A Gift Of Song For You

Chapter 8: I Can Love You Like That

Song Inspiration: I Can Love You Like That by John Michael Montgomery

Mercedes spent all day at school without seeing Sam in front of her or anyone in the school. No singing. No guitar playing. When she saw him in Glee or the classes they had together, he was quiet and didn't say much. She's come to expect the crazy way he serenaded her with a song each day. Dare she admit, that she was getting spoiled from it. She sat in her last class for the day as she noticed it was two minutes before the end of the school day.

Once the bell rang, she gathered her things and headed for her locker. She moved through the rushed crowd before she stopped in front of it and put her combination in and unlocked it. As she opened the door, a manila envelope fell out and landed at her feet. She bent down to pick it up before she placed her books inside. Mercedes stopped to see the front of the envelope was blank as her curiosity got the better of her. She glanced around and noticed the hallway was almost empty.

She opened the envelope and peeked inside. A smile lit her face as she pulled out what was inside. It was a cropped copy of their prom picture. Just him and her. Mercedes sighed silently as she knew he wouldn't forget today. She looked inside the envelope to see if there was anything else. It was empty. No note or anything. She leaned against her locker and stared at the picture. They had so much fun that night. And he made her wish come true. She never asked Rachel if she mentioned anything. She didn't want to know if Sam felt sorry for her after hearing her sad tale. Mercedes casually flipped the picture over to put it back in the envelope, when she noticed a note on the back.

Remember this night? So, do I. Meet me in the auditorium as soon as you read this. - Sam


Mercedes grabbed her book bag, keys, and the picture before locking her locker. She ran away from the locker, not noticing someone watching her zoom down the hallway. She made her way to the auditorium before she slowed her pace. As she walked inside, it was too quiet.  She looked everywhere but saw no sign of Sam. "Sam?" She softly called out. "Sam?" She said before she stepped up on the stage. "I'm here." She heard from behind.

Mercedes turned around before she saw Sam dressed in the suit he wore from prom last year. She laughed aloud as he stepped up to her while he adjusted his bolo tie. "You're kind of late and early for prom." She said laughing. "You're not wearing the same suit again to prom are you?" She asked as he shook his head. "No, this is especially for you." Sam stated. "Mercedes, I need to ask you something." He said. Sam watched her wait for him to continue. "When I stepped up to you and told you how beautiful you look, you seemed shocked. And when I asked you to dance, you couldn't believe it at first. Why?" He asked her, watching her face staring at him.

She stood before him as she folded her arms and looked confused. "Like you really don't know Sam?" Sam made a face and shrugged his shoulders before shaking his head. "Don't know what?" He asked. "What Rachel and I talked about after I left the choir room. And we talked about before we asked you to prom." Sam became intrigued as he closed in. He leaned his head closer to hers and made her look in his eyes. "I really don't know. What did you say?" He asked her softly.

"I told her about my wish on how my prom should be. I wanted the dress. The guy. The corsage. I just wanted to be Cinderella for one night. And for a guy to look at me under those corny, crepe paper streamers and he would tell me, " She paused as she began to tear up some. "He would tell me that I look so beautiful. Then he grabbed my hand and would ask me to dance." She said, letting her voice falter before she looked away, feeling embarrassed at finally telling him her most private wish.

Not hearing a word out of Sam, Mercedes turned her head back to see a surprised look upon his face. "Sam, are you okay?" She asked. Sam lightly shook his head as he reached for her hand. "Wow. It makes so much sense now. You really wanted that?" He asked her as she nodded. "And Rachel never told you any of this?" Mercedes questioned. "No, she never did." He stated before he started to smile. "But, that means I made your wish come true. And it makes this song I chose, mean so much. It's more special than I thought it would be." He said letting her go to press play on the iPod. He pressed the volume up some before he walked back up to her.

"I was wondering where my song was." She joked when the music began to flow from the speakers. Sam took her hands back into his as he started to sing.

They read you Cinderella
You hoped it would come true
That one day your Prince Charming
Would come rescue you
You like romantic movies
You never will forget
The way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet

Mercedes started to smile as he gently pulled her into his arms and held her as he continued to sing to her. She felt him rock in a gentle swaying motion. She joined the dance with him as she listened to the words. He was right. It was like the song was so perfect.

All this time that you've been waiting
You don't have to wait no more
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
If you give me a chance

She closed her eyes as she held on tight. Her body rocked with his in a perfect fit. Sam couldn't believe that his honesty that night and just wanting to dance with her just one time, would mean the world to her. That he made her dreams come true. He not only gave her a wish she had for who knows how long, but gave her the perfect prom.


I can love you like that
I never make a promise I don't intend to keep
So when I say forever, forever's what I mean
I'm no Casanova but I swear this much is true
I'll be holdin' nothin' back when it comes to you
You dream of love that's everlasting
Well baby open up your eyes

Sam smiled at the fact that he knew she was Cinderella. His Cinderella. And if no matter what, he would always be her Prince Charming. He suddenly wished he hadn't said he would do two weeks of songs. He wanted to end all this now and make her his. Damn Shane and anyone else that stood in his way.

I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
If you give me a chance
I can love you like that

Mercedes ached so much as she wished the rest of the days sped up. She wanted to be Sam's girl once again. But he was right the other day. She needs to clear out everything that was Shane. She moved her head to his other shoulder, as she tried to shake Shane from her thoughts. She liked this song and smiled as she snuggled into his shoulder.


You want tenderness-I got tenderness
And I see through to the heart of you
If you want a man who understands
You don't have to look very far

He pulled her away some as he made sure she looked at him as he sang the next part of the song. It's like he needed to make sure she listened to it. She needed to know that he was everything and every feeling in this song. And she was the girl that the song was about. He watched her search his eyes as he sang to her, holding her arms.


I can love you
I can
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
I can love you like that

You don't have to look very far
I can love you
I can
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me

Mercedes could see so much emotion in his green eyes as they seemed darker and more intense. He felt so serious with each song he sung to her. And she had a feeling that the closer they got to Valentine's day, the deeper this all would get. She wondered if her heart would be able to handle it. They started to dance once again, as he held her close. Mercedes felt so right in his arms as she could feel the vibration of his deep voice singing from his body into hers.

I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl
I will give you my heart
Be all that you need
Show you you're everything that's precious to me
I can love you like that
I would make you my world
Move Heaven and Earth if you were my girl


Once the song finished and Sam stopped singing, they were still dancing. He smiled to himself as he knew she was the one who didn't want to let go. That she was the one, who had them still dancing to silence. He just held her tighter, giving her a slight hug. Both of them in their own world, not knowing someone witnessed them dancing.

Shane Tinsley sat in the locker room as he glanced at friends and fellow teammate, who was a tight end. He sat there and relayed all he witnessed Mercedes did with Sam. "So, Evans thought that he could trick Mercedes into telling me it's over?" He sat there and grew angry at the thought of it all. 

"And once I'm gone, he could swoop in and take what's mine!" He said as he held a practice football in between his hands as he got upset. "When I get my hands on him, I'm going to make him wish he stayed gone!" Shane growled as he caused the ball the pop in between his hands, wishing it was Sam's head.