, and those first days went by smoothly.

But when a week had passed, I'd started to miss him in spite of all the texts and occasional calls. I would miss him in the smallest things, such as having someone to chat with while I did the dishes, or to simply cuddle when I got home. In an attempt to make it feel more like him and avoid the silence, I'd started playing some of his records whenever I had found myself in the apartment. But it still hadn't been the same. Lou had sort of made up for the loneliness, never leaving me alone, but she had been no replacement to her long-haired, pretty-faced owner.

By the tenth day since his departure, the need to have him with me had almost started to hurt. My body craved for his, and not only sexually. Most of the days, I had just wanted to touch his soft skin, to run my fingers through the tips of his silky hair, to feel the warmth of his body against mine. To simply feel his love. I'd wanted him to tell me everything about his day, not by text, but seeing his happy face and gleaming eyes as he went over the most stupid anecdotes, his unique laugh resonating in both his chest and mine.

I had selfishly wished he could come back home earlier, and when that thought first crossed my mind, I'd started to panic. I couldn't understand how I could miss him so badly when we had been apart for just fifteen days, and it'd made me feel needy and obsessive. I had always thought I knew how to handle my emotions, but I had never experienced such a feeling before, not knowning how to deal with it.

Top of it all, I'd feared he wouldn't feel the same. He had been on tour, doing what he loved, enjoying himself, and ludicrously missing his girlfriend had been probably the last thing on his mind. So I'd kept the extent of my feelings to myself, not wanting to burden him with my absurd thoughts.

But as soon as Sam had stepped into the apartment the previous night, with his bags and bass in his hands and a tired look on his face, just looking at him in the eyes I had known he had missed me just as much as I had missed him.

-          Fucking hell, Gwen – Sam panted next to my ear, tightening his hold on my bare ass to hoist me upper against the wall as he pounded into me at a nearly animalistic pace.

-          Don't stop – I begged in between my heavy breathes, clinging with all I had from his shoulders and squeezing his waist with between my legs.

We had ended up talking the previous night away, kissing and loving in between his tour stories until we had fallen asleep on his bed. I'd had to leave early in the morning, seeing I couldn't miss my classes. But as soon as I had entered the apartment an hour and a half earlier, Sam's arms had reached for me, and still hadn't let go.

-          You can't imagine how many times I've thought about this these past days, babe – he gritted between his teeth, his relentless movements never ceasing – Your body does something to me that's beyond physical. So fucking perfect.

His hands cupping my ass squeezed it gently, but with enough strength to spark something within me. It just added the fire his words had already set on me. I could only mewl in delight in response, too lost in his love-making to articulate any comprehensible sentence. We'd had sex the previous night, and he had taken his time devoting his mouth and fingers to my pleasure  the previous hour, but his stamina seemed to be out of it, his need to feel my body as strong as my desire to have him within me.

-          But it doesn't even compare to what your mind does to me – he groaned on, dragging his mouth over my shoulder and hitting so deeply within me that I had to bite down on my lip in order to avoid any complaints from our neighbours. We weren't that far from the front door, as Sam was basically taking me against our living room's wall, but I couldn't be sure that the moans that were crawling up my throat wouldn't be heard from outside.

-          Sam... - was all I could say, trying to control my whimpers as he angled himself to make sure his shaft caressed my front wall with each of his thrusts.

-          You own me, Gwen – he grunted, contradicting his body that was taking mine in full dominance. I was at his complete mercy, but I didn't mind it one bit – You fucking drive me crazy, baby. If you only knew how deeply I feel for you...

His thrusts got rougher, but still not painful. I clawed into his shoulders to keep my body as close to his as I could, never getting enough of him. Still unable to form a proper sentence with my haze-induced mind, my mouth searched for his, capturing it in a powerful kiss I hoped showed the turmoil of emotions dancing inside of me. I was close, but I didn't want this to end, willing to push myself to the limit only to prolong the moment as much as I could.

His arms were the place where I belonged, and staying fifteen days away from him after spending every single day together for around ten months had made me realise I had got too used to being around him. Even though it was scary to know I relied so much on his presence, I knew it was true. I could definitely carry on in with my life without him, but I didn't want to. I wanted to be with him, I longed to see him, and it only soothed me further to know he felt the same way.

-          You make me feel so good... - I panted, my hands getting lost in his hair and pulling from it tightly as I arched my back. The feeling of him inside of me was so overwhelming that my mind seemed blank, too consumed by his touch, by his presence, to form any coherent thoughts.

His pace increased and I felt like I could burst any minute, my orgasm building at an increasing speed. My lips immediately reached for his jaw and focused on it, kissing and nibbling before they dived down to his neck.

-          That mouth of yours will be my end – he chuckled in-between his thrusts, leaning down to capture my lips in a toe-curling kiss. He pulled away after a while and stared into my eyes, never breaking eye-contact.

His movements suddenly became slower but more powerful, as he let me savour every move. My eyes rolled back, and I forced them shut, trying to muffle all the sounds coming out of my mind with his shoulder.

-          Sammy... - I couldn't help but whimper against his skin, tightening my hold around him.

-          Come for me, Gwen – he purred against my ear, and that's all I needed to climax in the bliss having sex with him was.

I saw stars behind my eyes, floating in the haziness of my orgasm as the movements of his hips got sloppier, indicating he was close too. My head fell feebly against his shoulder, and I mustered the little strength my muscles could gather to cling onto his body as he delivered his last thrusts.

He spilled himself inside of me with a loud moan, my walls clenching around him as our delightful round came to an end. After his last thrusts he stayed still for a moment, probably recomposing himself after the intense session we had shared, his chest heaving up and down as he got back his breathe.

With his nose still buried into the crook of my neck, he slid my spent body down his own, lowering my butt until my feet touched the ground again. My hands reached for his arms to steady myself but my knees wobbled, failing to support me. He immediately sensed it and hurried to hold me against his sweaty self, my arms loosely circling around his torso. I rested my forehead against his chest, trying to settle down my ragged breathing and knackered body.

I whimpered when he slipped out of me, my core sore and slowly dripping with his release. He kissed the top of my head, running his hands up and down my back tenderly in an attempt to soothe my sore muscles. I focused on his heartbeat, which was slowly coming back to normal at the same beat as mine.

-          Jesus... - I mumbled, and his soft laugh vibrated in his chest against me.

-          No, it's just Sam, darling. But I guess my hair and the heaven-like previous hour might be deceiving – he stupidly joked back, making me internally roll my eyes but smile all the same.

-          Shut up – I chuckled, snuggling closer to him and placing a kiss to his chest before I slid my hands to his shoulders and around his neck, hugging him.

-          You love my crappy jokes – he tsked with a self-sufficient smile, but brought his hands up my arms all the same, rubbing them soothingly. He sighed after a while, gliding his fingers down to my waist and leaning both of our bodies against the wall behind me – I missed this.

-          It was just fifteen days – I humoured, lifting my face from his chest to look at him – But, yeah, I missed this too. I missed you.

He smiled down at me and leaned in closer, his lips ghosting over mine briefly before he pecked them sweetly.

-          I missed you too, Gwenny – he murmured back. I buried my face into his neck slowly slid my nose up and down his throat as I my high started to die down. He gripped me tighter with one arm, bringing his other hand to cradle my face and make me look up at him. He kissed me again, this time lingering a little bit more before he pulled away – We definitely need a shower – his chuckle played against my lips, eliciting one of my own.

-          I'm too tired – I pouted, leaning my head back against the wall.

-          C'mon, get some water; I'll start running the shower and get a towel for you – he kissed me one last time, and I hummed at the unique taste of him. I wanted to groan when he pulled away, letting go of my body and shooting me a wink before he turned around to head to the bathroom.

Feeling too spent to remain standing, I slid down the wall, making myself comfortable on the floor as I looked around. Sam's jeans and boxers lied close to me, after he had stepped out of them in desperation as soon as he had buried himself inside of me. My clothes were scattered all over the living room, and I could spot his t-shirt clinging from our chest of drawers. I wanted to get up and pick everything up, but I had no strength to do so. Lou's little paws could be heard from the hallway before she made her appearance in the living room, climbing up the couch snuggling against the cushions.

It hadn't been even a minute when Sam walked back into the living room, chuckling to himself at the sight of our beautiful puppy taking over the sofa and my limp body resting where he had left it on the floor. Kneeling in front of me, he used the damp towel in his hand to help me clean up, and I couldn't help but stare at him in admiration. He definitely didn't need to do this for me. His attentiveness would never cease to amaze me, and the sight of him taking care of me only helped to make my heart burst with even more love than what it was already handling. I extended one hand, brushing a single strand of hair behind his ear, letting my hand linger tenderly on his cheek for some seconds.

-          C'mon, the shower's already running – he said in a soft voice once he had finished wiping everything up. He extended his hand for me to take, but I simply ignored it and groaned in response.

-          I can't move – I sighed, exaggerating my soreness, and bended my torso forward over my crossed legs, bringing one of my arms forward to rest my head on.

-          I'm sure you can, babe – he chuckled, rubbing across my shoulders with his hand. When he realised I wasn't going to move, he leaned down to place a kiss between the dimples on my lower back, continuing to trail a series of them up my spine until he reached the nape of my neck – Are you okay? – he whispered next to my ear, concern laced in his tone.

-          Yeah – I chuckled, lifting my head up to reassure him I was alright. His eyes scanned my face for any trace that could tell him otherwise, but since he didn't find any, his frown slowly left his face – But can you help me up?

-          Sure – he replied with a crooked smile, standing up himself and grabbing both of my arms to carefully ease my body to a standing position.

Guiding me with his hands on my hips, he led us to the bathroom, making sure to drop a kiss to my bare shoulder on the way. The simple sound of the shower had already relaxed me, but when we stepped under the warm spray my whole body purred in delight. We were rather quick though, and I was soon standing in my room, changing into a pair of jeans and my favourite sweater.

Still barefoot, I walked over to his room, where he was just finishing getting dressed as well. He was wearing his black and red plaid sweater I loved so much, with a pair of dark grey skinny jeans and black Dr. Martens boots. Totally delicious.

-          How long till you leave? – I pouted, leaning onto his doorway with my eyes following him around his room, tiding up.

-          I should be there in 20' – Sam replied after he looked up to the clock in his wall, rearranging his duvet before he answered me.

He was supposed to meet the head of the astrophysics department to sort out the last details on him moving to distance education. He had started dealing with it before leaving for tour, as going online would be convenient if the band intended on touring again in the near future.  Enrolling online, he could give his exams and turn in papers virtually, thus not needing to attend his classes daily or be present for any kind of examination. He could still join seminars if he felt like it whenever he wanted while being in campus, but it wouldn't be a requirement anymore. Sure, online exams were harder and they expected him to turn in more projects and stuff to prove his participation on the different courses, but this scheme would suit his future perfectly.

-          I think it's the first time you won't be late for something, but still, I would get going if I were you – I chuckled. His meeting would take place at our university's main building, which wasn't that close to our apartment.

-          I know – he laughed with an amused face, tossing the last piece of clothing out of place into his wardrobe before closing it, finally turning to look at me – I'm sorry I can't drive you to the Winters' but I'll pick you up later. You're done at 7:00PM, right?

-          Yes – I sighed, remembering I indeed had my weekly art lesson with the kids today. With Sam taking the car, I would have to take the bus, something I hadn't done in a while ever since he bought Danny's vehicle.

-          Okay, I'll see you then – he smiled, walking over to where I stood. His hands reached for the sides of my neck, his thumbs softly caressing my jaw before he placed a soft, lingering kiss to my lips.

-          I love you – I mumbled against his mouth when he pulled away, unable to hold back the tiny smile forming on my face.

-          Love you – he smiled back, pecking the tip of my nose briefly before he left go of my face, finally turning to leave – See you later.

Once he had left, I took Lou for a walk in the park for a while, but eventually made our way back to the apartment. Making sure she had food and water, I grabbed my purse and jacket, leaving to go to the Winters'. The bus ride didn't take long, and soon enough I was standing in front of their door on the other side of the city, where the fanciest and most elegant houses resided.

-          Guinevere! Always a pleasure to see you – Mrs. Winters smiled as soon as she opened the door, welcoming me with a hug before she let me in – How are you darling? Has Samuel come back yet? – she asked, leading me to the room they had set up as a studio. Sam had started giving the kids piano lessons twice a week, and sometimes even a third time if they were too caught up on what they were learning – How is he, by the way?

-          Everything's great, he's just come back yesterday, actually – I smiled, walking down the hallway of the huge house I already knew like my own place, following her as I readjusted my bag's strap on my shoulder.

-          Oh, the kids will be thrilled, they've really missed him - she smiled at me one last time, walking into the studio's door where the children were already waiting for me. As soon as I stepped in, their heads perked up, grins spreading on their cute little faces when they saw me.

-          Gwen! – they all exclaimed happily, already with their overalls on and clean sheets of paper in front of them on the floor.

-          Hey buddies, how are you? – I replied, closing the door behind me.

After they all told me excitedly about their day, I explained the basics of what I had in mind for that day and set the watercolours and brushes for them to use. Instead of sitting back down at the table where I always stayed at, I joined them on the floor, grabbing a white piece of paper of my own and drawing the first thing that came into my mind.

-          What do you think, Gwen? – Mike, the oldest one, asked an hour and a half later, holding up the sheet with the intricate pattern he had come up with.

-          It actually looks great – I smiled, placing little Mia's work she had handed to me so that it dried properly – I would add some light colour on the right upper corner though, to create some balance. If not, the eye will always be drawn to the left corner, where you put all that yellow.

-          Okay, thanks – he smiled back, getting back down on the floor and grabbing his brush again.

-          Gwen, I'm finished – Todd, the middle kid, announced, standing up happily and handing me his drawing.

-          Alright, let me place it... – I began to say, but there was a sudden knock on the door. It barely opened, showing just Mrs. Winter head that peaked through it – Hey, we were just finishing – I smiled at her, realising it was indeed my time to go.

-          Oh, don't worry, darling, there's no rush. We've actually got a visit... - she replied with a grin on her face, fully opening the door to reveal Sam standing on the other side.

-          Sam! – the three kids' faces lit up when they saw him, and he mirrored their smiles as well as he entered the room with Mrs. Winters.

Todd ran towards him and hugged his legs, surprising both his mother and the long-haired guy with his reaction. Out of the three children, Sam had really grown the most on him, being the most interested in music. He was the most excited about piano, and Sam's lessons were what he looked forward to the most each week. The bond between them was really cute, and I knew that even though he enjoyed his time with the free of them, Sam felt the proudest of Todd's advances with him.

He squatted once he had let him go to receive Mia's hug too, and fist-bumped Mike before he stood up again.

-          Are we having piano lessons today? – Todd asked eagerly, almost jumping on his spot out of excitement.

-          I'm sorry buddy, I just came to pick Gwen up – Sam replied as he made his way over to me, placing one hand on my back and greeting me with a quick kiss on my temple – But I thought I could say hi as I was around – he added, letting me go – I missed you lot.

-          We missed you too – Mia pouted, walking over to her mother and clinging onto her knee.

-          When are you coming back? – Todd asked, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice, clearly not wanting Sam to leave.

-          We'll have piano on Friday, right? – Mike chimmed in, looking from his mother to Sam to make sure he was right.

-          Yes you will – Mrs. Winters replied with a smile.

-          You were gone for two weeks, I don't want you to leave – Mia pouted again, letting go of her mother and extending her arms for Sam to pick her up. The fact that these kids had missed him almost as much as me was shocking to me, but it warmed my heart at the same time to see they got on so well.

-          But I'll be back on Friday – Sam replied, lifting her from the floor and propping her on his hip, the little girl clinging from his neck – And I'll be back on Tuesday again, just like every week.

-          Why don't you both stay for dinner? – Mrs. Winters suddenly asked, her eyes darting between me and my boyfriend, making her children's faces beam – Darren is out on a business trip, so we wouldn't mind the extra company – she added, referring to her husband.

I immediately looked at Sam, having a silent conversation with him while we looked at each other for two seconds.

-          We don't want to impose – I replied, biting down on my lip nervously. After looking at Sam, I knew we didn't want to disappoint the kids, but staying for dinner still felt a little weird. Moreover, he had just come back the previous day, and as selfish as it could sound, I would rather spend the night alone with him than at dinner with Mrs. Winters.

-          Oh, darling, you wouldn't be imposing, we would be actually glad to have you here – she smiled back, looking at us eagerly, clearly expecting a yes for an answer – The kids would love it.

-          Pleaseeee – Mia whined in Sam's arms, tightening her hold on his neck.

He looked at me one last time, the three children and their mother staring at us expectantly.

-          Alright – Sam sighed, readjusting Mia on his hip and smiling to the rest of the kids – We'll stay.

-          Yes! – Todd cheered, high-fiving him as Mike made his way over to my side.

-          Oh, great! – Mrs. Winters clapped excitedly – Follow me then, the food must be almost ready.

-          Sam's vegetarian, though – I told her as we walked out of the room, looking at my boyfriend and shooting him a smile – I hope that's not a problem.

-          Don't worry, we are having pesto pasta tonight. Is that alright? – she asked, turning to look back at us as we made our way into their luxurious living room.

-          It's great – Sam politely smiled, still carrying Mia as we entered their dining room – Is there anything we can help with?

-          Just take a seat, darling, Mary will bring our food soon – Mrs. Winters smiled, motioning to the table that had been already set. Just then, a woman who I presumed was Mary, their maid, walked into the room with two plates of steaming pasta in her hands – Mary, darling, won't you add two plates for Samuel and Guinevere here, please?

-          Sure, Mrs. – the lady smiled back, acknowledging us with a nod of her head and exiting the room right away.

We all sat down on the table, Sam taking the seat next to mine, and Mary brought the rest of our food.

-          So, Samuel, how's tour been? – Mrs. Winters asked after we had both thanked Mary, who left the dining room after she served the last two plates.

-          It's been great – he smiled, diving into his food before he replied – We are hoping to book another tour a few weeks from now, actually.

I turned to look at him as I finished chewing my bite, surprised because he hadn't metnioned that earlier.

-          You never told me – I smiled in astonishment after I had swallowed, reaching for his hand under the table and squeezing it.

-          Yeah, our manager thinks we may sign with a label and it'll all go up from there – he replied, lacing our fingers and giving my hand a gentle squeeze before he turned to look at Mrs. Winters – I will let you know in advance, though, if I'm going to be away again for a while, but I can't let this opportunity pass.

-          Darling, don't worry, these are great news! – she exclaimed, all of her kids nodding in agreement – Signing with a label! My goodness, this is amazing – she went on, clearly feeling proud her kids' piano teacher would actually be in the real music business. It was definitely something she could brag about with her rich friends.

-          Thanks – Sam chuckled, taking another bite of his food and turning to look at me. I was staring at him with a happy yet shocked face, still processing his words, but he shot a wink at me, making me chuckle to myself and shake my head – I'll tell you all later – he promised my way, paying my hand one last squeeze before he let it go to take a sip of his water.

-          And what about you, Guinevere? You have that exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts, right? – Mrs. Winters asked, snapping me out of my thoughts with her question.

-          Yes, it opens next week – I smiled, slightly blushing at the mention of it. I had been talking back and forth with Vincent, the man who had approached me at my previous exposition, and everything was set for me join the exhibition the following week.

-          Jesus, you are both so talented! We'll stop by sometime next week to support you, for sure – she smiled back, reaching over to squeeze my hand.

The dinner carried on smoothly, with the kids making us laugh with their stories and the delicious food in our bellies. Even though I had wanted to spend the night back at home, alone with Sam and cuddled up to his side as we ate on the couch, this wasn't so bad. Mrs. Winters even mentioned giving us a raise, to which we were completely grateful.

-          I'll help to carry everything to the kitchen – I offered, standing up once we were done as Mary walked back into the room, already picking up the kids' empty plates.

-          Guinevere, Samuel, don't touch a thing, you are both my guests and I won't have you picking up the table – Mrs. Winters replied. It looked like Sam had wanted to help too, but as Mia had sat on his lap as soon as she had finished her food, he couldn't move much. Even though I had grown up with a maid, I wasn't used to being served anymore, and Sam clearly wasn't either.

-          It's alright, I got it – Mary reassured us with a smile, coming for our plates as well while I sat back down – Thank you, anyways.

-          Kids, why don't you go and get changed for bed? It's almost time for you to go to sleep – Mrs. Winters told her children, who groaned but started to stand up.

-          You won't leave right now, won't you? – Todd asked Sam, looking at him with a pout.

-          We'll go and say goodbye before we leave, I promise – he smiled back at the kid, lifting Mia from his lap and placing her back on the floor.

-          Alright – Todd grinned, turning around and following his older brother into the hallway, his little sister trailing behind me.

-          More wine? – Mrs. Winters asked me once the kids had left, seeing that Sam had rejected her previous offer as he had to drive us back. I nodded briefly, extending my glass for her to fill – I was actually meaning to talk with you guys.  Are you doing something this Saturday? – she asked.

I looked at Sam with a frown, which he was portraying as well, but couldn't recall any possible plans.

-          No, I don't think so. Why? – I replied, turning to look at her with a confused face.

-          Oh, well, Darren and I are throwing our annual party, you know – she said, making me instantly cringe.

She was referring to the posh gathering she and her husband hosted every year at their glamorous house, inviting all of their rich friends to just brag about their lives and show off. I was familiar with them, as my parents had been invited to them every year ever since I could remember.

-          Oh – I replied, not knowing what to say. I knew Sam could sense my uneasiness, staring at me intently, but couldn't pin-point what was wrong.

-          I know this is at very short notice, but I was hoping you two could come – Mrs. Winters went on excitedly, placing her laced hands on top of the table as she smiled at us – It would literally be an honour. My friends are dying to meet you both as I keep on gushing about you two. But Darren and I would actually love to have you there that night; you are like family to the kids and us.

I could feel my face paling, any trace of colour draining from it as I took in her words. Sam's curious stare became a worried one, and he reached for my thigh under the table, placing his hand softly on top of it.

Going to that party would mean undoubtedly bumping into my parents. They attended it every year, and there was no reason for them to skip it this one, specially if they intended to keep the façade of their perfect marriage to hidethe fact that they had indeed separated. I hadn't seen them in almost a year, in spite of living forty minutes away, and I hadn't talked with any of them ever since that last phone-call in which I had fought with my dad.

After Carter had told me about their separation, I knew I had to talk to them sometime. I'd kept on avoiding it for weeks, not wanting to deal with it emotionally, but one of the days while Sam was on tour, I had dared to call them. If they weren't going to reach for me, I had decided I would do it myself.

But they never picked up. I called them a few times, and none of them they replied. I'd been so devastated, knowing pretty well they had chosen to ignore me, that I hadn't even told Brooke, Carter or Sam about it. And having to face them now, at this stupid party, felt even more dreadful after this incident.

-          Thank you for the invitation, Mrs. Winters, but I think Gwen and I will need to discuss it... - Sam started after dragging his eyes from me back to her, trying to postpone the decision until we could properly talk.

-          We'll be there – I interrupted him, making him turn to look at me with worried eyes.

-          Brilliant! Oh, I'm so happy you both are coming! – she beamed, bringing both of her hands up to her chest – For a moment there I thought you were going to decline – she chuckled, taking a sip of her wine.

Sam was still staring at me, concern dripping from his features, but he simply resorted to run his thumb slowly over my thigh as he turned to look at Mrs. Winters.

-          Should we dress formally? – he asked, trying to mask his uneasiness.

-          Well, yes, but there are no guidelines. You don't necessarily need to bring a suit; as long as it's nice, you can wear whatever you want.   – she explained, placing her glass back on the table – And you can bring dates too, unless you know... - she made a pause, smirking at us for some seconds - Um, well, I've been meaning to ask for a while, actually... - her grin widened, looking from me to Sam with twinkling eyes – Are you two, you know...

-          Yes, we are dating – I chuckled, realising that she only knew we were roommates. She had met Sam before things got settled between us, and we always came separately for our lessons. I had thought she would have realised with time, but it looked like she hadn't.

-          Oh god, finally! I've been dying to know ever since I met him; I was sure there had to be something going on there but I couldn't really know – she laughed, taking a sip of her wine with an excited look on her face. I felt kind of awkward until Sam chuckled, turning to look at me lovingly, immediately warming my insides – But this is recent, right?

-          Well... - Sam laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand – It's complicated, but officially, we must have been dating for a couple of months, I guess – he said, meeting my eyes in question.

-          Yeah, you could say so – I smiled back at him before I turned to look at Mrs. Winters, placing my hand on top of his on my thigh and lacing our fingers.

-          Months? – Mrs. Winters seemed surprised, lowering her glass – Oh, your parents said you and Carter weren't seeing anyone when we talked a couple weeks ago. I thought it had to be something from these days...

I froze again, and Sam slowly started to understand what my whole uneasiness during the previous conversation had been about with the mention of my parents. He knew how rocky things still were with them, and that I hadn't talked to them in ages. They didn't even know about Sam's existence or that he was living with me, unless Carter had told them, so they definitely weren't aware that we were dating.

-          Yeah, well, I still have to catch up with them – I awkwardly laughed, grabbing my own glass and taking a generous sip of my wine to hide my uneasiness. Sam brought our laced hands to his lap, squeezing mine softly as his eyes studied my face.

-          Oh, don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to do so at the party – she clapped, satisfied with the news.

It finally dawned on my boyfriend why I had dreaded the idea of going to the party, but knowing this was no place to dwell on it, he carried on with the conversation, making sure to caress my hand tenderly, hoping it would ease my mind.

Before I knew it, we were saying goodbye to the kids as Sam had promised, walking out of their rooms and making our way to the front door to leave. Mrs. Winters hugged us both, profusely stating she was glad we would join them on Saturday and that she couldn't wait to meet us there.

Taking my hand, Sam led us to his car on the other side of the street, opening the passenger's door for me before he jumped into the driver's seat. The drive back to the apartment was silent, and when he parked in front of our building, he made no attempt to get out, simply staring ahead.

-          Are you alright? – he finally blurted, turning to look at me with those tender brown orbs of his. I shrugged, looking out of the window before he reached for my thigh for the second time that night, hoping I would look at him – C'mon, Gwenny, you know you can talk to me.

I shook my head, fighting the hurricane of emotions spinning inside of me as I still stared out the window. Everything was starting to come back to me; the hurt after the last time my father and I had talked, the disappointment when he never called back to mend things, the bitterness when they had decided to split up but never told me, my broken heart when they never picked up after I'd repeatedly called them.

Without my permission, a tiny tear I didn't even know was there slid down my cheek, and was soon followed by more, silently trailing down my face.

-          Fuck – Sam grunted after the first tiny sob escaped my throat, unfastening his seatbelt at the speed of light before doing the same with mine – Baby, what's wrong? Talk to me – he cooed, brushing my hair out of my face and placing one arm around me to pull me closer to his body.

-          It's- It's just... - I tried to explain, but no other words came out of my mouth as whimpers beat them to it, my crying increasing.

-          That's it – Sam groaned, struggling to pick me up from my seat to drag me over the console and onto his lap in the tiny space we had. But he somewhat managed, and as soon as I was in his arms, I wrapped my own around him, holding him as tightly as I could.

He let me cry it out, running his fingers through my hair and kissing my temple repeatedly, making sure to keep my body as close to his as he could, because that was all I needed.

After some minutes I calmed down, but still kept my face buried into his neck as I spoke to him.

-          I actually  c-called them last week... - I started, and I could feel his body tensing beneath me – But they never p-picked up.

-          Gwenny, baby, you should have told me – Sam mumbled lowly, unable to hide his annoyance and worry. He sighed after some seconds, trying to tame his irritation as he massaged my scalp.

-          I didn't want to bother you with all of this shit while you were on tour – I whispered, trying to wipe the tears from my face but it was in vain, as a few new ones slowly replaced them.

-          You could never bother me, specially with this– he replied softly, dropping a kiss to my forehead before he lowered his face to nuzzle his nose against mine – I would have wanted to be there for you, babe.

-          I'm sorry – I managed to say, sniffling.

-          It's okay – he said, kissing the bridge of my nose before he lifted his head, resting his chin on top of my hair and snuggling me closer – I'm really sorry, Gwen.

-          I know – I sighed, placing a tiny kiss on his neck – And I'm sorry for all of this. I'm just tired of getting hurt because of them, and knowing we'll p-probably have to see them on Saturday brought everything back, and I'm sorry but it just was too much t-

-          Gwen, stop, it's alright – he reassured me, bringing his hands up to lift my face, making me look at him – You don't need to apologise for this, okay? – he asked, running his thumb over my wet cheeks as he looked at me with all the love in the world.

-          Alright, I'm sorry – I said, looking down to my lap as his loving face made me want to cry again. I realised I had apologised again when he said "hey", making me chuckle and gather the strength to look up at him again – I feel like you are always dealing with my soppy self whenever something happens with my parents.

-          And I'm glad to do so – he replied, sincerity pouring from his eyes as he caressed the side of my face with his thumb – Even if we are cramped in a small car, sitting uncomfortably with your foot stabbing into my thigh – he chuckled, managing to steal a tiny smile from my lips.

-          I'm sorry – I giggled, wiping the last few tears from my face as I attempted to shift on my spot so that my foot wouldn't hurt him anymore.

In an attempt to move quickly, I ended up hitting the horn with my elbow, making the beeping noise echo in the desolated parking lot. We started to laugh, but Sam helped me settle again, this time straddling his lap.

-          We could have gone up to the apartment for this whole thing, you know – I commented as he lifted his hands to cup my face, bringing it closer so that my forehead rested against his.

-          And I meant it when I said I didn't mind being squeezed in here with you – he smiled back, sliding his hands down to my sides – But for real, are you alright? We don't need to go on Saturday if you don't want to.

-          I'll be okay – I side smiled, bringing my hands up to his jaw and looking into his eyes – Thank you – I added in a whisper, brushing my nose against his – For always being here for me.

-          I love you – he replied, tilting his head up to capture my lips in a soft, sweet kiss.

He let me pull away after some seconds to burry my face into his neck and hug him, enjoying his slow and steady breathing that soothed me into oblivion.

And there, sitting in his car in the middle of an empty parking lot, his love was enough to chase all my demons and troubles away for the night, leaving me in a peaceful state of mind that all it could do was love him back.