Title: Endlessly

Author: DarkBard0

Fandom: Popular

Pairings: Brooke/Sam

Ratings: R

Warnings: Has sex scenes of f/f and f/m, also some bad language.  Please don't read if it offends, it isn't my intention.

Disclaimers: Popular and the song 'Endlessly' do not belong to me.

Author's Notes: The song 'Endlessly' is by the brilliant band Muse.  Again, no Jane and Mike as a couple in this, certain family situations are a little different.  The story is set when Brooke and Sam are 26.  A huge huge thanks to The Psycho for beta reading this, you're the beta reading god! 

Feedback Email Address: ShalFoxB@hotmail.com


Monday

11:54am

Sam McPherson sighed absent-mindedly as she waited for the elevator to stop at her floor. This being a rather large building, she reasoned that she’d have to wait. It bugged her, like many things were doing today. She knew that it was just her. Monday had brought her an irritable mood, pointedly snapping at the people around her. She hadn’t meant to take her disposition out on her colleagues, and hopefully they wouldn’t hold it against her tomorrow. Normally, Sam was regarded as an all around friendly, kind of quirky but adorable person. She was intelligent, trust-worthy, approachable and damn good at her job. The people in her office liked to work with her, unless she was in a funk like she was today. It didn’t happen very often, and if it did then there was usually a good reason behind it. A reason she’d usually spill when they rallied up and tortured it out of her. But today she’d been un-willing to talk about whatever it was that was making her so cranky; so she just shrugged them off by saying something about back to work blues.

The stunning journalist had been off for just over two weeks now. Something that rarely happened. Sam had literally been thrown out of the building; and ordered to take some vacation time. The woman was so committed to her work that she’d grown a reluctant to taking time off. She even dragged her ass in for work when she was sick, only to be sent home again but still, she put one hundred and ten percent into her career as a journalist. Despite the evidence running against her, Sam just shrugged off her colleagues that had quickly become friends, saying that it sucked that she was back to the daily routine and strives of the city and work. And that Bali, where she’d spent her vacation, had been completely eye opening. That things were so different over there, and the people had a unique way of living.

That part was true though. Sam had found her trip eye opening. The culture over there was fascinating, and she had to admit she had been quite taken away with it. Her life was so chaotic; there were deadlines she had to meet and a busy social life to boot. The brunette found it hard to cram it all in together and often wondered how she managed to balance most things off. There was none of that in Bali. No chaos, no deadlines, no balancing things off. It was beautiful, and calming. The people were sincere, and rushed for nothing. They lived a uniquely simple and glorious way of life, one that Sam envied for many different reasons. People were happier, lived for more than their jobs or their social calendar. In some ways, she wished she could live like that. Maybe emigrate over there and settle down into their way of life. Maybe open a little business to tide her over, and live happily in the scenic land. But she couldn’t. She had responsibilities a couple of people that she simply could not leave behind. Even though her way of life was grinding, she wasn’t ready to leave it and be by herself. So she’d compromised slightly. She’d brought some things home to help her bring in some calming influences from Bali, and hopefully it would help.

‘’Sam?’’

Sam jolted slightly as she was broken off from her thoughts about her vacation. A heavy weight had once again pooled in the very bottom of her stomach, and she’d only been back at work for four hours. Of course, the weight never really left her in the first place. But it had become stronger and stronger as the minutes passed by. And that led to her crankiness. She’d already managed to bury herself under a ton of work, trying to stop herself from thinking about the constant scenario she was placed in. Not only was Bali relaxing, but it also helped her to come to a few realisations. Especially about her love life. Despite her reluctance to think about what she was doing with it, her trip had forced her to examine it inch by inch. She almost felt like she’d faced some demons that had been locked in a closet. And she realised that her life needed to change.

The person she wanted to take to most about this had remained out of sight for the entire morning, adding to the funk that Sam found herself in. But at the same time, she found herself unable to express her decisions. She’d only just figured out things within herself, much less spoken them to an audience. Bali had made her face up to things, but it hadn’t helped her with how to say them yet. She was nervous; she had to admit that to herself. She could only really account for her own feelings and the reactions to them. She knew, that no matter how much you knew someone, there was always a certain degree of doubt about their reactions to things. And it was this tiny little piece of doubt that was scaring Sam enough to bide her time of expressing certain things.

On the other hand, it was said that the only way to do it was to face your fears. No matter what the outcome, at least the truth would be out.  There was another saving grace. When she did finally blurt out what she wanted, if the shit hit the fan so to speak, there was always Bali and lying low for the rest of her life! It was always an option at least.

Coming back to herself, the journalist remembered that she stood before the open doors of the elevator, the two people inside looking at her expectantly. The brunette couldn’t help but look a little startled as she felt her cheeks blush the lightest red. Trying to regain some composure from looking like such a moron, considering she had no idea how long she’d been standing, she cleared her throat and walked forwards into the spacious box.

‘’Brooke.’’

The embarrassed journalist nodded towards one of the two people who stood in the elevator and spoke her name in greeting. It had been Brooke McQueen that had snapped her out of her reverie in the first place, and the one that had been waiting for Sam to get in. Now that she was, the tall blonde released the hold button and stepped back from the panel.

Sam cringed silently for looking like such a fool in front of two of the company lawyers. They already thought most of the journalists here were crazy. It figured she’d support that thought standing in front of the elevator for no reason. Never the less, Sam tried to recompose herself. She smiled at the tall, well-muscled man in an expensive chocolate suit standing to her left. He seemed a little tightly wound to Sam. Most of the team of lawyers and other personnel that weren’t journalists did. They were so concerned about policies, lawsuits, insurance and the rest of it. Sam begrudged that of course, the paper needed them. They were a huge company and in this day and age anything could happen. So yes, they needed the best experts they could in all given fields. But did they have to be so damn boring? Or so egotistical? Most of them thought they were god. This one wasn’t too bad; she’d had the occasional run in with him but never on bad terms. But for the life of her, Sam could not remember his name.

As the man smirked back, more out of politeness than anything else, Sam felt her objective was being accomplished. Now for the harder task; Brooke McQueen. She stood there, looking as flawless as usual. Sam wondered sometimes why the blonde had chosen a profession in law. She could have been a model, or an actress, or something attached to those professions. However Brooke had surprised everyone; she wanted to be a lawyer. All through school she’d never given it away. She’d always let on that she wanted to do something in fashion, never admitting to anyone until the senior year that she wanted to go to law school. With her grades, she’d been gladly accepted.  Moreover, she was damn good at her job. She’d graduated top of her class with honours of course. Sam had been happy for her. She was glad that Brooke had transformed herself. Having been troubled in school most of the time due to self-image problems and her Mother’s abandonment, Brooke hadn’t had the best time. Then of course, there was that horrible night she’d been struck by a car. Not just any car, Nicole Julian’s car. A girl that was supposed to be her best friend. Sam remembered that night, so clearly it was disturbing. She hadn’t forgotten a single detail, nor did she expect to. She and Brooke may have been going through a boatload of trouble that same night, but it didn’t mean she wanted her ploughed over with a car.

Sam supposed that’s when a lot of things had changed in both their lives. Their arguments of the past had been forgotten, seemingly meaningless in the face of one of them nearly loosing their life. Of course, it had been hard for Brooke. She’d needed a lot of support and love for that entire year it had taken her to recover. But it’s when she had done most of her transforming. She’d come to her own decisions, and faced some of the demons in her own closest. Sam had been glad about that too. And she’d also been one of the strongest forms of help for Brooke that year. Everyone had been taken by surprise by that. The pair hadn’t been well known for their friendship. The fact was that they had been friends, until they’d argued that week. Then, in an act of peace, they’d organised to meet up before the prom, along with George and Harrison. But yet again, they’d argued. As had the boys. And of course, it had ended up with Brooke walking out and Sam following her to try and gain some control on the situation. Then after what had happened, they’d realised that the things they thought were important had never really been important. It had been a very hard lesson, more so on Brooke, but they learnt it and glad they were glad they did.

‘’How was you’re vacation?’’

Yet again, Brooke startled Sam out of her thoughts. Blinking hard, Sam let her chocolate brown eyes come back to reality and she realised she’d been staring at Brooke. Once again, she’d made herself out to look like a fool who kept delving into realms unknown to anyone else. If she kept this up, Brooke and Mr. Nameless were going to think she was on some form of drugs. Although she could claim that her head was still in Bali, and she was adjusting to her usual routine. Not that there was anything routine about her life. She was a journalist, which meant that she worked on so many different things. And a good journalist could never really tell what they’d be doing in the next hour. It was one of the reasons why she loved it so much. She loved pushing the boat out and towing the line. She was sure Brooke and her lawyer buddies hated her for that, as well as a few other departments. Sam didn’t really care, she was good at her job and she enjoyed it too. Her writing meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to her that she at least was a voice of truth. The brunette knew that journalists were regarded by a very fine line. Reporters and paparazzi could be confused with her and her profession. They were completely different. Journalists, at least the ones around her and the one she strived to be, went after the real issues. They went out of their way to bring the real facts, the real stories of real people to the public. Sam felt it was important that people had that. And she wanted to give them that too. Whatever she had to do to give them that, she’d do. Stuff the lawyers and the insurance people; she had a job to do.

‘’It was sensational. Breath taking really, I was tempted to stay.’’

Sam replied warmly, letting the vibe of fondness seep through into her voice. Her eyes softened a little as she thought about it once again, gaining a small smirk across her lips. It had truly touched her, and she was glad she’d been forced to take some leave. Not that she’d really admit that to her editor, but she was. She doubted she’d ever let the experience go. The whole thing had truly graced her, and she’d forever keep up with some traditions she’d picked up. Of course, she’d promised herself she’d go back there, she’d have to take Brooke with her too. She knew she’d love it there just as much as she had.

The taller woman smiled, seeing that distant look in Sam’s eyes. She was glad that she’d had a good time. Sam worked so hard that she deserved to get out of this place and see some culture. Just unwind and let things go. Brooke had missed seeing her around, and missed having to send down memos saying ‘stop pissing people off’ or something of the like. But Brooke’s secret was that she actually enjoyed having to do that. She was amused every time Sam got in trouble. Of course, she had to cope with the fall out, but it just meant Sam was doing her job and doing it well. She’d always expected it from her. Even back in school she’d been just as ruthless in getting to the bottom of things. Brooke had never anticipated in going into company law, as she’d never anticipated having to work in part with Sam. But the offer of the newspapers law office had been one she couldn’t refuse. It was good work. She enjoyed it, and she liked most of the people she worked with. Also it was nice because she got to see Sam. After everything they’d been though Brooke had worried about drifting apart. She didn’t want anything like that happening to them, didn’t want their unique spark burning out. Sam, she had realised some time ago, kept her grounded. She kept her from going insane.

‘’I’m glad you enjoyed it; it’s about time you took a holiday. You work too hard!’’

Brooke stated warmly. Letting a wide smile settle onto her lips as she cast a friendly look towards the smaller woman. It was true she thought Sam worked too hard. Sometimes she could be here until the small hours of the morning. In fact, she had been known to stay all night. ‘Dedicated’ didn’t seem to do her justice, she needed something stronger. Obsessed or insane may have gone a long way though, something that Brooke couldn’t help but chuckle at!

‘’Oh as opposed to you Miss Hotshot Lawyer Lady! You hafta work just as hard to cover my ass.’’

Sam teased playfully, shooting Brooke a knowing glance. It had been joked about many times, that Sam almost always needed either a permanent lawyer, or a team of them. She pushed so hard for her results that she was usually always in some kind of trouble. Be it in or out of the office. But the paper loved her for it. She was already a star employee of theirs. Already gaining the acclaim that she deserved. Brooke wouldn’t be surprised if she began to get awards from right about now. Sam was in her prime, turning out pieces that were a riot with both the paper and the public. Soon enough, Sam was going to gain the attention of everyone and probably the job offers to go with it. She was the kind of journalist that papers would beg for. Literally offer her everything under the sun just to be on their staff. Brooke also wondered if they’d offer her a troop of lawyers to go with.

‘’Excuse me ladies, this is my floor.’’

Mr. Nameless flashed a winning smile at both of them as the elevator stopped two floors down from where Sam had gotten on. They were still at the top of the building with a number of floors to pass down. Brooke smiled as she said goodbye, obviously not really knowing him that well but still wanting to be friendly with him. After all, they did work in the same office. It would be plain rude and awkward if she ignored him or snapped his head off.

Sam watched the man walk out of the elevator and she scanned the corridor in front of her. There didn’t seem to be many people about, certainly there was no one heading for the elevator. That was good. Sam didn’t want her alone time with Brooke to be interrupted. This was the first time she’d seen her since almost three weeks ago, so she really didn’t want to have to keep the banter light. They’d decided to keep much of their personal life out of work, deciding that the last thing they needed was to let things slip for the whole building to talk about.

The brunette smirked slightly as the doors began to close, and she waited a few seconds until she felt the elevator begin to move again. Running a hand through just past shoulder length, straight and silky smooth hair, Sam just watched as Brooke inched towards the panel with the buttons on. Reaching out a hand, she pressed the emergency stop and waited until she knew they’d come to a stop to turn slightly towards Sam.

It took maybe a second or two for Brooke to turn, and no sooner had she done it, she was pushed backwards. Forcefully one might add, and her back slammed up against the wall with a thud as she was. But the blonde didn’t fight off Sam’s seeming attack. No, in fact she welcomed it. She enjoyed the roughness of being forced back, and she enjoyed Sam’s weight pressing up against her. She could already feel the heat coming off the brunette, and it was intoxicating. She could also feel Sam’s hot breath against her neck, her cheek and then finally just by the side of her mouth. It was sweet, and ragged. They hadn’t even really touched each other yet and Sam was already loosing her breath. Although, Brooke had to admit that she was too. She couldn’t wait for Sam’s game either. Instead, she moved her head slightly and caught Sam’s mouth in her own. Right now, she didn’t care about the soft kisses to start with. No, what was happening here was far too demanding and fevered for that. When Brooke took Sam’s mouth she took it all, roughly and deeply kissing her like she’d never kissed anyone in her life before. Tongues duelled for control; building on the electricity had welled up between them.

Sam had a good grip on the blonde’s wrists, holding them up against the wall tightly to make sure Brooke stayed pinned there. Keeping up their heated kiss, Sam let her knee move up to come between the blonde’s legs, eliciting a moan of pleasure from Brooke that vibrated into her own mouth. She couldn’t help but smile into the kiss slightly as she heard that. It pleased her that Brooke seemed to have missed her touch while she was away just as Sam had missed Brooke’s. That was one of the only things she hadn’t enjoyed about Bali. Brooke hadn’t been there with her and every single night she’d craved that she was. Now that she was back, she had a lot of pent up energy that was aimed Brooke’s way.

The brunette released her grips on the lawyer’s wrists, only to let her hands run down her arms, then along down her sides. As she reached her lower back, Sam just kept going. Brooke moaned again as Sam’s hands tightened around her ass, pulling her forwards so that she gained more friction on her thigh. She loved it when she did things like that, it drove her crazy.

Not to be outdone, Brooke let her hands drop from their position. For a moment, she just entwined her fingers with Sam’s hair. Then, she let them slip onto the brunette’s shoulders, running their way down to the top of Sam’s light blue shirt. She felt like her lungs were about to explode through the need of oxygen, but she didn’t care. It had become physically impossible to take her mouth away from the journalist’s. Almost three weeks apart hadn’t been something she’d expected to hit her so hard. She felt like she wanted to make up for every second of it right here right now. Although, in the back of her mind Brooke knew that she couldn’t. This was just an explosion of pent up frustration. Trapped up here in the elevator at work, they couldn’t really express anything. This was just something that had to be done. Something that they needed to do just to get through the day.

It was Sam’s turn to groan, now that Brooke had unbuttoned her shirt. After tossing it aside along with her bra, the blonde’s hand moved straight in for the perfect, round breasts that were so obviously turned on. The lawyer smiled, delighted at Sam’s moan, and the fact that she pushed forwards into her hands seeking stronger contact. Brooke couldn’t withhold that. She’d missed caressing these breasts. Cupping, fondling, squeezing, licking and tasting. So that’s what she did now. Releasing Sam’s mouth Brooke only took a second to drag in as much air as possible before descending on the brunette’s neck. Kissing downwards as Sam dipped her head back, gladly giving the blonde access, until she reached her collarbone. But Brooke kept right on going. Kissing her way down Sam’s chest until she could take one of her hard nipples into her mouth, again getting a moan. Sam’s hands gripped on around her ass harder, a pleasure that Brooke savoured.

As Brooke bit down ruthlessly, Sam moaned again. Lifting her knee up suddenly, she got the same response from the blonde. Two could really play at this game. Running her hands up the small of Brooke’s back, under her shirt and jacket, Sam basked in the softness of her skin. It felt like the softest silk on this earth, one that could never be rivalled. Then she pulled back ever so slightly, enough to give Brooke a silent but well-known signal that she wanted to kiss her again. The blonde didn’t object, and her mouth came back up to meet hers again.

‘’I thought…he’d never leave. I missed…you so much.’’

The brunette managed to whisper in between their heated kisses. As she did, her hands were doing the same thing Brooke had done to her shirt. Pushing off the smart cream jacket, and then doing the same to the shirt, Sam let her hands roam over Brooke’s toned stomach. Again, her skin felt like silk. Anyone would have thought that the blonde bathed in moisturiser every night, but she didn’t. She was just perfect, to Sam she was perfect.

‘’I…I couldn’t get there. I’m sorry.’’

The blonde responded, feeling a pang of guilt over what had happened.  Sam had asked her to go to Bali with her. Tempting her with gorgeous descriptions of the place and all it had to offer. She wanted to go, desperately so. It would have been amazing. Just Sam and herself, taking in all Bali had to offer. No worries snapping at their ankles, no problems and no having to sneak around. It would have been nice. Perfect really. Brooke knew she’d wanted to see Bali for a long time, but had never gotten around to it.

The brunette had left her a message. A letter that held the proposal of taking off together, even if it was just for two weeks. And Brooke’s heart had melted. She’d read Sam’s words so many times she thought she could recite them. They’d been so soft, so caring. Obviously, the brunette wanted her with her. But within her letter she stated she knew it would be difficult to get away, to get time off so suddenly. And she regretted asking at the spur of the moment, but it had been how things played out for herself too. But she did understand if the blonde couldn’t make it. She realised the complications with it all, but still she’d hoped. But Brooke had never made it to the airport, so she’d continued on alone.

‘’It’s okay.’’

When she’d said she’d understand, Sam had meant it. Most of her knew that Brooke wouldn’t have been able to pull it off anyway. But it had been a chance that she had to take. If she hadn’t asked she’d have regretted it. And at least Brooke knew that she wanted her to be there. At least she knew she wanted to be there only with her. But it still hadn’t stopped the pent up frustration she’d acquired being apart. And that’s why she was letting this happen right now. That and she just couldn’t stop herself.

Running a hand down Brooke’s toned leg as she squeezed, the brunette kissed the blonde again. She still had her pinned against the wall, panting and groaning at her kisses and touch. And it turned her on even more. Especially when Brooke moaned again as she ran her hand up under skirt. Brooke knew exactly what was coming. Part of her wanted Sam to keep up with the little bit of teasing she was doing now, but part of her wanted the journalist to just take her as quickly as possible. Her whole body felt alive and buzzing with white-hot electricity. Sam did it to her every time, got right under her skin. Brooke seriously doubted that sex could be any better. She didn’t care what other people said about their sex lives, because she was with and Sam was outstanding. Brooke had never had anyone as remarkable and uniquely talented as the brunette woman, and she’d admitted that to her on more than one occasion.

Smiling devilishly as Sam realised how excited Brooke was as she slipped her hand under her underwear, she moved her mouth to kiss along the blonde’s neck. Letting her fingers stroke gently at the blonde’s opening, she felt Brooke’s breathing shatter as she moaned again. Then, smiling lightly as she removed her hand, she got a grunt of reluctance and disappointment out of the lawyer.

‘’Did you miss me?’’

The brunette demanded quietly, licking the base of Brooke’s neckline. Now that her hand was removed, she slipped it to the back of Brooke’s skirt and tugged on the zipper gently. She felt Brooke gulp and then nod quickly. Again, Sam smiled as she let the short skirt fall to the floor. Now she had Brooke all hot and bothered, and in a seriously compromising position, she couldn’t help but play a little. She wanted, or needed, to hear Brooke say it. And even though Brooke was in the throws of excitement, Sam knew that she’d mean it.

‘’I missed you Sam. Please?’’

Sam looked up at Brooke properly, seeing that her dark green eyes were twinkling in sincerity. Moving forwards to kiss her again for a moment, Sam let her hands run along the blonde’s waist. Then, after she pulled away she just smirked ever so slightly mischievously, and began to sink.

Landing on her knees softly, Sam came face to face with Brooke’s southern realm. She could smell her excitement, and it sent electric bolts through her, knowing that it was because of her. She liked knowing that Brooke only got this worked up for her. She liked knowing a side of the blonde that no one else ever would. It was intimate, and something no one else could get to.

Pulling down her underwear, Sam felt Brooke’s hands entwine with her hair again. She liked it when Brooke did that too. Truth be said Sam liked just about anything Brooke did. The blonde lawyer drove her just as crazy. She got under her skin too, and Sam had never felt anything like what Brooke did to her in her life. And she didn’t think she ever would again. Brooke was extraordinary. Her talents as a lover were beyond compare, and Sam had never been as satisfied with anyone else.

Finally, the brunette gave in as she let two of her fingers slip inside of the blonde. Brooke moaned in gratification as Sam’s talented fingers moved inside of her, causing a burning sensation to rise up through her. Then, as the brunette moved forwards the blonde couldn’t help but writhe a little. The feeling of Sam’s tongue on her was indescribable. Her hot, wet tongue, mouth and her teeth were equally skilled as her fingers. She sucked and nipped at her clit, making the lawyer writhe even more in pleasure. She could feel that heat inside of her stomach. The one that was stretching out and taking hold of all of her body. She was beginning to be trapped in a painfully pleasurable orgasm, one that when ready, would rip through her. But it wasn’t ready yet; instead it just teased the blonde and Sam knew it. She knew that she was teasing Brooke, making it build and build inside of her. That’s the way she wanted it to be, and from Brooke’s incoherent mutterings, she didn’t seem to mind too much.

Sam ruthlessly added another finger, thrusting it up unexpectedly causing Brooke to let out a small yelp, though Sam knew it was one of pleasure and not pain. She knew how much Brooke could take, and this was nothing beyond her limitation. Sucking harder on her as she curled her fingers up to where she knew the blonde’s g-spot was, she pushed a little harder, a little quicker. Brooke rocked at the rhythm Sam was setting, panting for air as the orgasm rose up inside of her. Higher and higher until finally, it exploded. The blonde gasped wildly, trying not to scream out because she was well aware of where she was. Granted she was suspended between floors in the high building but that didn’t mean no one would hear. Not when she screamed as loud as she wanted to. So she kept it in, with difficulty, as she came hard. That amazing feeling, the one where everything was so light and peaceful, engulfed her. Her body shook repeatedly, taking the multiple releases as they came. It was glorious, and her mind felt like she was on the highest cloud. Then, as her knees weakened she began to slide down the wall happily, sated after her three weeks of torture.

‘’Guess you did miss me, huh?’’

Sam joked playfully, glad that she’d brought Brooke to such a high level of release. Watching Brooke when she came, especially when it was multiple, fascinated her. That simply beautiful and radiating look on her face dumbfounded the journalist. Not that Brooke didn’t always look beautiful, but there was a certain glow about her when she could let go.

The blonde smiled at Sam’s comment, hardly opening her eyes as she leant forwards and pulled her in to kiss her. She could taste herself on Sam and she liked it. Combined with how Sam tasted. It meant something to her. Maybe too much. These past weeks had brought her to some realisations of her own. The problem was most of them scared her. She knew she was being irrational, but it scared Brooke sometimes when she thought about how she felt. About all the things it meant. There was a lot to loose, but not only for herself, others were to be thought about too.

But the lawyer really didn’t want to think about that right now. This beautiful, dark goddess was before her now. She was home, and she was right here. Brooke hadn’t been able to fight the urge to be with Sam even if it was in the elevator. But she knew they’d set something up after this. They could be alone and take their time and really talk. Just like they usually did. Although, the element of surprise was a rush. Brooke didn’t deny that the danger excited her too. It always did. She and the journalist could play these little games sometimes, seeing how far they could push it. It was spontaneous and fun, something different than Brooke was used to.

‘’So…what was that about covering your ass?’’

Brooke demanded huskily, pulling Sam into teasing kisses as she kept pulling away. The brunette smirked, chocolate brown eyes twinkling brightly as Brooke began to push her backwards. As she did, the journalist felt the blonde’s tongue dip into her belly button, a starting point for Brooke before she kissed and licked her way up Sam’s toned, flat stomach. She hovered slightly, taking a second or two to lick over the black, tribal tattoo Sam had. Located far down the right side of her abdomen. She hadn’t been surprised when Sam had gotten a tattoo. It was something within her impulsive nature, although there was nothing impulsive about Sam’s tattoos. From the time she left school to now, the quirky journalist had gotten six and Brooke loved each one of them. Jane hadn’t been as pleased however, but she couldn’t say that Sam’s choices weren’t nice.

Leaving the tattoo behind, Brooke began her ascent again. She felt the muscles under her soft milky skin twitch slightly at the sensation of her proceedings. As she slowly rose up the brunette’s body, Brooke let her hand disappear under the ankle length skirt that Sam had worn today. Just as slowly as she was moving her mouth upwards, she let her hand glide over her legs. Using her fingertips to just lightly brush over the top of her inner thighs and over the front of her underwear, she received a moan.

‘’Liked my…little play on words there did you?’’

Sam quipped as she tipped her head sideways slightly, letting Brooke lick up her neck slowly. The blonde was only playing with her and already Sam thought she was about to explode. She recognised her need, and Brooke’s. She knew that if it hadn’t been almost three weeks, then this would have played out for hours. If they weren’t stuck in the elevator at work that was.

Brooke just smiled before she took Sam’s mouth again, enjoying the feeling of her kiss. She’d gently moved aside the brunette’s underwear, but still hadn’t made any other moves than light, fleeting touches. And Sam was getting hotter because of it. The blonde learned just how to handle the brunette, and she was good at doing so. And just because Sam hadn’t been able to resist the urge to tease her, Brooke thought some payback was in order.

Keeping their heated kisses going, Brooke thrust three fingers into the brunette, making her jolt underneath her and moan into her mouth. But Brooke didn’t ease up on the kisses, not giving Sam any time to stop and breathe. No, she was merciless in her doings. Just as she was with the rhythm she set. It had taken Sam by surprise, and that was good. She knew it turned her on more given her spontaneous character. She knew that Sam liked her bouts of control. When she wouldn’t give room for any adjustment time, like now.

The journalist rocked in time with Brooke, feeling that familiar pent up sensation running up through her. It didn’t take long for her to cum and she had no choice but just to moan into Brooke’s mouth. Letting the feeling sweep over her, she realised just how much she’d missed being with the blonde. It wasn’t just the sex, it was Brooke. She was hooked on her like some kind of drug and she never wanted to give it up. But there were so many things standing in their way, so many insecurities and complications. How on earth could they possibly make it work with all of them on their doorstep? But then, these had been some of the things she’d been thinking about in Bali. Brooke had been her target audience for her thoughts, but until the elevator she hadn’t been able to locate her. And now wasn’t the time to raise any serious issues. Sam knew she’d need to gather herself first, really plan on what she needed to say.

During her moment of pleasure, she hadn’t felt Brooke move down her body again. The first she became aware of it, was when she felt her tongue. Brooke had slipped between her legs and had replaced her fingers with her tongue. Sam gasped as she felt the sensations shoot through her, gaining another heated feeling within her stomach at the unexpected assault. Left to writhe at Brooke’s ministrations, she tried to grip whatever she could. Eventually, she just tangled her hands in silky blonde hair gently, just taking in the sensations shooting through her body. But then, just as unexpectedly as before, Brooke bit down on the brunette’s clit hard enough to make her cum but not hard enough to hurt her. Sam jolted as her breath caught in her throat as she came hard again, and again and again. Brooke was really set on payback, and she’d gotten it.

‘’Yeah, I did.’’

Opening her eyes, Sam found that Brooke had sneaked back up again. Now her face was hovering above her, green eyes swirling intensely. They remained there for a moment, just staring into one another’s eyes, portraying many things they were scared to say. They could see through the walls that they both put up easily. They’d always been able to do that at some level, but after so much time as friends, they could barely keep anything in. It was safe to say that they knew each other just about as deeply as anyone could. Yet, they were still scared of one another.

Not being able to take such close proximity, or the look that pooled in Brooke’s eyes any long, Sam just kissed her. It was still as deep, still as heated, only the brunette tried to display how much she really had missed the blonde lawyer, and how much that she meant to her. It was an ambitious aim, considering that she’d never really confessed anything on that level. Again, she’d fallen pray to her own weaknesses. There was an unspoken rule between the two, and that was that they shouldn’t disturb anything. Ask no questions and they told no lies. Things sailed smoothly and they remained friends, and secret lovers. Everything else they ignored. The real world didn’t count; it was just something that could be put on hold.

 

1:30pm

‘’Whatever he thinks I did, I didn’t do it I swear!’’

Sam held her hands up in surrender at the look she received from the assistant of her editor. Polly Richardson was a nice woman, and through countless appointments with the editor for being in trouble, Sam had grown to like her. Some of the office thought she was a little snooty, but Sam thought different. They just misjudged her. Polly was a self-assured woman, with a wicked sense of humour. It was very dry, and the brunette reasoned that was what most people took for snootiness.

The small, plump woman chuckled lightly as she shook her head at the young woman. Sam was feisty, she liked her. Polly had thought from day one that the girl had class and wits. She looked for that, because she related to it. She liked Sam’s sense of humour too, and the fact that she seemed to be in never ending trouble. It had become a source of amusement to both of them, and gave them the frequent meetings that they had. Plus, Polly read the paper. Sam didn’t spend time in this office without reason. Her troublesome streaks always ended in brilliant scores for the paper, her own personal results from pushing so hard. Polly admired that too.

‘’Sam, you’ve been back for half a day girl and you’re already in the office. Maybe we should just move you in here?’’

Polly suggested as she still chuckled. She watched as Sam stepped further into the waiting area of her boss’s office. She’d seen it far too many times, and had even memorised how it looked. If asked, she could describe to the last detail the set out and the decoration. It was insane, and Polly was right. She was always down here, and it was worth considering having her own office nearer. So she couldn’t help but stand and actually think about the idea, making the assistant chuckle even more.

‘’It is a good thought, although I really haven’t done anything. Yet. Not today anyway…that I’m aware of! Maybe he just wants to see some holiday snapshots?’’

Not being able to decide whether she’d actually done something or not, Sam frowned in confusion as she tried to think. Indeed she had only been back for half a day. She couldn’t possibly have pissed anyone off already, could she? The brunette decided to remain neutral on that one, not wanting to commit to an answer just in case. Maybe she had ruffled some feathers? She had been rather sharp with Mr. Newman, a rather unpleasant man she was trying to get information out of.  But she thought he might have just given it up simply to make her stop calling!

‘’Whatever you say honey, you just keep on hoping! You’d better go on in now, he’s been waiting with one of those lawyers that are so very fond of you!’’

Polly smiled at the brunette warmly, letting dark brown eyes sparkle softly. She wasn’t a stupid woman. When one of the lawyers were down, especially this one, and Sam had anything to do with it then it meant trouble. It hadn’t taken long for her to learn that. Sam was always copping it from one place or another. Personal safety, finance, legal, where ever. But Sam just kept on pushing, and for that she was well respected. It was a lot for the other journalists to contend with, but that’s why Sam was special. In addition the interns were terrified of her, but awe struck. Sam herself was just a simple, carefree girl. At least that’s how she acted. Polly saw that there was a lot to be said about her underneath, but at work, she kept it out. She didn’t care about the attention, about the praise; she just wanted to do her job.

Running a hand through her hair quickly, Sam took in a deep breath. This must have been important if a lawyer was in there. But seriously, what could she have done already? She hadn’t even been out of the office apart from at lunchtime. And that had been for lunch. All she’d done was catch up with a few of the girls and Brooke. The pair of them had aimed at having lunch privately, so that they could talk but they’d been sprung walking out of the building together. And who were they to say no to a lunch invitation? It would’ve aroused suspicion and it would have been rude. Both of them liked the girls too, so they’d ended up having to push their stuff aside and wait.

‘’You look fine angel cake, good luck.’’

Sam smiled at Polly as she smoothed out her shirt before walking towards the door. Tapping on it lightly, she didn’t wait for an answer as she began to push it open. If she waited for an answer, she would probably have gotten snapped at. She liked her editor, she really did. He was a good one, and he’d been an excellent journalist. Sam remembered reading his stuff since back in school. Getting to work along side him was an honour, and getting to be his friend was too. He’d been hard on her upon her arrival, and he still was. But back then; he thought she was just a trouble starter. Until she’d given him her work. Then time after time she’d proved herself worthy of such a prestigious paper, and she had flown through her internship.

Ducking her head around the door curiously, chocolate brown eyes took in the man standing behind his desk. He looked up as she poked her head into the room, looking like a scolded puppy waiting to see if it was allowed back into a room. Wiggling a hand for her to come in, the brunette cleared her throat and did so.

‘’You wanted to…see me?’’

Catching her sentence as she caught glimpse of Brooke sitting in one of the designated chairs before the desk, she looked between them with a frown. Nate Foley nodded softly, giving her a slightly perplexed frown. His soft, blue eyes looked at her as though he was seeing her for the first time. As though he was trying to figure something out, and somewhere inside of her was the answer. It made her nervous. He’d never looked at her like that before, not even when she’d first started. And not even when she’d been in the worst of her troubles.

Getting a little nervous as she shut the door, Sam looked towards Brooke with a questioning gaze. The blonde sat in her chair, legs crossed as well as her arms. She looked smart, as professional as ever really. And that worried Sam too. But from the look in her eyes, the blonde didn’t know why she was here. Brooke wouldn’t have looked back just as questioningly if she did.

‘’Yes, take a seat Sam.’’

Nate gestured to the seat next to Brooke gently, then lifted the hand up to rub his forehead. Sighing lightly, he rubbed between his eyes as he thought about how to approach the given subject he’d called the two girls down here for. It wasn’t something he’d had to do before. In his many years as a journalist here, and as the editor, he could say positively that this had never happened to him.

‘’What kind of trouble are you in now McPherson?’’

Brooke asked teasingly as she watched Sam sit down, looking somewhat nervous. The brunette looked towards her sharply, shocked that Brooke had spoken. She’d been watching her aging editor rub the bridge of his nose in thought. It gave her pause that he held such an expression, and she was surprised that Brooke wasn’t watching him either. But then again, the blonde had been sitting in here for longer. Seemingly with no clue as to why. She probably just thought that Nate was overwhelmed that the brunette could need a lawyer within half a day!

‘’Hey, I’m not always in trouble.’’

Sam replied quickly, her voice more hopeful than anything else. She still felt obligated to defend herself. Despite the running jokes, and the many titles she’d been given because of it, she still felt obligated to maintain an innocent plea. Of course, she was hardly ever innocent. And if it weren’t for having so many people work with her, and stick up for her, she probably would’ve been fired by now. It had been Nate that had stuck up for her first. Seeing her talent and deciding that her way wasn’t always one that pleased people. And with Sam, it was usually the guilty people she was pissing off.

‘’Yes you are!’’

The brunette started slightly as the chorused reply, looking sharply between Brooke and Nate. They replied in exactly the same tone, at exactly the same time. Well, she felt like she’d been severely told. Maybe they were right, but she did have sparse occasions when she wasn’t being complained about or requested to be fired. Brooke just had to deal with most of the fall out, as did Nate that’s all. Their opinion wasn’t exactly objective sometimes when they were constantly dealing with it alongside of her.

Clearing his throat to grasp their attention, Nate looked between them slowly. Again, his soft blue eyes seemed to be trying to work something out. Though, he did look at them fondly. Sam had been somewhat of a surprise to him. At first, he hadn’t been sure whether to like her or not. But quickly, he learnt that it was impossible not to like her. She was a girl after his own heart, possibly the daughter he’d never had. He loved his boys of course, and he was proud of them. But if he’d have had to have a daughter along with them, he knew he would have liked her to be just like Sam. He’d even trust her with one of his lads; a daughter-in-law wouldn’t be too bad. She was intelligent and quick with an opinionated mind. There weren’t many things he could get past her, and had long since given up trying. The compassion she held for others seemed never ending, and in part it was what drove her to work so hard. The other part of course, was her loyalty. Loyalty to the general public, because she thought they deserved to be given the opportunity to hear the truth. Indeed, he had come to see her as somewhat of a daughter. He wasn’t supposed to have favourites, but Sam was his.

And as for Brooke, he hadn’t really known her. He had as little to do with the lawyers of this place as he could. He found them arrogant, over confident and rude. But Brooke was different. She was sharp; there wasn’t anything you could get past her either. She’d listen to what you’d say and use it, so he guessed she was a pretty good lawyer. The girl was well mannered and modest, with a sense of warmness about her. Nate had been surprised at how easy it was to talk to her. She was witty and deep too, something he hadn’t expected from a lawyer. And it was through Sam that he’d gotten to know her properly. The legal office usually sent Brooke down to take care of Sam’s troubles, given that she was pretty much the best lawyer up there and a personal friend to the girl. Eventually, Brooke had started coming down by herself to talk to him. And he couldn’t help but think that she too would have been a daughter he’d loved to have. Again, he would have trusted her with one of his boys.

He’d found countless stories of their school days together both hilarious and fascinating. Except of course the tale of Brooke getting run down, that hadn’t been something to laugh about. There were still scars, both mentally and physically, although some were better hidden than others. Mentally Brooke did well at hiding them, but they were still there. They probably always would be. She’d moved on yes, but the truth that her best friend had mowed her down would always remain with her. As would the memory of the pain she’d gone through to get better. And physically, the only scars Nate had ever seen was the small, light line that ran from her wrist to just by her elbow, and a similar soft line by her stomach. He admired her for how she’d handled it of course; having heard the in depth stories told mostly by Sam as Brooke usually gave a modest recount.

He could really go so far as to say that he loved these girls. His wife did too, and they were having endless dinner parties and what not between them all. It was a welcoming aspect of his life. Nate found it interesting when he made friends with different people; it made life that little bit better.

‘’Sam, Brooke…I’d like to think that we’re friends, good friends. We know each other pretty well, and I’d like to think I’m the kind of friend, and editor, that you’d come to for advice. And I love you both, I really do. Despite trying to keep a professional relationship with you both, you’ve become like daughters to me. I admire you both. I hope that you feel the same way, and in a way I know you do. And I know I’m confusing you here because you don’t know why you’re here, but before I explain, is there anything at all you’d like to tell me? Anything?’’

Looking up at Nate, both lawyer and journalist began to get nervous about what it was they were sitting here for. Both used their talents in reading people to scan the editor’s face, hoping to find some sort of clue. And apart from sincerity, confusion and hope, they found nothing. So, both blonde and brunette shook their heads silently. Neither of them wanted to say anything at this juncture, just in case it lead them into any kind of trouble. Although Sam was used to it, she hated being in trouble with Nate. Just like he’d said they felt like daughters to him, Sam had come to respect and see him as though she would a Father. She’d lost her own so long ago, and for a long stretch of her life, she hadn’t had one. Her Mother had gotten married again though, and Sam had been happy about that. Marc, a man that had been introduced by Mike McQueen, was a great guy, and he cared about Jane a lot. And it had also meant that Sam had gotten two little siblings. Marc had a boy and a girl that she’d gotten along famously with. They were great kids, and Sam loved being the hip big sister. And then of course, unexpectedly Jane had fallen pregnant, and now she had another sister. She’d never taken to calling Marc Dad, and she’d never accepted his name, but he’d respected that. Sam had felt like there was only one man that was her Father and although he wasn’t there anymore the least she could do was respect him by never calling anyone else Dad and keeping his name. She’d vowed to herself never to change either of those two things. Although, she loved Marc like a Father, as she did with Nate.

‘’Fair enough. One of the security guards approached me not too long ago, and I’d like to show you what he brought with him.’’

Picking up the remote from his desk, Nate pointed it at the TV. Brooke and Sam watched as the monitor flicked on, and then waited for him to press play. As soon as he did, they were confronted with something that they’d never thought off. A security tape. And as soon as it appeared they both knew exactly where it was from, the elevator.

Cringing instantly, Brooke felt her heart leap into her throat. How could they of all people be so reckless? Of course there were security cameras in the elevator. The entire building had been fitted out after that whole disaster with Mel Pattern two years ago. The poor girl had been attacked right here in the building, and after a she’d been heard screaming by two of the office guys there had been a fight with the attacker. He’d been hurt during the scuffle and had tried to sue the paper for it. Brooke had been on the team of lawyers. She herself had demanded that cameras be installed throughout the building to assure that something like this either didn’t happen, or at least got caught on tape. How in the hell could she have forgotten about them?

Sam just paled as she watched the screen, noticing that Nate turned around to look out of the window. She couldn’t help but feel a little shamed because she thought he was disappointed. It was worse than actually being caught on camera. Although, that was pretty bad. As she was confronted with her own actions, Sam felt her mouth go dry, followed by her throat. Then, she cast a daring glance at Brooke, who seemed to be in a world of her own. She didn’t look mad exactly, or ashamed. She just seemed to be in shock. As was the journalist, and a little embarrassed at the thought of Nate watching this, or anyone else for that matter. What happened in that elevator wasn’t anyone else’s business. It was meant to be private. Yes they’d been reckless and had abandoned all common sense when they’d been in there, a mistake they’d probably pay for, but still it was their business.

‘’Any thoughts come to mind now?’’

Nate wondered, his voice lilting in through the brunette’s thoughts. Though she wasn’t really done. She was mad. She understood why Nate had asked them to come in and she understood that what they’d done was a big no no. Because they were on company time and property. They were two respected and well-known figures of this entire office, which meant they couldn’t really afford to have their credibility challenged. Sam couldn’t afford having a scandal against her as a journalist, and neither could Brooke as a lawyer. And personally, they had more than a lot to loose. But still, Sam was mad. How dare they infringe on her privacy? Was it anything to do with the office? No, it was her and Brooke. They were making their own decisions, they were big girls now. Did they really have to be brought down here and sat down like two schoolgirls? As if they’d taken part in some shocking crime. It wasn’t a crime; it wasn’t anything else to do with anyone. But what made her even madder was that the forced viewing was making her think about her decisions again.

‘’Invasion of privacy?’’

The journalist muttered loud enough to be heard. Chocolate brown eyes were cast onto the edge of the desk before her, seemingly engrossed in it. Running her tongue along her bottom lip as she frowned ever so slightly, she tried to cast out any distracting thoughts. She couldn’t look at the tape again, that’s why she’d become fixated onto the wood of the desk. But she couldn’t help but let the comment slip out. It’s how she felt, even though she knew she was wrong to say it. It wasn’t an invasion of privacy; it was an invasion of trust. And she’d been the one invading. She and her partner in crime next to her.

‘’Now is not the time to act like a smartass Sam. You could get into a lot of trouble over this, along with Brooke. You’re lucky that this came straight to me. You’re lucky that it was Norman who saw it and kept it safe. If any of those other security boys had seen it, it’d probably be circulating by now. Do you get that?’’

Nate didn’t raise his voice that often, at least not in front of Brooke and Sam. They’d heard him, but he wasn’t usually directing his anger towards them. Only this time, he was. And it was only out of the confusion and concern he held about them. Sighing as both of them looked at him, out of both surprise and respect, he turned the tape off. He didn’t want to see it as much as they didn’t. And he couldn’t bare the looks it was making them get anymore. At best they looked like they were rabbits caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. They hadn’t dreamed for one second that this would happen. Evidently, or they wouldn’t have done it.

‘’Did er…did you watch…that?’’

Brooke all but whispered, her throat catching as she spoke. That was one of her main concerns. Had Nate watched all the tape? Had he really sat and watched everything that they’d done? If he had, she thought she just might have been sick. It would have been like her own Father watching it. She too had grown to love Nate as sort of a Father figure, even though she had a great one of her own. He was just lovable that way, departing with knowledge and experience. He had the funniest stories, and the biggest heart. Brooke couldn’t help but love him like a Father. So if he’d watched that, it would have been awful.

‘’No, but I don’t need to watch it to know what happens Brooke. I have no idea what’s going on here. I mean, I know you two are friends. Close friends but…that close? After all this time, you’ve never let on a thing. Just how long as this been going on?’’

The greying editor demanded. Brooke and Sam looked at one another for a moment, deciding that maybe truth was the best policy here. Nate had caught them out so there was no use lying, and he’d know if they were anyway. So silently, somewhere in their eyes, the young women agreed to tell the truth. It was finalised by Brooke giving a faint but firm nod.

‘’Nine years, give or take.’’

Sam replied honestly, turning back to look at Nate. She watched, as he was about to reply, obviously thinking she was going to say a number of months. Nine years had really stopped him in his tracks. She herself could hardly believe it was that long. Nine years of dancing around in the shadows with Brooke, playing the secret game. How they’d gotten away with it was beyond her. School was a place that no secrets could be held. College was a lot better. It had been easier in college; students were about everywhere doing a bit of everything. Both of them had found it easy to make excuses of why they needed to see each other all the time. Plus, of course, they were friends. Just friends on the outside, a little more on the inside. Either way, it hadn’t been hard. Coming here though, it had been tougher. Having to be professional with one another. They’d had to keep their guard up a lot more, but evidently, they weren’t capable of doing it all of the time.

‘’Nine years? Jesus Christ Sam! She’s a married woman, or did you forget that? Not to mention you Brooke, what are you doing here? You have a husband…a famous one to boot. Do you know how this could turn out? If the press get wind of this it could ruin you all.’’

Nate exasperated. Going from Sam to Brooke, the older man flailed his hands through the air pointedly as if it would help him come to terms with what he was hearing. Nine years. That was going back to school, and it meant that both of them had carried out other relationships to the point of getting married. He thought a lot about these girls, but cheater hadn’t been a word he’d associated with either of them. He didn’t even know if cheater was the right word. Obviously, they had been doing…whatever it was they were doing before anyone else. Did that mean it was really them in the relationship and the others were just extra? He didn’t get it. But he did get one thing. Brooke McQueen was married to a major football player. George Austin was a respected and sought after sportsman and it was true that if the press got wind of this, they’d splash it all over the papers and the TV. It was an insane line to be dancing on. He and Brooke seemed so good together, and so happy. Was that not the case? Did George know? Did George have someone else too? Was this one of those open relationship things? Nate just got more and more confused by the minute. Every question he thought of brought along a friend.

‘’I’m well aware of that Nate. And neither of us for a second has forgotten that I’m married. This doesn’t have anything to do with George…it’s just…we…I mean I…’’

Brooke found it hard to actually explain herself. Because she didn’t know exactly what was going on. She knew she had a headache, that much she could tell. But what was going on between she and Sam, well that was a little bit more difficult to explain. And define. What were they doing? For nine years they’d been hiding in the shadows. For nine years they’d been having this affair. And yes, Brooke had been dating George at the same time. And she’d gone so far as to marry him. At one point, she really did think she was in love with him. But at the same time, she’d never been able to call it off with Sam. There was something there that she just couldn’t give up, and Sam hadn’t been able to either. The trouble was that as expected, George had gone far in the sports field. He had debated for a long while what to do with his options. In the end, he’d decided to play football. But as he did, he was gaining a degree in psychology too, for after he stopped playing. But right now, he was in his prime. And of course, he was gorgeous. Every girl wanted him. Every team wanted him. And the press wanted him. He’d been interviewed a countless amounts of time, some of them he’d asked Brooke to be there for. He was a star. And if that tape, or any rumour for that matter, got out that his wife was having an affair it’d be everywhere. Especially when his wife, the respected lawyer, was having an affair with a woman. A long time friend and a well-known journalist. It had the potential to ruin all three of them.

‘’What Brooke, it’s just what? Evidently you have forgotten, otherwise you wouldn’t be cheating on your husband. It’s the only way I know how to put it. I have no idea what’s going on here; you’ve thrown me through a loop. But you, you’re the rational one. How could you let this happen?’’

Brooke found it a little disturbing how Nate was honing in on her. Yes okay, she was the ‘rational’ one. She was the one that swooped in and made everything all better for everyone. Especially Sam. And she was the one that had her life all together. The career, the husband, the home and the expected family. She was envied by a lot of people, mainly women, in this company. At twenty-six she was a hotshot lawyer, one that had been given another promotion. Two more and she’d be running the damn legal office. She had a talented, kind and hansom husband who treated her like she was a queen. So she was meant to be the rational one. But why couldn’t she be irrational with her feelings? She knew it was insane what she was doing with Sam. She’d always thought that, but it was some of the reason she liked it. Sam let her be free. She gave her a different side that no one else knew, and Brooke liked it. And if she were so rational, she wouldn’t have married George in the first place. He didn’t deserve a wife that had been cheating on him for the entire duration of their relationship. He deserved a wife that would truly be faithful to him, because he was such a good man. So no, she really wasn’t that rational. She was balancing everything on plates, and sooner or later plates always fell off the spinning poles.

‘’Hey, would you stop yelling at her? She’s not to blame here.’’

Sam snapped irritably. She didn’t really like the way Brooke was being honed in on either. The blonde certainly wasn’t to be blamed for all of this. Sure, she was the actual married one, but it didn’t make her to blame. Brooke was just a victim to the same thing she was. Addiction. They were infatuated with one another. Sam had learnt that almost nine years ago. And after that, their feelings just took over. They were both as guilty as each other. They’d carried out adultery behind everyone’s back, and Sam did feel guilty for George. She hadn’t forgotten about him, especially when she thought about the entire situation.

‘’And you are? So explain to me Sam, if this has been going on since high school, why Brooke is married and you’re about to be married. That isn’t a friendship ring sat on your finger there. You have a fiancé, or did you forget about him too? Why on earth would you two be involved with each other, and have two different relationships? I mean, what were you going to do if you got caught? Or one of you got pregnant? What then huh? Did you even think about that? Did you think about saying no when these boys first asked you out? Do they even know? I have to admit; if George or Harrison know anything about this then they hide it well. Is this some kind of open relationship you have going with them?’’

Sam hadn’t forgotten about Harrison either. Her unexpected fiancé. Just like Brooke had started to date George into college, Sam had gotten together with Harrison. Her long time best friend had managed to somehow sweep her off of her feet. She didn’t know what had happened really, but she knew things had been good. For a while. She had lived in the euphoria of being in love and in a happy relationship with someone she could really connect to for a long while. Even though she’d still been involved with Brooke. Harrison and George had made friends during Brooke’s recovery, and the four of them were like a small unit. All attending the same college, all hanging out together. That made it easy too. The boys thought nothing of it when the girls vanished together. They’d put it down to girly best friend stuff. Sam and Brooke were close friends, why should have they expected any differently? They’d taken all the flimsy excuses for them to be alone because they’d never expected anything to be going on.

Sam had even said yes when Harrison had proposed. She’d been happy, she really had. They’d decided to put the wedding off until they were both stable in their jobs and their home. Unexpectedly, Harrison’s chosen field was nursing. After his time in the hospital, he’d always remembered how good his nurse was. He was the one that Harrison had had most to do with. The one that was always right there. And it had affected him. So despite the stigma that male nurses tended to be gay, Harrison went for it. Sam had encouraged him, delighted that he was so enthusiastic by it. She was proud that he wanted to help people like he had been helped. How could she not encourage that? She’d prefer that he be happy in whatever job he wanted than unhappy in a more highflying job. If nursing was for him, it was for him. And indeed, he was a fantastic nurse. No, she hadn’t forgotten about Harrison either.

‘’I know what my ring means Nate; I’m not a child. And I know what hers means too. Believe me, Harrison and George have always remained in my foresight and it hasn’t been fun for either of us lying to them. And no, they don’t know. This isn’t some kinky swingers thing we have going here…it’s…something else.’’

Sam replied firmly, scowling at her boss for patronising her. Both of them actually. Did he really think they were just ambling along in this affair without giving a second thought to their significant others? Those rings around their fingers constantly reminded them that they belonged to different people. Their friendships with the guys dictated to them that at the end of the day, they were with them. It wasn’t easy. It got confusing, and it was complicated. And like Brooke, Sam found it hard to define what it was. Although, she had a few ideas. But instead of saying them, she watched as Nate took in another breath and thought for a moment before he took his seat.

‘’Then explain to me, as you’re friend, what the hell is going on here? How did this happen?’’

He asked in a soft, pleading tone this time. He’d realised he was getting somewhat patronising, and demanding. Only because he wanted to know the truth. He’d been a journalist all his life, it was how he was. He couldn’t hide that, and deep down he knew Sam understood it. Brooke would too, but Sam knew what it felt like. And given that he was their friend too, he just wanted it all to make sense. Like he said, he was thrown through a loop.

‘’When we were fifteen, Sam and I decided to try and call a truce. We realised we were fighting for no reason, so we decided to turn our hand to that of friendship. This you know already. It worked for a while, but given that we’d fought for so many years it was hard. Then one day, we had a full-blown argument. Everything was outed, including our attraction to one another. We didn’t understand it but we couldn’t deny it either. So, slowly but surely we decided to explore these feelings we were having. That summer we went steady, but kept it to ourselves. I’d split up with Josh because of his Mom and my Dad getting together, so neither of us had any complications attached.’’

It was Brooke that decided to paint the picture clear for Nate, knowing that it was what he was asking for. If starting back at high school meant that he would understand this better and stop freaking out, then she’d start back at high school. But there were two of them involved in this story, and she didn’t think she could do it alone. Her head was still thick with what was going on. It wasn’t as if she’d pencilled this in her diary after lunch.

‘’Brooke and I didn’t really think about anything else. We didn’t apply labels either. We just knew we liked one another, so that’s what we concentrated on. However, halfway through our junior year we broke up. Difference of far too many opinions and our relationship shattered. We went our separate ways and found friendship elsewhere. Evidently, Brooke made good friends with George, and Harrison and I began to speak again. And it stayed like that for a while. But there was still something there, so we decided to at least give the friendship another try. Despite our differences, we had a lot of similarities too. We’d helped each other through a lot so we decided to try and not let that go to waste. But again it failed, and not only did we end up arguing, but so did George and Harrison. It was pretty bad. No one knew where it had come from, no one but us. Then, on prom night we decided to meet before. Again we ended up fighting and Brooke walked out of the restaurant. I followed erm, her out to try and talk, but then…then Nicole’s car hit her…’’

Focusing on Sam now, Nate listened intently to the brief description being told. He knew that the pair had had a rocky friendship in high school, because of their different social circles. And he knew the accident had readjusted their values on that, but he hadn’t expected any of this to be behind it.

Both he and Brooke saw how hard it was for Sam to mention the car as she slowed down with her speech and had to clear her throat. Her chocolate eyes seemed pained with the memory of the event, a picture of Brooke being thrown over the car like some kind of rag doll forever etched into her mind. Not to mention the sounds. The truth was, Sam remembered every detail. Seeing the car round the corner, looking towards Brooke as her heart began to beat faster as she yelled out to her. It had been too late though, as was her running out to the blonde. The car was so fast, and it had slammed into Brooke before Sam had really had a chance to move. And she’d forever remember the scream that came from the blonde, as her own heart had stopped. She’d watched the then cheerleader be flopped about, slamming into the hood of the car and up onto the windshield that smashed upon her impact. Then she’d bounced across the top, slamming and denting the silver metal. Looking at Brooke, you wouldn’t have thought she could dent anything, let alone the roof of a beamer. But she had. And finally, she’d gone smashing down the end, bouncing and rolling along the pavement until she’d come to a stop. Motionless and bloody. Nicole’s car had begun to screech to a halt until she’d hit a lamppost, but the only thing Sam had cared about was Brooke. She wouldn’t have given a damn if Nicole had died in that car, in fact she would’ve been glad of it. It was Brooke she’d been concerned about. And when she’d gotten to her, she’d thought she was dead.

Seeing the memories haunt Sam’s eyes Brooke decided to take over again. It was something that had hurt the brunette almost as much as it had hurt her. Sam had seen the whole thing. She’d had to witness everything, and remember it all. Brooke herself didn’t remember too much about the actual impact. She remembered headlights, and then she’d remembered falling. The thing was, she didn’t think it was falling as she’d been hurtling towards the road after coming off of the car. Things had gone black then. She didn’t remember going over the car or hitting the road. What she did remember however, was Sam when she’d come around. Sam that was covered in blood. She hadn’t understood then what had gone on. Why there was a group of people standing away from them, watching with shock across their faces. And she hadn’t understood why Sam had tears rolling down her face, but had been trying to stop them and smile instead. Her head trauma had seen to it that she didn’t understand, and the body’s natural painkillers had settled in, disconnecting her from anything she should have felt. It had left her with light-headedness, and a child like innocence about her. She apologised to Sam for being a bitch, and had managed to reach up and wipe some tears away. It hadn’t registered that Sam was covered in her blood, hadn’t registered that it was all over her arm too. And if she could’ve seen, it was all over her body. The reality of it was that her injuries had piled up. Two fractured legs, a dislocated knee, a tear across her arm, and a piece of glass sticking out of her stomach. A broken arm, collarbone and four broken ribs. And a hairline fracture across her temple. Cuts and bruises all over her, black eye, gashed forehead. She was bleeding from all kinds of places, and her body looked like it had been snapped like twigs. And they had just been some of the visible ones. The glass had caused internal damage, including damage to her spleen and her intestine. Not to mention the head trauma she’d sustained. It was lucky she’d actually come out alive. And she was lucky that she’d survived all of those injuries. It had been one long, painful year. And of course, she still got pains now. It was something that would always be with her.

‘’Considering the amount of injuries I sustained, I was in the hospital for a fair few months. They started to sedate me during the night due to the nightmares I’d have. So, Sam started coming in at night. She’d sleep in my room and she was the only thing that would calm me down. I began to lean very heavily on her. Evidently, the crash put things into perspective for us. A rather harsh lesson, but a lesson none the less. It took me that entire year to heal. I went through every kind of therapy you could name to get me back on track, and the staff were amazed I even pulled through it like I did. It took all of my families, and all of my friends’ support to help me through it. Especially Sam’s. I connected to her like no one else, probably because she’d been there when I woke up on the road. So, we got close. And we both realised how petty our differences were, that they were nothing compared to loosing a life. And that’s how it got started again.’’

Brooke spoke with the same weight to her voice that Sam held in her eyes. They knew better than anyone how severe the accident had been, and they knew that not many people would have survived it. The fact that Brooke had seemed to just make everything disappear. To Sam, Brooke’s health had been the top priority that year. Helping her anyway she could was on the top of her agenda. She’d made herself sick keeping up with schoolwork and helping out with Brooke, but she hadn’t cared. And she’d had to give evidence too. She’d seen everything that night, so she was a key witness in the trial against Nicole. And she hadn’t missed any of her court appearances. She knew she’d never forgive her for what she did. No matter how much help she got, no matter how much she changed, Nicole Julian would always be the girl that nearly killed Brooke. And Sam knew she’d go through counselling. She knew she got off light because of Nicole’s Mother and money. She knew she’d be out there somewhere, enjoying life without a second thought as to how Brooke’s life went. The blonde had barely gone into school that year. Of course, when she’d been up to it she’d had home schooling. And she’d insisted on studying in the hospital when she was bored and well enough to do so. But the drugs had made it difficult. Never the less, Brooke had passed high school with flying colours. She’d been given allowance due to her injuries, and her grades had been pulled up from the lower ones she’d gotten because it’s what she would have gotten. And Principal Krups himself had sent a letter to every college she’d applied for. She hadn’t asked for any of it. Brooke would just have taken the grades instead, but Krups had been a good man. He knew how much college had meant for her, and for her to get turned down would have been devastating. However, the blonde had pulled through on that too. Flying through law school on an excellence program. It’s why she was sitting here as a top lawyer right now.

‘’I understand where you’re coming from, really I do. But still, George and Harrison? Why did they get involved in all of this? Surely you both knew it was wrong? If you had feelings for each other, why on earth say yes to those boys? And Sam…you’re the journalist here. Everything you do, you do for the truth of it. You’re so talented at what you do because you believe in the truth. But how can you, when you’ve been lying to Harrison for so long? I know your tendency to be impulsive and wild…one may say quirky. But this, it shocks me. From you it shocks me.’’

Leaning forwards on his desk as he took in their tale, he pictured how things could have started. And yes, he really did understand where they came from. What happened to Brooke had been eye opening. And she was right in saying that it was a harsh lesson. Two young girls that age could have done with something a little less traumatic. But it had been how things went. So they’d realised that things in the past had been petty, good for them. They’d gotten back together, good for them. Also, they’d gone to college together. Once again, good for them. But when it became something wrong was when they brought Harrison and George into the scenario. Neither one of them should have said yes to them, if they knew they were involved with each other. Even if they still didn’t fully understand it. By that time, they were eighteen years told. And they were both smart girls. It wasn’t as if working out that they shouldn’t have gotten involved with anyone else was rocket science.

And it was true that he couldn’t help but be especially shocked at Sam. Yes, Brooke was the rational one. He would have expected her at least to stop it at some point, or call it quits with George sometime before it got too serious. But Sam, the paragon of truth? What was she thinking? She was so opinionated on people being honest, and it was a huge reason for being a journalist. It ran through her, Nate could tell. So how could she go for nine years lying? Denying the truth and really, leading Harrison into something that would hurt him? Because the truth was bound to come out at some point. It had today.

‘’Please don’t look at me like that okay? I don’t know how it happened; I just know that it all got so complicated so fast. Harrison became a safety net, I’ve always known I loved Brooke but it scared me so I hid. I didn’t mean for it to go like this, I didn’t mean to be such a coward. All I know is that my world is upside down and has been for nine years because I’m in love with her.’’

Stopping dead after her guilty outburst, Sam felt like her entire being froze. Not daring to breathe or move, she just stopped. Only her ears rang with her words that she hadn’t intended on saying. She wasn’t supposed to say that. At least, not like this. But after nine years of keeping it in, after nine years of hiding it, maybe she was justified in saying it. It had been her time in Bali that she’d finally admitted it to herself. When she’d thought long and hard about what she was doing with her love life. Sure, at one point Harrison had been it for her. Life had been good and she was with the man of her dreams. Because Harrison was a good man. But she couldn’t kid herself; things between them had started to fall apart. And not only because of her. They had begun to struggle, and Sam knew things about Harrison that he didn’t know she knew. But still she’d stayed with him, because indeed he was her safety net. But Bali had made her accept a few things. She was a grown woman. She didn’t need a safety net. Harrison wasn’t the one for her, but Brooke was. If that meant she was a lesbian, so be it. Or bisexual, or whatever. She didn’t care about the labels, and frankly she hadn’t given them any thought. The only thing she had given thought was Brooke. And the fact she couldn’t deny that she loved her anymore. That she had to stop being so scared, and at least break even with the blonde if not anyone else.

The only thing was, she’d just splurted it out in the open. She knew Brooke was staring at her, and she knew Nate was staring at her. And even though she was terrified right now, so much that her heart was beating through her ears, she was glad she’d said it. Relieved, like some kind of weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It felt good to finally tell the truth. Something that she’d ignored for years. Why had it been so hard for her to accept that? And even harder to say it? Was she scared because it was Brooke? Was she scared because of the labels? She knew her family would be fine about this, that wasn’t even a question. And any friend that didn’t support her wasn’t a true friend. But when it came down to it, she failed to understand why someone like her had been so intent on keeping it hidden from herself. Like Nate had said, she was the journalist. The one that went after the truth. Why had she hidden the fact she loved Brooke from herself? Even though she had, it wasn’t as if having a nine-year affair with her wasn’t the biggest hint in the world.

And given it had been so long, did that mean that Brooke felt the same way? Or was she really in love with George, but got something from her that she couldn’t from him? Brooke couldn’t be that selfish and vindictive, could she? She couldn’t possibly be using both of them for their best qualities to satisfy herself that just wasn’t Brooke. That sounded something that Nicole would do. Not Brooke. Either which way, the blonde was certainly in the loop now. There was no taking back what the brunette had just said, so Sam decided not to wish she’d never said it. This was something she needed to do.

‘’You…you love me?’’

Brooke repeated, finding the words refreshing. Still they were scary though. Her heart almost sang at knowing that Sam loved her, but she couldn’t help but think of George. What did that mean? Did that mean she loved him and didn’t love Sam? Or that she loved both of them? Or that she loved George, and Sam was just something she’d never been able to get out of her system? Confusing didn’t cover it. And the headache was getting bigger by the second. But still, she couldn’t ignore the fact that she was overwhelmed as she looked at Sam. She watched the brunette look at her after a few seconds of not moving at all, chocolate eyes glazed over slightly. God she was beautiful. That was another thing Brooke couldn’t get past. How was she supposed to decide what to do? Or decide how she felt?

‘’Yes, I love you Brooke.’’

The vulnerability held in the journalist’s voice was nearly enough to break heart. It was so true, and so innocent. And she knew that her confession could bring everything crumbling down. But she’d said it, and she’d had to say it. Even if Brooke didn’t feel the same way. If she ended up stopping this whole thing, Sam would at least know she finally told the truth. Both to herself and Brooke. And she’d end up respecting whatever decision she made. Although she’d pitch for them, of course. She wouldn’t let Brooke go without a fight. If she were still intent on staying with George after that, Sam would respect that. And possibly move to Bali and lay low for the rest of her life!

‘’Well, it seems that you both have a lot to talk about. Maybe you should go home, take the week off. I’ll cover for you. So I don’t expect to see either of you here until next Monday, you hear me?’’

Nate interrupted the silent look running between the pair. He saw both of their vulnerability. From Sam because she’d just admitted something so big, and from Brooke because she didn’t know what to feel about that. He wasn’t a stupid man, he’d seen a lot during his years. He knew that they’d need a fair while to try and sort this out. Although the best he could do was a week. He wasn’t a miracle worker. He just wanted his friends to get things sorted. One way or the other, they needed to deal with what they’d been doing. And thinking about it now, he really could see them together. How he’d missed it before he had no idea. They were a couple that just went together. Yet, so it had seemed that Brooke and George were. Sam and Harrison too. Maybe it was because they were friends? Even so, the pair sat before him did seem to have that extra thing about them. Just that something you couldn’t put your finger on but it was something you just didn’t question because it seemed to fit so well.


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