a clear view

How was this even possible?

Well, Jude didn't think it would last.

Of course, no one told him anything. He knew Samantha should be with him by now. But she wasn't. No, she was with that guy who used to work at the library. Sky. The guy who lived down the hall from him at the boarding house.

It left a bad taste in Jude's mouth. He could have swore they might be siblings, but then again, they giggled too much around each other. They were in the livingroom watching TV while Jude hung back to dry dishes after supper.

 Funny, he'd liked that miserable look of hers. Now, she looked foreign to him. Ghastly, in fact.

He snarled his nose up.

"What's wrong?" Alo wanted to know.

"Nothing." Jude would try to relax his face, but it felt impossible in the presence of Sam and Sky. He wanted to believe it was purely platonic. He didn't take her for a girl who was that free. Of course, Jude was full of envy. How could Sky bounce back like that? After giving up a girl, Sky was bound to marry. Josie.

It just wasn't fair. If only he could sabotage this, but they might as well be glued at the hip.

[I KNOW WHAT YOU DID WITH CONNOR]

Samantha never showed Sky the text. She deleted it. She didn't want to see it again. She didn't want anyone to tell her what she'd done wrong.

After all, Sky was comforting with a certain kind of confidence she didn't know he conspired. He was like a breath of fresh air and she'd let him wrap his arms around her. And yes, it was warm and cozy. She didn't feel she'd found a stranger, but someone she'd missed for so long.

Oh, she'd been smitten the first time she saw him at the library. But Sky had a girlfriend then. And she'd noticed how he was with Josie. Sam guessed she didn't deserve that.

They were such good friends. Sammie always felt as if she needed to be considerate and kind to Josie because it was like they were an extension of each other, Sky and Josie. She admired that. She wanted to learn from it. Of course, Sam didn't know how. After all, she'd been part of the audience then. She hadn't seen a complete picture.

"But you two were good for each other." She told him in the car that day when he found her, not so long, after she got the mysterious text about Connor.

"I bet you say that to everyone." He smiled at her as if he knew what a kind person she was. "It started as a favor," Sky explained about this guy(someone who worked at the library before Samantha started working there) who used to date Josie... went into the Army. "And well, I dunno, it had been awhile since I..I'd been seeing anyone. I mean..I..I respected her..so much. I did. I still do."

She'd watched his shaggy dark locks fall in his face, but she wanted to see his eyes. They were brilliant.

"Look, nothing..is ever..really perfect." He told her, but Samantha went home with him, anyway.

Well, of course, she had sex with him. Nothing was going to keep her down. And it felt like the first time, but way better because, of course, she knew what she was doing now. She didn't know what to do with Jared (Connor's older brother) on that Homecoming night, so long ago.

It was as if he'd ripped her heart out then. Jared was swift. Almost a beast. Only she didn't complain. She probably should have.

But this was different with Sky.

Sky was thicker with brawn, yet he was a big cuddle bear who'd kissed her forehead long after and held her as if he were a constant anchor she could lean on.

Oh, she wasn't going to question it. No, she was going to live her own movie. And it wasn't going to be a horror film.