Take Me Back To That Day: A Samcedes Story

Chapter 8: Biggest Distraction

In the morning, Sam felt every bit of the headache he deserved. As soon as he woke up, memories of the previous night crashed over him, and he mentally kicked himself over and over again. What he did was completely out of line, and it scared Mercedes away.

She must think he was a drunken, hormonal idiot.

But he couldn't help but replay what led up to that moment. She had looked incredible that night—too damn sexy for his own good. Mercedes was always beautiful, but with that dress, her perfect curves, her warm brown wavy hair, her scent, her eyes, her smile...everything about her was intoxicating. Damn it all, of course, it wasn't hard to fall into that moment.

And it wasn't just him. He was sure she moved closer to him on purpose. One minute, he was staring at her from a few feet away, barely paying attention to the girl from his English class who was talking to him, and the next, Mercedes was right there, right in front of him. If he was barely able to keep his cool from a distance, there was no way he could resist when she was that close. Everything just happened naturally, and before he knew it, he was completely lost in her.

His mind went blank the moment he felt her move against him. It was familiar and yet completely new. All those moments they shared in high school, making out and letting their hands roam, came rushing back to him, but this was different—more intimate, more intense. Her body, so close to his, intoxicated him in a way he hadn't felt before.

It all felt unreal—being there with her like that after so many years. He thought his feelings for her had faded like they had for the other girls, but the moment he laid eyes on her again, those feelings came roaring back, stronger than ever.

Sam snapped out of his thoughts when her hand reached for his neck and slowly moved down. The warmth of her small hand, her nails lightly dragging against his skin, short-circuited his brain. He lost it. He wanted nothing more than to feel more of her skin against his. He bent over her shoulder, breathing in her scent, familiar and intoxicating. The feeling of her skin under his lips was glorious. He never wanted to stop.

But then Mercedes grabbed his hand and led him off the dance floor. He was still reeling from the moment, but he couldn't help but wonder what she was doing. Was she taking him somewhere to talk to him about how he was being out of line? No. Mercedes turned around, and the look in her eyes said otherwise. Her beautiful brown eyes were slightly glassed over with want, making him burn even more. He let that fire take over once they reached the end of the hallway.

But then, everything changed in an instant. Her phone vibrated in her skirt pocket, and she completely froze. It was a strange whirlwind when she suddenly shoved him away, muttered a weak apology, and ran.

"Sammy... I'm so sorry. I can't do this."

The way she used his nickname with those words cut him to his core. Maybe he had read her wrong. Maybe that small moment when he thought they were on the same page was just an illusion, a mirage fueled by alcohol. She had snapped back to reality, a reality where Sam was nothing more than a friend. He had overstepped, violated her trust, and now, he feared he had destroyed their friendship. He wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to talk to him again. But he couldn't let that happen. He had to fix this.

Sam sat up quickly in his bed, only to be met with a wave of dizziness. He held his head until the room stopped spinning.

Shit.

He lay back down, staring at the ceiling. Why did their relationship have to get destroyed like this?

Over the past few months, they had been rebuilding their friendship, making it strong again. She was the only person he could talk to about his fears, his dreams, and his aspirations without feeling insecure. Even when he doubted himself, she was there to encourage him, to give him strength. It was only natural that those feelings he once had for her would resurface, building on the foundation of their renewed connection.