We Meet Again

Chapter Twenty

So I finally decided to go back to work even though I still didn't want to be around Lincoln. I felt like we were on two different pages and no matter what we just couldn't get on the same one. I wanted to give him, us, a chance but it didn't seem like it was meant to work.

Today I was just trying to keep my head down and do my job. I didn't want to be bothered and didn't want to have to talk to anyone. Raquel said she would do extra work so I wouldn't have to talk to Lincoln. It was going good until he came out of his office and stopped in front of my desk.

"Hey Samaria can we talk in my office?" I looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "I'm sorry, sir but I have a ton of work to do." I looked back down at my computer like he wasn't there.

"Please this is important." I sighed and got up and followed him into his office.

"Okay what's so important," I asked once I was finally in the office. He went to his desk and leaned up against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. "We need to talk."

"We haven't talked in almost a month, so why start now?" Yea even after my talk with Lucas I still hadn't talked to Lincoln. I was done trying to make things into something they weren't. It was obvious I was trying way more than he was.

"Don't be that way Samaria."

"Lincoln if this isn't about work then I am going back to my desk." I turned around and headed for the door but he grabbed me around my waist. He slowly turned me around to face him. "I'm sorry. You were right, I should've called or at least texted you while I was away. I got so caught up in my work that you slipped my mind." He smiled as if everything was fine now. I shook my head prying his hands from around me. "That doesn't fix anything Lincoln."

"Okay then what is do I need to do?"

"You're seriously not that dumb, are you? You came into my home and all but called me a slut. Do you really think I would just forget that?" his face changed. "I know I was out of line."

"No, you were out of your damn mind. There's a difference." He stuffs his hands in his pockets. "Let me make it up to you then."

"You can't."

"I think I can. Meet me at the lake we used to go when we were kids and I will show you how. Don't give up on me yet Samaria." I didn't say anything but just left. This roller coaster ride he had me on was making me dizzy.

The entire day I was thinking about what Lincoln said and trying to decide if I was going to go or not. I knew if I went then I would buying me a ticket back on this damn bumpy ride I was so sick of.

"Samaria, in my office," Lucas said poking his head out of his office. I walked in there and he was sitting at his desk with papers spread out. "What did you need?"

"I just wanted to know if you had a chance to look at the file I gave you for my business meeting in L.A."

"Yea actually I did."

"Okay then what did you think?"

"I think you should increase your asking price for your resources. I mean they need you, not the other way around so they should pay you more and you should get them to sign a five year contract so they can't work with any other steel industry." He stood up and walked around so he was in front of me. "Wow."

"What?"

"Nothing, just surprised. You never cease to surprise me Samaria Stewart."

"Why thank you Mr. Steele." He laughed and went back to his desk. "Make the changes in the contract."

"Okay."

"Oh and I will be going to Seattle for a week for a potential investment." I nodded. "Okay be safe, wouldn't want something to happen to my boss and end up out of a job." He laughed again. "Glad to know you're so concerned for me."

"Always."

When I got home Raquel was sitting on the couch eating yogurt. I put my stuff down and plopped down next to her. "Well you look like hell." I just turned to her and flipped her off. She laughed and sat her yogurt down. "Okay tell me what's wrong."

"Lincoln wants to meet so he can make things right between us."

"And do you want to make things right?"

"I don't know. I just know I'm tired of whatever the hell this is."

"Look Samaria stop trying to force things and if it's meant to be it will then it will happen and if not then it won't. Go and meet him and see what happens."

"Fine."

"That's my girl! Now go get dressed and show him what he's been missing." I threw a pillow at her and went upstairs.

"Didn't think you were coming," Lincoln said as I walked closer to the lake. He was standing with his hands in his pockets on a blanket. He had candles sit everywhere around us so that we could see each other in the upcoming darkness. "I thought about it."

"I'm glad you did."

"You did all of this?" he nodded. "I made us a little picnic for two with candlelight."

"So this is supposed to make me forgive you?"

"No." he walked over to me grabbing my hands in his. He kissed them one by one. "This is." He then bent down and kissed me softly on the lips. When we parted everything seemed to fade away.

"Samaria you are very important to me and I shouldn't have made you think otherwise. I never meant to make you think you weren't good enough for me. I promise you I will never make you feel like that every again."

We sat down and ate some the food he had prepared for us. I was trying to do what Raquel said and let things happen the way it should but I didn't know if I wanted to let some things be left to fate. Fate had never been my friend so I didn't know if she would be nice or not. Fate would get my hopes up only to drop my flat on my ass. Fate could be a bitch sometimes.

Lincoln was just like fate, he would make me feel good one minute and like trash the next. He would make me promises one day only to break them the next day. This was what was conflicting me about him. I didn't know if I could trust him or if I should just leave him alone. Love was funny. Love was complicated. I just didn't know what the hell I was feeling when it came to Lincoln Charleston.

"Do you like the food?" I put a chip in my mouth and nodded. "Yea, you really did a good job."

"Thanks. I wanted to show you I could be the guy you want and need." I just looked down. "I see."

Samaria I want us to be together, officially." My head shot up. "What?"

"You heard me. I want you to be mine. No more of this trying out shit, I want you." Back on the roller coaster I go. One ticket please because apparently I love this damn ride.

"Lincoln-"

"I know you are still not sure about me but I can promise you we will work out the way we should." I sighed and got up and went to stand by the lake. My life was just one big roller coaster of emotions. He came and stood beside me just adding even more pressure. I wasn't ready to commit myself to him, not yet. There was still a lot of things that needed to be worked out before I could make that decision.

"Lincoln, I'm still not sure about us yet. You can easily make promises but I need to see them being kept before I commit myself to you. I need to make sure you are what you say you are. I still think we need to make sure this is what we really want before we do something we will regret."

He nodded. "Okay then I will keep giving you your time, but know this, I already know what I want. I want you. And because of this I will wait all you need me to because you are worth it."