The Long Game, Lucas Sinclair

045. why can't anything go right ever

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE.
4x06: The Dive

They'd been walking through the woods for so long that it was night now, and Sam didn't even want to know how many hours it had been. She was way too unathletic for this shit—her feet hurt, and she was so tired that she feared she would collapse in the next breath.

She was so tired that she was pretty sure she was hallucinating Eddie Munson hanging back just so he could talk to her.

"You know, Apollo-Zeus—"

"It's Sam," she grumbled, though it came out more as a growl this time.

"—the 'wanted criminal' life has really made me stop and think about the past," Eddie ignored Sam's complaint, throwing his arm over her shoulder despite her squirming and grimacing. "You know, back when I wasn't aware your small, little, adorable ass could be Zeus—"

"Sam!"

Eddie waved the hand around Sam's shoulder. "Gesundheit," he dismissed. "Anyways. You've got a lot of backstory to yourself, don't you, Zeus?"

"I'm—" Sam exhaled very sharply, trying not to lose her temper, "not going to keep entertaining you."

Eddie grinned, as if all previous statements had just been a test. He was so much taller than her, that Sam had to crane her head up to even see his smile.

"Your friends told me you don't hate anybody," Eddie cut to the chase amidst a horrible segue.

Sam pulled a face. "Okay?"

"But you hate me."

She just stared at him, a blank expression on her face.

"Why's that?" he finally asked.

Sam refrained an eye roll, knowing it wouldn't help her point. "I don't hate you. I mean, sure there are people I hate, but... you're not one of them."

What? Sam knew it was hard to believe, but it was true. Eddie was too irrelevant in Sam's life for her to hate. Sure, a part of her subconsciously blamed him for losing all her friends, and yes, she wasn't the happiest when Eddie pulled her party into his. But that wasn't hate.

It was just... mild dislike.

"You sound unsure," Eddie pointed out.

"I'm not un—" Sam threw her head back and groaned. "This is weird."

But Eddie didn't stop his badgering. "Ever since your first day of high school, when I tried rescuing from the depths of loneliness, you didn't want anything to do with me."

"I didn't want anything to do with your club," Sam corrected, finally giving him something to work with.

Eddie hummed, amused.

"Yet I hear you're quite the D&D fanatic. A Druid, am I right?"

Sam didn't like that he knew anything about her.