Page 25 of All I Need (Hearts of the South)
With slow, painful movements, she resealed Gates’s T-shirt in the plastic bag and packed it away.
Now, his voice, telling her how he loved her, was all she had left.
* * * * *
The following morning, eyes gritty and heavy, she dragged herself through the routine of getting dressed. She’d promised her mother weeks ago she’d attend this baby shower. Life went on, right? Even when she didn’t want it to.
She locked the door behind her and fumbled for her sunglasses. The bright sunlight hurt her eyes. Keys and sunglasses in hand, she turned, and her heart plunged to her feet. Emmett sat in his Adirondack chair, coffee mug on the arm. He gazed across the parking lot, a brooding expression on his face.
Oh, shit. She’d stood him up, and in the emotional backlash, had completely forgotten their plans. She hadn’t even texted him. Remorse joined the lingering stress, making her feel worse.
Keeping him in his place and treating him badly were two different things. He was supposed to be her friend.
“Emmett.” She hefted her bag on her arm and put on what she suspected was a sickly smile. “I’m sorry about last night.”
A brief nod was his only reply. Silence hovered between them.
Something about that nod and the silence bothered her. She frowned. “Emmett.”
He lifted his gaze to hers, the blue depths cold. “I saw you with Rob Bennett.”
Confused, she shrugged. “Yes, he came over for a while. There’d been—”
“I can do the fuck-buddy thing, Savannah, but I won’t be one of a crowd.”
“Excuse me?” Was he saying what she thought he was? A leftover tendril of her anger from the night before stirred to life. Any remorse she’d experienced died a rapid death. “You think—”
“You know he’s married, right?”
“I do.” She opened her mouth to sayto my sisterbut the shrill ring of her phone forestalled her. She dug it out of her purse. Amy, probably to hurry her along. Fine. She didn’t want to be involved in this conversation anyway. Let him stew in it. She narrowed her eyes at Emmett. “I have to go.”
“That’s it?” He pushed up from the chair. A scowl twisted his features. “That’s all you have to say to me?”
“Trust me. You don’t want to hear what I have to say.” She spun and stalked to her car.
“Savannah.” She wasn’t sure if that was an entreaty or a command, and she didn’t care.
Screw that noise. Ignoring him, she sank behind the wheel and slammed the door harder than she should. She backed out of her spot and wheeled around to the entrance. She hooked the left, making sure the turn was smooth and easy. He wasn’t worth squealing tires.
Somehow she managed to keep the fury under control through picking up her sister and listening to Amy chatter all the way to Valdosta. Maybe she looked normal, because beyond asking how she felt, Amy didn’t comment on the previous night’s events, and her little sister knew. Rob told her everything.
Savannah seriously wanted to throw something.
Being on I-75 for the ten miles from Valdosta to Lake Park let her open the throttle, and the speed gave her an outlet. The choked traffic that characterized the Lake Park exit forced her to slow down, and she stayed within the posted limits as they made their way home, through the subdivision full of sprawling ranch homes that fronted the lake or the golf course. Familiar oak trees curved over their parents’ brick ranch, the white shutters and large windows sparkling in the morning sun. She took the turn into the drive too fast, one tire bumping over the curb and her father’s precious cedar ground cover. On a deep inhale, she flexed her hands on the steering wheel and killed the engine.
Amy glanced at her over the roof as they climbed out of the car. “Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
Really? She was askingnow, when they had to go in that house and play perfect daughters? Savannah slung her bag higher on her shoulder and smiled. “Emmett thinks I’m fucking Rob.”
“What?” Amy’s eyes widened, then mirth filled them. “That is hilarious. Hilarious, but totally eww.”
“I’m glad you find it so entertaining.” Savannah, for one, didn’t see any humor in the situation. “And ‘totally eww’ is the best you can do? I hate when you turn into some Disney Channel preteen princess.”
“Being mean to me isn’t going to solve your problems, Savannah.” Amy regarded her steadily.
“Idon’t have a problem.” Savannah walked up the path to the front door, her heels clicking against the spotless concrete. “Actually, I think I just got rid of one.”
Amy’s silence behind her was worse than any reply. Savannah punched in the four-digit code on the deadbolt keypad and swung the door open. The immaculate living room was empty, the golf course an emerald oasis beyond the sliding glass doors and the glistening pool. She followed the quiet sound of voices through the formal dining room to the kitchen. Chairs close together, her parents sat at the breakfast table across from her grandmother. The aroma of fresh coffee hovered in the air.
