Breaking the Routine

by Taylor Lowe

  “Tabby is right, you the most stubborn woman yet!” He told her before he left the room. Why did everyone say she was stubborn? She wasn’t that stubborn and this wasn’t about stubbornness. Sam couldn’t believe that meeting with David and giving him a simple apology could fix all the wrong she had done, it would be too easy.

  She buried herself under the covers feeling awful and regretting she ever came to this city. It made her remember how badly she missed David, how much she wanted to have him there with her, and how much she loved him. Robert said she couldn’t turn the page but being here wasn’t helping. Being here and remembering her first time in New York and what happened after was only making her fall back to square one.

  Frustrated Sam got under the covers realizing that she couldn’t dwell on the past any longer. She had to forget about David and move on. Sam was sure he had done the same a long time ago but first she had to get over this nightmare visit to New York. Seriously what was she thinking coming to this cursed city again! She wished with all her might that the week would simply pass as quickly as possible, she had to get out of here!

  With a loud sigh she tossed and turned waiting for sleep that didn’t come. She stared at the dark ceiling shouting silently at her mind to stop but of course it didn’t listen. It simply wouldn’t stop spinning around what had happened that day and what everyone had told her. With a growl of frustration she threw the blankets over her head and tears started to slip down her cheeks.

  Chapter 11 Choices

  David sat on the sofa looking out at the city sky line with an untouched beer in his hand. It had been two months since he stopped using women as a distraction. Seeing the hurt on that woman’s face the day he told her the bitter truth so bluntly made him realize the horrible person he was turning into, the type of person he didn’t want to become.

  With a new found determination he made himself forget about Sam and he thought he had successfully done it until he had accidently heard Tabby talking with Mark. She was sounded so excited that David couldn’t help but listen in. He couldn’t believe how the simple words, “Sam’s coming to New York,” had affected him.

  David realized he hadn’t even come close to moving on. Despite his anger, he couldn’t help but feel a small hope that she was coming to see him too. But as always with Sam, she was nothing but betrayal and pain he realized as Tabby mentioned the friend that was coming along with her, her male friend.

  David shook his head with irritation. How she could still affect him so badly after all these months, he wondered furious with himself and her. He knew Mark and Tabby had left already to meet Sam and her friend at the airport, just thinking about him made David seething with unwanted jealousy. “Damn you,” he cursed finally taking a drink from the bottle. He set down the bottle refusing to drown himself there and decided to get out and take a walk.

  He walked around the large city in no determined direction. David just couldn’t get her out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. Did she think about him at any given moment, did she feel sorry, did she even care if only a little?

  “You haven’t been waiting on us have you David,” Tabby teased from somewhere behind him. He turned and saw her and Mark getting out of a taxi and he realized he was right in front of their apartment building.

  “I actually just got here. I was taking a walk,” he told her and noticed Mark looked extremely pissed. “What’s up man,” he asked his friend.

  “Oh he is just jealous because I think Robert is a nice guy,” Tabby said waving him off.

  “Wrong! It’s not because you think he is a nice guy…and I am not jealous,” Mark snapped at her and she waved him off again. “Don’t you do that to me Tabs! You were all over him,” he told her and David looked at them nervously.

  “So this is your friend?” Mark started imitating Tabby’s way of talking. “Oh Robert do tell me how you two met? Oh however did you get Sam to let you call her Samantha? Oh Robert you such a great guy! Oh Robert this, Oh Robert that,” Mark went on with his imitation and Tabby frowned. David was suddenly uncomfortable as Mark mentioned this Robert and Sam’s names together and very jealousy too.

  “You’re such a jerk when you’re jealous,” Tabby told him furious.

  “And you’re such an irritating and crazy woman when you throw yourself at other men,” Mark snapped at her again and they both glared at each other for a moment.

  “Well I guess you won’t be coming for lunch then,” she asked him coldly.

  “Like hell am I going to watch you drool of Professor Nice Guy,” he replied bitterly.

  “Whatever,” she told him with another wave of her hand turning to enter in the building. David stood there not sure what to say or do as he witnessed them have their first fight. Mark’s jaw was locked and his fists were balled into to fists so tight his knuckles were white.

  “You should have seen how she was around that ass! Acting like he was the next best thing since sliced bread,” Mark said slowly and David gave him a weak smile.

  “I am sure you’re just over reacting. She’s been crazy about you since I’ve known her,” David said reassuring his friend but felt a little worried. He had never seen Mark get jealous or have any signs of insecurity that he was showing now.

  “Yeah you’re right, I am being stupid,” Mark agreed loosening up a bit. “I bet the guy is boring as hell anyways. He is a philosophy teacher for God’s sake! Let’s go have a beer. I don’t know about you but I need one,” he said still angry and David nodded, not really in the mood to drink but he wanted to accompany his friend.

  Once they were in the apartment Mark went over to the fridge and handed David a beer and they both sat at the kitchen island. “Oh my God, you two look like a couple of big babies,” Tabby said coming out of the bed room looking at Mark and David sitting there both obviously in sour moods. Mark glared at her and she just gave him a playful smile.

  “Oh how I love my silly jealous man,” she told him and gave him a kiss on the cheek and Mark suddenly brightened and kissed her back.

  “I love my frustrating and crazy woman too,” he told her and David watched them with longing for a moment then returned his attention to his beer. Mark frowned slightly watching Tabby leave the apartment.

  “So…” David started not being able to resist yet not sure how to ask what he wanted.

  “What do you want to know about him,” Mark asked picking up his beer and finishing it off.

  “Do they look you know…close,” he asked hesitantly not sure if he wanted to really know.

  Mark was silent for the moment. “Well I only been around for them for a few minutes but yeah I got the impression that they are pretty close,” he admitted and David sighed sadly taking a drink from his beer hating feeling so jealous. “Apparently they have been friends since she started going to the University,” Mark said darkly.

  “University,” David repeated with surprise.

  “Yeah, the University of Indianapolis, been there for a few months now. Some time ago she got in to a big fight with her father. From the way Tabby tells it, she finally figured out what a bastard he was and told him to go screw himself then sold her house, left town, and hasn’t spoken to him since, ” Mark told him and David couldn’t believe what he had heard.

  Bitter resentment bubbled to the surface as he wondered why the hell she couldn’t have done all that only six months ago. He must not have been good enough for her, David thought then thought about this friend of hers. Was he the reason she finally left her father, was he the type of man she wanted all along. “Did it look like they were more than friends,” David asked hesitantly.

  Mark shrugged indecisively. “Hard to tell, he does seem to always have his arm around her shoulders but I didn’t see anything that would make me think that she is lying about them just being friends,” Mark explained and David couldn’t believe how jealous he felt at the thought of some other man touching her even if it was just an arm. He wanted to be the only man that ever touched her, he
thought darkly. However that only made him even angrier. He didn’t want to feel jealous or want to be the man who was with Sam. David wanted nothing to do with anything and everything that was Sam Peters.

  Damn you Sam, damn you! Haven’t you done enough, David cursed silently then pushing away the beer sitting in front of him. “Thanks Mark but I think I am going to go,” he told his friend and Mark nodded mutely not looking up from the counter top of the island.

  He walked slowly along the busy streets back to his apartment, feeling his mood darken by the minute. Changing his clothes, he started to warm up before sitting on the weight bench to start his daily strength training routine, it was the only thing he found that wasn’t destructive that helped get her off his mind.

  David jogged on the treadmill, his jaw clenched with determination. He hadn’t been able to improve his mood any since the afternoon. No matter how hard he trained, it simply didn’t work. He couldn’t keep his thoughts off of Sam and her friend. He couldn’t help but play out in his head several scenarios where both of them were together romantically and making him feel so angry that he felt like he would explode at any minute.

  A knock out of the door broke him away from his dark scenarios David looked at his wrist watch as he walked towards the door. It was nearly ten o’ clock; he wondered who would be at his door this hour of the evening. David opened the door to find Tabby with some guy standing behind her. You have got to be kidding me; he thought bitterly hoping to hell that guy wasn’t the guy he suspected he was.

  “See I told he wouldn’t be asleep Robert,” she told the man behind her and the man gave her a slight smile. David felt his blood heat up seeing the supposed friend of Sam’s. What the hell was he doing here and why the hell did Tabby bring him. He was going to have a long talk with Mark about his girlfriend because David might just have to end up killing her after tonight.

  “Hey David, can we come in?” Tabby asked and he nodded letting them in not taking his glare off of the man. “David this is Robert Sam’s friend and Robert you already know all about David,” Tabby said introducing the two. What did she mean by he knew all about him, David thought acidly. Sam went around bragging how she had made him beg? Damn you Sam, he swore once more.

  “What are you doing here,” David asked her coldly. She rolled her eyes at him but he ignored her.

  “I wanted to ask you about Samantha,” Robert told him and David clenched his fists together as his anger flared.

  “What about her? Want to know what makes her squirm under the sheets,” he smirked with a cold smile and Tabby slapped him upside the head.

  “Don’t be an ass,” she said glaring at him and he glared back at her rubbing the back of his head.

  “No I don’t, I don’t need help in that area. Samantha and I are just friends, I did try once to be more than friends,” the man told him with a cool even tone and David clenched his jaw tightly feeling as if the man had reached inside him and was slowly pulling out his insides.

  “Really, I didn’t know that,” Tabby chirped and the man nodded.

  “Nothing really to tell, I asked, she said no, we decided to stay friends and end of story,” Robert explained and then turned to David. “I came here David because I wanted to know if you still love Samantha,” he asked David glowered at him feeling himself getting to a very dangerous level of pissed off.

  “Why the hell do you care,” David snapped receiving another slap upside the head from Tabby and she pointed a threatening finger at him and Robert gave a slight smile. God, he really wanted to hit that jack ass so badly and wipe that smile off his face.

  “So…?”Robert asked and David growled.

  “Why the hell do you give a damn,” He barked angrily keeping an eye on the slap happy Tabby, refusing to answer a question that he wasn’t sure of the answer to. Robert frowned at him looking displeased which pleased David just fine.

  “Well David Samantha loves you,” Robert started sending a wave of shock run through David. “Unfortunately she too scared of your reaction and losing you all over again to actually come here and tell you so herself,” Robert explained but that sounded like a load of bull shit to David.

  “So basically she is a chicken shit coward and sent her boy toy to do the dirty work,” David sneered nastily not willing to let go of his anger, rejection, and indignation towards her go.

  “Watch it David,” Robert warned looking a little upset and David started to smile enjoying seeing the other starting to get pissed.

  “Is that some kind of threat,” he asked goading the man purposely.

  “She is my friend and I won’t stand you talking about her like that,” Robert warned and he smiled evilly.

  “Will you two stop it,” Tabby told them but both of them ignored her completely.

  “I will do what I damn well please in my damn house,” David told both of them threateningly.

  “She deserves your respect, you dumb ass,” Robert shot back at him.

  “Out of all the things that woman deserves my respect isn’t one of them,” he shot and Robert was clearly pissed which made him all the happier.

  “This is your fault you know,” Robert told him coldly. “You pushed her too hard when she only needed your patience,” Robert finished and David flinched only stopping himself from hitting the guy by a thread. Who the hell did this guy think he was, coming over to his apartment blaming something on him when that idiot had no damn idea what had happened.

  “She deserves so much better than some punk ass jerk like you,” Robert shot. “It doesn’t take a genius to see that Sam isn’t like other women, she need to be treated differently! Now thanks to you! She won’t give any other man a chance,” Robert shouted at him.

  “Screw you,” David shouted, the thought of this man or any man with her pushed him off the edge of control and he swung at Robert knocking him to the floor.

  “David,” Tabby shouted at him but he just shrugged her off. Robert wiped the blood from his split lip and laughed at him.

  “That’s all you got,” he sneered as he got up then swung his own fist at David hitting him square in the jaw.

  “Robert,” Tabby yelled at him and David moved his jaw painfully feeling the pain fuel his anger even more.

  “Not bad for such a pansy,” he provoked.

  “How’s this for a pansy?” Robert retorted and slammed his fist into David’s stomach knocking the wind out of him, surprising David just out fast this guy could move. Didn’t Mark say he was some stiff ass teacher? What the hell did this guy teach, and what kind of university did Sam attend. Growling with rage he refused to let this guy get the upper hand, with lightening fast speed he mocked Robert’s last punch and slammed his fist into the guy’s stomach. Robert groaned and sunk to his knees.

  “You come into my house, and start talking crap about me, and flaunting in my face about how Sam and you are getting it on,” David shouted at him raising his first to hit him again when suddenly Robert hit him in the back of the knees and he collapsed to the ground.

  “You’re a real idiot! I told you Samantha and I are friends,” Robert told him shoving him and David shoved him back with another punch to the face.

  “This is not accomplishing anything,” Tabby yelled at them as they both ignored her.

  “The only idiot here is you,” David snapped back at Robert. “You honestly want me to believe you are only friends with her and that your reasons for being here is not to gloat in my face,” David ranted tackling the man before him. Robert smashed his fist into David’s lip busting it open then grabbed him by the shirt picking him up and then slamming him on the floor.

  After a nearly a half hour later David sat on the floor bruised, bloodied, exhausted and feeling oddly a whole lot better. “So Ass are you ready to honestly listen to what I came here to say,” Robert said with a half a smile and David looked at the man before him with curiosity. What did this guy want from him? He was actually starting to doubt the man came there to flaunt his relationship
with Sam in David’s face, so what the hell did he want.

  “Sure what is it you want to say pansy,” David replied too exhausted to get up and throw the man out of his house anyway.

  Tabby glared at them with her hands on her hips. “You two can’t be serious,” She shrieked at them. “One minute you’re at each other’s throats! The next you’re acting like buddies?” She exclaimed raising her hands up in the air with desperation.

  “What did you expect us to do, cry over a cup of coffee and talk about our feelings till dawn? We’re guys for God’s sake, even if you and Samantha have seemed to forgotten that little detail about me,” Robert stated getting up dusting himself off.

  “He does have a point,” David agreed surprised by the fact that the guy didn’t seem so bad after all. David slowly got up from the floor as Tabby rolled her eyes at them both.

  “Well then you men have a very stupid method of resolving your problems,” she shot back crossing her arms at them.

  “Anyways,” Robert said turning to him, “As I trying to tell you before Samantha loves you but she has worked it up in her head that coming to see you can only end like a Shakespearian tragedy. Tabby and I have argued with her till we are blue in the face.” Robert explained and David frowned.

  “Well it wasn’t me who left her, you know. I was the one doing the chasing her since I first met her to only have her run away time and time again till she decided to screw me over in the end,” he snapped bitterly touching his cheek wincing with the pain that shot trough him.

  “Oh I know and the day she fought with her father, she figured that one out too” Robert started. A little too late, David thought bitterly. “And she has been punishing herself ever since,” Robert added surprising David. Did she really feel that bad about what she had done? He wondered with some slight hope but part of him was also glad to hear she was suffering at least in some small part like he had. She deserved it, he told himself.