I gave Nicky a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're the best. I'll text you the order details, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah- and get your new guy out of my shop, I don't want to see him in here again. That's disrespect."

"We're not together." I affirmed my words with a look that told Nicky I wasn't lying.

Nicky gave me one nod, "Take care, angel."

I led Will out of the butcher shop, "I told you to wait out here." Will jogged to catch up to me, catching my arm as I was about to open the passenger door.

"I already apologized, I had no idea it mattered that much. I'm sorry if I- am in anyway responsible for-"

I cocked my head, brows furrowed, daring him to continue that sentence. What did he think he was responsible for? For me enjoying my single life with no attachments? He must be thinking he sent me into an emotional spiral resulting in my wanton ways.

"It wasn't about you. Don't feel like you had any influence on that." I replied snarkily.

His brows furrowed as he recognized his words from earlier. His hand dropped from my arm, and he quietly walked over to the driver's side. I could feel the change in his demeanor. Our past was about to resurface, but I was still feeling betrayed as all the emotions resurfaced with it.

The silence only lasted about two minutes as Will drove us back to the Newman's. "If I had nothing to do about it, tell me when everything changed."

I shrugged spitefully, "Maybe you did have some influence on it, or maybe I just wanted to see what it was about. See what everyone was talking about, and why you were always with girl after girl. Trust me, though, it wasn't long till I went out and understood you on a whole new level. The freedom, no commitments-"

"Sammy-" Will's voice was defeated.

"It's Samantha."

"Sam, don't do that." He ran a hand through his hair, eyes still on the road.

"Do what?"

"Don't push me away."

I gaped at him, turning my body to him, "Don't push you away?" I couldn't even wrap my head around what he was telling me. "Do you know what it was like for me? How embarrassing it was to put myself out on the line like that? To ask you to be my first, and then to get rejected? You pushed me away first, Will."

"I told you why-"

"You know what, though? Who knows if I would've saved myself. I don't think so. I think I would've realized sooner or later that not everything is a fucking fairytale. People don't get who they want and just because you sleep with someone doesn't mean they'll be interested in a relationship with you." My hand were in fists by my side, my gaze burning holes through buildings as we passed them.

I hated that he knew me. He knew I needed time to cool off, and he gave me it. He didn't speak another word until we arrived in front of the Newman's estate. My hand stopped midair when he locked the doors.

"Will, unlock the door."

"Who was your first?"

"Pft. Like I remember." I still couldn't look him in the eye. I hoped Mrs. Newman would come out at any second and Will would have no choice but to let me go.

"Sammy, I'm serious."

My hand rested on the door handle, I could feel my heart pumping in my throat.

My eyes met his, "It was Luke." I watched again as recognition lit up his face and his brows furrowed. I knew what his next question was. Was it his Luke? Our mutual friend- Luke? "Yeah, it was your Luke. You wanna know something funny? I went looking for you, asking around to see where you were after you dropped off the grid. I even went to your friends' house to see if you were just ignoring me.

"Luke seemed a bit shocked to see me on his doorstep, but he invited me in. He was a great host, tended to my every need and want. Unfortunately he was looking for a relationship, and I was just looking for someone to take my card. It hung over my head like the plague. So, I hit it and quit it, and left in the middle of the night."

Is that what he wanted? He'd probably have a lot more questions for Luke- if they even talked still. He could've just cut everyone off when he'd left. Luke and I had gotten to know each other through Will, but Will was closer to Luke than I was.

His lips formed a tight line, his gaze fell, and he unlocked the car door. I made my way inside first, explaining Will would be in shortly.

My mind was reeling from our conversation, and all these feelings were suffocating. We hadn't even slept together and he was giving me all the feelings I wanted to avoid. Insecurity, betrayal, confusion, admiration.

I made a plan for the menu after discussing with Mrs. Newman, and texted Nicky all the food orders. The next few hours passed organizing James and Abby's dating photos by date to line them up on the string to hang.

"Do you need any help?" I turned around. Will lent against the sliding door frame, watching me.

"No."

He gave me a small smile before disappearing back inside.

*

"Dinner's done." Will's voice came from behind me, probably by the doorway.

"It's fine. Tell Mrs. Newman I was just about to head out to pick something up and I'll be right back."

"She already made it as a thank you for doing this."

"It's my job-" I turned around, realizing Will had left. I sighed, getting off the floor and making my way to the dining room. I rounded the corner to the sweet smell of ham. I glanced at it, confused, as Mrs. Newman appeared with a bowl of salad, smiling.

"I wanted to say thank you for all your hard work."

"Please, it's my job."

"It's your job to set up the engagement party, not to make it about Abby or add so many personal touches that she'll love." She corrected.

"I'm just trying to make her happy."

"Please, sit down. I'll go get my husband and Will. They were just around here somewhere."

I took in the lavish decor and centerpieces they had at the dining table. Crystal vases, with real flowers. It reminded me of Julie's work for the hotel. She really did do a wonderful job on that, and maybe Abby would've loved it because it would've reminded her of her parents' home. I just hoped this plan would work out.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I could make that honey ham." Mrs. Newman announced as the guys came in behind her, we all laughed softly.

Dinner wasn't as conversational as yesterday, probably due to my lack of enthusiasm. The food was delicious, and much to Mrs. Newman's desires, I went back to setting up the house instead of helping with the dishes. I pulled out the fairy lights and wrapped them around my arm.

I took in the ladder with a sigh. This would be much easier with two people- but I wasn't going to ask Will for help. After the emotional turmoil he was starting up again, making me confused, I couldn't go to him or let myself feel like he was here to help. I began climbing, and hooked one end of the lights around the already nailed in post, and plugging them in.

They lit up my hands with a magical glow, bringing a smile to my lips. If I'm barely keeping it together on the inside tomorrow, at least when she sees the backyard everything she come together.

As I was coming down the ladder to move it, my foot slipped sending my backwards. I landed with an oomph, cradled into a pair of arms. I opened my eyes to Will, who didn't say a word as he set me down gently.

"Thanks." I breathed, patting off my hands, and glancing up at the hook to make sure I didn't pull everything out.

"No problem." Will placed his hands on his waist, looking at the lights dangling from the hook, "Why didn't you do this during the day?"

"I wouldn't have been able to see how the lights would actually look tomorrow. James is supposed to propose at night."

Will faced me, "I'm sorry for assuming I influenced your lifestyle."

"Don't worry about it." None of us could change the past anyway. At least that's what I got from letting my bitterness settle for these past few hours- in addition to those years.

"Let me help you. It's the least I can do." He didn't look like he was going anywhere, even if I did say no, so I let him help me.

We didn't talk while we set up the fairy lights, besides me giving direction on where the next hook should be and how it should look layered throughout the backyard. After the lights, Will helped me put up the string with the photos that I'd already attached. With a few minor additions, and decorations, the backyard was complete.

I snapped a photo and sent it to Susie and Isabella, proud of the sentimental value this all held. I didn't think I had it in me to produce a romantic backyard vibe.

"We better together. Don't you think?" Will asked, coming up beside me and looking over the setting.

"You're talking about working, right? If so, sure, I could get you a full-time as my assistant if you'd like to decorate venues for a living." We chuckled.

"What if I mean more than just working together?" He rose a brow, facing me. I felt my brows furrowed as the confusion arose, the little hopeful girl trying to fight her way out of the cynic. What was he trying to say? What did he want?

"If you asked me years ago, I would have said yes."

"Whats different now?"

"We aren't the same people anymore." Which was true, at least on my end. I wasn't the young naive girl Will tried so hard to protect from everyone else. Although, I feel like the hardest rejection came from him. Being here with him, feeling like I could trust him again- it's dangerous. I could feel my heart beginning to beat fast just from standing in front of him, threatening another betrayal.

"What did I do?"

The easy answer to that was that it was what he didn't do. "You went AWOL on me- absolutely no contact. I called you so many times," My voice almost cracked, "texted you, and got nothing in response."

"Is that when you realized that not everything is a fairytale?" He cracked a small smile, that I returned with a disapproving shake of my head.

"Yes, because the only person who I could trust when my parents were barely hanging on by a thread in their own relationship- left me without a trace."

"Sam, I called you. I swear I did. I thought you were pissed at me for leaving you like that."

"Leaving me in my room that night, or leaving me in general?" I folded my arms, wrapping them around my body.

"Both. Sammy- I- I already told you, you deserved better. Your first time shouldn't be with someone who's been around, and barely remembers names."

"Shouldn't it have been with someone who I trusted?"

His head dropped and his gaze averted mine, "Well, yeah, but- I was scum, Sam. I honestly don't even know why you were friends with me."

"We told each other everything, Will. I didn't care if you were the worst person alive, I couldn't just walk away." I'd invested so much in him, and I had felt like he had in me too.

"I'm sorry." He paused, "But i did text you. That i can't take the blame for." He pulled out his phone and showed me the text messages, my screen name as 'Sammy- OLD'. My brows scrunched at the texts from years ago. They'd all been delivered but no response.

My heart turned, he had tried reaching out. I grabbed the phone from his hands and looked at the contact information. I reread the phone number before looking up at him, my lips agape.

"What?"

"The second three is supposed to be a four." But that still didn't explain- "Why didn't you get my texts?"

"I got a new phone with a new number."

I watched Will, blinking at him. I didn't even know what to say. He'd left so fast we couldn't talk in person, and even with our phones being our only method of communication, luck wasn't on our side.

"Why don't you like Sammy anymore?"

The truth couldn't hurt. "That was your nickname for me. Things changed once you left, I changed. My parents divorced, you were gone." I let out a shaky breath, "I was pathetic, Will. I waited and waited- but you never came back."

I was breathing unevenly, trying not to make a fool out of myself, and calm down. When his fingertips touched my neck, sending electric bolts through my body, my breath caught in my throat. His eyes shifted to my lips as our bodies began pulling into each other like magnets.

The sound of a sliding door, ripped us apart, and Mrs. Newman stood in awe by the door, taking in the backyard. "This is so beautiful." She sighed lightly. My chest was rising and falling. Was I really about to kiss Will?