Breaking The Routine

I know this may seem really weird to have the prologue AFTER the epilogue but I felt the information was a little repetitive to the first chapter so I put it here in this weird little spot for those who are interested! This is a little peek of Sam's world, I hope you enjoy!

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Be a good girl, Samantha.

             That was what everyone always told Sam. When she was four years old holding her father's hand with nervous fear that was what he always told her before entering the hospital room where her mother lay dying. It was what the doctors always said when they came into the sterile room to talk to her father about how her mother was dying. It was what all the guests told her at her mother's funeral a few months later. Be a good girl. Samantha.

            That was exactly what Sam had tried to do all her life. When other ten year old girls spent their afternoons after school playing with their friends Sam went directly home, put away her backpack in her room, and started doing the household chores: dishes, laundry, dusting and so on. She also prepared her father and herself a real home cooked dinner and did her homework without having to be told.

            It was also the reason as a teenager she never went out with her friends, snuck out to go to parties, or flirt with the bad boys of her high school. Her boyfriend, Jeff, was approved by her father as a "good boy" and they went out whenever her father gave her permission, but she always behaved like a good girl. She didn't give into her hormones or his till their senior prom and though she never admitted it to anyone or even to herself she only did it then because it was the expected.

            The only rebellious streak Sam had shown ever was her devotion, against her father's and Jeff's will, to her best and only friend since she could walk, Tabby Mathews. Besides this everyone agreed that Samantha Peters was a good girl.

            Sam sat at her little desk where she worked at her father's accounting company. She never planned on working for him but in this little town the options for employment were very limited. Either work as a sales representative in one of the few stores or as a waitress in one of the three dinners in town. Neither of those options was good for Sam's reserved shy nature plus those jobs usually went to teenagers anyways.

            Tabby suggested she try for college but Sam wasn't as smart as her and knew she wasn't cut out for the life of higher education. So her only option was to work for her father and to her surprise after three years working there Sam actually enjoyed it.

            "Happy Birthday Sam," Tabby cheered happily handing her a wrapped rectangle. "Now that you're twenty-one we can legally go get smashed," she added with a impish glint in her eyes. Sam laughed as she unwrapped the gift and felt her breath get caught in her throat. It was a collage of pictures of them together through the years.

       "Oh Tabby this is wonderful! Thank you

father only hired her as a favor to Sam but with in the week Sam knew her father couldn't be happier. Tabby was

me out tonight," Sam started ignoring the look of repulsion Tabby expressed. Jeff and her had been dating for four years now but Tabby didn't think Jeff was good enough for Sam only because he never remembered their anniversary or her birthday. He refused to give her any gifts on these days or Valentine's Day or Christmas. It wasn't that he didn't care about her, it's just he thought it was wrong to

       "I think tonight might be the night," Sam told her friend with an eager smile and Tabby shook her head. Lately Jeff had been a little secretive and keeping his comings and goings to himself. Sam was sure that it was the tell tale signs that he was going to ask

Sam," Tabby told her with a firm disapproving expression. "He is boring, bitter, and rude! He doesn't appreciate you at all and half the time he ignores you as if you were an annoying buzzing fly," Tabby told her

loves me and has his own way for showing it," Sam justified and Tabby shrugged with a look that stated clearly, "if you say so but

on slowly and Sam was showered with "happy birthday," from everyone in the office, except Jeff but Sam knew he took his work seriously and was probably very busy. Jeff and Sam sat at the elegant restaurant at the town fifteen miles from theirs, eating their meal when the evening finally set in. Sam kept stealing glances at him, admiring his stern beauty, sometimes he reminded

her for all her short comings. After tonight she was sure she was going to be able to tell everyone she was the future Mrs. Jeff Chambers. She smiled at the

throat once had finished his meal. "Today is a very special day," he started and Sam bit her lip to keep from squealing with excitement. "It is to be one of those days that I know I will

   "I got accepted to a college in L.A.," he explained and Sam looked at him in awe

            "You're going to college....in L.A." Sam started. "And that...is why today is a special day," she added and he nodded clearly not noticing that she was upset. Sam licked her lips with a nod and swallowed her desire to burst out into tears. "Congratulations Jeff," she

in the stomach. "I told you're father today that this is my last week there at the company today. As soon as I

I can't work with someone who has no ambition. If your father had any real ambition he would move his company out of this rat hole of a town, I am getting out of here while I still can. There is nothing worth anything in this town," he continued to

          Sam bit down on her lip harder. "What about me and what about us," she asked him when

know as well as I do that

       "It wouldn't be long distance...if I go with you," she

this town," he told her and she wondered what he meant by that since it was clear he thought so poorly of this town while tear