Page 73 of Just Between Us

Sam’s smile fades in increments, those sky-blue eyes laced with pain.

“This isn’t an ordinary date, is it?”

The bridge of my nose begins to burn before I can stop it. I give him a sad smile and shake my head. “Let’s order first. Then we can talk.”

I signal to Jackson who quickly takes our order and disappears to the kitchen.

My mouth opens to speak, but Sam puts up a hand. “Let me guess. It’s not me, it’s you.”

I guess that’s a cliché for a reason.

Jackson arrives with our drinks, giving me a second to collect my thoughts. Do I just blurt out that unless I can somehow excavate Liam from my mind, I don’t see a future for us? Or that I don’t want to ever shake Liam from my mind. All I keep thinking about is the movieEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. If a memory removal procedure actually existed, I fear I’d be a failed patient.

Then, like he read my mind, Sam says, “It’s that guy from Halloween, isn’t it? Liam?”

“How—why do you ask that?”

Sam takes a deep breath and looks away. “It doesn’t take a genius. At Halloween he was ready to skewer my balls on a stake. But we’ve had a few good dates, so I thought maybe that was a Liam thing and not a Cassie thing. Then at Friendsgiving, I saw the way you two looked at each other.”

I fiddle with my straw wrapper, curling and uncurling it around my finger. “I think I’ve been lying to myself about some things. And please don’t take this personally. I have truly enjoyed our time together. You’re one of the kindest men I think I’ve ever known.”

In the silence that follows, I work up the courage to look up.

Sam’s jaw is working, brow furrowed. “But I’m not him.”

Biting down on my lower lip, I nod.

Abruptly, Sam slides from the booth and stands. “I should go.” He fumbles for his wallet and flings some bills onto the table.

“Wait, Sam. Is that it?” I realize my voice has risen when people in the diner look my way. “You’re just gonna leave?” I say, more softly.

“Cassie, I can’t see any scenario where Liam doesn’t break your heart. But I also can’t sit across from you, eat dinner with you, and pretend this is all hunky dory.”

“Sam…” I start, but my words trail off. I can’t force him to stay if he doesn’t want to.

“Don’t, Cassie.” Sam pinches the bridge of his nose and looks to the ceiling just as Jackson arrives with our order.

Jackson looks bewildered, his head on a swivel from me to Sam, then starts taking slow backward steps.

“I’ll come back in a minute.”

Sam turns to leave, but at the last second he pauses and turns back to me. “You’re beautiful and smart and fun to be around. Much too smart to fool yourself into thinking you can fix him.”

Okie dokie. So Sam does have some bite to him. And his shot hit its mark right where it hurts.

Rolling my lips, I look at my hands, turning Sam’s words over in my mind. I hate to admit it but he’s right. Because isn’t that the same thing I did with Alan? I knew he had flaws, and when I wasn’t looking past them, I was convinced I could fix them.

But Liam isn’t my next project to fix. Is he? I put a pin in this thought for later.

“I think you’re right. You should go.” I bite out, and Sam crosses the diner and he’s out the door.

As soon as he’s gone, Jackson returns with my food.

“So, I take it things are not going well with pretty boy?”

I huff a laugh. “That’s one way to put it. I just ended things.”

“Uh, yeah. That much was obvious. He didn’t take it well?”