Ch. 6

Sam's POV

A small amount of people mingle in Sid's living room, the rest of the group to show up later I'm sure. I can't imagine too many people passing up the opportunity to hang at his house..

We sit and watch from the kitchen, myself perched on a bar stool and him leaning against the corner of the bar so that we are perpendicular to each other.

"My parents are in town," he says, breaking the silence we had fallen into. "They said they wanted to stop by some time tonight and see you.

"Awesome, I haven't seen them in forever," I reply. He just nods his head, so I feel the need to continue. "So, is this how birthday celebrations go down in Pittsburgh?" I ask. I've seen the looks some of his older teammates have been giving us, and I know that it makes him just as uncomfortable as it has been me.

"It is," he adds while a small nod of his head, a smile creeping onto his face before he raises his beer to his mouth, taking a drink. I reach for one of the unopened bottles sitting across from me in ice, but his hand meets mine there.

"20," he reminds me while putting my hand back down on the table. "Not 21."

"Oh, you're no fun," I pout while sticking my tongue out at him, which just makes him roll his eyes and chuckle before walking toward the sliding glass door that leads outside and sitting down in a chair on the deck with some people I've never met before.

Marc's POV

I timidly make my way into Sid's house, finding it mostly empty and a majority of the people out on the back deck, but not her. She's sitting on the couch in front of Sid's huge TV, playstation controller in her hand, completely consumed by some game.

"Why aren't you with everybody else?" I ask while sitting down next to her.

"Birthday present," she says while nodding her head to the TV, indicating the game. "Had to try it out," she continues while throwing a smirk my way, then turning her attention back to the game. Sometimes it amazes me how much she gets into stuff like this. She's every man's dream I suppose.. "I'm glad you came."

"Yeah?" I ask, glancing outside to see if Sid is anywhere in view and finding him starring at me.

"Mhmm," she responds. "Wanna play?" she asks while hitting pause and reaching for the second controller that was down on the ground. I wonder if she realizes how many ways that term can be interpreted, but when I hear a small snicker come from her lips, I know she definitely does, which absolutely drives me crazy.

Sid's POV

I sit on the deck, sitting in a chair conveniently facing the glass window so I can watch the two of them. Part of me wants to stand up and march in there and break up their moment. But then I think about it, and I know that she is old enough to make her own decisions, and I'm going to have to let it go. I've warned her... that's all I can do. For now, at least..

She suddenly jumps up, bouncing up and down and throwing her hands in the air in a victory dance I suppose, and I can't help but think how adorable it is.

Wait.. what?

Shaking my head, I clear it of all the previous thoughts that had been floating through it. It's Sam. Good ol' Sam, the innocent Sam from down the road, but also the Sam that has been inconveniently depriving me of a good sleep as she plagues my dreams, something I've been trying to over look for couple of days now, but somehow I always seem to get back to the same thoughts. Like how young she looks when she first wakes up, her hair still touseled from the night before, how innocent she looks when she sleeps, and how tempting she looks when she's out to impress. Damn it, I did it again..

But then, I see her sit back down, resting her hand on his thigh. It's not much, but nevertheless it still has my skin crawling. I'm not sure why, because I know Marc is a good guy, I know he would take care of her, but even though I know that, I can't seem to make my mind comprehend it.