Devon didn’t turn around. He didn’t care about Zander and Sophie’s problems. All he cared about was Sam. He was crouched next to her on the floor trying to get her to open her eyes. “Sam, angel. Sam, can you hear me?”
“Devon!” Sophie stomped her foot. “I’m talking to you!”
Devon turned to look at Sophie. Was Sophie seriously talking to him? He surveyed the scene. Zander was glaring at Sophie, while he held a squirming Dougherty, his arms pinned behind his back. Sam was still limp, her head in his lap. Devon shook his head and turned his attention back to Sam, who was murmuring incoherently. Thank Christ! At least she was breathing. But she was sloppy drunk. He’d never seen her like this.
“For Christ’s sake, Devon! What do you see in her?” Sophie yelled! “She’s a drunken slut! You’re too good for her. All of you are. What do I have to do to prove it to you?”
What do I have to do? A dark thought clawed its way into Devon’s mind as he slowly turned to face Sophie. Sophie was evil, but this . . . He stood up and walked toward her. At first she smiled, like she’d finally gotten through to him. But as Devon got closer his hate was undeniable and Sophie began to back away.
“What did you do to her?” Devon growled.
“Nothing,” she hissed. “I didn’t have to. Look at her.”
“Yes, look at her. She looks like she’s more than a little drunk. And Sam can really hold her booze. She must’ve had what, ten or so drinks to be this messed up.”
“She only had three,” Zander said, still restraining Dougherty. “I was keeping track.”
“What did you do, Sophie?” Devon asked again.
“Nothing!”
“I don’t believe you.” Devon growled. Sophie shuddered as he snatched her purse from her hands and shoved her into a bathroom stall while he searched through it. He pulled a small amber prescription vial from it, straining to read the label. “Flunitrazepam?”
Devon threw Sophie’s purse on the ground and hauled her out of the stall. “What the hell is this?” He was gripping Sophie’s wrists hard and she started to cry.
“Fuck me! You said it was just roofies, Soph,” Dougherty yelled. “Oh, Christ. What did I give her?”
Zander squeezed Dougherty’s arms tighter behind him. “Start talking.”
“Sophie made me do it,” Dougherty blubbered.
“Shut up, Dougherty,” Sophie hissed.
“No! I’m not taking the blame for this. You said it was just roofies. You promised it wouldn’t hurt her!”
“That’s what Flunitrazepam is, you idiots,” Sophie yelled. Everyone looked at her. “Look it up,” she spat.
Devon took a photo of the prescription label and searched it on his phone. “She’s right,” he said, reading the results he found online.
“Why’d you do it?” Zander asked.
“Because! Ever since she showed up, it’s all you two ever seem to talk about. Sam this, Sam that. She’s not special. And she’s not good enough for you, Devon. You’re supposed to be with me!”
“You?” He laughed. “You broke up with me as soon as I quit the team.”
“That was a mistake.”
“And was dating me a mistake too?” Zander asked.
“Yes! I only did it to make you jealous, Devon.”
“And all of this?” Devon asked pointing to Sam and Dougherty.
“Zander was supposed to catch her with Dougherty. I knew Zander would tell you. And Dougherty was supposed to take pictures so I’d have proof she’s just a slut that doesn’t care about either of you.”
“Well, mission accomplished Soph. We all know who the crazy one is now,” Devon said turning back to Sam.
Sophie grabbed his shoulder and Devon shoved her off. “If you ever touch me or Sam again I’ll go to the police about this. Now get the hell out of here before I reconsider.”
Sophie frowned and looked like she was going to say something, but Devon’s scowl stopped her and she ran out of the bathroom while she still could.
Devon gently hoisted Sam into his arms and carried her from the bathroom. Zander followed him with Dougherty. “What do you want me to do with him?” Zander asked.
“I wasn’t gonna hurt her, I swear,” Dougherty whimpered. “I was only trying to pose her like Sophie said, but I couldn’t get her to stand up.”
“I don’t care,” Devon growled pushing through the crowded bar with Sam cradled to his chest. And he didn’t. The only thing that mattered was Sam. And making sure she was safe.
Devon had only made it two blocks when Zander pulled up in his car.
“Let me give you a ride,” he called.
Devon didn’t want to take the help, but he also didn’t know if he could carry Sam another eighteen blocks.
“Fine.” Devon carefully laid Sam on the backseat and slid in next to her, holding her head in his lap.
“Where to?” Zander asked. “Home?”
“No, I think she needs to go to the hospital.”
“For roofies?” Zander asked.
“I’m not taking any chances.”
“Right.”
Zander navigated traffic quickly, pulling into the ER bay at St. James Hospital. After the nurses took Sam back, Devon and Zander gave their statements and filled out the paperwork the best they could. Devon gave the nurses Mr. Connors’ phone number and paced around the waiting room while they tried to reach him.
“Boys,” a tired-looking nurse called. “We’ve reached Mr. Connors. He’s on his way.”
“Thanks,” Devon replied. He turned to Zander. “I’ll wait for him to get here. You can take off.”
“I’ll wait with you.”
Devon shook his head.
“I don’t mind,” Zander said, sitting back down.
They both sat silently in the waiting room. Zander finally turned to Devon and spoke. “I didn’t have any idea Sophie was planning this. I swear to it. I never would’ve let her hurt Sam.”
Devon was hunched over, his head resting in his hands. “I know.”
He didn’t like Zander and he disliked the thought of him with Sam even more. Zander was many things, but Devon had never known him to be someone who had to drug his dates. Sophie, on the other hand, had always been vindictive and possessive. There were plenty of rumors about her viciousness. Sophomore year, while they were dating, Sophie shaved off a girl’s eyebrows at a sleep over because she caught her talking to Devon in the lunchroom. The summer before that she got another girl drunk and took pictures of the poor girl in her underwear with a bunch of blokes and plastered them all over the internet until she dropped out of Eddington. The girl claimed Sophie drugged her and she didn’t even know any of the guys. Of course Sophie and her bitchy friends said the girl was lying and just pissed the photos had gotten out. But after what Devon had seen tonight, he was certain all the rumors about Sophie were true and he found himself wishing he hadn’t let her off so easily.
“I should have made sure Dougherty didn’t get any photos of Sam.”
“He didn’t,” Zander replied. “I wiped his phone before I let him go.”
“Good thinking.” Devon shook his head, still not quite believing how bad this was. “Sophie’s fucking batty.”
Zander huffed a breathy laugh. “Certifiable.” He shook his head. “Well, at least I don’t feel bad about dumping her now.”
“You broke up with Sophie?”
“Yeah. She was giving me hell for spending so much time with Cara and the kids after Henry died. Said I wasn’t putting her first. I told her if she couldn’t see that family needed to come first right now then I didn’t need her in my life.” Zander sighed. “She told everyone she dumped me. I let it go. You know how she is. Didn’t seem worth it to argue. Makes sense now that I know she was only ever using me to get back at you.”
“But I don’t get it. She dumped me as soon as she heard I wasn’t football captain.”
“Yeah, she was worried she’d lose status if she wasn’t dating a baller. But
I knew she still had her eye on you. When she saw you snogging Sam at Finnegan’s she flipped. Chewed my ear off about it for an hour after you left.”
Devon shook his head. “Christ, she’s crazy.”
“Yeah. If she’d just been honest about her feelings she could’ve probably had either of us.”
Zander’s words hit home. How could he fault Sophie when Devon himself had been dishonest about his feelings too? Of course he hadn’t deliberately tried to hurt people, but he’d still managed to mess things up pretty bad anyway. He’d definitely hurt Sam. Devon rubbed his temples. “I just keep thinking Sam wouldn’t have even been in this mess if it wasn’t for me.”
“Don’t blame yourself.”
“Who else can I blame?”
“Dunno. But that girl in there loves you, Devon. She asked me about you every day you were home. I know you care about her too. I see what staying away is doing to you. We all do. Cara’s worried sick about you. She keeps redecorating the house because she doesn’t know how to talk to you and it’s the only way she can keep busy. She’s driving me mad. I really hate being everyone’s in-between man. We all just need to talk to each other. We’re family.”
Devon looked at Zander like he had two heads. “Cara’s worried about me?”
“Christ, Devon. Are ya that daft? I know you don’t like her, but she’s not a monster. You lost your father, but she lost her husband, too. You’re not the only one who feels alone in that big old house.”
“What about you?” Devon asked.
“What about me?”
“Do you still hate me?”
“Devon, I’ve never hated you. I’ve been jealous of you, but I’m not gonna kick a man while he’s down. Christ, what do ya think of me?”
“I just always thought you hated me.”
“Sometimes I think I might have. But I was wrong. I more hated myself. Maybe even Cara a little. I felt like she left me for your dad and a big house. And I always had to struggle for my place in life while I watched things just handed to you. But it wasn’t your fault. I know that now. It was just life.”
“So what do we do now?” Devon asked.
Zander laughed. “Hell if I know. Try to put our mess of a family back together. That’s all Cara wants.”
“Really?”
Zander nodded.
“Do you want that?” Devon asked.
“I think being a part of the family might be nice.”
“What about all the things you said about stealing Cor-Tec?”
“I was just trying to take the piss outta ya. I got it into my head that I had a shot with your girl, but I know better now.”
Devon smirked. “Well, I really have no interest in my father’s business. Maybe, if you’re open to it, you could help me run it.”
Zander raised his eyebrows and then extended his hand. “I’d be honored.”
Just then, a frantic-looking Mr. Connors came racing into the waiting room. “Where is she? Where’s Sam!”
The nurse quickly tended to him before he could get any closer to Devon and Zander.
“You better get out of here, mate,” Devon said after Mr. Connors was escorted back to Sam’s room. “He’s probably going to lay into me when he gets out.”
Zander nodded. “Want a ride home?”
“I can’t leave yet. I need to make sure Sam’s okay.”
“Then I’ll wait with you.”
34
Sam
Sam was lying in her bedroom when she heard a knock on her door. It was Sunday morning and her father had been doting on her since she came home from the ER early Saturday morning. He was worried because all she did was lay in bed and cry. But what else was she supposed to do? Her life was an episode of Gossip Girl. Her so-called friends had drugged her in a potential date-rape revenge scheme.
All Sam wanted to do was get on a plane to Boston. But her father suddenly refused to let her out of his sight. He’d gone into overprotective mode since he saw her in the hospital bed. It was hard to blame him.
“Dad, I’m fine. You don’t have to check on me every fifteen minutes,” Sam called.
“Uh, it’s me,” called a familiar voice.
Sam sat bolt upright as Devon’s face tentatively peeked into her room.
“Can I come in?” he asked.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
He walked into the room anyway and shut the door behind him. He sat on the edge of her bed. “That’s okay. I have something I need to say to you.”
Sam glared at him. She’d woken up in the hospital room alone and confused and all she’d wanted was to see Devon. She’d sworn he was with her, but when she opened her eyes he wasn’t there. And now that he was here, all she wanted was for him to leave.
“I need to apologize to you, Sam. I don’t even really know where to start. But I’m sorry. I was wrong to push you away. And I was wrong not to tell you how I really feel. I never wanted to hurt you, Sam.”
She turned away from him, hating that he could still make her cry. But her stupid heart seemed hell bent on not giving up on him.
“Sam, I don’t want to lose you.”
She scoffed. “It’s a little late for that.”
“Please don’t say that.”
“Oh, now that I’ve finally got your message, you’ve changed your mind?”
“I was wrong, Sam. But I was hurting and I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
Devon ran his hand through his stupid, perfect hair. “I know. I was being an idiot, okay?”
“And you’re not anymore?”
“Some thing’s have changed.”
“Oh really? Like what? You’re no longer an idiot?”
“I’m trying not to be”
“I’m sorry, but it’s not enough.”
“But—”
“No! Did you not tell me you loved me and change your mind? Did you not tell me to leave you alone? And that people only date me to get back at you? Did you not leave me alone in a hospital?”
“Sam, no!”
“Devon. You apologized. I don’t forgive you. Now please leave.”
“But I need you, Sam. What happened to always being there for each other?”
“That ended when you let your friends drug me and abandon me in a hospital.”
“I didn’t let them. And I didn’t leave you. The doctors wouldn’t let me back to see you because I wasn’t family. I was in the waiting room the whole time. Just ask your dad.”
“I don’t care, Devon. You hurt me. And I can’t . . . we can’t go back to how things were before.”
“But you love me.”
Sam’s eyes bulged. “What?”
“I found your notebook. The one you made the list in. And I talked to Megan.”
“Good, then I’m sure she told you she’s the one who made me make the stupid list.”
“Yes, but she said you meant what you wrote.”
“Now you’re turning my last friend against me too?”
“No, Sam. I didn’t know how you felt. It changes things.”
“No it doesn’t. And besides, it was just a stupid list. It didn’t mean anything.”
“Don’t do that, Sam. I know it did. It meant something to me. And Megan said—”
“Despite what Megan thinks,” Sam interrupted. “She doesn’t know everything. I may have thought I loved you. But not anymore and it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m going back to Boston.”
“What? No. You can’t. Sam,” he begged. “This is us. I can’t let you go!”
“What are you going to do? Roofie me again?”
“Sam, please don’t do this. Don’t give up on us.”
“There is no us, Devon!”
“Then don’t give up on me. Just give me another chance. I was hurt and I messed up. Just give me one more chance and I promise I won’t let you down ever again.”
“I can’t, Devon. It’s too late. Ireland was a mistake an
d so was everything that happened with us.”
“Don’t say that, Sam. The way I feel about you is not a mistake. That night in the tent wasn’t a mistake. You know it too. And I know it scares you. It scares me too. But it scares me more to lose you. Don't give up because you're scared to take a risk.”
“I did take a risk, Devon. And it was a mistake.” Tears streamed down her face and Devon moved closer to wipe them away. She cringed when he touched her and he dropped his hand to his lap. “I’m not scared anymore, Devon. I’m not anything. There’s just too many highs and lows. And I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Sam. I’m sorry because I know that this could work and this could be grand. And I know you know it too. We’re so close and you’re just giving up. How can you quit on me when we’ve gone through all of this? We’ve gotten through all the bad stuff. Now it’s time for the good. We’re almost there, Sam.”
“That’s just it, Devon. Almost isn’t enough.”
Devon
Devon didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t catch his breath. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. He was supposed to be able to apologize and win Sam back. It had worked with Zander and Cara. They’d forgiven him. He was finally getting his life back together. He almost felt whole again. He just needed the missing piece. He just needed Sam.
He pushed off of her bed and paced her room, running his fingers through his hair desperately trying to think of anything to make her change her mind. But what else could he say? He’d thrown himself at her mercy. He couldn’t make her want him, no matter how wrong he thought she was.
“Sam, I don’t know what else to say. I’m in love with you. And I’m not gonna stop. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through. But you have to let me make it up to you.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” she said. “Please leave, Devon. I don’t want to have to ask you again.”
He stood open-mouthed staring at her. He was at a loss. He could see her mind was made up as she crossed her arms. He wasn’t going to win any battles today. But that didn’t mean he was giving up. He just needed a new strategy.
“Fine. I’ll leave. But I’m not giving up on us. I love you, Sam.”
The Almost Boyfriend (The Boyfriend Series Book 2) Page 20
