the sea, heaven and everthing between [completed]

8. blind dates & set ups

"Don't thank me, thank your aunt Margaret." The words were still replaying in my mind.

Suddenly it all made sense. Renting the beach house in Rhode Island was never my idea. It was my aunt that mentioned it, she was the one who kept pushing me, telling me that I needed a break from the busy New York life after all that has happened and that's why she rented it out for free to me. Of course, this was a set up. I just never expected that Gracie and Margaret would be behind it.

I searched for my phone on my nightstand and I got up and walked into the kitchen. Searching for Margaret on the phone list, I pressed the call button.

It rang a few times before she picked up. "Hi Lia, how is the beach treating you?"

"When were you going to tell me that you and Gracie were playing Cupid?" I asked straight to the point.

"What are you talking about?" She faked a surprised reaction.

"Cut the bullshit, Gracie told me everything," I laughed.

"Alright, how is the British fella treating you then?" Her voice changed and I could already see her big grin on her face on the other line.

"Mags, he is amazing," I sighed as I realized how deep I was in it. "But I think I messed up."

"You have already spent half your time there and you've already messed things up?" I listened to her voice on the other line. "Hold up, I need to get my tea ready."

I chuckled slightly. "Ethan came by," I started out and I heard her gasp. "At the worst timing possible, I had just been at s first date with Sam and invited him over," I groaned, leaning my elbows down on kitchen counter.

"Why am I imaging fire, blood and explosions?"

"To be honest, that would have been better than what really happened."

"Lia, it couldn't have been that bad," her soothing voice tried to comfort me.

"Mags, Ethan begged me to take him back, we got in a fight, Sam bugged in and it ended with me telling Sam to leave," I said.

She stayed silent for a bit. "Have you guys worked things out?"

"No," I breathed out, "that is the worst part of it. It has been almost a week since I last saw him."

"You weren't really joking when you said that things were messed up."

"I know! It was so stupid of me to lock myself in after the fight. I should have just apologized to Sam the day after, but I just kinda couldn't because Ethan was occupying my mind," I heavily sighed.

"I have to ask you something, you don't have to answer it if you don't want to," she asked and I felt my heartbeat increase ever so slightly.

"Fire on."

"Do you still love him?"

I stayed silent. "There is no excuse for what he did, but my feelings don't disappear overnight. Five years, we were together. Five years, a part of me don't want to let those five years go to waste."

Margaret sighed. "Lia, I don't want to interfere with your problem, but I mean it when I stay once a cheater, always a cheater."

"I know, I would never go back to him, but still there is something holding me back."

"The question is - is that thing holding you back so much that you don't want to try it out with Sam?" She asked and I went into a thinking mode. "Sam is a great guy, I have known him since he and his wife first got Gracie. I would have never tried to set you two up if I didn't knew he was a good match for you."

I smiled. "Thank you, Mags."

"No need to thank me, or if you want too, you could call your firstborn after me," both of us laughed. "Seriously, just talk to him, I know that you two will figure things out."

"I will, goodbye," I said and hung up after that.

I grabbed a glass of ice cold water and went out to the balcony. My heartbeat raised ever so slightly when I turned my head to Sam's beach house and my stomach dropped when I made eye contact with him, who I had been avoiding the past week. Sam stood up the minute our eyes met and we stayed like that for a moment.

Please come over, I whispered to myself.

My heartbeats increased when he actually moved over and started to walk over to me. When he finally stepped into my balcony I jumped into his arms and sobbed quietly.

"I'm sorry," both of us said in unison.

I pulled away from his strong arms, chuckling slightly. "What are you sorry for?"

"Lia," he mumbled. I stared into his ocean like eyes while he brushed the hair pieces blowing in front of my face. "I should have never interfered in your fight with Ethan. It just felt wrong of me to stand there after I knew what he had done to you."

"Sam, don't even apologize. I am the one who should apologize, I knew that all you wanted was to help, but I was stuck in the moment, I guess," I half smiled. "I'm truly sorry for sending you away that night and I'm even more sorry that you had to witness that fight."

"Let's just forget that night because I have something I want to ask you," he smiled, dimples visible in his cheek.

"Really?" I asked curiously and felt the butterflies in my stomach.

"My parents are visiting and they would love to meet you after Gracie has talked so highly of you," he said and I took some time of comprehend it.

I nodded happily. "I would love to," I smiled.

This was at the same time exciting and nerve wrecking. I would be meeting his parents for the first time and we hadn't even put any label on our relationship yet. Instead of overthinking again, I placed my lips on his and pulled into a warm hug.