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He’s right, I do have something up my sleeve, but I’m not going to jinx anything by blabbing to him about it. Instead of answering, I head back to the station in silence while I take a moment to think about all the ways I can get Savanna to love me again.
I can see the emotion still swimming in her eyes, but she’s got these walls up to protect herself from me and I want to break them down. If there’s anything I want to do right in this lifetime,it’s making sure Savanna knows how much I love her and always have. This time I don’t plan on breaking her heart.
I’ve dreamt dozens of times about how my life would look if she were standing in my kitchen, one of t-shirts hanging down her body, and it’s a sight I want to see for the rest of my life. I want to watch our kids run around the home we buy, or build, together and grow old with her.
The only issue I’m coming across is being able to tell her exactly what happened seven years ago. Her father might have understood why I broke his daughter's heart, but will it be as easy for her to understand once she knows?
There’s only one way to find out. I have to find a way to get her to listen to what I have to say.
Chapter Seven
Savanna
I’m in desperate need of a night without Dawson invading my life. It’s later in the day when I send Autumn a text, asking her if she’d want to go out for the night, and I sigh in relief when she responds with a yes. I’ve yet to see her since I got back into town and I’m dying for some one-on-one time with my best friend. Maybe she’ll know what I should do about Dawson and help me figure out a way to get him to leave me alone.
I find a nice pair of jean shorts and a tank from my closet, then slip them on quickly before going into the adjoining bathroom and fussing with my hair. I’m not too worried about what I look like, especially when I’m about to drown all my worries away in alcohol. I’ve had to tell a few of my clients that I’d be late getting their edits back to them, seeing as every time I try to get work done, Dawson ruins it.
Headlights shine on the walls as Autumn pulls into the driveway and I stop in my dad’s room to give him a quick kiss goodnight. He’s been doing really well, considering, and it’s been nice to sit down with him after rarely seeing him over the years.
Autumn is leaning against her car when I walk out the front door, a big smile on her face as soon as she sees me, and she runs into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
I roll my eyes and pull away from her. “You saw me a few months ago.”
She sighs. “It’s not the same as when you’re here. I’m surprised you actually came.” If there’s anyone who knows the most about everything that went down with Dawson and me, it’s the woman standing in front of me.
Autumn is the first person I went to the next morning, begging her to skip school with me so I wouldn’t have to face Dawson. She held onto me as I sobbed the hours away, wondering where I went wrong and if there was anything I could’ve done differently. It hurt even more when I’d see him walking through the halls, smiling and laughing with other girls, and that’s the exact reason I left.
“Had to, for my dad. Are we going to get drunk or what?”
She studies me and narrows her eyes. “As long as you tell me what’s been going on since you got here. I’m sick of hearing it from everyone else.”
“Put some shots in front of me tonight and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
We slip into the car and head toward the local bar, the only one in town, and I groan at the sea of people walking in and out of the building. “Has it always been this busy?”
Autumn scoffs. “For a few years now, ever since Ginger closed down her bar on the other side of town. This is the new go-to spot and you picked the busiest night of the week to come out.” She wags her eyebrows at me. “But that just means more eye candy for us.”
When we step through the door, the air reeks of sweat and I gag while pushing through the crowd. A few women give me the evil eye as I bump into them, but don’t bother saying anything, and my body jolts when a hand grabs hold of my ass. I spin around to give whoever it is a piece of mind and come face to face with a guy who graduated high school with me.
Is it Sean or something else that starts with an S? I can’t seem to remember, but I can recall all the times he tried flirting with me the months that followed my break-up with Dawson. It took Autumn stepping in and telling the guy off before he finally got the hint and left me alone. Judging by the heated look in his eyes as he studies my body from head to toe, I’m willing to bet that attraction he felt once before hasn’t left.
Maybe this is what I really need.
He smirks at me, the dark brown of his eyes flashing with a flame, and I give him a smile of my own before Autumn pulls me in the direction of an empty table. She frowns at me when we sit down, glancing over her shoulder at where the guy is sitting, and says, “You can’t be serious. Sean is a total douchebag.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about you trying to ignore your feelings.” She raises a brow at the glare I give her and says, “I’m not an idiot, Sav. There’s no way you came here and magically forgot about everything that went down years ago. And seeing Dawson around town isn’t helping you.”
I groan loudly and wave my hand in the air, hoping that one of the bartenders is paying enough attention to the two of us. “I need alcohol in me if you want details.”
Autumn rolls her eyes and chuckles, then flashes a flirty smile at the bartender when he walks over. He’s got tattoos covering most of his left arm and a shirt that looks like it’s about two sizes too tight and all I can think is that’s not something Dawson needs to worry about. He could wear a shirt that’s loose on him and his biceps would still fill the holes just as they would with a smaller size.
We order two shots of tequila each and when he returns with them, I immediately throw two of them back and shake my empty glass at him again, but his attention is focused entirely on my best friend.
My throat clearing has the two of them averting their gazes from each other and Autumn gives me an apologetic smile while the bartender rushes back to the bar for more shots. “Him, Autumn? Come on, you could do better than that.”
Her eyes gleam. “But did you see the ink? You know I’m a sucker for it.” That she is. I can count on one hand how many men she’s been with thatdidn’thave tattoos, while I’ve lost count of the ones who do. They’re her kryptonite, apparently. She sits straighter in her seat when he comes back to the table. He’s not bothering to hide the napkin he slips to her with his number jotted down on it, and I scoff in response.
