Nick blew out a breath and shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He and Sam were nothing more than… well hell if he knew what they were. He did love her, he always did, but not the way his mother was talking about. There wasn’t a noble bone in his body. A noble man doesn’t screw his friend’s sister after he died, to ease his own fucking pain. Nick was far from noble. In fact his mother was right. If he had stayed in Riverdale he would’ve screwed everything up with Sam eventually, losing the only family he’s ever known. The hard truth was that if he stayed now, the same thing would end up happening and on the heels of Jake’s death to boot.
“I know what I saw Nick. I am a lot of things, but na?ve is not one of them. I want you to know that you are good enough. I’m proud of you because you are a man who goes after what you want, and there is nothing more, noble than that. I may not have had anything to do with you becoming the man in front of me, but I am proud of what I see.”
She wiped away at her tears and stood up. She smiled softly at Nick, as he looked away trying to hide the lone tear that had escaped his eyes. He may never agree with her reasoning, but a small part of him understood it. She was just another damaged soul.
“Just one more thing, before I leave.” She reached into her purse and placed a small black box on his desk.
He looked at the box, and his gut clenched. He inhaled sharply.
“What is it?”
He leaned over the desk, his fingers almost afraid to touch it, like it would burn them.
“Open it.” She whispered. He glanced up at her for a moment before staring back at the little black box. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as his fingers opened the velvet box slowly. He gasped, staring down at a beautiful solitaire diamond ring. His eyes looked up at her questioning.
“It was your grandmothers. Did you know they met right before your grandfather went to war?” She smiled, and as she told him the story, he could almost picture his grandmother telling it. “They had been childhood friends, I think they were neighbors, I’m not sure. When your grandfather enlisted in the army, he was eighteen, your grandmother sixteen. He left to go overseas and she waited for him. He came home years later and proposed to her with that ring.” She smiled and pointed to the box. “Your grandparents had a lot of love for each other, and a beautiful marriage. When, you find yourself ready, it’s yours if you wish to use it. I just wanted you to have it.”
Nick stared at the ring, and in that instant, he pictured Sam wearing it. Like a flash of lightning, he saw their future before his eyes. He could see it all, proposing, marrying her, even, a, house full of children. The image ended, with the memory of Sam patting him on the chest and saying ‘Thank You’. Even if what his mother had said was true and he did love her, it would never matter. He looked up at his mother, his face full of emotion, his heart on his sleeve. “Thank you.” He whispered.
She smiled sadly, “You’re welcome.” Lucille turned and walked out of Nick’s office, leaving him to stare his future in the face.
Sam was shoving the last of her paperwork into her tote bag. Her class had been dismissed twenty minutes ago and she had stayed behind to grade some papers. Phillip poked his head through her classroom door.
“Oh good, you’re still here.” Phillip said as he made a beeline straight for her desk. Sam looked up and smiled at him.
Sam cocked an eyebrow at him when he leaned against her desk and crossed his arms against his chest. He stared at her questioningly.
“What?” She asked innocently and she was, innocent that is, because she had no idea why he was looking at her like that.
“You’ve been avoiding me like the plague, Samantha.” He tilted his head to the side and tapped his index finger against the tip of his chin in deep thought.
“I have not!” She said defensively. “I’ve just had a lot going on. When I’m not here, I’m going back and forth between my parent’s house and my apartment.”
“So you’re not avoiding me?” He asked, but by the look in his eyes he wasn’t buying it. He leaned forward and arched his perfectly waxed eyebrows. “Because I have the strangest hunch that you, my dear friend have a dirty little secret.” He pointed his finger at her and waved it vicariously towards her. “That you’re not sharing.” Then in true, Phillip fashion, he emphasized his point by pouting.
Sam rolled her eyes before slinging her tote bag over her shoulder. “Secrets are meant to stay secrets. If I had a dirty one it wouldn’t be ethical to share.” She said in a matter of fact tone.
“Fine if your ethics get in the way, then you leave me no choice.” He pushed himself off the desk and headed towards the door. Sam watched him and couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.