Hyacinth ▷ Sam Uley

THREE

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THREE; TOXIC IN MY LIFE

"I DON'T KNOW if you've heard, but Sam and Leah broke up yesterday."

Hyacinth paused midway in between unpacking her final box and humming her favorite song, glancing back at her mother, who was absentmindedly turning the pages of her magazine. It seemed that her words didn't affect her very much, but Hyacinth didn't know what to think. After all, she was the person who told Sam to get his life back together, but she didn't know that meant breaking up with Leah.

She acted calm about the situation. "Really? Do you know why?"

Her mother shrugged, not really caring about the subject at hand. "People are saying he told her there was someone else. She's heartbroken — hasn't left her room since."

Hyacinth took a deep breath. She tried not to jump to conclusions, but she knew the ultimate truth. Sam had broken up with Leah because of her, and she doesn't have a damn clue as to why he would do something so reckless over a girl he barely knows anymore.

"You think we should send something over?" Her mother asked, eyes peering over her magazine in question. "Would Leah want food?"

"I doubt it, mom. Whatever food she needs, I'm sure Sue can cook it for her."

"Well, H, you never know. A lot of support can go a long way," her mother advised wisely.

Hyacinth released a breathy chuckle and nodded vigorously. "You know what? I think I'm going to go out for a while. I'll be back soon, okay?" Her mother offered her words to keep safe and waves her off. Hyacinth can clearly tell she is thrilled that her daughter is finally getting out of the house to explore the town she once loved.

Hyacinth found herself at the house where she once felt so comfortable just walking into without any announcement of her entrance. She knocked on the door, gathering the words she was about to spew.

"Hyacinth."

Sam's adoring eyes were staring back into her cold gaze. He didn't even notice her stiffened posture or the way her lips pursed. He was trying to comprehend that she was standing just a foot away from him.

"I need to talk to you," her response was curt and tense.

He nodded at her distant statement, letting her step inside the house. Everything in the home looked exactly like Hyacinth remembers, but she tried to brush by that fact.

"When I told you to sort things out with Leah yesterday, I didn't mean for you to break up with her."

Sam was unsure of what to say. Breaking up with Leah was one of the hardest things he's ever done, and it made his heart clench when he saw Leah's tear-filled gaze, questioning him why he would do such a thing to her. Sam despised himself when he returned home that day, but remembered that he was now bound to Hyacinth.

As much as he loved Leah before, he couldn't deter his undying devotion to Hyacinth now.

Sam searched for a response. "You found out," he exhaled.

It was such an idiotic comment — of course she would've known. The whole town practically knew of Leah's heartbreak, and Sam guessed that the real story was becoming more twisted as it moved from person to person.