“That’s what I said.” Mrs. Saunders' perfectly polished fingernails glistened in the light from the chandelier as she clasped her hands together in front of her.
“We’ll be right up. Just giving Sam here a little pep talk,” Christian said as he waved at Evil Incarnate with a massive smile, looking about as much of the beautiful dork that he was.
Sam punched him in the arm.
The barely visible lines on Mrs. Saunders’s face tightened just that much more.
“I’m coming,” Sam amended with a disingenuous smile and watched as the woman stalked back up the steps toward the
ballroom. Sam made sure to dig her heel into the polished toe of Christian’s fancy shoes as she passed him.
“Ow! Sam!” he feigned annoyance. In reality, being that he was at least twice her size, she doubted he even felt her attack.
“Oh, sorry,” she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster as she cut her eyes down to his foot. She could barely hold in the surprised squeal as he lunged for her, wrapping an arm around her neck from behind and placing her in a perfect chokehold.
“Don’t tempt me. How many times did I take you down when we were kids?” he whispered in her ear before pushing her away from him.
“I let you beat me,” Sam countered as she steadied herself, not completely comfortable walking in heels.
“Ha! You wish,” Christian said as he grabbed their discarded drinks and made to step in line beside her.
They walked in flawlessly coordinated movements, a task they had perfected over the years. Had it not been for the fact that they were complete physical opposites in most every way, many would have assumed they were twins.
Sam, who, when her fiery red curls were at their fullest, could almost pass for five foot three (at least, that’s what it said on her driver’s license), had a face filled with freckles, and a slim build that could give most models a run for their money, was in stark contrast to the man who now walked beside her.
Christian, who at close to six foot three was made of pure bulky muscle (how he was able to pay for as much protein as he must’ve needed to eat she never knew or questioned), had a head full of perfectly coiffed blonde hair that could make anyone fall to their knees, and a heart of pure gold.
No, they were about as different as two people could be. But beyond their obviously contrasting physical features, both were
constantly seen by those who knew them as one half of the other’s whole.
Sam had never liked that comparison. It was strange for someone to assume you were related to the only boy you’d ever let fill your scandalously explicit dreams.
Sam coughed at the memory of one of those dreams. She couldnotafford to have those thoughts running through her mind right now. Not when she was about to speak in front of a hundred of the university's highest officials who oversaw the Giving Hearts Foundation. The exact officials who would be deciding if she was worthy enough to receive increased funding, which would allow her to live on more than stale bread and ramen noodles for the remainder of her undergrad career.
Actually, that was a bit of an exaggeration. Sam liked the ramen noodles, and the bread only went stale when she forgot about it. And it’s not like Kristin let her want for anything. She was constantly bringing home goodies and delicacies, and she kept their freezer stuffed with ice cream.
“You’ll do great.” Christian leaned down and kissed her brow as they reached the top stair.
Sam lingered in the way his lips felt against her skin. This was all she would ever get from him, and she had to be okay with that.
She’d pushed it once, a few years back. Shortly after a stint of hopping from place to place, just looking for somewhere they could stay long enough to learn the other kids' names. He’d been sent to another foster home for a few months, and they’d had no contact during that time. Something about poor service out in the country. It was then that she’d realized how much he truly meant to her—how much she’d missed him. She’d, of course, dated a few other guys in highschool, but it wasn’t until that moment when Christian was no
longer there that she’d realized he was hers and she was his.
He hadn’t returned until the week before they graduated from high school. She’d had one more week of living under a roof she had never considered her own and she’d fussed when he spent a portion of his earnings to rent a room at the motel down the street from her. But, honestly, she’d liked having him so physically close.
She had initially planned on couch surfing with Sara until college started, but then those plans had been shattered and she’d moved
into that motel room with Christian, taking a summer job at a local pizza place to help with expenses.
When he’d first come back, he had initially given him some space, but then she had bared her heart to him while sitting on a playground swing set. He’d, in turn, shut her down so fast she couldn’t even complete the next breath before he hopped up and walked off.
It was the oddest encounter they’d ever had. And it was all her fault.
She’d wanted to disappear right then. Had begged the ground to open up and suck her down so she would never have to face him again. But when she’d gone to him days later asking to stay with him for the summer, he’d grabbed her face in his large hands and promised he would always be there for her—he would always take care of her.
Always.