“I’d never tell people anything like that. Unless of course it was because—”
“My sister knows how I feel. She pushed me to come to you. She told me that even though guys try to play it off they never forget their first girl, so at least I know that no matter what happens as we get older you’ll always remember me for something.”
She started to stand, but I caught her arm. “Hey, hold on,” I told her. “You did a lot of talking and didn’t let me say anything just now.”
“You don’t have to. It’s what you didn’t say. That was enough.”
“Sam, you caught me by surprise! I … I never knew you felt that way.”
“Don’t worry, Justin. I’m not mad at you. I guess I should be mad at me.”
“Sam, you’re right. I will always remember tonight.”
“I’m glad.” She started to pull away, but I held onto her arm.
“Know what I’ll remember?”
“That I give good head?” She rolled her eyes.
“You really are like a guy sometimes.” I laughed but quickly turned serious when she didn’t smile.
“What I’ll remember is being amazed at how beautiful you really are. I’ll remember how much I meant to you that you would be with me even if that’s all it was. But mostly? I’ll remember how good you felt when we were done. How good you felt lying here in my arms and falling asleep with me.”
“You—really?”
“Really, Samantha.” Sliding over to her, I put my arms around her shoulders. “And there’s one more thing I’ll remember.”
“What’s that?”
“What a fucking stupid asshole I was for never seeing you as more than a friend. That it never hit me how much you care and how you’ve always been there for me.”
“You have for me, too.”
“No.” I snapped my fingers. “There’s one more thing about tonight.”
“I … I’d really like to go, Justin. I’ll call you tomorrow and—”
“I’ll never forget that the night we slept together for the first time was the first time I told you that”—placing my lips to her ear, I finished softly—”that I love you, too.”
“You don’t have to say that.”
“I mean it. And it has nothing to do with the sex. It was lying here with you and how perfect you felt in my arms.” I cupped her chin and turned her face to mine and kissed her. “I do love you, Samantha.”
“Please don’t be messing with me, Justin. I—”
I stopped her with a long, deep kiss. Leaning back against the headboard, I pulled her back onto the bed with me. Sam resisted for second and then dropped the dress and slid up next to me. As she had before, she wrapped her arm around my waist and put her head on my shoulder.
“I love you, Justin..” She said, “I want this to be the start of something for us, not a one-time thing.”
“Then don’t leave.” I put my arm around her shoulders. “And we don’t have to have sex again. You can just spend the night and—”
“Well, let’s not get crazy.” She giggled. “If I stay, we’re fucking again.”
“Fucking?” I laughed. “That’s the Sam I know and love!”
“I don’t want to be Sam to you anymore.”
“Okay, but Samantha just isn’t you.” I snapped my fingers. “How about Sammi?”
“Sammi?” She kissed my neck. “I like that!”
“Sammi it is.” I hugged her closer. “And I’ll have no problem telling people we’re together.”