WestFiction- "If You Love Something" by Mary

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If You Love Something...> chapters 13-14

“In short she was the roommate from hell,” said Ashley.

“Huh?” she asked. She hadn’t been paying attention to her. Samantha got accepted to University of Birmingham to do a double degree in production and business.

First she had to settle everything with the U. Ashley who was also in Birmingham majoring in Quantum Physics. It just so happened that Ashley’s roommate moved out. Samantha moved into Ashley’s flat two days ago and she finally found some time to unpack her belongings. And it got neglected when she began thinking about Mark. The band shuffled between Dublin and England doing photo shoots, recordings, video shoot, re-recording, re-shooting and their male bonding too for the past few weeks.

Whenever he was back in Sligo, they did spend time together, as short as it was. And now that she was in Birmingham it would mean even more less time together. But he did call her whenever he could, so did she. Currently they were touring with Boyzone. And after that tour, Westlife would be going on a promo-tour first around Europe, then Asia and maybe the U.S.

“Miss Mark huh?” Ashley asked Samantha as she sat on the bed beside her.

“Yeah. I should be used to it by now. How do you deal with it?” she asked Ashley. After all she had been in here and away from Bryan more than a year now.

“I do think about him from time to time. I mail him every now and then. Usually we chat on the Net. Thing is Sam, you would have so much to do in a few days that you won’t have time for yourself. And now with the band doing really well, well we just have to see.”

~ ~ ~

Mark tuned up the water temperature. He leaned his forehead on the cool wall tiles as water from the showerhead trickled down his body. He hoped it would ease the ache in his muscles. That evening they opened for Boyzone. Sure he was nervous but once on stage and singing, he felt like a different person. And to stand there and see the whole crowd, it was amazing. But he had no idea how much energy it consumed. He admired how Boyzone, or any other band for that matter, did concert after concert with a new burst of energy every time.

“Hey Mark,” called out Kian, “Are you coming or not?”

“Yeah I am,” he called out as he jumped out from the shower.

“Meet at Nix in five,” Kian said then added, “then we’re leaving with or without you.” Then he heard the door shut.

He thought about his family at home, what Barry and Colm were up to, grandma, his friends and of course Samantha. “Sam…” he whispered. He missed her, she left for Birmingham three days ago. He wished he had sent her off, but the band was on tour. They would have a few days off just before they start their promo tour, he wondered if he could squeeze in some time to see her before he left.

~ ~ ~

CHAPTER 14

“Where is she?” Mark mumbled for the hundredth time as he looked out the window. He was waiting for Samantha in her flat. It has been one month since he last saw her and that meeting wasn’t a pleasant one. Today however he wanted to make up for that.

The whole band flew in to the U.K. from Asia this morning as they persuaded their tour manager to stop over here and they had the day off. Mark and Bryan wanted to surprise Samantha and Ashley respectively. Ashley was at home, watching an old movie when they arrived and she was ecstatic to see Bryan. They just wouldn’t let go off each other. Mark was happy for them. They were so in love as they were for the past three years. He couldn’t say the same about himself and Samantha. Somehow the past year had put a strain in their relationship. Every time they meet or call they’ll alternate between arguing and apologizing for their behavior.

He learnt from Ashley that Samantha wouldn’t be back till late evening. Ashley and Bryan decided to have trunch and invited Mark but he declined. Two’s a company, three’s a crowd. Instead he decided to wait for Samantha. After surfing all the channels, he concluded that there was nothing worth watching on TV.

He suddenly had an idea. He would cook dinner for both of them. He was aware that his culinary skills were not superb but he could manage to whip up something. He looked through the contents in the fridge and decided on spaghetti and pasta simply because it was her favorite and he was sure he won’t burn the whole building down. An hour later, it was ready, he proceeded to set the table, he found a pair of candlesticks in one of the cabinets and half a bottle of red wine.

“Perfect,” he said to himself, satisfied. He glanced at his wristwatch, she should be home any time now. He glanced around the flat. It was small but comfortable. Two rooms, one bath, one kitchen, one living room cum dining room. He wandered into Samantha’s room. It was warm and cozy. A single bed in one corner of the room, a cupboard, a desk cluttered with her books and papers and her PC. On the desk were two framed photographs. One was with her family back in Ireland, in it was also inserted a faded picture of what he concluded was her mum. The resemblance was uncanny, Samantha had straight hair while her mum’s was wavy. He picked up the other one, it was the both of them at her seventeenth birthday party. He smiled as he put it down.

He looked out the window, the sun was about to set. He admired the view. Then he saw her, coming out of the cafe right across the street. His heart swelled. She trimmed her hair and highlighted it and she was as beautiful as ever. A guy accompanied her out, they crossed the street and stood there talking for awhile. The guy was a foreigner, a little Oriental, like Ashley. Mark was wary for awhile. He seemed a little too friendly to Samantha. After a few minutes he gave her a hug and a peck on the cheek and climbed into a car, which was parked there. He tried to push all suspicions out of his mind as he made his way out of her room. After all, she was entitled to have friends, male and female.

Slowly the door opened. “Mark!” she said surprised when she saw him.

“Surprised?” he asked hoping she didn’t hear the slight sarcasm in his voice.

“Yeah. The door was unlocked. That’s unusual. I thought-” she broke off mid-sentence when she saw the table, and then she smiled, “You made dinner, how sweet,” she said. Hugging him, she whispered to his ear, “I’ve missed you,” he hugged back, but she sensed instantly the warmth was missing.

“Come on, let’s eat,” he said finally and smiled.

“Is anything wrong, Mark?” she asked. She didn’t want to fight with him. Not today. Not ever.

“No nothings wrong. I guess I’m a little tired,” he said, pulling out a chair for her.

“So, how long would you be here?” she asked.

“We leave tomorrow evening back to Dublin,” he replied, “Enough about that, tell me what you’ve been up to.” They talked as they finished dinner but there was no denying a slight tension between them but Samantha couldn’t pin point on what it was about. And after dinner, they cuddled around each other in the living room as they enjoyed their wine.

“Doing anything tomorrow?” he asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. I have to meet a friend. If I knew you’ll be coming I wouldn’t have made plans,” she sighed and added, “I do have a life to live.”

“I know. It’s just, when I’m busy, you’re not. And when you’re busy, I’m not. It’s hard to find time for us.”

“Your dream came true Mark and now I need to make mine come true. You know how much this means to me,” she paused and said, “I thought you of all people would understand that. Can’t I have a little more support?” Samantha said, suddenly she had a very uneasy feeling.

“I understand. I know what it is like to want something so bad and I support you two hundred percent. It’s just that…I just wish you hadn’t left home,” he said. At that she broke away from him. He looked surprised.

“What did you say?” Samantha asked, anger building in her.

“I wish you didn’t leave Sligo,” he repeated. “At least when I come home, I’ll get to see both you and my family. It’s not like there’s no college there.”

“What?” she couldn’t believe he said that. It was as if a completely different Mark was standing in front of her, “Don’t I deserve to give myself the best and make something out of myself?”

“Of course yo—“ Mark began but Samantha cut him off.

“Did you expect me to give up what I’ve always wanted?” she raised her voice with every word she said, “Did you really expect me to stay home and wait for you to come home? Damn it Mark, this is not the 1950’s anymore.”

“I know it’s not the 50’s anymore,” he shouted back at her, “You are free to go wherever you want to, do whatever you want to and with whoever you want to,” and then muttered under his breath, “like the guy form the café.” Samantha stopped dead. Mark turned away from her, he didn’t mean for her to hear that.

Then it hit her. He didn’t trust her. Rule #1: Trust. Break this rule and you shake the foundation of a relationship and it will crumble. If anyone was supposed to be insecure in this relationship it had to be her not him. She was still the same Samantha, Mark of course was the pop star now.

“He’s my friend,” she said waiting for his reaction. But he just stood there, looking into his wine glass, and this just added to her irritation, “Do me a favor Markus,” she said as she opened the flat door, “don’t walk back in here until you GROW UP.”

“You know what Samantha, I’ll do both of us a favor,” said Mark, Samantha have never seen such icy cold expression in his eyes before, “I will never walk through this door EVER again.”

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