100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 128: Daniel McAlister II

Parking Lot, Guys Hospital

Sam walked beside Daniel to the parking lot, thanking him once more for bringing her pocket knife and for the coffee and muffin--which she will most likely give to Elle since she only drinks black coffee. Daniel stood by his car, "Mr. Jackson is an....interesting man," he commented, struggling to define him and not sound rude. Sam knew the blond Irishman had that effect in people; she nodded, "One is never bored." she said.

Daniel fished his keys and opened the driver seat door and then looked at her, wondering. "Does he??" he started, ’Does he know about us?’ he wanted to ask.

"Yes, unfortunately," Sam admitted; she knew what he was trying to say. Daniel chuckled humorlessly, "That explains the whole awkward situation," he said.

Before getting in, he stepped closer towards her, and he leaned over. He wasn’t sure if he could kiss her there, but he went for it. He leaned in, aiming to kiss her lips, but she shifted her face at the last second apologetically. "Have a good day, Daniel." She said.

He nodded before getting in his car, disappointed, and he drove away.

......

A week later, 7 Eastbourne Rd.

Sam walked into the familiar house, shrugging her jacket off.

"Hey." Daniel greeted from the kitchen; there was something different Sam knew. She could smell something cooking, and he had scheduled earlier than usual.

"Hi," Sam said, waiting for the shoe to fall. "I thought we could have dinner before we--" Daniel started only to be interrupted by Sam. "I’m sorry." She apologized immediately.

Daniel furrowed his brows, wiping his hands clean with a towel. "Sorry for what?" he asked, looking at her from across the kitchen counter.

"I don’t do--this," Sam said, gesturing to the two of them and the food on the table. Daniel’s shoulder fell in disappointment,

"It’s Levi," he thought out loud, earning a frown from Sam. "Levi has nothing to do with this," she stated, annoyed at his accusation. Daniel smiled at her naivete sadly.

And he took a seat on the chair, "You think he doesn’t, but he does. You like him." He said with a sigh.

Sam knitted her brows together, bewildered at his statement. "Of course, I like him." She said, he was her friend after all. "You like him more than you even realize, it’s so--" Daniel starts, "Levi has nothing to do with this." She repeats firmly.

"He has everything to do with this," Daniel said with as much conviction as she did.

"You just don’t realize it. You don’t see that you are in an actual relationship with him, more than me. More than anyone. A real committed relationship." he continued; if he was honest, he felt annoyed. Not just about the rejection, but just how clueless she was.

"We don’t have a relationship." She tells him, annoyed that Levi was getting pulled into that drama. "You come to his beck and call. When he needs you, I don’t see you for months." Daniel shot back, recalling all the times she dropped him for the Irishman. Even in the middle of...

"Levi and I are not in a romantic relationship," Sam repeated, fed up. She wasn’t in the mood to have such a silly discussion. She didn’t need to explain herself to anyone, and especially not him.

"Yet," Daniel emphasized, disappointment clear on his masculine face.

He likes her; he fancies her badly. It’s actually not just about the sex; it was more than that. She was fascinating, riveting, she was gentle, sweet, and she was bold.

A shame she wasn’t his. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Sam sighed; she wanted to get this over with. "I can’t do this. Not because of anyone. I can’t do this because--" she started,

"I love you." Daniel interrupted; the confession took her by surprise. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes widened. She hated it. She hated that she liked him, but he had to ruin it by being in love with her. Now, welcome back to the world of celibacy.

"I’m sorry. This won’t work. Thank you for your time; goodbye, Daniel." Was her reply, leaving the way she came before he could say another word.

The funny thing Sam found was, she was far more upset than she anticipated. Enough that she slept over at Elle’s place. The two drank alcohol, watching reruns of The Vampire Diaries.

....

Next day.

Sam walked into Levi’s flat that Friday evening, for their so-called Game night. Levi gave her one look and said, "You broke up with him,"

"Shut up, Levi," the redhead said, collapsing on the sofa opposite to him. There was silence for a moment until she shot him a look.

"What gave it away?" she asked, curious as to how he figured it out.

Levi gestured to the dark bags under her eyes. "You were up all night drinking with Elle, evident by the bags under your eyes," he said whilst pulling a newly bought deck of cards from under the center table.

"And you’ve been upset since he came to Guy’s, cause he cared enough to deliver your pocket knife. All week you’ve been dreading the fact that you know you have to break up with him. Also, because you fancied him more than you thought you would, but then he wanted to date you. And all along, you only wanted it sexual, but he had to ruin it with his feelings." Levi expounded; Sam nodded her head in accordance.

"What I don’t understand is--why would you break up with him when you fancied him," Levi said; she turned to him and said.

"He brought me the wrong coffee." She said sadly, losing Levi with her explanation, and he frowned. "He thought I was the macchiato kinda girl; he had that mental idea of who I was. It wasn’t me he liked; he liked the idea of me." She explained; silence filled the room.

"Shame... the sex was so, so, good." She confessed with a dramatic sigh.

Then she laughed loudly when she saw the scandalized look on Levi’s face.