Inivisible string: A Sam and Nehemia story

Chapter 13

Nehemia

Tears welled in her eyes. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Her parents had told her they loved her countless times, but hearing it from Sam—someone who wasn't bound to her by blood, who had no obligation to say it—felt different. It felt real, raw, and overwhelming. As they kissed until sundown, Sam kept whispering his love for her, over and over, like he needed to say it as much as she needed to hear it. She had murmured the words back to him a few times, but each time, her heart felt fuller, as though each utterance tied them closer together.

When they finally reached her apartment, Sam kissed her goodnight, and before parting, they made plans to meet the next morning. They both knew they needed to figure out their next steps—work, or at least a discussion about what came next.

The next morning, Nehemia waited at the meeting point, her nerves growing with each passing minute. Sam was already an hour late. Her mind raced with doubts. Had he panicked after their conversation? Did the weight of confessing love scare him off? Or had they simply misunderstood the meeting spot?

Just as she began pacing, she saw him running toward her, breathless. He had clearly been running for some time.

"I've bought us passage on a ship to the continent," he blurted out. "I know it's sudden, and we didn't get to talk about it, but... this is our chance to go home."

Nehemia stared at him, her heart pounding. "But... what about Arobynn Hamel? You ran from him—because of him! How can we go back?"

"I know," Sam said, catching his breath. "But you deserve the chance to return home. To see your family, your friends, and get your life back."

They stood there, caught in the gravity of his words. Going home wasn't just about returning to a place. It was about facing everything they had run from. For Nehemia, it was her country, her people. For Sam, it was Arobynn—and all the dangers tied to him.

They spent hours walking, discussing the reasons they had left and the risks that might await them. What would they do if they crossed paths with Arobynn? How could they survive it? But no matter how much they dissected their fears, the reasons to stay were far fewer than the reasons to go.

By the time the sun was setting again, they had made their decision. Tomorrow, they would board the ship. The long journey at sea would give them time to think through their next steps, and time to prepare for whatever awaited them.