*sexual content warning*

Seattle, Washington, at the Pier, on Tuesday, June 18th, 2030 at 7:15 pm

Rachel

The sun was starting to set as Sam and I walked hand in hand along the pier. The breeze picked up today, so I had on a white cardigan over my light pink sundress. We have been exploring the entire city, visiting everything from toy stores and wood fire pizza restaurants to Pike Place Market.

"Would you like to grab some frozen yogurt?" Sam asked.

I turned to him quickly, my eyes wide.

"I would love some!"

Sam pulled me towards a colorful shop full of bright lights.

It smelled like sugar and chocolate when we got inside. The line was surprisingly long, so Sam and I had plenty of time to pick out our flavors. I decided to get cake batter and dulce de leche, topping it with some brownie bites, while Sam got dark chocolate with strawberries on top. We walked out of the ice cream shop and back down the pier. Sam was goofing around with his spoon, trying to get me to take a bite.

"I won't be able to finish mine if I eat any of yours. I'm sorry I'm not a human trash compactor like you," Sam laughed loudly as he went to put the bite of frozen yogurt into his mouth. He had been holding it out for so long that it melted slightly on his spoon, so it dripped down onto his gray t-shirt. A long line of dark chocolate ran down and Sam gasped.

"You completely deserved that," I teased him as I turned to wipe him off with one of the napkins I grabbed. He chuckled as if I was tickling him.

"Thanks, darlin'," Sam said as he held the bottom of his shirt out to examine it. I glanced around the pier and spotted a small clothing store.

"If you're that concerned about it, you could look in there for something," I said as I pointed to the store. Sam's eyes widened.

"I can't walk around with you looking like a beautiful garden flower on my arm if I look like this," I felt my cheeks getting warm at Sam's words.

"Well, then let's go find you a new shirt," I slid my arm around his waist and he eagerly pulled me into his side.

We headed into the store and looked around for a few minutes. Sam found a black t-shirt with the Space Needle on it.

"Is that what you want?" I giggled at him as he held it up.

Sam looked at it again and nodded eagerly.

"I've been here I don't know how many times and I've never gotten a shirt!"

"Here, let me get you your first Seattle souvenir, then," I said as I grabbed the shirt.

He grinned widely at my gesture and blushed, turning as red as a tomato. It wasn't often that I made him blush, and the twisting feeling in my stomach intensified at his reaction. His excitement over his shirt was adorable. As we made our way out of the store, Sam held it out again and laughed.

"It's amazing!" he shouted cheerfully.

Before I knew it, Sam was pulling his stained t-shirt over his head. I found myself staring at him, my feet glued to the ground. His ab muscles were outlined by the glow of the setting sun, his tan skin was glistening. He started to put his arms in his new shirt and saw me watching him. He gave me a flirty smile before tossing his old shirt at me. I caught it, almost dropping the last of my frozen yogurt.

He laughed and I shook my head at him, feeling a little embarrassed that he saw me. He pulled the new shirt over his head, flexing all of his muscles as he did so. He looked incredibly tempting in black; most of his clothes were much lighter in color so I hadn't seen him in something so dark.

"Well?" he said as he stretched out the bottom to look at the giant Space Needle on his shirt.

"Hold on," I said as I took my phone out. "Move a little to your right."

He followed my instructions until he was standing perfectly below the actual Space Needle in the background.

"Okay, smile!" I held up my phone to take a picture of Sam.

He gave me two thumbs up and flashed a toothy grin. He looked so handsome.

"Your turn!" Sam called out as he ran over to me.

"No, I only took one of you because you're twinning with the building," I said as I pointed up to the Space Needle.

"I know, maybe I just want a photo of you." He kissed me quickly on the cheek as he turned me around so I was standing in the same spot.

I blushed and gave in, letting Sam take a photo of me.

"Okay, say cheese!" he shouted as he made a fake giant smile at me.

I giggled at him as I placed my hand on my hip and held my frozen yogurt cup out with my other. I gave him a big cheesy grin and Sam laughed.

"Absolutely beautiful!" he shouted at me as he showed me the photo. I pushed him playfully and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Maybe we should take a photo together?" Sam asked sweetly

"Okay, where at?" I looked around for a good spot.

Sam glanced around too for a moment before his eyes lit up.

"There!" Sam excitedly pointed at the ferris wheel that was spinning on the edge of the pier. It was lit up with pink, blue, and purple lights.

"I haven't been on one of those since I was a kid," I said, admiring the ride.

"Then we definitely have to go," Sam grabbed my hand and pulled me quickly down the pier.

As we got closer, the sounds of people cheering and laughing filled my ears. There was a very long line, but I was sure that quite a few people could fit on it at once. Sam and I took our spot in the back and watched the wheel spin. We waited for several minutes in a comfortable silence.

This is the quietest that Sam has been since I met him.

I looked up at him and saw that his eyes were gloomy. He was gazing out at the water, deep in thought. I was about to ask him what was wrong when the line started moving as people were shuffled into the cars on the ferris wheel. We took our seat and the employee locked the door before we started moving backwards.

"Sam," I said gently as I placed my hand on his. "Are you alright?" he turned to me quickly, his face breaking into a smile.

He must have really been lost in thought.

"Oh yeah, just thinkin'," he replied in a less enthusiastic tone than normal.

We were moved back until our car was about halfway up. The last couple got on, and the ride officially started moving at a slow, steady pace.

"About?" I pushed him. I could see that something was bothering him.

Sam reached behind me and draped his left arm over my shoulders.

"About how you're going back to Houston tomorrow morning." Sam's tone sounded defeated now and he kept looking out at the city as we moved to the top of the wheel.

"Well, yes. But you're flying into Dallas tomorrow, too," I said, not fully understanding what was bothering him about our travel plans.

"I know, that's the problem." Sam darted his head to look at me.

His green eyes looked darker than normal, as if his mood affected their color. I stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant. He looked back out at the water as we began moving down to the front of the wheel. I followed his gaze and looked out with him.

"I don't want us to be in different places," he whispered solemnly next to me. My breath caught and I quickly turned to look at him. He met my eyes and smiled weakly. "I know that that's not something you're ready for."

I tilted my head to the side sympathetically. I was not expecting Sam to say something like that.

"And that's okay," his voice cracked slightly as he spoke. I could feel my heart aching, unsure of where he was going with this. "I also know that you still love Lucas."

I almost gasped out loud when he said Lucas' name. His eyes were even more stormy than before. He cleared his throat before continuing.

"And even though I know all of those things, even though I know that your heart might never be completely mine, I still can't help the way that I feel about you," the city slowly grew larger behind Sam as we approached the bottom of the wheel. The car kept going, moving us backwards now.

All of the sounds coming from the pier that we had been listening to for hours started to sound like a muffled speaker in the background. The only thing I could see was Sam's face, and the only thing I could hear was his voice.

"I know it's been less than a week since I met you, but I think you're incredible. You're beautiful, funny, and smart. Everyone around you just adores you. I don't expect you to say anything back. I'm just being honest with you about how I feel, like I said I would," Sam muttered.

Sam had always been so forward and open, I never had to question what he was thinking when he looked at me. But at this moment, I had no idea what he was about to say.

"Rachel, I'm in love with you." Sam nodded his head and laughed slightly as he said it, like he couldn't believe it either.

I exhaled quickly, but it came out as more of a gasp. I had been holding my breath since he started talking.

"I promise it's okay if you don't feel that way about me," Sam's expression was genuine; his eyes were wide and his lips curved into a small, sweet smile. He leaned in close to me and tightened his grip on my arm as the car we were in slowly began rising to the top of the ferris wheel.

"I just couldn't risk not telling you before you leave tomorrow." He shook his head and his eyes looked sad again. "I know that I seem like a guy who never stops joking around, but I'm serious about you, Rach."

My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. I was so overwhelmed with emotions about both Sam and about Lucas.

It's impossible to love two people at once, right?

I tried to think back to the advice that Tyler gave me before my first date with Sam.

Do what makes you feel good right now, not what might make you happy in a few months.

His words echoed around in my brain as I tried to decide what I wanted.

I'm allowed to be selfish, sometimes.

"Sam," I managed to whisper to him. His eyes lit up at my voice. "I don't know what I want, with anyone," I said bluntly. He swallowed, waiting for me to continue. "I don't know if Lucas still wants to be with me, but it's not fair to me to just wait around for him right now, especially with how he left things."

Sam's eyes were hopeful as he studied my face.

"You have done nothing but make me smile and laugh since I met you. You swept me off my feet on a stage in front of thousands of people," I chuckled and Sam did too. "I've never been more embarrassed and proud to be standing next to someone."

Sam let out a hearty laugh, still watching my face.

"And you're right; I don't know exactly what it is I feel for Lucas, or you right now," he swallowed again and his face grew serious. "But I do know," I paused as I noticed that we were almost to the top of the wheel again. "That you are an amazing man, and tonight I really, really want to be with you." I tilted my head back slightly and looked at him as sincerely as I could.

Sam's eyes flickered as he pursed his lips together, really thinking about my words. We reached the top of the ferris wheel, and the lights from the city exploded behind Sam as he reached up and grabbed my face with his right hand. He pressed his lips against mine so firmly that I leaned back a little, but his arm around my shoulders held me securely against him. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him even closer as he moved his tongue around mine passionately. My stomach felt like it's being twisted into knots as Sam moved his hand around to the back of my neck.

The ferris wheel started to slow down until we stopped completely. I pulled away from Sam and looked around. We were still towards the top, but the ride was over and they were unloading the cars one by one below us. Sam chuckled softly against my cheek.

"Wow, you really are somethin' else.'' Sam smiled widely at me as he kissed me softly on the lips. I grinned against him before pulling away.

"I don't think I've been kissed like that in a long time," I whispered, resting my hand on Sam's waist.

He played with my hair behind my back, tickling me.

"Well, then I'll just have to show you what else you've been missing." Sam's words sent a shiver down my spine. He was looking at me with such intensity that it felt like there was a fire in my gut. Sam kissed me deeply, making it feel like we were spinning around again.

When it was our turn to get off, Sam hopped up and reached out for me to take his hand. He pulled me up and interlocked his fingers with mine.

"Let's go back," his eyes were fiery like he wasn't suggesting, and my heart started pounding in my chest again. I fluttered my eyelashes at him in response and he immediately started guiding us back to the hotel

#

It took us about ten minutes to walk back, but it felt like hours. The tension between us was deafening; I could hardly focus on anything going on around me. No matter what was going on in the hallway this time, we weren't stopping for it.

Sam tugged on my hand and pulled me into the elevator hastily. He pushed the number seven button about five times before the door finally started to close. I giggled at his impatience, as Sam was always so chill. That part of him reminded me of Lucas. He was always very calm and composed.

I felt a twinge of pain in my heart. I pushed it away quickly and tried to just think about myself and what I needed right now, not about what Lucas might need in the future.

When the doors shut completely, Sam turned to me and grabbed my waist firmly. He pushed me against the railing in the elevator and reached up to grab my face. He kissed me tenderly, and the knots in my stomach came back as his grip around my waist tightened and he pressed his hips against mine.

Ding.

The elevator slowed down and the doors began to open. Sam pulled away from me quickly and leaned back against the railing. We were on the fifth floor, and a small family entered the elevator. They smiled at us politely. I started giggling as we waited in an awkward, tension filled silence. Sam was nose laughing too, and I could see that his face was bright red. We started moving up for a short time before the elevator stopped again.

Ding.

We were finally on the seventh floor. Sam grabbed my hand and excused us as we made our way past the family and into the hall. We were practically running to our room, and Sam was fumbling with the key card as he tried to pull it out of his pocket. When we got to our door he managed to get it out, but dropped it on the floor.

"Oh man, I'm as jumpy as a June bug," Sam chuckled nervously, and I quickly bent down to grab the card for him.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm nervous too," I said as I gently placed the card in his hand.

Sam smiled at me sweetly and unlocked the door. He put his hand on the small of my back and gently guided me inside. I started to walk further into the room while Sam locked the door, but I felt his hand catch mine and spin me around. He was giving me that intense look again, making my knees feel weak. Sam slowly pulled me towards him, not taking his eyes off of mine. He placed his other hand under my chin, and gently lifted my face up to his. The kiss started very slow as Sam moved his thumb along my jaw. He pulled away from me slightly and studied my face.

"You are so incredibly gorgeous," his voice was low, and his words made me feel so confident.

I didn't have time to say anything before he kissed me again, and his hands moved around on my back. I reached up and grabbed his neck with one hand, placing my other on his chest. Sam pulled my hips towards his and deepened the kiss, and I could feel how turned on he was already.

"Rachel," he breathed against my neck, making my heart skip a beat. "I want you," I let out a small, audible exhale and tighten my grip on his chest, pulling his shirt slightly.

"You can have me," I said in a breathy tone, flirting with Sam.

He smiled wide enough so I could see his perfect white teeth. I lifted my chin up and kissed him first, and I could feel him moan against my mouth. He pulled off my cardigan as he walked me backwards until I could feel the edge of the bed on my thighs. I sat down quickly, and Sam pulled away from me to take his shirt off.

I didn't feel embarrassed when I stared at him now. He placed his hands on the bed on either side of me and kissed me so deeply that he pushed me flat onto the bed. Sam slowly ran his hands from my knees and up the sides of my thighs, squeezing me firmly. He moved away from my lips and kissed my jawline, as his hands slid up my waist. He kept moving his lips down my neck and I let out a quiet gasp. He kissed me attentively along my collarbone, making me squirm underneath him.

Sam came back up to my face and kept kissing me, undoing the buttons on my dress gently. He picked up my hips and scooted me back until we were fully laying on the bed. Sam stopped a few inches from my face and smiled at me adoringly. The way he looked at me made me feel like I was floating.

I couldn't wait any longer. I pulled his lips back to mine and immediately started exploring the inside of his mouth with my tongue. I could feel his demeanor change as he roughly pulled my dress off along with his pants. He closed the gap between us slowly, creating an electricity between us.

I forgot about everything for hours, falling asleep in Sam's arms.