A Couple is Three: The Beginning (book 1 & 2 Completed)

Chapter 5 - Goodnight

The three of them continued to sit all snuggled together as they listened to the music. Samantha could feel her heart race and tingles throughout her body every time Jake or Josh shifted. She wasn't new to being physically touched like this by males although none of her school friends would know this. This was a part of her that she reserved for those that she could could be herself around. The college and career guys that she hung around with at church were touchy feely with her, but it wasn't the same. This reminded her more of her time in Europe when she was younger. There she had been more carefree and sure of herself. No one there cared if she flirted with lots of guys so long as they weren't dating anyone. It was a part of her that she missed.

As she thought back to her time in Europe, she realized that even this felt different; the connection felt stronger. "I'm an idiot," she thought to herself, "I think that I'm falling for these two. Oh my gosh, what if they have girlfriends?" —her heart rate sped up and she started to feel lightheaded— "get a grip," she thought sternly. "These guys don't seem like they see the type to cheat after all they told me earlier. I mean, if they were the type, then they wouldn't need me. They could have just picked up any of the girls throwing themselves at them." With her peptalk complete, her heart rate started to calm down and her breathing became easier. She decided that that was enough thinking for now and started to listen to the final songs being played on stage.

The band finished playing and left the stage to make way for the final band of the night.

"Are you coming back tomorrow?" whispered Jake into Samantha's ear. She shivered at the feeling of his breath on her skin.

"I am, but it will be just me and both my parents," she responded trying to tilt her head to look at Jake.

She felt a tug on her hand as Josh called for her attention. "Lisa is not coming back with you?" he asked as his muscles clenched waiting for her answer. He didn't know why since Lisa seemed nice, but he wasn't keen on her. There was an unknown look in her eyes as she looked at Samantha when she thought that no one was watching her that had Josh concerned.

"No she isn't. This was supposed to be a girls weekend, but the other two girls received better offers. Lisa only came today because her mom really wanted to come and she hadn't been invited to the party that the other two went to. She is going to a party with them tomorrow," Samantha mumbled. She didn't want the boys to feel sorry for her or to hear her bitterness.

Josh and Jake had another silent conversation over the top of Samantha's head. They had each felt her body and hands clench as she told them what happened. They both figured that there was more to the story, but they didn't want to push things at this point.

Being the joker and flirt that he was, Jake tugged on her ear as he told her, "That means more time for us," before he started laughing at the funny face that Josh was making trying to get Jake to shut up.

She couldn't help it. She didn't know why Jake was laughing, but his laughter just made her want to join in. So she just started to laugh along with Jake and Josh, who had started to laugh as well by that point. It felt freeing to laugh with them.

The band was only halfway through their set when Samantha received the text from her mother letting her know that it was time to leave. The three of them stood up and started to pack up the blanket and their trash. Samantha tried to give Josh back his jacket, but he wouldn't let her. Instead he helped her to put it on correctly before zipping it up.

Samantha had just finished zipping up the bag when Lisa returned to them by herself. Jake took the bag from Samantha's hands and then snagged her right hand while Josh reached out and grabbed her left one. The three of them along with Lisa started the walk back to where Lisa's mother had parked the car that morning.