Forever and Always (10 page)

Part of her couldn’t believe this was happening. It felt better than she ever imagined it would. Melanie slid her hands under his arms and around his back pulling him closer to her. She felt a strange quiver inside her body starting in the pit of her stomach and radiating out. Slowly but steadily it grew bigger and bigger. As Sam began to move faster and more urgently, Melanie’s body began to quiver. She closed her eyes and gripped his back so hard it made him groan and pushed him on, harder and faster.

“Oh Sam” Melanie cried, pinching her eyes shut as her body came apart beneath him.
Her words sending him over the edge as he slammed into her one more time and stilled as he called out her name.
He collapsed on top of her pinning her to the bed. His face buried in her neck, both of them breathing ragged and hard.

Finally he lifted his head off her and looked at her face, a tender smile across his face.

“Melanie O’Leary” he said as he kissed her lips softly. “I love you so much”.

“I love you too Sam Cooper” Melanie replied and smiled.

“Forever and always?” he asked.

“Forever and always” she replied.

“Are you ok?” Sam asked placing one small kiss after another from her ear down her throat to her neck. “I didn’t hurt you did I”.

Melanie smiled brightly at Sam. Sam looked at her in confusion.

“What is it?” he asked with a nervous giggle as he wiped stray strands of hair from her sweaty brow.

“It was perfect Sam” Melanie replied. “Just like you”.

They lay together for hours after they made love. It was almost midnight when Sam suggested they heat up the food he had brought back earlier that evening. Sam put his jeans on and Melanie just pulled on her dressing gown.

They sat on the rug on the living room floor and watched some TV while they ate their food. Melanie would peek over at Sam from time to time. He had a happy, contented expression on his face as he ate and watched the movie they had put on.

But Melanie couldn’t concentrate. All she could think about was the fact that she, Melanie O’Leary from Swords in Dublin had just made love to this amazingly gorgeous boy sitting beside her. She wondered did she look different because she felt different. She felt grown up, older, mature.

“Penny for your thoughts” Sam said pulling her from her daydream.

“I was just thinking” she replied and smiled.

“Is that a good or a bad thing” he asked shifting closer to her.

“Good I think” she replied and leaned over to kiss him. “Will you stay with me tonight”
.

“I would love to” he whispered. He picked up the remote control and switched off the TV. Standing up he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Wrapping her in his arms he kissed her briefly. Then without saying another word he took her hand and led her back to the bedroom. They made love again before they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

When Melanie woke the next morning Sam was still wrapped around her. She watched him as he slept. She couldn’t believe she had just spent the night with him. It was everything she had
ever
dreamed it would be. She felt a little stiff, sore and also very hot laying there with Sam wrapped around her. She tried to adjust her position without disturbing Sam but as soon as she moved, Sam’s eyes snapped opened.

“Good morning beautiful” he said sleepily.

“Good morning” Melanie smiled bright.

“How do you feel this morning” he asked as he placed soft feathered kisses up her neck.

“I feel good” she replied.

“Well you look beautiful” he said spreading his hand out over her bare belly. “And you smell so good”.

“I bet you say that to all the girls” Melanie said with a giggle. “And I am sure many have fallen for you lines before”.  Sam stopped kissing her and leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her. His face looked troubled.

“Why do you say that?” he asked sounding a little hurt. “Melanie I have never felt like this about any other girl. I love you”.

“Sam I was kidding” Melanie said reaching up and gently brushing her fingers across Sam’s cheek.

“I’m sorry” Sam said. “I just don’t want you to ever doubt what you mean to me”.

“Ok” Melanie said surprised at Sam reaction to her joke. He kissed her softly on the lips and climbed out of bed. He disappeared into the en suite in her room. Melanie lay in the bed for a few moments. She felt a little confused by what had just happened. It was so unlike Sam. He was always happy and cheerful and such fun. Melanie remembered the last time he has acted like this was the first day they went out and that girl from the Italian restaurant made some offhand comment. His mood had change suddenly that day too.

She sat up in the bed pulling her knees to her chest and looked over at the bathroom door. What was he thinking? Was there something she didn’t know about him? Her mind was racing.

Suddenly her mobile rang and made her jump. She quickly grabbed it from the night stand and pressed the answer key.

“Hello” she said trying to collect her thoughts.

“Hi Mel” Maggie’s tired voice came across the phone. “How’s everything at the beach?”

“It’s good Maggie” Melanie replied trying to sound at normal as possible. “How’s Mark?”

“He is still unconscious” Maggie replied sadly. “He looks pretty beaten up”.

“I am sorry Maggie” Melanie said honestly.

“Thanks sweetie” Maggie replied. “So how did last night go, were you ok on your own in the house?”

“Yeah I was fine” Melanie replied feeling guilty for lying to Maggie. “Sam and I watched a movie and then he made sure everything was locked up before he went home. I am going to go meet him shortly to go swimming”.

“That’s good” Maggie replied absentmindedly. Melanie was relieved. Maggie was obviously too distracted by what was happening with Mark. “Well I am just a call away if you need anything Mel. The doctor is here I will talk to you later”.

Maggie hung up before Melanie even said goodbye. Melanie climbed out of bed and quickly pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. She glanced at the en-suite door one last time and turned and headed for the kitchen.

Melanie desperately wanted a shower but with Sam in the bathroom in the humour he was in she decided a cool glass of orange juice would have to do right now.  She opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice and then reached up and pulled a glass from the press above her head.

As she poured the juice Sam appeared at her bedroom door. He looked nervous and uncomfortable. Immediately Melanie’s heart began to race and her stomach flipped.

“I am going to go home and have a shower and get some clean clothes” he said, like he had rehearsed the sentence over and over again. His eyes didn’t even meet hers.

“Ok” was all she could manage to say.

“I’ll see you in
a while
” he said and still without looking at her he left. Melanie suddenly felt sick. She no longer wanted the orange juice so she quickly poured it down the sink. Her stomach lurched and she knew she was going to be sick. Quickly she ran to her bathroom and sank to her knees at the toilet and she threw up.

When she finally stopped throwing up, she sank back against the cold tiled wall. What the hell had just happened? She thought everything was fine. The last four weeks had been the best of her life. Sam was everything she had ever dreamed of and more. She loved him and she thought he loved her. What had changed? Then it hit her. She had just slept with him. And suddenly her Dad’s words about Mike came back to her.

“That wasn’t love! He had only one thing on his mind! He would say anything to get you to do what he wants!”

His words ran around and around her head.

But Sam wasn’t like Mike. Or was he? What had changed? Why was he suddenly so distant and cold? Had he just used her? Suddenly she felt dirty and cheap.

Melanie stumbled to her feet quickly as the tear pooled in her eyes. She pulled off her clothes and climbed into the shower. The hot water on her skin felt good. She filled her washed cloth with body wash and scrubbed her skin till it was sore, sobbing while she washed. She felt stupid and used and so unbelievably angry with herself right now.

By the time she climbed from the shower her skin hurt and so did her head but her tears had stopped and now she just felt angry.

She pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a clean white t-shirt. She pulled on her black canvas pumps and quickly pulled her hair into a braid.

She checked herself in the full mirror. She looked fine except her eyes were still a little red and puffy. So she grabbed her sun glasses before she headed out the door. She needed to clear her head so she began to walk fast along the empty beach. She needed to put some distance between herself and the beach house and Sam.

“Melanie” she heard Sam call from behind her. She didn’t stop instead her pace picked up. She wasn’t ready for a confrontation with him right now. “Melanie please
wait
!”

“Go away Sam” she shouted her pace not slowing at all.

“No I am not going anywhere” he said finally catching up with her and grabbing her arm. “You are not going to shut me like you have shut your Dad out”.

His words stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Wow” she hissed. “I can’t believe you just said that to me”.

“I know you Melanie O’Leary” he said grabbing her by the hands. “I think I know you better than anyone else and I know you will put this wall up”.

“That’s rich coming from you” she snapped back at him.

“I am sorry I weirded out on you earlier” Sam replied. “Please just let me explain”.

“I don’t want to hear it Sam” she said trying to pull her hands from his but he held her tightly. “I get it, I do. Last night was a mistake and its fine. I am a big girl. I’ll get over it”.

“Jesus Mel” he replied, her words cutting through him. “How can you think that? Don’t you know what you mean to me?”

“I thought I did” she whispered trying hard not to cry. “But I really don’t know what to feel. You were so distant and cold this morning. I just don’t know”.

“Melanie I love you” he said pulling her into his arms and holding her close to him. “And it scares me how much. But I have done things in my past that I am not proud of. I am afraid if you know you won’t want me, But I was different then. Or I am different now”.

Melanie just stared at him. She felt so confused.  He took her hand and led her to some large rocks that were close by and they both sat down on them, still holding hands.

“Ok so, tell me” Melanie said nervously, unsure she wanted to hear what he was going to say. He took a deep breath and let go of her hand. He couldn’t look at her while he told her.

“Since I was younger I have always been popular with girls” He began shifting nervous
ly
on the rocks. “And I knew it. God I was such an asshole. I used girls like they meant nothing. I knew the right things to say to charm them until I got what I wanted then I would drop them like they were trash”.

“So you were a player” Melanie said trying to sound unaffected but inside her stomach knotted tightly. She just couldn’t imagine Sam began the way he said he was. The Sam she knew was sweet, kind and caring.

“I guess you could say that” he laughed nervously. “When I was in my senior year in high school I met this girl. Callie. She was sweet, innocent and kind. I guess she was kind of like you. There was this other guy at school and he loved her more than anything else in the world. And I knew it. He was perfect for her, they were perfect together. But I couldn’t leave them. I wanted what I couldn’t have and I charmed her and seduced her until I finally got what I wanted. It broke his heart and when I just finished with her, I just dropped her there like she just didn’t matter. He refused to take her back and she was heartbroken”.

He stopped and stared out over the sea. Melanie wasn’t sure but she though she saw tears dancing in his eyes. She reached down and took his hand and squeezed it softly.

“A few days later I arrived at school. Everyone was whispering” he continued. “Everyone was looking at me strangely. It was like you know that dream when you are at school and you are naked. And everyone is looking at you. Well I was living it except I wasn’t naked”.

He took a deep breath and blew it out harshly. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing.

“Callie had been found dead that morning” Sam finally said unable to hold the tears back. “She had taken a load of pills and it was her Mom that had found her dead”.

“Oh Sam” Melanie said as the tears trickle down her face. She pulled him to her as he sobbed softly.

She held him close and wrapped her arms around him. Her heart was breaking for him. She wasn’t expecting this. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close to him.

“This morning when you said about me saying that to all the girls” he said finally as he began to calm down. “It just brought it back to me”.

“Sam I was just kidding” Melanie assured him, pulling back from him a little so she could look him straight in the face. “If I had have known”.