Samantha

Chapter 18

A couple of days later I returned home after hanging out with my friends—for real this time.

My phone rang and her soft voice whispered on the other end:

“Zack can we meet?”

“Uhm . . . Sure.”
I replied almost immediately, despite not knowing what exactly she wanted to talk to me about.
Even though it hadn’t been that long since we last went out, being around Samantha felt good, and I would have done anything to hold on to those moments.

I told my parents I was going out again, and started to bolt for the door, but my dad stopped me in my tracks.

“Hold on there Zack, look I was young once too, and I know that a boy rushing out at night at this hour, can only mean one thing. Just don’t get in over your head, with Christina okay. Love is beautiful but it’s also an incredibly fragile thing.”

Hearing my dad giving me the true love speech was almost hilarious. My family only knew about Christina, so considering I was going to see Samantha, it just seemed really inappropriate. But of course my dad didn’t know that. So I simply complied.

“Yes dad I know, I’ll be sure to wear a vest around my heart, to reduce the damage if things go sideways.”

“That’s kind of extreme but as long as you get it,” he said with a broad smile. He was clearly relieved to be having this talk.

I never knew why my mom left my dad, but she was definitely an idiot.

Then again who was I to judge?

Something about what my dad said, stuck with me though.

“Don’t get in over your head,” I repeated silently.

Sorry dad I already was . . .

I arrived at Samantha’s apartment around nine, and as I walked in I saw samantha sitting on the living room couch watching television.

“So are we staying in or what?” I joked.

Samantha however wasn’t laughing.

“Take a seat Zack.”

At this point I was a little confused and hesitated.

“Samantha what’s wrong?”

“Fine stand, it doesn’t matter.”

“What are y—?”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”
Her interruption was sudden and it caught me off guard.

“Tell you what?”

“Seriously Zack?
Do I really need to say it,
remind you of your own lies?”

“Samantha I don’t kno—”

“Christina, Zack, I’m talking about that bitch I saw you kiss at the Mall.”

I froze.

Samantha knew.

She knew.

About me.

About Christina.

Everything . . .

Truth is I actually had a feeling our conversation would turn out this way. But I couldn’t be sure, so I just played dumb. A whole lot of good that did me.

I sighed.
There was no way I was talking myself out of this one. I looked at her for a few seconds and finally I said the one thing that came to mind at that moment.

“I’m sor—”

The slap was ear deafening, and hurt like hell. Was I surprised? A little. Did I deserve it? Definitely.

“Don’t you dare Zachary Trenton,
you don’t get to apologize,
and you sure as hell, don’t get to make me feel sorry for you.”

As she spoke her voice broke down and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“How could you, I thought we put everything behind us.
Is this . . . is this your way of getting back at me?”

Her question surprised me.
I never gave it much thought really.
I convinced myself that I simply couldn’t choose between two beautiful girls. But I can see now that perhaps my intentions weren’t all that pure to begin with. If only I could go back . . .

“Do you love her?” Samantha asked, watching my every movement with eyes full of rage.

“I . . . I do,” I answered honestly, seeing no further use in trying to hide things much longer.

“More than . . . more than you love me?” She sounded hurt and I wanted to comfort her, like I had so many times before. But how could you possibly comfort someone, when you were the source of their pain?

“I . . . I don’t know.”
Yet again I answered truthfully.

There was a moment of silence until Samantha spoke again.

“Get out.”

“Samantha please just—”

“I SAID GET OUT!”

I saw a side of Samantha then, that I would wish upon no man. She seemed savage, uncontrollable and Vile. I backed away slowly and made my way outside. I closed the door behind me and was actually thankful things didn’t end up much worse.

Once I closed the door however I could hear the faint but painful sobs coming from inside . . .