She’d lost him. Damn Lexie for getting in the way, she thought to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. What did Lexie have that she didn’t?

“Brandon’s heart,” she answered her own question poignantly as the memories of her brief, but wonderful romance with Brandon clouded her thoughts. How could she have been so foolish? Why had she allowed him to slip away, she questioned for what felt like the millionth time this week. The answer always came up the same. She didn’t know. She wouldn’t ever know what it was that split them apart, but now he was gone and somehow she’d been left alone once more.

Being alone wasn’t really the entire truth, as Samantha Brady still had one man that she could still count on in her life and that was her son Will, but even Will’s love hadn’t erased the memory of Brandon. Only a short while ago they’d been so lost in love with one another, ready to spend eternity together. An ironic laugh fell from her soft lips as she looked down to the bracelet on the nightstand. Her fingers brushed over the cool metal seeing their initials engraved in it. How cruel fate had been to them. Just when they’d managed to snag some happiness, Lexie had returned to his life and all Samantha’s dreams came crashing down around her. Perhaps this was her own fault. Perhaps she’d brought this on after all the years she’d made Carrie’s life a living hell. She’d played so many games just to get Austin in her life, that maybe karma was hitting back at her full force. Perhaps this was a way of having her pay for her sins. But why like this, she asked herself as she reached for her hairbrush running it through her golden tresses.

“Oh Sami,” she sighed looking at her appearance, “what have you done to yourself?” she questioned as if waiting for the miracle answer to come to her as she set the hairbrush down once again, “if only life could be simple, but remember this isn’t about looking back. Starting today you’re going to have a new life, a new future and even if that means surviving without Brandon Walker, you’ll have to do it. If not for you, for Will. He deserves a mother who isn’t miserable all the time,” she hesitated, “though why does this hurt so bad?” Shaking the thought Sami reached for her purse making her way to work as she vowed not to let the memories haunt her forever.

Brandon Walker sat in the hospital cafeteria sipping on his coffee as he looked around the room. Somehow this morning he’d found that he’d rather welcomed the notion of being alone after the week he’d had. It had been one of those weeks he’d just as soon forget, but with all the doctor’s appointments he and Lexie had together, he couldn’t quite slip away.

“Lexie,” he sighed thinking of his commitment to the woman who was carrying his child. How he’d hoped things had turned out differently, but from the moment he’d discovered that Lexie was pregnant, he couldn’t turn away from her. He’d tried to find a way to salvage his relationship with Samantha and be there for Lexie, but Samantha had been so devastated. He could still see the look in her eyes when she’d walked away from him. Her tears had nearly done him in and even now he couldn’t forget that sadness he’d always promised himself he’d never allow her to experience again, yet he’d hit an all time low. He’d destroyed the woman he loved and for what? What had he gained from it? With a sigh, he slumped over the table wanting to lose himself in his thoughts as his pager went off. He looked to it seeing he was needed upstairs and he rose from his chair wondering if the days would ever get easier after this.

“You’re late Brady,” Brenda hissed at Sami as she stepped off the elevators, “what did I tell you about being late again?”

“Brenda, I really don’t want to hear it,” Sami hissed at her, “in fact, the more I think about it, the more I realize I don’t ever want to hear it again, so I just won’t.”

“Excuse me?” Brenda blinked back at her, “getting cocky now, are you?”

“No, just tired of this dead end job,” Sami stood taller feeling a bit bolder as she forced herself to smile at the nurse, “you see I’ve been here far too long and it’s about time I changed things for myself.”

“Is that so?” Brenda snickered, “well last I checked they weren’t looking for any lazy receptionists on the surgical staff, so I think you’re stuck here Sami.”

“On the contrary,” Sami handed over a paper to Brenda, “I think this should be sufficient.”

“What is this?” Brenda eyed the paper.

“That’s my two week’s notice,” Sami stood taller, “you see I found a place that needs me and where I can grow instead of being stuck here in a job that I loathe.”

“And what pre tel, did you come up with? Who was gullible enough to take you on as an employee?”

“You’re looking at one of the executive assistants over at Basic Black,” Sami announced proudly, “so I would watch my tone if I were you. After all who knows when you might want to come in and get a discount on the fashions,” she let her gaze drop over Brenda skeptically, “after all seeing as you could use a good makeover, if you’re nice to me I might be able to hook you up sometime.”

“Puh-lease,” Brenda rolled her eyes before tossing a file at her, “not that I’m sorry to see you leave, because I’m not, but for what it’s worth I hope you make your new boss as miserable as you’ve made me. Now get to work.”

“You can’t boss me around much longer,” Sami shot back at her as she looked to her desk counting down the days until she could leave this place and this life behind. As she stepped over towards her desk, she prepared to force herself through this day when she felt a strong hand over her arm stopping her in her tracks. She spun around to see the source finding herself face to face with Brandon as her breath caught in her throat. A gasp fell from her lips as her pulse began to quicken at the nearness of him. Just seeing him like this made her want to reach out to him, to hold him in her arms and never let go, but then the memory of Lexie informing them she was having Brandon’s baby flashed before her eyes and she tried to pull away from him.

“What are you doing, Brandon?” she questioned harshly.

“Samantha, did I just hear you right,” he asked allowing her to take a step back as he released her. He could see the confusion and anger behind her eyes, but feeling her pull away from him, he slipped his hand into his pocket fighting the urge to reach out and embrace her.

“Eavesdropping?” she snapped at him, “gee, now you wouldn’t do a thing like that now would you considering that you hated when I would do it.”

“Samantha that was different....”

“No Brandon, that wasn’t different. Whatever you heard was none of your business,” she turned towards her desk again forcing herself to look away.

“It is my business, Samantha,” he seized her arm around unwilling to let her walk away as he turned her towards him again, “especially if you’re leaving here because of me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself, Brandon,” she laughed haughtily, “I wouldn’t give you or your ego the satisfaction.”

“Samantha...” he started again realizing that all eyes were upon them as his hold on her constricted and he tugged her away from the desk, “come with me.”

“I have work to do,” she argued as she reluctantly allowed him to lead her along, “Brandon, where are you taking me?”

“We need some privacy,” Brandon insisted as he lead her out onto the hospital terrace.

Sami stepped out onto the terrace a scowl on her face as she spun around to see him, watching him as he closed the doors behind them. God, he was so handsome, and even now she hated herself for feeling that way. Just being this close to him was overwhelming and now she silently cursed herself for allowing him to take her out on the balcony.

“What!” she snapped trying to ignore the emotions tugging at her as she looked to him.

“Samantha, don’t leave because of me,” Brandon pleaded with her as he stepped in towards her, “if you’re leaving this job because of what happened between us...”

“As I said before this isn’t all about you, Brandon,” Sami answered stiffly, “the whole world doesn’t revolve around Brandon Walker even if he is taking his time seducing the entire female population.”

“Samantha, it wasn’t like that...” Brandon began with a sigh.

“Then tell me Lexie isn’t having your child,” Sami dared him, “oh wait you can’t do that, now can you?”

“Samantha....” he began again.

“Tell me Brandon. How long was it before you gave up on me? On us? Weeks? Days? Hours? Maybe even a few seconds?” her voice cracked on emotion as the anger began to surface again, “then again maybe you never really loved me to begin with.”

“That’s not true,” Brandon cut her off, “Samantha, you know in your heart that I’ve always loved you. From the minute I met you, I knew you were the woman I wanted to be with. You are the only woman I‘ll ever love.”

“I find that hard to believe seeing as I wasn’t the only woman you decided to make love to when you claimed to be oh so much in love with me,” she challenged as she felt the tears threatening in her eyes. She took in a breath trying to will herself not to cry, not to let him see how much this was tearing her apart.

“It was a mistake,” Brandon offered up, “Samantha, at the time I didn’t see it...even after I still couldn’t see it that way until I lost you. If I could go back and erase that night...”

“Spare me the lies, Brandon,” Sami turned away from him, “I heard what you said at Lexie’s memorial and I know that you’re lying to me right now.”

“Samantha I was confused, but now I’m not confused,” Brandon raised his hand to reach out to her, but stopped himself mid-motion.

“Whether you’re confused or not is irrelevant now because it’s too little, too late, Brandon,” Sami felt the tears slip past as she fought not to choke on her words. She closed her eyes keeping her back turned to him as the tears slipped past her cheeks, “it’s over for us and nothing will ever change that.”

“Samantha,” Brandon reached out to her unable to resist the urge as he touched her shoulders squeezing them gently.

Sami felt the warmth of his touch as she took in an uneven breath remembering the good times between them. Somehow in this moment she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his arms, in his touch and be with him for eternity, but all the hurt still remained as she snapped at him, “Don’t touch me. Don’t you dare touch me,” she spun around to face him as he released her, “Brandon, just stay away from me.”

“Samantha, you know I can’t do that.”

“You’re going to have to try because I don’t need you in my life,” she lied as she stood taller, “I don’t want you in my life Brandon.”

“You can’t possibly mean that,” he shook his head, “Samantha, I know your heart doesn’t feel that way.”

“My heart is broken after what you’ve done and it can’t be repaired ever again.”

“Samantha,” Brandon sighed, “if you truly want me to stay away from you, then I won’t deny you that.”

“Good,” she nodded wiping at her tears.

“Samantha, I can’t stand to see you crying,” he reached out to her wiping her cheek with his thumb despite her earlier protests, “please don’t cry.”

“Brandon, don’t,” she raised her hand to brush his aside, but she stopped herself as her tears overcame her, “Damn you Brandon.”

“Oh Samantha,” he pulled her into his arms hugging her tightly as she finally broke down against his chest, tiny sobs overcoming her, “Samantha I never meant to hurt you. I never, ever wanted this for us.”

“Why Brandon.....why.....” she cried over and over losing herself to the pain as he held her tighter. As her tears began to die down, he eased his palm under her chin lifting her eyes to meet his as he saw the sadness behind them.

“Samantha, tell me that you don’t love me and I swear to you that I’ll leave you alone, that I’ll never bother you ever again,” he whispered leaning down to kiss at her damp cheeks.

“Brandon,” she whispered his name her heart longing for him as his kisses tapered off over her skin and his lips found hers coaxing her into a light, gentle kiss, “please...”

“Tell me you don’t love me Samantha and I promise you that I’ll be out of your life forever,” he murmured as his lips hovered over hers waiting for her refusal, “you can’t do it, can you?”

“I should,” she sniffled feeling the warmth of his hands on her, “I should say it.”

“But you can’t because the truth is you love me just as much as I love you and we can’t just leave it like we have. We need each other Samantha now more than ever,” he finished capturing her mouth in a desperate, heated kiss as he held her wishing more than anything he could make things right between them.