Broken Pieces (Riverdale #2)

She shook her head and tried to look away from him because looking into his eyes, knowing she’d never be able to truly have him was too much. He turned her head gently back to face him.

“Samantha, answer me.” He pleaded with his eyes.

“I came to Seattle after I graduated to surprise you, but I was the one who was surprised.” She looked over at Erica. “I knew you moved to Seattle, I saw you with my own eyes.” She took a few steps back, putting distance between her and Nick.

He swiped his hand over his head. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?” He said roughly.

Sam shrugged her shoulders. “Does it really matter?” She turned to Erica. “He’s all yours sweetheart.” She grabbed her bra and her purse and charged towards the door, needing to be as far away from them as possible.

“So that’s it?” Nick asked, his voice full of anger. “To hell with me, because of something I did what like five years ago?” He shook his head at how absurd this all was to him. “It was six years. There were women, Sam and I’m not going to lie there were a lot. Half of them I don’t remember their names. What do you want me to do? I didn’t know you were even there? Should I apologize to you for getting my dick sucked while you were across the country?”

Erica gasped, making her presence still known. “Did you just call me a blowjob?”

Sam ran her fingers through her hair, tugging at the ends as if she was losing control. She closed her eyes and before she could stop herself, she set him straight. “You weren’t just getting your dick sucked Nick. You were fucking her senseless on top of your desk.” Her rage booming through her boisterous voice, until the last words came out in a strangled cry. She took a deep breath. “Maybe I was being a bit na?ve, but I flew across the country thinking that we never had our chance, that maybe we could reclaim it.” She shook her head.

“I just never expected to find, that while all my thoughts were of you, that I apparently had never crossed your mind. You didn’t need to say the words to me the reality was shoved down my throat by watching you fuck my best friend.” She snapped her lips shut and heard the smacking noise they made. She couldn’t believe the secret she harbored was set free, and by none other than herself. She stared down at her hands for a moment before she looked up at Nick.

He stared at her speechless as he ran his fingers through his hair. Words wouldn’t erase the memory etched in her mind or her heart, which he knew. The hurt shining in her eyes sliced him like a knife, and when the look changed to disgust, the knife twisted in his open wound.

“I’m done here, I’m done with you.” Samantha whispered hoarsely, needing to get as far as she could from the two of them. She turned around and brushed past Erica, hurrying down the iron staircase.

Nick’s fist collided with the nearest wall, causing Erica to jump. He glared at her and took a step towards her. “You better have damn good reason for showing up here.” He said through gritted teeth.

Erica swallowed as she stared at the seething man in front of her. Suddenly she questioned everything about why she was here in the first place, doubting that her plan would ever wo





Chapter Eighteen


Nick hit send on his phone, for what felt like the millionth time. He had all but pushed Erica out the door last night before he began a marathon of calls to Sam, all that were either declined or ignored. Her voicemail sounded in his ear again and he let out a frustrated sigh and prepared himself to leave another message, only the beep never signaled. Her inbox was full. He felt like flinging his phone out the window and wondered if she had even listened to one of the messages he had left her, probably not, he decided.

He grabbed his keys and stormed out the door of his apartment, stomping down the iron staircase taking two steps at a time. If she wasn’t going to answer his calls, then he’d just go to her house. He almost went last night, but thought maybe she needed time to cool off. He sat in bed all night pondering their situation. He even put himself in her shoes and tried to figure out how it would feel if he saw her with someone he considered a best friend, which was a little weird since he automatically thought of Luke.

Nick stopped short when he spotted Erica as she leaned against his car. He had thrown her out of his apartment before she could even explain why she came and destroyed everything. Truth be told, he still didn’t want to deal with her, but he needed to know why she showed up out of nowhere, if only for his own sanity if nothing else.

Erica quickly pushed off from the truck and offered him a cup of coffee she had bought him at the deli down the block. “Still drink it black?” She asked hopefully.