Sam didn't hesitate to lace his fingers through hers once she took his hand. He hasn't been able to hold her hand in over a decade, but the motion seems as natural to him as if it were only yesterday.
He stared down at their entwined hands and rubbed a thumb lightly over her skin. After a long moment, he looked up to meet her gaze again. "Yes. My dad and I got into it pretty bad when I left. And I wanted to leave all of it behind once I got to school. I just wanted the chance to be normal. So I didn't talk about them. It seemed easier than making up a bunch of lies about who they were. But much as I wanted it to stay buried. My past caught back up with me again."
He gave Jess's hand a soft squeeze as he mentally prepared himself for what he had to say next. "There was a demon, Azazel, who wanted to make sure I was back in that life, and he knew I wouldn't as long as I had you." The tears he'd been keeping at bay welled in his eyes and Sam hung his head. "So he had you killed. And it worked. I was so focused on finding who had done that to you, that I got pulled back into Hunting. I'm so, so, sorry, Jessica."