Hazel walked out to find Leah sitting on a stool, propping her head on her arm with her eyes closed. She looked absolutely drained, skin a shade paler than normal and a darkness under her eyes that wasn't there yesterday. Leaning against the wall, Hazel lightly cleared her throat to get her new friend's attention. The girl looked up. "Hey," she whispered in a low voice, cracking midway.

There was no point in dragging it out. "What's the game plan for today?"

And, fuck, Leah didn't even want to think about it but the longer she sat her, the longer it would go on without any relief. Even then, she was determined to get her voice in today. Their relationship was not going to end like this. "I don't even know if he's there or not, but it's worth a shot to stop by."

"Have you thought about what you're going to say?" Hazel asked, concerned about the lack of tone in her friend's voice.

Something sounding like a sad laugh came from Leah, and she shook her head. It stopped almost immediately and she clenched her eyes shut and pinched her lips. "My mind can decide on a situation that might actually happen. I would love to go in with some idea on what to say but I don't know what the hell to even expect."

Finally walking over, Hazel gently rubbed her shoulder. "You'll have me there, even if it's only for support. I'm all ears, okay? Let's just take this one step at a time - it'll be better to go ahead and talk, get everything out."

Leah didn't move, trying to pick up enough courage to go over and try and save her relationship. But she had to move eventually, silently following Hazel. She didn't have anything to say out loud and wanted to give Leah space, who was only muttering out directions on occasion.

As they pulled up and stalled the engine, Hazel could see a figure pacing through the window in the front of the house. When the engine cut off, the figure stopped moving as well and the way Leah sucked in a breath, she assumed it was her fiancé. All she did was pat the girl's knee and waited for her to make the first move.

She wanted a couple minutes to go in and talk alone, but Leah wasn't sure she would be able to handle another one of Sam's breakdowns so she tilted her head towards the house and exited the car without saying a word, Hazel a few seconds behind.

Opening the front door, Leah flinched as it creaked, moving it slowly inch by inch. Glancing back at Hazel, she entered the house that suddenly felt foreign. It was Sam's turn to speak first.

"Leah... -"

She scoffed, anger rising out of nowhere. "I'm getting pretty tired of you saying my name like that. Like I'm a child you have to tell 'no' over and over again."

"I can't explain-" He tried again, only to be cut off.

"What do you even mean by that?" Leah exclaimed, still one foot out the door. "How can you not explain the sudden drift that you caused?"

And he wanted to. More than anything, Sam just wanted to come clean to the one person he trusted more than anyone. And the fight was exhausting him so bad internally that he damn near was breaking and spilling about everything.

So he looked up to see Hazel peeking her head over Leah's shoulder.

Leah saw his face fall and entire body tense, making it seem like he wasn't breathing. She figured he was finally seeing her in the state she was in, because she wasn't a hundred percent sure when she started crying so bad. She would give anything to be able to see inside his head, to get a glimpse at what was causing him so much pain.

If Leah thought she was confused, Hazel couldn't name an emotion that was consuming her. Looking at the fiancé that had caused Leah so much torment, all previous thoughts and accusations went flying out the window. Because, frankly, she wasn't expecting to see the man she had pushed to the very corner of her mind to be the cause of her friend's problems and winced when all thoughts came flying back. And seeing how his gaze was focused on her and not the supposed love of his life, she slouched to hide behind Leah's form.

Sam didn't like that, didn't want her hiding behind anything to get away from him. He knew then and there that she had been where Leah was staying the past couple of days. It was too much of a coincidence that she smelled so much like her, a fact that he tried to push out. It was Leah's voice that grounded him.

"Are you even going to say anything? Are you even going to fight for this, or try and explain yourself?" It was heart-wrenching how broken Leah sounded and Sam decided that he had never hated himself more. Her voice came out so soft even he was straining to hear it, wavering as she didn't even bother trying to steady it. "Anything?"

His hands were motioning to anything and everything, as if trying to explain physically the torment that was storming inside of him. He was the alpha, the leader, so he could tell her everything and an offer never seemed to tempting. Leah would be upset but hopefully come around with time. Yet every time he opened his mouth, nothing came out.

"And I'm guessing this isn't something a few weeks apart can fix?" She continued, not wanting to end it like this. That maybe if she kept talking, he would snap into his old self and everything would fall back into place. "Because if you can't tell me now why you can't even look me in the eye, I'm guessing this is the end."

He adverted his eyes again, and Leah whimpered - she didn't know what would happen with the ultimatum but he wasn't fighting, and that showed her more than words ever could.

So she nodded her head, willing herself to stop shaking. "I'll come back for my things." Reaching, she twisted the gold band off her left ring finger and let is gently tumble down the side table beside the door. Twisting, she clutched Hazel's hand before walking past her and the car towards the road. Leah figured Hazel had enough of her problems dumped on her and decided her parents place would be the best place to gather her thoughts.

But Hazel couldn't move, and it appeared that Sam couldn't either. Both stood, continuing to stare - Hazel with apprehension and Sam with disbelief, unbelieving that this was happening. He dug deep internally, trying to find an emotion related to sadness about Leah walking away but felt nothing of the sort as he gazed at the girl in front of him. The wolf inside him didn't care - it was willing him to feel relieved that his imprint was in front of him, both now available to act on the destiny that was planned for them.

Neither seemed to be able to talk as well, so they just... stared. Hazel wanted to move, to follow Leah and make sure she was stable but something about Sam kept her rooted in place. He shouldn't be looking at her like that and she shouldn't feel anything towards him but hate at what he did to Leah.

He could feel the underlying anxiety and accusatory emotions, wincing as he thought about the way she must be feeling towards him right now. They had never even had a conversation, only meeting once briefly, so the only concrete thoughts she had on him were from Leah's perspective. Sam couldn't stop himself from rambling, like his ex-fiancee had done minutes before. "I didn't want to meet like this. I don't want you to think of me as this asshole that pushes his fiancee away."

Hazel shook her head. "Why do you care what I think?" It came out in a whisper, trying to focus her mind to complete full sentences. Her heart jumped at the sound of his voice, even as small and weak as it had sounded, and she attempted to calm down and will her damn body to move.

Scoffing, Sam finally broke eye contact. He couldn't stand still so he paced around. "Don't act like you didn't feel something when we met - that you don't feel something now." How was he supposed to tell her about imprinting. He had no one to talk to, to really explain how this situation went in another setting and he was struggling to find the bright light given the circumstances.

"What... What are you even saying?" Hazel questioned. "You just broke up with Leah and you're already trying to start something here? You didn't even wait a day."

He grunted back, feeling his anger rising. She felt this, he could tell she did and she hadn't left him yet. He tried seeing from her point of view but his mind was clouded. "I can't get you out of my head. I have tried everything to push you out and you still make your way in, and I've only seen you once." Honesty was probably not the best way to go about, but fuck it.

"Don't assume anything with me." She was struggling to come back, to find an argument against his repeated statements. Finally taking a step back, and another, and another, she found it was easier to move the farther she got even with the look that came over his face.

"I can't let you leave like this," Sam said but remained still, trying to sway her into staying. He didn't want to force her into anything but he couldn't let her go away with this impression.

Hazel didn't have anything to say but instead forced herself to her car, keeping her eyes forward the entire time. Her hand were shaking by the time she got in and it took everything in her not to glance up, already seeing his figure in the doorway through her peripheral.

And throughout the rest of the day, she made herself stay busy but he was constantly in her mind. It was completely fucked up that she was allowing herself to think about him like this - she had just met Leah but she would never allow herself to be with the man she was with, much less engaged to. However, no one had to know so she spent the rest of the day in a haze, with one thing on her mind.

Even as the next day rolled around, a Monday no less, Hazel found herself happy that another week of school was beginning. The weekend had been strange enough, so much that it had felt more like a dream than anything, so she was determined to get back into schedule.

The standard motion of classes had never been such a relief as it was now. Hazel, weirdly, was in a uplifting mood and made sure to teach the class with a controlled enthusiasm. A couple of the teachers passing by gave her an extra glance, almost confused but smiling at her nonetheless.

Her ending class period rolled around in no time and it was the first time Hazel felt hesitant for the first time that day. The class was one of her favorites but Jared was in a grey area for her at the time. He had finally opened up to her at some degree but he was acquainted with the man, Sam.

He entered a couple seconds before the bell rang, as usual, and shot her a bright smile, slowing down like he wanted to say something before thinking better of it and continued to his seat. And Hazel wasn't a hundred percent sure why it felt like a small weight had been lifted because not every student was going to like you, but Jared had always stuck out.

"Alright everybody, settle down," she announced she looked around, waiting for them to settle. "I really, really hope that all of you are almost done with your projects because they are due by the end of the week - and don't you dare start groaning like I know you all are about to because I gave you weeks and all you have to do is turn it in. I could make you do a presentation if you would like."

They all startled upwards, shouting simultaneously and Hazel laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now, we have a couple more points to go over and we should finish up this chapter in the next few days." For a Monday, the kids were behaving half way decent and she breezed through the lessons. It was at the end when the official school day had ended when she finally halted.

All filed out except Jared, and Hazel found herself slightly relieved. She didn't really have a chance to talk to the boy in the previous school days.

"'Sup, Hazel?" He greeted, stuffing his hands in his pockets as only the two of them remained. He was bouncing on his feet, giving away the anxiousness inside him despite his voice remaining steady.

She glared at him. "I'm only your teacher and obviously can't force anything out of you, which I wouldn't want to do anyway, but I still care about you. I'm not going to demand answers because it isn't in my place but I need to know that you're okay."

He sighed, nodding like he knew it was coming, before looking at her. "Uh, yeah. Doctors couldn't really pinpoint what was happening with me-"

"That's not what I'm talking about," she gently interrupted. "You've been extremely isolated and standoffish for a while and that's not like you at all. I just want to make sure that whatever was bothering you, which is none of my business, is figured out and dealt with now. That you are okay and ready to get back into the routine."

Jared nodded again, biting the corner of his lip as he tried to contain all the information placed on him. "I promise, Ms. Foster. I got help."

"Okay." Hazel let up and squeezed his shoulder. She knew she couldn't touch students but she felt some weird maternal instincts inside her and pulled back quickly. "If you need anything - and I mean anything, Jared, you tell me right away. I want you to promise."

He came forward, almost falling as he wrapped his arms around her to enclose her in a warm hug. "I promise. Thanks for caring so much, because I know others don't."

"I care about all of you," she began, "But I care about you a lot, okay? Don't ever think I wouldn't care about what's going on in your life."

Jared muttered something, and Hazel swore it sounded something about how he was glad he was able to talk again, but he pulled back and gave her another wide smile before she could question it. "I'll come by and talk again if something happens, I swear."

She waved at him as he turned around to leave. "Be careful going home, okay?"

With the class gone, she finally pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through her messages. Leah still hadn't texted back, or even opened the message, and Hazel frowned. She needed space, obviously, but she wanted to make sure the girl was okay. A smaller, selfish part of her wanted to know if she had heard anything about Sam, but she kept that hidden as much as possible.

The papers on the corner of her desk caught her eye, and she cursed under her breath. The hectic weekend didn't allow her to catch up on the never ending papers and they continued to pile up, so pulling her hair up into a bun and tugging her sleeves up, she sat down to start grading.

Music always helped her concentrate and allow time to go by without dragging on, and figuring the school was empty minus staff, she turned it a tad higher than normal. So she missed the light knock on her door and was only aware of the person's presence when they stood in front of her desk.

Grabbing her chest, she muttered and turned the music down. "You almost gave me a heart attack-"

It was Sam. Of course, it was Sam.

He stood, arms crossed, with a blank but hopeful look on his face. "Hazel."

Sam whispering her name in the tone that he did should not make her heart jump, or make her seek his touch but she damn near lost her breath and stuttered to reclaim it. "Wh-What the hell are you doing here?"

"You left the building when you were talking to Jared on Friday," he shrugged. "I figured you worked here."

"That doesn't answer my question," she panicked, semi angry that he was so casual about it. "Why are you here?"

Sam finally looked sheepish as he stared at the ground, raising a hand to slide through his hair. "I had to see you, and I know you don't want me here and I understand, but I can't make myself stay away."

"And what would happen if I wanted you to stay away?" It shouldn't have pained her so damn much to say the words, and Hazel found herself regretting them the minute they slipped out of her mouth even though she had every right to say them.

His jaw clenched, eyes slipping shut as he shook but breathed in and out slowly. "If you told me to go away, and that you never wanted to see me again, then I would leave and never come back. I wouldn't bother you again. If that's what you want."

And yes she desperately wanted to find it in herself to want that, to say the words and have him turn around and walk away, but the longer she stared the more she craved his presence. It was silly and awful, and she must have been the world's worst friend to be thriving in his presence when he had just broken up with Leah, but her tough attitude faltered and he picked up on it instantly. Leaning forward, hands supporting his weight on the desk, he blinked. "I want you to know the real me, and not the version you hate now. I'm not that person and you need to see behind that. Please."

"Why is it so important for you?" She asked, trying to seek the answers in his eyes. "You've only met me a handful of times and we've never even really talked. Why is it imperative that I continue to talk to you."

Without looking away, he shook his head. "I can explain it all if you would like, but I can't do it here. We can meet anywhere, whether it be at dinner of at the beach, in private or in public. If I explain this to you, I need both of us in the right mind and time."

His words only made her more confused but her interest was piked. "And what about everything with Leah? How can I talk to you at all knowing that you crushed her, without giving her any explanation? Why do I get one when she was brushed off?"

"Leah deserved every reason, and I will always, always, hate myself for what happened because a couple weeks ago I was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her," he muttered. "And as fucked up as it sounds, the only thing I'm regretful over is the fact I didn't meet you earlier."

She leaned over, breaking eye contact and her shoulders hunched. "Sam..."

He let a sound, a small and short choke from his chest causing her to look back up, eyes wide. "One chance," he breathed, pleading. "It doesn't have to be today, or tomorrow, or in a week but I think we both know the longer we go, the harder it'll be on both of us, even if you don't want to admit that. I have a reason for everything I have done, and I will gladly talk to you as long as you want because I cannot stand you hating me. Please, Hazel."

"I need to wrap my head around this, and come to terms with everything," Hazel said. "I need some time to think about this."

"Please don't think too hard about it," Sam muttered. "I beg of you, just let me explain my side of the story."

She didn't like the hurt in his voice so despite her better thoughts, she nodded. "Give me today to process everything. I can meet with you tomorrow on the beach if that works out, near the section of rocks on the left." The area wasn't too popular with locals but just public enough to leave without problem.

He leaned down as if he meant to kiss her head but quickly composed himself, his face still stoic but eyes gleaming. "Tomorrow, around five?" Another nod from her, and he finally let the first small smile stretch. "Okay. Tomorrow." Without thinking, his hand reached for hers and gave it a squeeze, and Hazel jumped in her chair from the warmth that enveloped her entire body. It took everything she had to remain still as he allowed himself to lean down and whisper in her ear. "That is what you're feeling, even though you try and hide it. That feeling is why we need to talk." Ending there, he turned around and left the room, leaving a breathless Hazel frozen in her chair.