It didn't take long for Sam to find me alone after Josh brought Jake upstairs.

"So you really didn't try it yet?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink as he leaned up against the counter next to me. I smiled back up at him, loving just how easy it was for him to make me feel better, without even trying.

After our conversation, I had a feeling as to what Josh wanted to talk to Jake about, but I didn't think he'd bring it up now, just like that. Even still, I knew it wasn't going to go smoothly. So at least I had these few minutes with Sam before everything got worse.

"I promise I will, I told you." I assured him, taking a sip of my drink, turning to face him. He held his stare on me, his eyes in a daze as he held himself up, slowly rocking back and forth. I was thankful he was at least a happy drunk. And more recently.. an affectionate one.

"Let's go get it." He said, putting his glass down and reaching over for my hand. My heart jumped as he lead me down the hallway, grabbing his coat from the coat rack, holding mine out for me.

"Right now?" I laughed. He nodded, wrapping it around me and zipping it up.

"Sure. Why.. are you busy?" I shook my head, smirking back at him.

"I guess not." I said, following him out the front door as he grabbed my hand again, leading me back over to my house. I looked down at them, feeling my face get hot as he gently intertwined our fingers.

I let us in, bringing us over to the tree where he sat down, going for the camera box, opening it up and taking it out. I went over, sitting down close to him.

"I don't really know much about this stuff.." I muttered, watching him as he turned it on, handing it over to me.

"Yeah, but that's the fun in it. You'll learn what works for you. Sometimes it's better not to know the rules, so you don't have to worry about breaking them, right?" He giggled. I nodded, feeling my cheeks burn as I took it from him, turning it to face him.

He smiled into the lens, giving it a subtle wave.

"Hello world, Sam here." He said. I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head.

"World? Where do you think this is going?" He shrugged, keeping his eyes locked on the camera.

"I like to think that whatever you do.. everyone is going to see it one day, so.. I just want to make sure I cover everybody."

"You're sweet." I mumbled.

"I just think you're special." My heart jumped.

"You do?" He nodded.

"Of course I do." I felt my heart beat faster. I'm sure he was just being nice, after how many drinks, that's just what Sam did. It's what he always did. He was always sweet like this. I held the camera back up to him.

"Say it again." I said. He smirked back at me, his cheeks burning red.

"I think that.. you're special, Jaime. You are.. smart, and kind, and.. so talented. And you're gonna do something so great one day. And.. we might not know what it is, but.. I know it's going to be great because.. well, because it's you. Of course it will be. And I can't wait to see it. I just hope you remember me when you make it big." I lowered the camera, feeling the change in his energy. Suddenly everything felt more.. serious.

"You really mean that?" I asked. He nodded, his smile growing as he reached over, gently caressing my cheek.

"I do."

"Thank you." I sighed, leaning into his nurturing hand. His smile grew, his eyes moving down to my lips for a moment before quickly meeting my gaze again.

"W-we.. we should head back." I said, grabbing the camera. "They're probably wondering where we went." He nodded, reluctantly pulling his hand away before pushing himself up from the floor, reaching back out for me again. I hesitated before taking it, letting him help me up, pulling me in closer.

"Sam, w-what.. what happened with Leah?" I asked. His face dropped. Part of me regretted even bringing it up at all, but.. if he was hurting about that, I wanted him to at least know he could talk to me about it. He shook his head.

"It just.. it didn't work out." He said, moving away.

"Are you okay?" He nodded.

"I'm fine." He said, giving me a gentle smile.

"Okay, I just.. I don't know, I don't want you to.. I mean.. you can always talk to me. Cause if you're going through something right now-"

"I'm not going through anything." He said simply. "I'm okay. I just.." He stopped, letting out a deep sigh as he held his stare on me.

"You just.. what?"

"Jaime, I.. I mean, we.. well, I always felt like.."

"What is it?" I asked, now unsure what was going on with him. Finally he shook his head, biting down on his lip as he looked down, avoiding my eyes.

"Y-you're right, we should head back. They're probably looking for us." He said. I held my stare on him, knowing that there was more he wanted to say, now wondering what it could be that could be so hard to tell me. Him and I told each other everything growing up, for the most part at least.

"Sam, if.. if there's something you want to tell me-"

"No, it's okay." He said, forcing a smile, holding his hand out for me again. I took it, following him as he lead us back to their house.

As we made our way back inside, I heard a door slamming, followed by Josh storming down the stairs, his fists clenched and his face red with anger.

"Hey.." I said, pulling my hand out of Sam's, going over to him. "W-what happened? What's going on?" He shook his head, letting out a deep sigh.

"Well, he lost your dad's shirt." He snapped. "I'm sorry, Jaime. I'm really sorry. I know it means a lot to you, and.. I'm sorry he doesn't understand that. I told him he better find it, but.." He stopped himself, shaking his head before storming back off into the kitchen.

My heart dropped.

He had lost it?

One of the few things I had left of him,

that I trusted him with..

And he lost it?

I couldn't control the anger that came over me, quickly storming up the stairs, and loudly banging on his door with my fist. I grew angrier the longer it took him to answer the door, banging louder until it finally swung open and I was met with him staring back at me with bloodshot eyes and tearstained cheeks, his face dropping when he realized it was me.

"Jaime.." He said, frantically wiping his eyes, trying his best to hide the fact that he had been crying.

"You lost it?" I snapped, pushing past him and barging into his room, now starting to look around for it myself, going over to his hamper, pulling out the dirty laundry one by one, tossing it around the room.

"Jaime, stop!" He yelled, but I kept going until I reached the bottom, moving along to his dresser, now going through his drawers.

"Jaime it's not in there!"

"Then where is it!" I yelled, now feeling tears come to my eyes. He stared back at me, as if trying to hold back tears of his own.

But why was he crying? He had both of his parents. He didn't know how I felt. And the worst part was.. he didn't even care. It was just another old t-shirt to him.

"Jaime.." He finally muttered, sitting back down on his bed.

"You lost it.. you lost it and you don't even care."

"Jaime, of course I care, I-"

"That was important to me, and I gave it to you because I trusted you and I love you but now you're just showing me how wrong I was to-"

"You love me?" He said, his eyes suddenly looking more hopeful.

"Stop it! This isn't about that!" I snapped, feeling my body get hot, my heart now beating faster. I hated just how angry he could make me, how he managed to make me feel the most of everything, no matter what it was.

"Jaime, you weren't wrong, I.. you can trust me, I-"

"Clearly I can't, I gave you one thing and-"

"I didn't lose it." He finally said. I stopped, watching as he grudgingly reached over, pulling it out from under his pillow.

"You didn't lose it." I whispered, sitting down next to him on the bed. He shook his head, avoiding my eyes as he held onto it.

"I'm sorry, Jaime. I would never lose something like this. I know how much it means to you, and.. it meant a lot to me that you would trust me with it. I.. I felt so much closer to you, and I just.. I'm.. I'm sorry. But I didn't want to give it back. Not to him. Not when it was one of the few things I have left of you. I just.. I don't want to let you go."

It broke my heart.

"Jake.."

"The last thing I ever want is for you to think I don't care about you. You have.. no idea how much I care about you, Jaime. How much I'll always care about you. And.. I'm sorry, I just.. I miss you. I miss us, and.." He stopped, catching himself as he began to get choked up again. I could barely look at him without tears coming to my eyes too.

"You know I'll always care about you too, and.. I'm sorry for how everything happened. You deserve so much better, and I'm sorry I couldn't be that for you when you were finally ready for it."

My eyes moved back down to his hands that clung to my shirt like it was me.

I moved in closer, reaching up for him, caressing his face and pulling him in, gently kissing his cheek, letting my lips linger for a moment before pulling away, leaning my forehead against his.

"You can keep it."