Epilogue – Part 1
Four Years Later…
Sammy's POV
I had cleaned the apartment from top to bottom, made the dinner and done the last of my assignments but he still wasn't home. I tapped my fingernails nervously on the breakfast bar and watched the clock slowly tick away. Where was he?
Finally, deciding that staring at the clock wasn't going to make him come home, I sat on the couch after switching on the television. Flicking through the channels, I found nothing that could keep my attention and my eyes wondered back towards the door. I checked my cell phone, but the screen showed no missed calls or messages.
After what seemed a lifetime, I heard a clear, male voice singing to himself and the thud of the front door being pushed open. "Hey Sammy, I'm Ho-OOF! What the fuck…Why is there a huge bag in the doorway?" Kyle appeared in the living room, holding an oversized, stuffed bear wearing my favourite football team jersey. He stuck out his arms towards me. "Happy Anniversary!" He smiled obviously pleased with himself and kissed me swiftly on the cheek.
His smiled wavered as he noticed my expression. "Is something wrong? I know I'm late and everything, but I had to get the bear. I'm sorry, don't you like it?"
"You didn't wake me up this morning." My voice was deadly calm and slightly eerie but couldn't let him catch on.
"Aw man, I knew I should have, but you've been having trouble sleeping for a couple of days and I thought you deserved a lie in," he said grinning sheepishly.
"I deserved a lie in? Tell that to my tutor. My assignment was late. That's five points down the drain Kyle!" I snapped, before walking into the kitchen and pouring myself a glass of water. Kyle followed close behind.
"Why are you being so anal? You are talking about five points out of a hundred and fifty." He had slammed the bear on the counter and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets.
"It's not just about the assignment. You didn't do the dishes like I asked." I downed the whole glass in one.
"Okay. Fine I'll do them," he tried to compromise.
"Does it look like there are any left? I did them this morning. I can't do this anymore Kyle. I'm leaving." I gulped not looking him in the eyes.
"Leaving? For how long? Couldn't you go after dinner? I have a restaurant booked and everything. It's your favourite one." He seemed thoroughly confused, which made what I was about to do even harder.
My eyes glazed over with tears but I made sure to not let them fall. "I can't come to the restaurant. I'm leaving this apartment. I'm going to go stay with Lou's sister for a while. She lives here in New York and then I don't know. Maybe go back home?" I took a deep breath and held it, waiting for him to explode, but it never came.
He became quiet and lowered himself onto one of the dining room chairs. "So you're trying to say you're leaving me?"
Even though I swallowed more times than I could count, a large lump still remained in my throat. I didn't trust myself not to crack if I spoke so I just nodded.
His face screwed up in pain. "Can I ask why?"
I sat myself down opposite him and linked my hands on my lap. "It's just not working Kyle."
Anger flashed in his eyes. "Not working? I know that we've been a little off with each other for a couple of weeks, but I just thought that with the amount of work we were doing-" He didn't finish his sentence and rubbed his forehead with his left hand.
I stared at him in silence while he looked away. I wanted so much to take back my words and tell him that I wanted to stay. But I knew I couldn't. His dark hair had flopped slightly as he ran his hands through it. I noticed it was slightly damp from the rain, which took me back to the day we got together in the park. He had grown slightly taller since then and he wasn't as clean-shaven as he was. He had forgotten to shave that morning, not that I minded. I always liked him better like that.
I could feel my heart pounding against my ribcage but I knew better than to tell him why.
"Does the fact that I love you mean nothing anymore? We're been together for four years. Four years Sammy! Why now? Why over something so petty? We've had tons of arguments before, why walk out now?" His voice rose with every sentence.
He was completely justified with his questions. How could a small row over the washing up cause me to react so dramatically? But I was damned if I was going to tell him the truth. I just bow my head in shame and sniffed slightly. I could feel my cheeks becoming damp.
"How are you even crying? You're the one breaking up with me! You have no right to be upset. Fuck it Sammy! I just want an explanation!" He slammed his fist onto the dining table and swore loudly.
"I can't give you one." My voice was so hoarse and soft that I wasn't even sure that he could hear me.
He nodded sarcastically. "Wow. You really know how to screw a guy up don't you? Do you just not care anymore? Did I do something to make you stop loving me? Because that's essentially the reason. You've stopped loving me. I'm right aren't I?" He stared hard until I lifted my face to meet his.
"Kyle I…" I swallowed trying to keep the fresh flow of tears down. I tried to cup his face in my hands. He looked so helpless that I didn't know if I could do it. He winced as I touched him and I retracted my hand.
"Actually, I don't want to here you say it." Kyle laughed bitterly. "Well I did tell Danny that this anniversary was going to be one to remember." He walked to the bedroom and slammed the door, but seconds later he came out, throwing a small parcel onto the breakfast counter. "That's your real present. Happy Anniversary," he said sourly before retreating again.
I waited a while before curiosity got the better of me. Creeping up to the box I glanced at it before hesitating. Was it right for me to open it if I was going to leave? But I decided to just have a look. It wasn't as if I was going to take it. As I prised the lid open, I gasped at what I found inside. "Fuck me," I whispered to myself.
Why did Kyle have to complicate things every time?
Anger bubbled inside me as I strode to the bedroom door.
I exploded. "WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BUY ME AN ENGAGEMENT RING!"
Kyle's POV
"Excuse me?" I found myself saying.
"WHERE DO YOU GET OFF BUYING ME AN ENGAGEMENT RING?" I couldn't believe it. She was actually pissed.
"What do you want me to do, apologise for wanting to marry you?" I could hear the sarcasm dripping out of my mouth. "Obviously it was a stupid thought on my part." She hadn't entered the room yet, so we were talking with the door between us.
"Now you're saying you don't want to marry me? Ever?" She asked softly, slightly hurt. That made me sneer. She was acting hurt? After the stunt that she was pulling?
I heard myself repeating the line I had said four years ago to that day. "Not unless you become pretty and act like Candice." I tried to say it with malice but it turned out to be as equally as, if not more hurt then her tone.
I could hear her laugh behind the door and cursed myself for making her. She had no right to be happy after saying that she wanted to break up with me with no warning. It was not fair.
"Whatever," I sulked.
There was a long pause in which both of us remained silent. I could hear her breathing deep breaths but it was clear that she didn't know what to say. After all, what more could she say? "Why are you still here Sammy? Shouldn't you have taken your things and left by now? Or are you getting a kick out of this?"
She raised her voice. "For your information, I just wanted to say I hate you."
That made me angry. "HATE ME? That's just the icing on the cake isn't it? Pray tell, why do you hate me?"
"Because you are making this the hardest thing that I've ever had to do." She sniffled.
"WELL I'M SO SORRY! HOW CAN I MAKE THIS EASIER FOR YOU? HOLD THE FUCKING DOOR AS YOU WALK OUT OF HERE? FUCK YOU SAMMY!" I was thunderous. I needed her to leave. To leave me alone so I could get on with my life. "Just go Sammy." I could hear my voice crack at the end willing myself to mask how much she was actually hurting me.
I punched the wall in frustration though my punch bag was right there in the room with me. I felt the pain shoot up my arm and winced.
I hear her shuffling. "Do you remember that song? The one that you sang in front of the whole auditorium?"
SHE WAS STILL STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR! I leant against the door and slid to the floor burying my face in my hands.
"Do you remember how the first bit went?"
I didn't feel that she deserved a response so I didn't say anything. Even so, I was slightly curious as to what she was getting at.
""You said it's over, I said that's ok, I wasn't in to you anyway. I told you lately you irritate me your laugh is too loud. You're the…You're the". Crap, I don't know how the last bit goes. But my point is that you should be saying all this stuff to me. Hurt me back like I'm hurting you. Believe me I deserve it."
I sang the last line gently back at her. "You're the last girl that I'd look at if you were in a crowd."
She seemed confused. "What?"
"That's the last bit. "You're the last girl that I'd look at if you were in a crowd."" I explained. My fingers were swelling and I badly needed some ice. I took a deep breath before opening the door.
Sammy was standing with her forehead against the door so when I yanked the door open she tumbled into my arms. For a split second I felt her relax but as soon as she got her senses back she stood up, smiled slightly and moved out of my way.
I couldn't look at her. "You do know that the other parts of the song are; "Telling the truth is easier said than done. Don't leave baby, now that's what I meant to say.""
"Don't say that." She saw my knuckles and raised her eyebrows at me before taking the ice pack out of my hand and lightly placing it on the painful area.
I was too drained to feel much at that point but still make a biter comment. "Too bad that they don't make these for the heart."
"Kyle…" She sighed, obviously tired from all the arguing as well.
"Sorry." I apologised not knowing exactly what I was apologising for.
Again we fell back into the silence.
But soon I couldn't handle it. I just needed to know. "Is there someone else?"
She put the ice pack down and blew on my knuckles. I shivered. "Kind of."
"Kind of?" I repeated. How could you kind of be seeing someone else?
"Well technically yes."
I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me, but I remained poker-faced and nodded. I pursed my lips together before asking another question. "How long has it been going on?"
"A couple of weeks. Kyle you don't have-" She started to say something else but I wanted to know.
I pressed on. "Do you love them more than you love me?"
"I love you both. Just in different ways." I could see she was crying but I still wanted to know one more thing.
"Do you think they can make you happy?"
She nodded before sobbing.
I got up. "Looks like you made your choice. Don't let me stop you." I headed back towards the settee and pretended to be absorbed in The Power Rangers.
"Kyle, Look, I-" I knew that she was trying to explain but I just couldn't handle it anymore.
"NO! You look. I was going to propose to you tonight. I wanted you to be my wife! That is how I imagined our life. You, me and our kids. So don't give me any bull about how it just happened. I didn't think for one second that you would be unfaithful to me."
Sammy was red in the face. "I've never been unfaithful to you! How could you even think that?"
"So how do you explain this mystery other person?" I was practically screaming into her face. So much for being too drained. "WELL?"
She screamed back with as much effort. "I'M PREGNANT!"
"EXACTLY! SO YOU JUST WALTZED INTO BED-" I halted in the middle of my rant as I realised what she had just said.
I stared at her in disbelief with my jaw nearly touching the floor. "WHAT!"
Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh shit. I'm so sorry. I wasn't going to tell you. I found out a couple of days ago. I knew that I couldn't let you ruin your life-"
"You're pregnant with my baby? How gone are you?" It was a surreal moment.
She just carried on. "And I know that I'm only twenty two but I'm not like Maddie, I couldn't just abort our child. And it wouldn't be fair on you. It's your job to being enjoying life, not being a dad."
I tried to get a word in. "But-"
She continued to ramble on, and try and explain as if she hadn't heard me. "You haven't even played the field since high school and I don't want you to stay with me just because I'm having your baby. Because that's the kind of thing you would do. Sacrifice your own happiness and I won't let you do that. So if I left, yeah you would be hurt for a while, but you're a hot guy. Someone like you will find another girl in no time. And I know that I'm being selfish but I really want to keep the baby. That way even if I'm not with you I get to have a little part of you." I could see the tears starting to fall as she slumped down onto the settee. "I'm so sorry Kyle, but please let me do this."
I knelt down in front of her and cupped her face so that she was looking straight into my eyes. "I was going to propose to you. You don't get married to some random girl. And I don't want to play the field. I love you. I wanted to have kids with you one day. So what if it's a bit sooner than I planned."
She let out a sob. "Kyle we can't support a baby."
My sarcasm came out once again. "So you are saying that you by yourself can support a baby but not both of us together? That's a bit stupid." I chuckled slightly.
"This is not funny Kyle! I have to go. Lou's sister will be here to pick me up soon." She got up, walked towards the door and grabbed hold of one of the larger cases.
I rushed forward and took it out of her hand. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You can't lift that. You're pregnant for crying out loud."
"Only three and a half weeks! You can't tell me what to do!" She tried to grab the case but failed.
"Want to bet? There is no way you're going to Lou's sister's house." I put the bag down.
"So what do you suggest I do?" I was quite amused by her scowling facial expression.
"Stay here. Marry me. Bring up the baby together." I shrugged making it sound so simple.
"You haven't proposed to me yet dumbass."
I rolled my eyes. "I gave you an engagement ring didn't I?"
Sammy crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not the same as proposing."
"Well, that's all your going to get."
"FINE!" She huffed and walked back to the bedroom.
I paused a while wondering what had just happened. "You are going to marry me, right?" I checked just in case.
"Does it look like I have a choice?"
I smiled widely and strolled in after her. "Nope." Looking around I heard her running the bath. "Just for the record, is having sex whilst pregnant is still okay?"
The door opened and a loofah was thrown at my head before it slammed shut again. I grinned like an idiot, flopped onto the bed and sighed happily.
Just as I was about to fall sleep, I heard Sammy's voice. "The waters getting cold. Hurry up and bring the loofah with you."
I didn't need to be told twice.
Another seven months later…
It was too soon. She still had another month to go. We'd always been so careful.
The baby was coming. There was no doubt about it. Her waters had broken in the middle of a lecture and I had rushed to the hospital as soon as I had found out.
I cursed myself for not taking more care. I shouldn't have let her go to lectures. I should have forced her to go to all the ultrasounds. But no, she wanted the baby to be a surprise! And I stupidly went along with it.
FUCK! She was squeezing my hand so tight. I tried to be as useful as possible. "Breathe. Come on, Sammy. Breathe with me."
Her face was twisted in agony. "You tell me to breathe one more time Kyle, I swear I'll knock you out. AAAAGGGGHHHHH" She stopped with the threats as another contraction surfaced.
I could feel my fingers throbbing in pain but I tried not to show it.
"We are never having anymore children. EVER! If you even dare to come near me with that thing of yours again, I will rip it out! RIP IT OUT KYLE!" She screamed into my left ear.
I gulped. Did she really mean that? I looked up at the midwife who shook her head as if to say she'd see and heard this all before. But that did nothing to reassure me. This was Sammy we were talking about.
"Fuck! I feel so undignified. My legs are wide open, and basically anyone can see up there! And then I'm meant to be squeezing a baby out of my thingy! A whole BABY! I'M NEVER HAVING SEX AGAIN!"
I definitely couldn't feel my fingers anymore. I was glad when the doctor came in, looked at the chart and called me outside for a minute.
I clenched and unclenched my hand making sure the fingers weren't broken. "I'll be back in a minute."
Sammy actually screeched. "Kyle, I've your not back in one minute I swear-"
I cut her off. I was getting tired of playing the devoted husband. "You'll do what? You've already threatened to rip my balls out. Shut up and deal with it. You wanted to keep the baby!" I kissed her on her forehead and strolled out of the room.
"I SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!" She yelled.
I smiled sheepishly at the doctor. "So what can I do you for?"
His face was like stone and I felt myself go cold. "Mr Collins, there has been a complication with your wife's pregnancy."
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