DIRTY

24 BAYLEIGH

"What was that?" I asked, breathing hard, as I turned a little to look at him from the corner of my eye.

"What, I don't want to get you pregnant" he said.

I had completely forgotten that we had sex unprotected. We laid there for a moment, as the songs continued to change on the Bluetooth speaker.

"I should probably get up and take a shower. You should probably do the same" Sam said.

"Sam?" I said softly, rolling over on my back.

He looked down at me.

"What happened, why did you stop talking to me?"

Sam exhaled deeply, running his fingers down his face.

"Honestly, I still don't think we should be talking" he replied.

"But why?" I questioned sitting up.

"It's complicated Bayleigh you..." he started.

"I what, I wouldn't understand?" I said.

I could feel the pain building in my chest once more. Sam just looked at me.

"God, wh...what is it? Can't you see I'm in love with you?"

"I'm in love with you too" he sighed, getting up from the bed.

He grabbed a pair of black sweatpants from the floor and slid them up his legs, going commando style, tying the drawstring around his waists.

"Then why can't we just be together?" I asked, sliding to the edge of the bed.

"Because you're a liability and I'm a fool. I'm risking everything just being with you" he said.

"What does that even mean?" I shrugged.

"I can't explain it" he sighed, running his fingers through his blonde hair.

"Yes, you can" I said, getting up and gathering up my clothes to get dressed.

"I can't, it's not your concern anyway I'm handling it"

"Handling it? Handling what?"

Sam grabbed his phone, cut off the music and flipped on the light. By this time I'd gotten dressed.

"So, you'd risk everything for me?" I asked.

"Bayleigh I would burn the word for you" he said.

"Then tell me what's going on, light the fucking matches Sam" I frowned.

"Ethan" he said, leaning on the wall, shoving his hands into his pocket.

Rage immediately radiated through my body.

"What the hell does Ethan have to do with anything?" I asked.

"So, I've got a record, like a bad one. But when I ratted out my dad they released me. I wanted to get custody of Cera, but they said I could only do that as long as I got a job, reported to my P.O. and kept my nose clean. If I got out of line once I'm done, I'm gone, for at least five years" Sam explained, walking over to a bunch of plastic, stacked up clothes bins.

He grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the top of one of the bins and took one out. He grabbed his zippo lighter and lit the cigarette.

"Okay?" I shrugged.

"Ethan knows about Cynthia's" Sam said, blowing smoke from his mouth, as he leaned back on the wall.

"Well yea the entire school does."