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“I love this woman,” he calls out for the whole room to hear. “I love her in a way that’s real hard to fuckin’ bear sometimes.” More gasps of shock echo around the room. “I’ve made hersuffer it. I’ve pushed her away, and I’ve made her cry,” he admits before looking down at me. “I’m a real asshole.”
“Cole, please,” I beg him, glancing toward my mom and watching her down her wine in one gulp.
“I can’t let you marry that man. I came here to tell ya, and to show ya that I ain’t scared of lovin’ ya anymore. I’m not scared to admit to myself and all the people in this room that you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I wasn’t too scared to get on a fuckin’ plane so I could come here and stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life. The only thing I’m scared of, is you not believin’ me when I tell you that I will never push you away again.” He jumps off the table and, this time, when he goes to take my hands, I let him. “Savannah, I need you. I wanna spend the rest of my life protectin’ you, I wanna make ya smile the way you are right now, like you’re tryin’ real hard not to.” He smiles at me, and when I close my eyes a tear spills out onto my cheek.
“So many people have let you down, none of ‘em more than me, and I’m here to beg you for a chance to show you I can get it right. Even though I don’t deserve it.” I can’t stop myself from crying anymore, even though I’m smiling. “What d’ya say, Red, you wanna get out of here?” He sighs.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” my mother interrupts. “Savannah is marrying Daniel. I don’t know who you think you are barging in here with your accusations, but you can’t…”
“I’m not marrying Daniel.” I turn my head to face her and the look on her face suggests I just shot her.
“Mom, I’m sorry, but even if what Cole said is a lie, it still wouldn’t be fair to marry Daniel.” I look over at Daniel’s mom, who is staring at the kitchen door with a worried look on her face. “I don’t love him. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.” I turn my attention back to Cole. “I should slap you in your face all over again,” I tell him.
“If it’ll make ya feel better.” Cole shrugs, still looking hopeful. “I’d let you do just about anythin’ if it meant you’d leave here with me.”
“Did you really get on a plane?” I feel another smile tug on my lips and when he uses his thumb to trace over it, my whole body warms from the comfort of having him close again.
“Yeah, I got on a plane.” He nods and smiles right back at me.
“Cole… I can’t do this again. I can’t let myself believe we’re gonna be okay then have you?—”
“Marry me,” he interrupts, and I hear my mom whimper like an injured mule.
“What?” I laugh.
“Marry me.” He isn’t laughing, in fact, the look on his face is very serious.
“Cole, you're talking crazy.”
“Nah, I’m finally starting to make sense.” His hand slides around my hip and he tugs me closer. “I don’t deserve for you to be my wife, which is why I’ll make sure every day that you don’t regret it. Come home to Fork River. Spend every day of the rest of your life driving me crazy, Red.”
Another throat clears and I look past Cole’s shoulder to see my father’s unimpressed face.
Cole slowly turns around to face him too.
“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to ruin your party… well, that’s a lie, I did. I couldn’t let her marry him.”
“I think we better take this to my office. Excuse us, ladies.” He looks to my mom and Mrs. Porter, then smiles apologetically at our guests before marching off. Cole turns back round to face me, and I quickly urge him to go after him.
“Is what you're saying about Daniel true?” Savannah’s Dad asks as I take off my hat and close his office door behind me. He’s standing over at the liquor cabinet and when he turns around, he has two glasses in his hand.
“It is, sir,” I assure him, taking the drink he offers me and knocking it back. I don’t care what this man thinks of me, or that I made a fool of myself out there in front of all those people. I just hope it was enough to get through to Savannah.
“And those men who dragged him out of here?” He takes a seat behind his desk.
“Friends of my uncle’s, they won’t cause you any trouble,” I assure him.
“And what about Daniel?” He folds his arms and glares at me.
“I can’t promise the same, I’m afraid. Me and my family, we don’t exactly do things by the book. If you knew what he had planned?—”
“I can imagine,” he interrupts me with a disgusted look on his face.
“She hasn’t told us everything, but we hear her at night.” He stares into his glass as he swishes the amber liquid around inside it.
“I killed him,” I confess, figuring it’s what the man needs to hear. “That’s why we can’t go to the police about what Daniel planned, we don’t need this to be investigated, we need it to be dealt with in a way that ensures it can never happen again.”
“So you're suggesting outlaw justice.” He laughs to himself. I know Savannah’s father is a lawyer, he believes in the justice system.
