39. Sam

I wake up entwined in Greg's embrace, his arm a comforting weight around me. I press a gentle kiss to his cheek before sliding out of bed, the ankle monitor chafing against my skin as I stand. Despite its necessity, a symbol of my current lack of freedom, it's a constant irritation.

I tread softly down the hall, marveling at the sheer size of Penny's home. It's larger than anything I've ever known and right on the beach.

Entering the kitchen, I'm greeted by the rich aroma of coffee. Already bustling around the coffee machine, Penny moves with an ease around her sleek appliances. "You know you look like mom when you do that," I tell her, watching a wave of surprise wash over her.

"Damn you, Elaine!" Penny yells. "Don't scare me like that."

I'm laughing at her white face as I settle onto a barstool. "Jumpy as always I see." One of my favorite games to play as a kid was sneaking up behind her and seeing how high I could get her to jump. Our mom hated it and called me a ‘wicked child,' but I didn't mind, probably because it was a little true.

Penny, still wearing a slight frown, pours me a mug of coffee and slides it across the counter. The first sip is heavenly, and I moan in delight. "Beans from Costa Rica. Thought it might make you feel more at home," she says.

Overwhelmed by the luxury surrounding me, I have to ask, "Okay, that's it. What in the hell do you do to afford all this?"

As Penny retrieves a tray of muffins from the oven, she shares, "Real estate agent. But I stopped selling homes to focus on Clark. Joshua is a lawyer. His firm is going to work on your case by the way."

"A lawyer?" It's a reminder of my past with Kevin, making me wary.

Penny, setting down plates and distributing muffins, reassures me, "Disgusting men have a myriad of jobs, Elaine. Not every lawyer beats their wife."

The sound of my name from her lips stings. Looking at the plate of muffins, I try to muster the courage to ask for what I want. "Can you call me Sam?"

"Sorry, Sam… Of course. But I'll have to work on it. It's totally weird," Penny says, just as the sound of little feet pattering down the hall catches our attention. Annie bursts into the kitchen, with Greg trailing behind, looking sleep-ruffled and shirtless.

Annie suddenly climbs onto my lap, catching me by surprise. I freeze up, not sure how to react. I had half expected to bribe her with secret candy and maybe toys to get her to like me. She waves me down and whispers in my ear, "He's grumpy." I shoot Greg a questioning look over my shoulder.

He leans in to kiss my cheek, dismissing Annie's claim. "No, I'm not. Annie just jumped on our bed while I was still asleep and hit the wrong spot. I may have let a curse word slip."

Penny and I share a laugh as Greg takes a seat beside us. Penny serves Annie her breakfast, then leans back against the counter, the morning chaos settling into a moment of domestic warmth.

"Miss Annie needs to get ready for school. Momma and Auntie Sam have errands," Penny announces, setting the tone for the morning.

"Who's Auntie Sam?" Annie's curiosity piques as she turns her questioning gaze towards me.

"That's me. I changed my name," I say.

"Why?" Her innocence in the question leaves me searching for words, and I glance at Penny, hoping for backup, but she just shakes her head with a smile.

Greg leans in, swiping a piece of Annie's muffin. "Well, it's like how you like to be called Annie. She likes to be called Sam." His analogy seems to do the trick, and Annie, now somewhat satisfied, swings her legs back and forth, a small smile playing on her lips.

As we continue our breakfast, Penny hustles away with her daughter to get her dressed. Greg and I are left alone in the kitchen, nibbling on the still-warm muffins Penny cooked.

He is uncharacteristically quiet. An unsettling observation in light of everything going on. Through it all, Greg has been vocal about trying to cheer me up. After too long without speaking, I ask, "Greg? Are you okay?"

His brow furrows as he looks at me. "Of course. Why?"

"You're being quiet."

"Am I?" Even the way he said it, I know something serious was on his mind.

"Are you mad?"

He recoiled at the question. "Not at all. If anything, maybe I'm just worried."

"About me?"

"Among other things," he said. I tilt my head. He is being evasive.

With a shove, I push my plate away and brushed the crumbs off my palms. "What other things?"

His shoulders slump a little, and he rubs a hand over his face. "I erm, resigned from my job."

"You what?!" Of all the things he could have said, this was the least expected.

He holds up both hands and looks directly at me. "Now hold on a second, it was either I would get fired or resign. This way, they might not press charges about our relationship."

"Wait, back up. You told them about us?" I can't believe what I am hearing. It was exactly the opposite of what we had been talking about the night before.

He shrugs his shoulders up. "I had to Sam. I'm not an actor. They would have figured it out eventually. It was either not see you till this was over or quit. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not quit for fuck's sake."

Grabbing my hand, he presses a kiss to a knuckle. "You asked me to stay. This was the only way."

As I gazed through the kitchen window, my attention was drawn to the vast expanse of the ocean, its mesmerizing dark blue waters captivating my senses. A pang of guilt began to well up in my stomach. Not only was he giving up his job, but he hadn't even second-guessed his decision for a minute. "I never asked you to quit your job," I finally say quietly.

He laughs. "Before I even knew who you were, I slept with you. Then when I figured it out, I kept seeing you and lied about it. I was gonna be fired if they found out no matter what. Now I can love you without worrying about my job."

At the word love, my face grew warm. Hearing him say it after all, that had happened made my chest churn with warmth. There are words that have been begging to spill out since I first saw him in Mexico City. But I hadn't allowed myself to say it. Fear, distrust, and worry had all been in the way.

But here in my sister's kitchen, with his confession still in the air around them, I knew it was true and took a deep breath. The man had given up everything for me and didn't ask for anything in return. In fact, he knew I would probably be going to jail for murder, yet it hadn't changed his decisions at any junction in their relationship. "Greg?"

He was already looking at me but raised a brow. "Yes?"

"I don't ever want to be apart from you."

"Well, yeah, I kinda figured that out when you begged me to stay last night."

I shake my head, my fingers tightening around his hand with fervent intensity. "Because I love you," I confess, my voice a whisper barely audible over the gentle waves outside.

His laughter fades into the background as his gaze locks with mine. The world seemed to pause around us, the breeze coming in from the open windows carrying a chill with it. My body began to tremble, not just from the temperature of the air but from the weight of my own words, words that had remained unspoken for eight years, words that held the power to change everything between me and Greg.

Not since Kevin have I even considered the idea of love. Maybe even before. I had thought I loved Kevin, but that connection was a mere flickering candle compared to the roaring bonfire with Greg. The desire to constantly be around him, to smell his hair, to know every piece of him, and to see him smile. Even his stinky morning kisses are welcome.

The moisture is building in his eyes, but a slow smile is spreading across his face. "I love you too, Samantha. More than anything," he says, his voice thick with emotion. He maneuvers himself closer, leaning between their barstools, and cradled the back of my head in his hand. His lips found mine in a kiss that stops my trembling immediately. I release his hand, only to move them to caress his face. Light stubble scratched at my palms, tickling the skin. My goofy grin is making all the kissing difficult, but I don't pull away. The moment is too perfect, too beautiful to stop.

When he finally broke it off, his face flushed, but neither of us move away. It was as if he was content to stare into my eyes forever. Breathe the same air and share personal space forever.

But when soft footsteps padded behind us, both Greg and I looked over.

Tilly walked into the room in shorts and a tank top, yawning as she headed straight for the coffee pot.

"Morning, sickos," she says lazily. It took a few moments for her to find the right cabinet with mugs, but she filled her cup and sipped at the warm liquid.

"Why are we sickos?" I ask, finally releasing Greg.

She gestures to us both and raises a single brow. "Affection? Before coffee? It's disturbing." Greg laughs and gets to his feet. I can see that our kiss turned him on, but he discreetly adjusts his pants to hide the evidence. "Can't argue with that. I guess." I hurry off my seat and rush around to Tilly's side. I press a wet kiss on her cheek. "She's just jealous that I love you both, equally."

Tilly stiffens at the word ‘love,' but doesn't comment. She's nearly as afraid of commitment as I used to be. I can only hope she finds something to break the spell of misery like I have. Love does have a way of sneaking up on people. Making them vulnerable when they least expect it in the best way.

Maybe I've been arrested and thrown everyone's lives into chaos, but I know now that I have people in my corner. Friends, family, and now a boyfriend who loves me no matter what I'm accused of. That realization gets Tilly another kiss on the cheek before she can argue.

I know we have a lot to do today, but taking a moment to appreciate what I'm blessed with is important to me. Love and family are suddenly all I need, and I have it in excess.