“Excuse me?” AJ asked as he spun around to face the two women. “What’s your name again?”
“Sarah.” the petite blonde answered.
“Ok Sarah, did you just say you hoped she got away?”
“I did.”
“She killed someone.” Brian added stunned. “You don’t know her…”
“Actually, I do. Her name is Samantha O’Brien…”
“You mean Samantha Murray.”
“No, I mean Samantha O’Brien. Murray is her married name but she never liked it. And I do know her because she was our roommate.”
“Your roommate?” Nick asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.” Kevin interjected. “I’m not sure with an attitude like yours that you belong in this environment. We have an image to protect and with someone on our team supporting a murderer….”
AJ cut Kevin off with a glare and turned back to Suzanne. “Why are you sticking up for her?” he asked.
“Because I knew Sami and I know for a fact that she didn’t do what they are saying she did.”
“Well I’m all ears.” AJ answered.
“I think…”
Howie’s statement was interrupted by Nick.
“We all know, or thought we knew, Max, or Samantha, or whatever the hell her name is and I, for one, like some answers.”
Brian nodded his head in agreement and took a seat next to Nick. Howie joined them and Kevin sighed as he sat down on one of the chairs.
AJ turned to Sarah. “Let’s hear it.”
------------------
Sam stared at the television in shock; her face was being plastered all over the news again. She leaned in to hear what they were saying, not wanting to turn up the volume in fear that someone would notice it. All the information the press was feeding people was completely made up; it sickened her to hear that she could be dangerous and was probably crazy.
As she sat there and watched the newscast fade away, she knew deep down that the only crazy thing she’d ever done is marry Ryan. He started the downhill slide of her life and she felt that she was trapped along for the ride. There was nothing she could do about it and no one who could have helped her. She had to take it upon herself to get out and she knew that what she had done was the only thing that saved her life.
She started the all familiar routine of gathering her belongings up and shoving them into the only bag she had. It was surprising how her life had become just a duffel bag and her wits. Once everything was done, she sat back and waited for nightfall.
-----------------------
“How do you know Samantha?” Brian asked.
“My sister and I were students at Northeastern and we wanted to move out of the dorms into an apartment of our own. We placed an ad for a roommate and the first person to contact us was Sami.”
“Sami?”
“Yeah. Samantha is her real name but her grandmother always called her Sami. She was the only woman in Sami’s life and she raised her since she was seven.”
“Her grandmother?”
“Sami’s parents and brother died in a car accident when she was little and she went to live with her grandmother. She only had her mom, dad and brother, her parents had no siblings and father’s parents had passed away before she was born. All she truly had was her grandmother and they were as close as mother and daughter.”
“Maybe she started having mental…”
Nick turned to Kevin. “Shut the hell up.”
Sarah ignored Kevin’s comment and Nick’s comeback.
“So Sami responded to our ad and after spending twenty minutes with her, we decided that she was perfect.”
“Yeah right.” Kevin responded, not being able to hold himself back. “She has a history of mental problems and you think she’d make the ideal roommate?”
AJ was furious. “If you make one more fucking comment about Sam, I’m gonna…”
Howie laid a hand on his arm. “Let Sarah finish.”
“I’m gonna repeat myself,” Sarah said defensively, “she doesn’t have mental problems. The only problem she ever had was Ryan Murray.”
Old Wounds by Kyrie
