In Your Arms

by Becky Andrews

  “Sam! Wait!” Phillip shouted after her. She turned around to see Phillip running to catch up to her. “Why’d you leave?”

  “You and Tracy, you were fighting. It wasn’t any of my business.”

  “I can still come over, though, right?”

  “Of course.” What was going on? What had happened in the classroom? “Did anything happen, back there, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “No it’s fine. I just saw Tracy with Mr. Stevens. I mean Tracy and Mr. Stevens were kissing.”

  “What?” Sam tried to act like she didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t need to know she already knew.

  “Yeah, they were kissing. Apparently this has been going on this past year. We broke up,” he said bluntly, his pain clear to see.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. But she didn’t really mean it. He was far too good for that bitch.

  “It’s okay. I mean I don’t really feel like it was such a big deal. Tracy was beginning to get on my nerves anyway. I was planning on breaking up with her, I just didn’t know the right time.”

  “So you don’t mind that you two broke up?”

  “No, not really. I’m rather relieved that it’s over. I hated pretending.”

  “Pretending?”

  “Yeah, I mean when we first were going out, it was fine, but lately, the last year, it’s just felt like we were together because of social expectations.”

  “But now you’re free. I mean free from those social expectations.”

  “Yes, I guess so. Are you ready?” he asked as they finally walked out into the parking lot. “Oh, this is yours, I believe.” Phillip extended the Pre-cal book to Sam.

  “You got my book?”

  “That’s what we were there for, right?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t think…” Sam took the book. “Thanks.”

  “My pleasure,” Phillip said. “I’ll follow you, right?”

  “Yeah” Sam opened her car door while Phillip walked off to his car. She managed to wait until she was sure he couldn’t see her to give a little victory cheer. Phillip was finally single. She didn’t know what that meant for her, but she couldn’t help but be thrilled.

  * * *

  “Benjamin should be in his room,” Sam said as they walked up the stairs. “I’ll be just a minute, you go and say hello,” She walked into her room and shut the door, only to hear Benjamin shout Phillip’s name. She smiled and walked over to her window, opening it.

  It wasn’t hard for Sam to get Alex’s attention since her desk faced the window.

  “Hey, why aren’t you over here?” Alex asked.

  “Did you get my text?”

  Alex looked down at her phone then held it up. “Now I did. What’s this about?”

  “Phillip is over here, playing with Benjamin,” Sam said.

  “Oh, okay, so you’re not coming over. That’s fine, I’m talking with Michael anyway.”

  “I figured you were talking to him.” Sam smiled.

  “Hey, what happened to your cheek?”

  “Oh, that was Tracy. She slapped me, twice!”

  “And you let her! If I was there, I would have grabbed her by the hair and swung her into the wall then put her face in the water fountain, messing up her makeup.” Alex smiled mischievously.

  “Okay, well, I saw Phillip watching and couldn’t retaliate. That would have made me just as bad as her. I mean, I did insult her, which was the reason she slapped me…” Sam trailed off then changed the subject. “So we’ll meet up at the rink then?”

  “Yeah, sure, about sevenish?”

  “Sounds great. I’ll talk to you later, Alex, I have to cover up this mark before my mother sees it, or worse, Benjamin. He’ll blab it to anyone who walks into his room.”

  “Yikes, yeah, better cover that thing up. See you later,” Alex said as she shut her window.

  Sam did the same then made her way over to her mirror and began to apply cover up to her cheek. After it was completely hidden, Sam opened her door and made her way across the hall, only to find Benjamin and Phillip building a fortress out of toy Lego bricks.

  “What are you guys doing?” Sam asked as she walked in.

  “We are building a fortress, Sammy!” Ben exclaimed.

  “Oh, I see. Can I help?” she asked as she sat down on the ground next to Phillip.

  “I see you were able to cover up the—” Phillip pointed to her cheek.

  “Shh.” Sam lightly shoved Phillip. “I don’t want,” she pointed to Benjamin, “to know. He blabs everything.”

  “I believe it.” Phillip gave her a very telling smile.

  “What? What did he say?” Sam asked, dread building in the pit of stomach. She suddenly remembered telling her little brother he should ask Phillip why he didn’t like her. Oh god! She never should have sent him in here alone.

  “Nothing, why would you ask that?”

  “Because you have this goofy-looking smile on your face, which can only mean that he told you something.”

  “No, he told me nothing,” Phillip claimed with a laugh.

  “Benjamin,” Sam said, getting his attention. “Did you tell Phillip anything?”

  While Sam was looking at Benjamin, Benjamin looked toward Phillip, who was slowly shaking his head. “Uh….”

  “Did you say anything to him you shouldn’t have?” she demanded.

  Phillip continued to shake his head and mouthed “no” to Benjamin.

  “Uh no, I didn’t tell him anything,” Benjamin tried to lie.

  Phillip smiled and turned to look at Sam, “See, nothing. Why, does he know something that you don’t want me to know?”

  “No, of course not.” Sam blushed then quickly turned back to the blocks and began helping them build the fortress. Benny had obviously told him what she’d said about her liking Phillip but him not liking her.

  “You’re wrong,” Phillip said quietly, after a few minutes. “I do like you, Sam. I like you a lot.”

  She glanced up at him, heat flushing her face. “I like you too, Phillip. I always have.”

  He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it tightly, before returning his attention to the Legos.

  * * *

  After dinner, Sam and Phillip walked back upstairs. “We can go in a bit, I just have to get my stuff,” Sam said.

  “No problem. As long as you don’t mind stopping at my house first.”

  “Sure, that’s fine.”

  Sam walked into her room and began to rummage through her closet for her scarf and gloves. After finding them, she turned to see Phillip sitting at the desk, looking at the picture he’d drawn for her, which she’d tacked up on her bulletin board.

  “So you’ve put it up there,” Phillip said with a smile.

  “Well, Benjamin wanted me to put it up along with his, so I did. He hasn’t let me take it down.”

  “I’m beginning to really like your brother,” Phillip joked.

  Sam smiled. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Sam and Phillip made their way back downstairs. “Thank you, again, for a wonderful meal, Mrs. Baker,” Phillip said.

  “It was my pleasure. I hope you two have fun. Don’t break anything,” Sam’s mom said as they opened the door.

  “Bye, Sammy. Bye, Phillip,” Benjamin called out to them.

  “Bye, Benny. I’ll be back to tuck you in later,” Sam said as they made their way to Phillip’s car.

  “So you sure it’s okay if we stop by my house?” Phillip asked.

  “Yeah, no problem,” she said as they got into Phillip’s car. “I mean I’ve never been to your house, so it would be interesting to see what it’s like.”

  “It’s not that much different from yours.”

  “Come on, Phillip, you drive a Mercedes SUV and you’re telling me that your house isn’t much different from mine. And who drives a Mercedes SUV, anyway?”

  “I know, it’s dorky, but it comes in handy when I have to cart around the other guys. Besides, my parents bough
t it for me, I didn’t choose it.”

  “Sure, you didn’t,” Sam joked. “So what did you really want?”

  “I really wanted a BMW Z4 Coupe,” Phillip said as he pulled into a driveway, stopping at the gate.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Corinodi,” said a man at the guard post.

  “Hey, Bob. Have a good night,” Phillip said as the gate opened.

  “You too, sir,” Bob said as they drove inside the premises.

  “Sir?” Sam laughed.

  “I’ve tried to tell him to just call me Phillip, but he never listens to me.”

  “You have your own guard post and you’re telling me that our houses are similar,” Sam said.

  “Well, okay, not so much similar—” Phillip said, cut off by Sam’s very audible gasp.

  Sam stared at his house. Not even a house, more like a mansion. It was beautiful and magnificent. How much money did he have? Correction, how much money did his parents make? The driveway pulled around in a circle, and the garage, or at least Sam thought it was the garage, was located on the right. A pathway leading to the large front porch was surrounded with a beautiful landscape of flowers and bushes. Sam could hardly believe it.

  “Your father’s job pays well?” Sam asked as they made their way to the front door.

  Phillip laughed. “Yeah. That’s why he took the promotion. I’m sort of glad, though.”

  “Glad? Because you like the security your wealth provides you?”

  “No, because it brought us here, and if he hadn’t taken the job, I never would have gone to Birchwood and I never would have met you.”

  Sam blushed as she made her way inside, but could hardly remember what Phillip had just said when she saw the beauty and grandeur of the house. The staircases started on the right and left and led to an upper balcony that wrapped around the whole second floor, leading to different wings in the house.

  “Feel free to look around, no one’s home. I’ll just be a minute,” Phillip said as he walked up the right staircase, which Sam assumed led to his room. Sam stepped down into the main lobby, which also had multiple rooms situated around the perimeter. Sam began to go around and peek through each door. One led to a magnificent dining room with a long table. There was a door in the back Sam assumed led to the kitchen. Sam didn’t want to venture in, and instead continued on to see what else each door hid. The next led to a living room equipped with a theater system. Surround sound, leather couches, bookshelves and an entertainment system that held hundreds of CDs and DVDs and a large flat screen TV. The last door she opened revealed a grand piano in the middle of the room, surrounded by recording equipment, computers, and other musical instruments.

  Sam walked inside the room and sat down on the beautiful black bench in front of the piano. She opened the cover and touched her fingers to the keys as she got a feel for what it would sound like. She slowly began to play a few notes, piecing them into a short melody.

  “A woman of many talents,” Phillip said, walking toward the piano.

  Sam stopped playing and quickly got up from the bench. She laughed. “I don’t know what you heard, but that was not up to par. I haven’t played in a couple of weeks.”

  “I didn’t hear anything that wasn’t amazing. You should come over here sometime and play on it. We have our own recording equipment and a program that creates sheet music to whatever you play.”

  “High tech.” Sam smiled.

  “Yeah, I’m not even sure why my parents bought all of this stuff,” he said, sounding a bit embarrassed.

  “No one plays an instrument in your house?”

  “No, I play the guitar, but no one plays the piano. My mother is trying to learn, but you know how that one will turn out.”

  Sam laughed. “Maybe I’ll take you up on it then.”

  “You ready to go?” Phillip said as he opened the door that led to the lobby.

  “Yeah, you have an amazing house. I mean there are so many rooms,” she babbled.

  “Well, it gets kind of lonely sometimes, especially when my father’s out of town on business,” he said as they made their way to the front door.

  “I’ll just have to come over more often,” Sam said daringly.

  Chapter Nine

  “You’re late,” Alex said when Sam and Phillip arrived at the ice rink.

  “I know. Phillip had to go to his house to get some stuff,” Sam said apologetically.

  “Sorry, I was the one who made her late,” Phillip said, walking up behind Sam.

  “Go get some skates, you two. We’ll meet you on the ice,” Alex said, standing up in her ice skates. Alex took hold of Michael’s hands and both made their way to one of the openings that led to the rink.

  Sam and Phillip walked over to the skate rentals and asked for the appropriate sizes.

  “I can pay,” Sam said.

  “It’s my treat,” he said as they walked back over to one of the benches and began to put on their skates.

  “So you skate well?” Sam asked.

  “Why?”

  “I’m just wondering, because if you’re good, then I won’t feel too bad leaving you behind in the dust.” Sam smiled.

  “And if I’m not good, if I’m a beginner?”

  “Then you’ll have to learn fast,” Sam said as she glided out onto the ice.

  “Well, I have to tell you something then, I’m not very good.”

  “Don’t worry,” Sam said, skating back over to the entrance. “I won’t leave you in the dust, I’ll help you first.” She smiled. “But before I can do anything, you actually have to get out onto the ice, Phillip.”

  “I’ve been on the ice before, just not in a long time.”

  “You’ll get used to it. Now take my hand, and I’ll help you around the rink,” Sam said, extending her hand.

  He took hold of Sam’s hand and stepped onto the ice. He continued to hold onto the side of the wall as he slowly made his way around the rink.

  “First time?” Alex asked before passing Sam and Phillip. She was still holding Michael’s hand.

  Phillip grimaced at Alex’s back, and Sam laughed.

  There weren’t too many people at the skating rink, mostly parents with their children.

  “Having fun yet?” Sam asked.

  “Um yeah,” Phillip said, an obvious lie.

  “No, you’re not, your hesitation says it all.” Sam grinned up at Phillip.

  “No really, I’m having fun, as long as I’m with you.” He smiled back at her.

  Sam looked down at Phillip’s feet. “It looks like you’re starting to get the hang of it.”

  Sam continued to guide Phillip around until he took over and began to lead Sam. “I told you I’d remember.”

  “Okay, then, let’s see who can get to the entrance over there the fastest.” Sam pointed.

  “All right. Go!” Phillip shouted as he took off.

  “Cheater!” Sam yelled as she made a dash after him. Sam continued to gain speed on him until they were neck and neck.

  “You are pretty good at this,” Phillip said, looking at Sam, “but too bad I’m faster!” Phillip passed Sam as he made his way to the entrance.

  “You’re a cheater.” Sam smiled as she skated up to Phillip, panting, out of breath.

  “Well, just a little,” he said, his own breath uneven. “I lied when I said I hadn’t skated in a while.”

  “You did, did you?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not sorry I did it,” Phillip said.

  “Why?” Sam asked.

  “Because it gave me a reason to hold your hand.”

  Sam blushed as she looked up at Phillip, not looking away this time. “Well, if we’re divulging secrets, then I better tell you something.”

  “What?” Phillip asked softly.

  “I knew that you were faking it, and that you knew how to skate,” Sam said, her smile growing bigger.

  “And you didn’t tell me?” Phillip asked.

  “No, because I wanted to hold your hand too
,” Sam said.

  She turned her head, focusing on the skaters on the ice. She couldn’t believe she had just told Phillip she wanted to hold his hand. She looked away before she could see his reaction, but he had told her the same thing. Phillip had wanted to hold her hand. It may have been a small symbol to other people, but to her it felt so intimate. Looking across the rink, she noticed Michael and Alex sitting down on one of the benches.

  “Look, there’s Michael and Alex.” Sam pointed, changing the subject.

  Sam and Phillip walked over to the bench where Michael and Alex were sitting.

  “You tired?” Sam asked Michael skeptically.

  “Yeah, if you can believe it? She can be pretty forceful on the ice.” He pointed at Alex.

  “Oh, I believe it,” Sam said. “This one time, when we were younger, there was this group of small kids who were huddled at one part of the rink and Alex—”

  “Okay, Sam, no one needs to hear this story,” Alex said loudly, cutting her off.

  “No, I think I want to hear it,” Phillip said.

  “Me too,” Michael added.

  “Samantha Baker, don’t you dare tell the rest of that story,” Alex said commandingly.

  “All right, geesh! Whenever you use my full name, I know I better not do it,” Sam said.

  “Ready to skate some more?” Alex asked Michael.

  Michael had a pained expression as he slowly followed Alex back onto the ice.

  “I guess he’s still tired,” Sam laughed as she sat on the now vacated bench. Phillip followed and sat down next to Sam.

  “So what really happened to those kids?” Phillip asked.

  “Huh? Oh, I can’t tell you,” Sam answered.

  “I won’t say anything. I won’t even tell Michael.”

  “No,” Sam laughed, “did you see the look she gave me? Besides, she would know I told you.”

  “How?”

  “Just trust me, she would know.”

  “So you knew I was faking?” Phillip asked.

  “Yeah.” Sam gave him a calculating look. “You didn’t need my help when you stepped on the ice.”

  “That’s it?”