I laced up my boots while Blair lied face-up staring at my ceiling. We were currently in the middle of our spring break attempting to stay out of trouble as much as possible, but as of right now we were about to leave to bring Shawn to the airport. I was starting to believe he would rather be anywhere but here in Baldwin, Missouri.

There was a knock on my door before he poked his head in. "I'm ready."

"I feel like your personal chauffeur," I admitted.

"That's because you are," Blair teased.

I nudged her as we exited the apartment.

We all started towards the airport, Shawn in the passenger and Blair in the back. The April weather had come as a delight now that the rain had stopped, so I rode with my windows down.

Shawn tuned my radio. "So please don't wreck the house while I'm gone. I know you're on break but seriously, I don't wanna come home to a mess."

"Got it."

"And no parties."

I rolled my eyes. "Damn, I guess I'll have to cancel the keg I ordered."

"Sam," Shawn stated.

"Chill." I laughed. "I'm joking."

He relaxed in his seat. "So, what exactly are you two planning on doing for the next two days anyway?"

Blair snorted. "We all know what Sam plans on doing."

Suddenly my face was hot.

"You're not funny," I claimed, staring at her through the rearview mirror.

"Sam and Megan will probably be inseparable."

I watched Shawn through my peripheral. He hadn't said much about us since the bombshell he had dropped a few weeks ago, but I wondered if he was still okay with it. Or did it truly make him uncomfortable?

"Is that cool?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he answered. "It just makes me nervous. This is a small town and people notice things." He checked his phone. "Just be careful."

Shawn talking about it just made me anxious, but we were almost in the clear. Just a few more weeks till freedom awaited us with open arms and we could finally define what we were without any hesitation.

Of course, I was grateful I was still in school because at the moment the thought of commitment still terrified me, even with Megan.

We made it to the airport and I joined my brother outside my car. His arms wrapped around me and I smiled even though I hated to see him go. It was times like these that I realized Shawn was one of the few I couldn't bear to live without.

"I think I'd rather you hang out with Megan than be running the streets, if I'm being honest."

I laughed from relief. "I promise I'll stay out of trouble."

"Please."

"You should trust me more."

"I do," he answered. "I just know trouble likes to follow you."

"You have a point."

"Alright, I'll see you in a few days." He picked up his bag. "Love you, Sam."

"You better."

He just laughed before he disappeared into the terminal, leaving Blair and I alone.

"So did you really order a keg?" she asked.

"No," I stated. "Like I'd throw a party in Shawn's apartment."

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"Of course you wouldn't."

She turned my radio down. "But on the real, are you gonna hang out with Megan at all?"

"Of course I am."

"So you don't have time for me anymore?"

I glanced at her, seeing a fake pout on her lips.

"Oh come on Blair, no one can replace you."

She dropped her pout and laughed. "That's what I thought. Let's go grab lunch."

I automatically made my way to Rosie's. As much as I enjoyed hanging out with Megan, I also enjoyed being with Blair. She was my best friend, and no one would ever replace her.

We wasted no time settling into a booth and ordering food when we got there. The memory of first meeting Megan resurfaced and I smiled.

"So how'd the whole graduate school talk go?" she asked.

I sighed. "Good I guess. She's still indecisive, but I think it's because she's worried I won't follow through with going with her."

"Do you really want to go?"

I hesitated. "I think so."

"You think so?"

"I'm sure."

"You don't sound sure."

I stirred my drink. "I just know I don't want her to leave without me... But the idea of leaving Baldwin is scary."

"You mean living with her scares you."

"Yes."

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "Blair, I barely have any relationship experience as it is. I wouldn't know the first thing to living on my own with Megan."

She laughed. "Have you forgotten that you basically did live on your own with Megan for a month?"

"That's different."

"Not really."

I sighed in defeat.

"What are you really scared of?" she probed.

I took a moment and thought. I knew there was something much deeper, a more terrifying truth, but bringing it to my attention was difficult.

"Rejection," I admitted. "I'm scared she'll realize she doesn't really want me."

Blair tilted her head. "Sam, that won't happen."

"You don't know that."

"No I don't." She paused. "But what I can tell you is that I know she cares about you. A lot. And it's so obvious. And she'll guide you, but you're gonna have to meet her halfway."

Blair had finally made her point and I knew in the end it would revolve around trust. My biggest weakness.

We ate and decided to drop such serious subjects, at least for now. It wasn't until we were finishing up when our waitress walked up to our table, interrupting us.

"Could we have the check, please?" I asked.

She just smiled. "Oh, it's been paid for sweetie."

I was confused. "By who?"

She nodded towards the window where my attention turned. That's when I saw him, getting settled into his truck. The same old white truck with the creep I hoped to never see again.

"Who is that?" Blair asked.

I knew exactly who it was but I couldn't find a response. It was him, the guy from the sketchy bar and the gas station. He was here in Baldwin. In the same diner as me and I hadn't known until now.

My stomach churned and my blood ran cold as I watched the nameless man give a small wave and pull out of the parking lot.

* * *

The run in at the diner had managed to not only creep me out, but occupy my mind for the entire day. So I spent that night at Blair's, knowing I didn't want to be home alone at all any time soon.

Blair hadn't recognized the man from the night at the bar, but telling her who it was only felt like a bad idea. Plus, the run in may have only been a coincidence. I wasn't sure. And I knew looking into it would only fuel my paranoia.

By the next day the thought of the man was long gone and things seemed back to normal. Around night fall I headed over to Megan's and was too focused on the nerves jumbled up in my stomach to think of anything else.

I waited impatiently outside her door and listened to her footsteps on the other side. My heart was racing and all I really wanted to do was kiss her. I hadn't seen her since break had started and I was dying to do so.

The door opened and I rushed in, closing it behind me. My bag fell and my hands instantly cupped her face. I felt her back gently press against the wall as she sighed, the warmth of her body filling me.

She pulled away. "Well hey to you too."

I smiled. "Sorry."

"Don't be."

"Fine." I moved in closer, watching her eyes lock onto my lips. "Then I'm not sorry."

She seemed to hold back before breaking eye contact, but not before I noticed the red on her cheeks. "So I have beer."

"Trying to get me drunk?" I teased.

She bent over and reached into the fridge while I admired the view.

"No." She looked up and caught me. "But I figured it wouldn't be much of a spring break without it."

I twisted the cap off of the bottle. "Just admit you're trying to get me drunk."

She smiled. "I'm trying to get you drunk."

"That's cool with me," I admitted.

We settled into her couch and started to catch up. I found myself aware of how at ease I felt. Like there was no sense of time and I was just able to relax.

We talked about her grandpa and my mother's health and how both of them seemed to be improving every day. We talked about her lingering indecisiveness over which university she wanted to attend for graduate school. And then before I knew it we were talking about the same thing Blair and I talked about yesterday.

"So a doctorate degree," I reiterated. "That's why you wanna go back to school?"

She nodded. "It'll allow me to teach at a university."

"That's where you'd rather be?"

I watched her face me. "It's been one of my goals for a while."

The fact that I was still scared made me sick. Here was a woman who had goals and aspirations, an inspiring amount of intelligence, and cared about me. Of all people! Megan Adams wanted me to go with her and all I could do was focus on how scary this amount of commitment felt.

"Can I ask you something?" she wondered.

I sipped my beer. "Shoot."

"Every time we talk about graduate school and me moving you clam up," she admitted. "Is it because you're uncomfortable with the idea of living with me if you do come?"

I knew this was bound to come up between us, so I shouldn't feel so unprepared, yet I did.

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable," I stated. "I just... Megan, relationships scare the hell out of me."

"I know."

"And moving in with you is a serious commitment."

"Yeah, it is."

I took a moment to assess myself.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked.

I sighed. "I'm scared you're gonna realize I'm not what you want."

I watched her crystal eyes soften at the revelation. She then set her beer down on the coffee table before continuing.

"Sam, if there's anything you should know about me, it's that I already know what I want."

I remained silent.

She continued. "So what in the world would make me change my mind?"

"I have problems."

"Like?"

"Commitment problems."

"Okay."

"And trust issues."

She tilted her head. "And all of those things can be worked on with time."

"You shouldn't have to fix me."

"That's not how I look at it," she revealed.

I was struck silent for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"I don't look at this relationship as 'fixing you' or whatever." She shifted on the couch. "I look at it more as a support system. Like a... um..."

"Like a crutch?"

She frowned. "No, not like a crutch."

"Then what?"

"Just being there for you while you figure out the whole relationship thing."

"I'm scared of you."

She just watched me in silent confusion.

"I'm scared because you have the power to destroy me," I finished, knowing this is what I had been trying to force out of myself.

Her eyes found mine. "And what good would that do whenever you could do the same thing to me?"

I felt a flutter in my chest at the confession.

"That's the entire point of a relationship," she said. "It's giving someone the power to destroy you, but trusting that they won't."

For a moment I was mesmerized by her. As if she had become just a little more beautiful.

"Do you trust me?" I asked in a whisper.

She nodded softly. "I do."

I felt a hint of a smile on my lips. "I trust you too."

"I know."

I moved in closer, feeling the pull that always accompanied us when we were together. Megan instinctively responded by leaning in. My hands found her thighs that were crossed in a sitting position as she faced towards me. Everything lit up instantly at the connection.

Our lips met and I felt her lean back into the couch, allowing me to move on top of her. I realized this was the most intimate we had ever been but I couldn't get enough. But something was different tonight. There wasn't a need to rush and there would be no interruptions. Everything felt just right and it was helping our situation along.

I wedged myself between her legs as our lips danced together, a slow burn rising through my entire body. My arms held my body above her while her hands teased against the edge of my shirt. The anticipation she was creating seemed unintentional but I knew that wasn't true. Maybe she felt the same way about tonight as I did.

But when she threatened to remove my shirt something in me froze. For some reason there was a massive wave of insecurity and she noticed.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.

"N-Nothing," I stuttered. "I just..."

She peered up at me. "Is it because of your scars?"

It was almost comical how well she could read me.

"Yeah," I answered.

It was weird. Usually I didn't care. Then again, usually the lights were off and I wasn't so exposed. And usually it was with people I never really cared about.

"Can I see?" she wondered.

I paused. Megan knew more about me than most. She knew about my past. She knew and it never fazed her.

I stood and removed my shirt, leaving me in nothing but jeans and my bra. My back faced her and I heard her shift on the couch. My breathing was deep as I felt the warmth of her hand touch me. I didn't flinch as she ran her fingertips over my back, causing bumps to rise. My eyes closed at the sensation.

Her lips pressed against my shoulder before she spoke again. "I still think you're beautiful."

I turned and studied those eyes that never wavered. How could someone be capable of making me feel this way without doing much at all? It wasn't fair.

My hand found hers as I guided her through the apartment and to her room. I made sure to take my time undressing her once we got there, my hands running along every inch of exposed skin I could see. Her skin tasted divine on my lips and she was so soft and gentle it was almost scary. This was another thing I wasn't used to.

In the moment of taking it slow I hadn't realized the time that had passed, and it seemed as if Megan couldn't take it anymore.

"Sam," she whispered with a shaky breath.

I pulled back, aware of how nice it felt for her skin to touch mine.

"Yeah?" I asked.

She kissed me harder this time, allowing me to get the message.

It was funny, really. I had done this so many times before but it felt brand new with Megan. Almost unreal. Had I been missing something all those other times? Is this what being in love felt like?

It wasn't until she was lying between my body and arm, her chest rising and falling silently that I realized it had to be.

I used to think the most terrifying thing was falling in love, but as I watched her sleep I realized that wasn't the case. The only thing that seemed to terrify me now was the possibility of losing her, and how I would do anything to prevent that from happening.

* * *

I spent the next morning with Megan. Waking up next to her was in its own category, especially when she was naked. It was like I had to force myself back to reality and process everything that had taken place last night. It was still like a dream.

But she had errands to run and tagging along wasn't allowed, so I was forced to go even when neither of us wanted to part.

I stood at her door. "I can just stay here until you get back."

"I'm not letting you do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll be gone for a while."

I pouted. "Fine."

Her arm snaked around my waist and pulled me into her, catching me off guard. Her lips captured mine as I sighed and closed my eyes.

She pulled away. "Last night was..."

"You're welcome," I teased.

"I hate you." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Then I hate you too." I returned her kiss. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course."

I forced myself to leave, knowing if I didn't right now I never would. It was just so hard.

I made my way over to my car that sat on the far end of the parking lot. It was when I was unlocking my door that I noticed a piece of paper sitting on my driver's seat next to a single rose that seemed to be spray painted black.

Time seemed to freeze as I opened my door and my trembling hand picked up the note. I unfolded it only to reveal a poem:

"Lost souls meet,

A secret, born.

Truth breaks free,

A sinner is warned."

A heaviness settled on my chest as I stared at the note. I felt as if a ghost was breathing down my neck but when I turned no one was around.

My fingers grabbed the black rose that sat on my seat as I tried to keep my composure.

Someone had broken into my car but had taken nothing, and instead left me with this. Suddenly everything now moved in slow motion as I tried to understand who would do this, but it didn't take me long to find an answer.

It was him. The man from my hometown. And he knew about me and Megan.