A SMILE IN A WHISTLE

Chapter 36. Thirteenth of November, Lydia and Jim's engagement party

"What about this one?" asked Sam.

He held a brown checkered shirt up with his right hand. Sarah, who was already dressed for the evening and comfortably sitting on one of the sofas in the cabin of his sailboat, scrunched her face to let him know it looked dreadful.

"Do you have any light colors?" she suggested, trying to help him.

"I do hate dressing up for these kind of events... The celebrations are great but it's always a nightmare to find something proper and conventional in my closet. Although, it's not really a closet in my case... Just a bag full of shirts and trousers I never wear!"

Sarah was amused by his despairing attitude. She stood up and put her arms around his bare chest. Standing just behind him, she let her fingers caress his abdomen while Sam went through his collection of shirts one last time.

"Don't distract me or we will never leave the boat!" he commented, a little turned on.

Sarah giggled and continued to hug him. As her fingers slid down his back, a mark on the bottom right side caught her eye... There was a scar, just above his belt. It was big, prominent, diagonal, dark pink and shiny.

"How did you do that?" she asked him, pointing at it with her index finger.

Sam stood still for a moment, searching for an excuse. Sarah wasn't blind to his sudden trepidation.

"Him again?" she groaned. "The hunter?"

"It was a long time ago, Sarah. Past and gone," he answered, turning around to hold her in his arms.

"What did he do?"

Sam sighed, realising there was no point in trying to make matters better than they were. And he hated lying to her.

"He tried to stab me, years ago. Thankfully, he stopped before doing any real damage."

"He stabbed you? Sam! You owe me an explanation! This is getting out of hand! You should go to the police! Why didn't you tell them when you were in hospital? They could put this monster behind bars!" she implored.

Sam remained silent.

"Why won't you go to the police?" Sarah repeated. "Have you had problems with the police before?"

"No, of course not," he said. "Let's talk to your parents first tonight, okay? That's all I can deal with right now."

Sarah glared at him, unsatisfied with his response.

"Hmm..." she mumbled, angry with him. "Sam, my father told me he sent you an invitation the year you left town."

"He always did."

"Why did you say that you didn't receive one?"

"Because it's true, I didn't. Your parents had casually invited me between two conversations one day, but I didn't get a real paper invitation in the post that year."

"And you didn't think to check with them? Didn't you want to come? Surely you knew I wanted you to be there."

"I couldn't come, Sarah."

"Why?" she persisted. "If I understand well, that thing – hunter, danger, whatever you want to call it! – caused you to leave in 2000 and it's still hunting you today... It's not fair that I'm the one sitting back, not having a clue what's going on, while you get attacked and end up in hospital!"

"I know... But I'm not sure how to handle the situation. The thing is, if I tell you the truth Sarah, I am afraid you won't believe me. It was such a long time ago... And I realise now that my reaction thirteen years ago wasn't the best. Running away wasn't the answer. I should have stayed. But I didn't want to disrupt–"