| March 9 | Friday Night |

~ Sam's POV ~

"Sam, I need your help!"

I took a deep breath and rushed over to Mariah who was behind the bar making drinks. I wasn't necessarily happy to be here, because Megan was spending the weekend with her mom, and I had to be here for work. But, there was nothing I could do about it.

I helped make Mariah's order, took an order of my own, and then got Sara change. The only good thing about tonight was the fact that it was passing quickly. There was nothing I wanted more than to get the hell out of here and go home to sleep.

Once I helped extinguish the rush, I leaned back against the bar.

"Everyone good?" I asked.

"For now," Mariah answered, counting her tips.

I decided that the girls could certainly handle the bar on their own for a few, and I disappeared out the back door. Luckily, the weather was warming up, so I didn't have to worry about freezing to death.

I dialed Megan's number.

"Hey babe," she answered. "How's work?"

"It's work," I answered. "I miss you."

"I literally saw you this morning."

"And?"

She laughed through the phone. "You're ridiculous. I'll be home by noon, Sunday."

"Thank God." I kicked a piece of gravel. "I think Charlie and I would die without you."

"And you're dramatic!"

I just laughed in response.

"How's you're mom?" I asked.

"She's fine. Her new boyfriend is... interesting. But she seems happy, so that's all that matters."

"Hey, don't hate on her boyfriend for being different," I said. "You thought the same thing about me, and look at us now."

"You're right."

I smiled. "It's gonna suck sleeping without you."

"You can cuddle with Charlie," she replied. "She loves cuddling with you."

"Can't you tell I'm just trying to flirt with you, woman?" I claimed.

"You call that flirting?" she joked.

I rolled my eyes playfully, checking the time and seeing I had been out here for quite a while. Plus, it was late. And I was sure Megan was probably laying in bed, readying herself to sleep.

"I should go," I said reluctantly. "I don't want Mariah and Sara to think I abandoned them."

"How is Mariah?" Megan asked.

I looked back at the door. "She seems... better, but I'm not sure. You can't deal with your problems in a week."

Megan sighed. "Yeah, but maybe she's trying harder."

"Maybe," I agreed. "Okay babe. I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"I love you too," Megan replied. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Then we hung up, and I walked back towards the bar's back entrance.

Just a few more hours, I thought to myself.

I let myself back into the bar, not really paying attention once I made it to the hallway. It didn't sound like Mariah and Sara needed my help, but I guess hanging out with them in the front would be appreciated.

But when I came face-to-face with the bar, I also came face-to-face with the devil herself.

Nikki.

She hadn't noticed me yet, because luckily Mariah was talking to her, but a knot the size of a softball formed in my gut. I turned back around and walked straight into dry storage, unsure on what to do.

I knew she was going to show up eventually, but it had been nearly a month since our last Nikki encounter. I had just assumed she had become a hermit.

But she was here, sitting at the bar, talking to one of my bartenders.

I immediately texted Blair.

"Bitch Nikki is here at Jinx. SOS."

It took her no time to respond.

"Shut the FUCK up."

"No," I responded. "How do I navigate this?"

I watched the three little blue dots in anticipation.

"You be the boss bitch you are, and don't take any bullshit. Duh."

I rolled my eyes. Of course, Blair would say that. Why would I expect anything different? And she was right.

I took a deep breath and put my phone away. If I hid the rest of the night, that would mean I was afraid of her, which I wasn't. BUT, if I went back out there and refused to hide away in fear, well, that would make a statement to her, wouldn't it?

I mean, if anything, Nikki would have to figure I'd be here since she probably still assumed I was part owner of the original Jinx. So, this was her fault.

I dropped my shoulders and calmly walked out into the bar. Mariah was still talking with Nikki, but I knew it wouldn't take long for the devil blonde to spot me. I just wondered what she was going to do once she did notice.

Then Mariah moved, and Nikki's eyes found mine.

For a moment, neither one of us did anything. I just crossed my arms and leaned against the wall, facing her with a cold stare. I wasn't going to say the first word, but I was reading her, and it almost seemed as if...

"Should've figured I'd run into you here," she said while twirling her skinny black straw around her cocktail.

"Yeah, you should've," I responded.

She smirked. "Well, figured this was more my scene than the heterosexual black hole called AJ's across the street."

I could feel something bubbling. A tension that had been there the moment I had met Nikki for the first time. What was she leading up to?

Then she looked up. "Unless you're gonna try and kick me out of this bar, too?"

Mariah was standing next to me, and something must've clicked in her head, because she looked at me with a shocked face. She knew this was Megan's ex just by that comment, but she didn't say anything. At least, not yet.

"I can if you want to act like a conceited bitch again," I said. "Or, we can act like civilized people."

Nikki laughed lightly, then leaned forward. "Listen Sam, I know you're threatened by me, but guess what? I'm here. And I'm not leaving."

"Threatened by you?" I asked. "Right."

She took a big sip of her drink. "It's why you're still so bitter around me. You're threatened, because Megan and I have history, as much as you try to deny it. You wanna know something?"

I could feel my heart beginning to pound, but I found myself moving closer to Nikki out of instinct.

"What?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"When I came to Baldwin, and we slept together, the next morning, I asked her if she still loved me..."

I watched her but all I could see was red.

"She never answered me," Nikki finished.

"Because she doesn't," I answered.

"Yeah? So why didn't she tell me that, Sam?"

My fists were clenched at my sides. My body was trembling in rage, but I couldn't lose my cool. Not in front of everyone. Not in front of my employees.

Nikki finished her drink. "Now you have a reason to actually feel threatened." She slid me a twenty-dollar bill and winked. "Keep the change."

Then she left the bar.

It took me a second to come to terms with what the hell just happened, but when I did, I could feel all eyes on me.

"Sam, what the hell?" Mariah broke the silence. "Was that Megan's ex?"

I couldn't answer. I just turned and bolted out the back door in a rage. I heard Mariah tell Sara to hold down the bar while we were gone.

I got outside and tried my best to steady my breathing. It felt like a ton was on my chest, suffocating me. Was Nikki telling the truth about that night? I remembered Megan telling me after that she knew she didn't love Nikki. Had she been lying? Was there still feelings? After all this time?

I didn't realize I was pacing until Mariah grabbed my shoulders. How long had she been trying to get my attention?

"Sam. Sam!" Mariah nearly hollered. "Are you okay?"

My body was trembling in rage. I hadn't felt this out of control in so long... but Nikki just knew my weaknesses. She was still the same ole bitch, she just had Megan fooled. She even had me fooled, but only for a second.

"Fuck the bitch!" I screamed. "Fuck her for coming back and having the audacity to say that shit about me and Megan when that was years ago!"

Mariah was trying to coax me to calm down, but it wasn't working. Nothing was working, and I felt so out of control. And Megan wasn't here to calm me down.

"Here," Mariah said, offering a cigarette. "Smoke."

I took it and lit up, smoking it fast. I was still trembling with rage by the time I was half way through it.

"I had no idea..." Mariah said. "If I had known..."

I shook my head. "How would you have known?"

I finished the cigarette and felt no better. Fuck. Why couldn't I calm down? Was this just bottled up anxiety?

There was a look in Mariah's eyes, as if she had an idea, but I didn't want to talk. I felt if I did talk, I'd either cry or scream out of frustration.

Then she walked to her car, and came back quickly, something in her hand.

And when she opened it, I realized it was a pipe.

I raised my brow. "What the fuck Mariah-"

"Trust me," she said. "You need it."

She handed the piece of glass to me, along with a black lighter. The fact that I had weed in my hand again, after years of not smoking, was beyond me. Both of us could get in serious trouble for smoking on the job, but I had a feeling she wasn't letting me say no.

"You need to calm down," Mariah claimed. "And this will do that. I promise."

I stared at her. And I mean I stared. As if I'd somehow talk myself out of it if I did long enough. But I never did. She was right. I needed to calm down, and weed would do so much more than cigarettes.

I brought the glass pipe to my mouth and held the lighter that trembled over the small bowl. Then I flicked the lighter and inhaled, feeling the herbal smoke tangle with my lungs. I exhaled and coughed three times.

Then I handed it back to her.

Once I gained my composure, I dropped my shoulders.

"I can't believe I just did that."

"I won't tell anyone." Mariah watched me. "But you'll need to smoke another cigarette to cover up the smell."

She handed me a smoke and returned her pipe to her car. Within that time, I felt the effects of the weed taking over. My adrenaline subsided, and I felt like I could at least breathe again.

Megan would kill me if she knew.

"Feel better?" Mariah asked.

"Y-Yeah," I stammered as my shaky hand fumbled my cigarette. "It's been awhile since I've taken a hit."

"Yeah, well, you only coughed a few times."

At that, both of us just laughed, but deep down I felt a sense of regret. And maybe just a little excitement, for old times sake.

"Look," Mariah started. "You're cool, Sam. And that girl... well, she's psycho. I can see it. So, I have your back, cause you had mine."

I nodded, but I didn't know what this meant. Should I tell Mariah the truth? Or should I leave her in the dark? For now, I believed holding out on the truth was a good call.

"Thanks," I finished. "But let's get back inside."

Mariah just nodded without another word, then followed me back into the bar.

***A/N***

Well, looks like Nikki didn't change at all, and it's affecting Sam a little more than she expected. Hope you guys are enjoying the updates, because the drama is only beginning...

Vote and comment if you love Segan <3

Much love,

Lauryn