a roses thorn

Chapter Thirteen

The last time I saw Sammy was the day he left for boot camp a week before Matty did. He's always crossed my mind at least once a day.

Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's happiness, and sometimes it's just depression. Not only did I lose my best friend but my daughter also lost her uncle and God Father.

He doesn't even look the same. Matty and him have been in safety for a few months now, and Matty is almost back to looking normal and less malnourished.

But Sammy? He was covered in scars, some new and some old. He had his head shaved the to skin, probably from the brain surgery he had to have because of his bleeding in the brain when they had found him tied up knocked unconscious. He had no fat on his body, he was just skin and bones with discoloration.

I tried not to stare for long. But my heart was breaking at this second knowing he is here. My heart hurts knowing that he had went through that awful pain for four years. He held on for us to rescue him, and it took us four years to find him.

"S-S-S-Sammy?" it didn't feel real. Maybe he's some mirage.

He smirked at me but he didn't say anything. "Is that really you? Am I drunk?"

Maria and Cody chuckled quietly with each other. Shit, I forgot they were there for a second.

"Oh my gosh! I've missed you guys so much!" I started crying from the happiness and adrenaline coursing through my body. I tried stopping the tears from falling but it was mission impossible.

"Why are you crying?" Maria was holding her laugh back but barely.

"I-I-I don't know. Can I just get a hug from all of you?" I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"I assume so." Maria shrugged her shoulders with a sarcastic grin on her face and she spread her arms out while taking a step forward into my arms.

"Oh my gosh, you're really here. I thought you were out of the country and couldn't get service on your trip?" I wrapped my arms around her torso.

"Yeah, we just thought it was a good time to stop by. We were here for a month for our trip anyway." She hugged me tightly.

I pulled away from her and turned to Cody, "Come on. You're getting a hug, too." I held my arms out to him.

He laughed before agreeing and he hugged me back, "How are you doing? Sorry we've been traveling so much."

"You mean you're sorry for how you stole my best friend as soon as we got out of high school? Don't worry about it, we're grown doing grown things. And I would never let her miss out on an opportunity like the one you gave her." I giggled, "I just hate that you made me miss the wedding."

"Listen, nobody was even there. We didn't even know who our witness was, the court had found us one because we knew nobody in town." Maria defended him happily.

"Fine, I'll let this one pass." I rolled my eyes playfully at them before turning to Sammy and his daughter.

"Sammy," I muttered under my breath. "Can I hug you?"

He took a step forward without an answer and wrapped his arms around mine tightly and hugged me to the point where I couldn't move my arms from my side. He isn't in my imagination and he is really here. I still can't believe it.

"How are you?" I asked into his shoulder.

"I'm good. How are you?" he started rubbing my back. He smelled like cologne and aftershave.

"I'm good." I smiled with my face pressed to his shoulder still. "Are you guys staying?"

"If you'll have us, we can get a hotel room if you don't have the room."