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“Yeah, sure, whatever.” He walks to the door, but turns to me before pulling it open. “Haven’t you ever wondered if we wished you would come back home? When will you finally decide that your family is more important than running away from a guy?” With that, he marches out and slams the door behind him.
I let the tears fall like a waterfall down my face and slide against the wall with my knees bent to my chest. They are so loud that I don’t hear my door opening, but I notice the feet standing in front of me when I wipe the tears out of my eyes.
“Savvy?” Bethany asks. “What’s wrong?”
I chuckle through the sadness. “Your dad just knows how to tell the truth, Bethy, that’s all. What’s up?”
She sighs. “Dad told grandma you’re leaving in the morning.”
“Yeah, my work called and they need me back. Since grandpa is doing well, I thought it would be best if I head back.”
“That stinks,” she mutters, sliding onto the floor next to me. “Does this have anything to do with Dawson?” I glance at her and she shrugs. “Sometimes you and my dad talk loud, not my fault I overhear things.”
Jesus, I can’t imagine what she could’ve heard between us. “Uh, yeah, a little bit of it stems from him.”
Bethany rolls her eyes. “I’ll never let a guy have that much control over me that I go to an entirely different state.”
“He does not have control over me.”
She nods. “So, you want to leave?”
I sigh. “It’s not something you’ll understand, Bethy. I might not want to, but I need to.”
“Whatever you say, Savvy. I love you and it’s been nice having you here rather than video chatting with you all the time.”
And I feel the same, which is why the tears come back as she exits the room. Once they’ve all but been drained out of me, I take a deep breath and gather my clothes from the corner of the room. I’ll need to wash and dry them before I head out, so I’ll get that done today while I’m spending time with mom and Bethany.
When I get out into the laundry room, my mom is already standing in front of the washer putting a load of clothes inside. I drop my pile onto the floor and smile at her. “Let me know when you’re done, Mom, I need to get my things cleaned before morning comes.”
She nods, flashing me a fake smile, and says, “Of course, honey. What are you getting up to today?”
“Actually, I thought me, you and Bethany could have a girls’ day. Is that okay?”
“That sounds fun, sure baby.” There’s a pause in her words and she turns to me. “I’m going to miss you. Try to come back soon, okay?”
Maybe Easton is right, but I can’t change the decision I made since I’ve already told my boss I’d be on my way tomorrow morning. They’re expecting me to be in the office bright and early four days from now.
“I will, Mom, I promise.” And I’m not lying. I’ll be back, but I can’t stay here for good no matter how right it might feel inside. I thought this was the last place I wanted to be, and it turns out, it’s the exact place I needed.
She pulls me in for a big hug, squeezing me tightly just as my dad did, and whispers, “You’ll figure everything out eventually, baby. Don’t let your brother’s anger keep you from doing whatever you want.”
“Thanks, Mom. I really needed to hear that. I’m going to get ready for the day and find Bethany.” I give her a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing away from her, not trusting myself to keep my tears at bay for much longer.
I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like if I had chosen to say goodbye to Dawson.
Chapter Twenty
Dawson
That’s the fifth text I’ve sent to Savanna that has gone unanswered. What if something’s happened and that’s why she isn’t responding?
Gage pulls into an empty field, facing the main road, and cuts the engine before glancing at me with a frown. “What’s going on with you today, man?”
I sigh. “It’s Savanna. She isn’t texting me back and I’m worried something happened to her.”
“I’m sure everything is okay; maybe she’s been spending some quality time with her family and hasn’t been looking at her phone.”
“You’re right,” I mutter and shake my head. “She’s got me going crazy.”
