Page 25

“A year,” she answers simply, her head tucking down, ashamed. She’s got nothing to be ashamed of. The only thing I see sitting in front of me is a strong woman, determined to keep fighting no matter what the world throws at her.

“Let me guess. Has Luke offered you his place to stay to keep up with the interest on his loan ?”

She bites her bottom lip, nodding.

“And you’re refusing to take it?”

She nods again.

“Smart move. That guy will take advantage the second night you agree to stay there.”

Savannah lets that last comment cling in the air for a beat. She knows it’s the truth, but I’m guessing this is the first time someone has outright said it to her.

“I wasn’t always like this, you know,” she says meekly.

“Like what?”

“Broke and pathetic. I mean, I was never wealthy, but I got by. I made a few bad decisions that have led me to a place that’s been a little harder to manage, but I’m not going to give up.

On myself or my sister, Adley. My parents raised me to be a fighter, so that’s what I’m going to do. Keep fighting.”

Fuck me. I think I’m in love. The strength of character this woman is showing is unreal.

“Who’s paying for Covey U?”

“I’ve got a partial scholarship because of my… status.”

“Status?”

“Orphan.” Her voice wobbles and yet again she shifts her gaze from mine before shaking her head. “That sounds so dramatic. My parents died when I was twelve and because of that, the state and college fund my tuition and books. I can also get a percentage off on the dorms.”

My brows furrow. “Then why aren’t you living there? Surely, you would have made enough at the diner to pay for that instead of going into an impossible debt with Luke?”

“My sister, Adley. She was only eight when our parents died. She’s living with a foster family in Connecticut. She’s told me she wants to be with me, and I want that too, but they won’t even let me apply for custody unless I have a home and plan for her.”

Home.

Then it all starts to come together and it feels way more tragic now. “And without a room of her own, they won’t even look at you.”

“Exactly.” She gives a short, defeated laugh, the kind that sounds more like she’s choking on her own hopelessness than actually finding humor in any of this.

“And I get it. What do I have to offer her? Adley needs a room. A place she can study, a school that’s better than the prep school she’s gotten into.

” Her voice wavers, barely holding together, but she keeps going, like she has to get it all out.

“I don’t have any of that. I don’t even have enough space for her to sleep in the car with me. ”

Her breath shudders as she finally stops, shoulders curling inward, like she’s shrinking under the weight of it all.

That’s it.

I’m done watching her drown.

Done sitting back, pretending I don’t see the way she’s suffocating under circumstances she shouldn’t have to bear alone.

She thinks she has no one to fight for her.

She’s wrong.

“Come home with me.”

Her head snaps up, eyes wide again. “What?”

I shake my head quickly, holding up a hand. “I’m not letting you sleep in your car ever again.”

“I, uh.”

I point at her. “No talking. Eat, please. Hey, Chloe.”

Chloe jumps at my call and quickly comes over. “Yes?”

“Can you add three more of Savannah’s favorite meals to our bill and put them in a to-go box?”

“Uh.” Chloe looks between me and Savannah, seemingly getting her approval. “Sure thing.” She turns on her heels and walks off.

“Why are you—”

“Because I want to make sure you have food you actually like at my place.” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m bracing myself for her to push back and tell me this is too much. She’ll insist she doesn’t need me because she’s a fighter.

“Cade. I—”

“Please.” I cut her off gently, leaning forward, trying to make her see that this isn’t just some casual offer. “I understand if you don’t want to live with me permanently. I just… We’ll figure something out. Until then, I need you to stay with me. Okay?”

Her breath catches, and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. I can see it in her eyes, though. The pride pulling her one way, and something else tugging at the other. She’s always had pride, a whole wall of it, but this? This looks like relief slipping through the cracks.

Then, finally, she nods. “Okay.”

My shoulders loosen, the tension melting out of me like I’ve been holding my breath this entire time.

She said yes.

Thank God .

She turns back to her food, and I let out a quiet breath, thanking Chloe as she drops off three to-go boxes, giving me a knowing look before walking away. If she had said no, I’m pretty sure Chloe would’ve tackled me before I even got a chance to drag Savannah out of here myself.

For a while, we just sit there, eating in comfortable silence. It’s almost as if we both understand there’s nothing else that needs to be said right now.

When she’s finished, she wipes her mouth with a napkin and softly murmurs, “Thank you.”

I meet her gaze, holding it steady. “So does that mean you’ll stay with me?”

“Just for tonight,” she murmurs with a nod.

“Just for tonight,” I echo, knowing damn well I’ll be doing everything in my power to make sure she stays longer than that.

I drop enough cash on the table to cover the food, grab the to-go boxes, and stand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Outside, the cold bites at my skin, but all I can focus on is her. Her small frame, the way she tucks her arms around herself like she’s used to fending off the chill.

Without thinking, I shrug off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders.

She stills, blinking up at me in surprise.

“It’s freezing,” I say simply.

For a second, I think she might refuse and tell me she doesn’t need it. But instead, she grabs the lapels and pulls it closer around herself. She doesn’t say anything. She just tucks her chin into the collar, letting the warmth settle around her.

She’s accepting it, and, in a way, she’s accepting me.

Something shifts between us in that moment, something unspoken but heavy, curling in my chest.

Neither of us says a word as we walk toward my car, but she has to know this is more than just one night.

She’s got me forever now. No one should have to fend for themselves the way she has. No one should have to bear this kind of weight alone, and I’m sure as hell not letting that happen again.

Savannah parks her car in my parking lot. Our parking lot if I can convince her to stay. She kills the engine, and for a moment, she just sits there, her knuckles paling under the dim glow of the streetlight as her fingers flex around the steering wheel.

I get it.

Savannah doesn’t like accepting help. She doesn’t do well with kindness either, which is probably because she’s been burned by both.

She pushes open the door, stepping out into the night air, and heads to the back seat to grab her duffel bag, i.e.

her entire existence. I don’t give her a chance to grab it.

Without a word, I haul it over my shoulder, surprised by the weight.

I’m used to carrying all my equipment around, but this feels heavier.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since everything she owns is in here.

I nod toward the building. “Come on. You know the way,” I say, mostly to fill the silence. She hesitates for a beat, then falls into step beside me.

Inside the apartment, Stanley greets me, with his tongue out and tail wagging in the air. His excitement is full body, his paws lifting off the ground in small jumps as he wiggles against my leg.

But the second his big brown eyes land on her, it’s all over for me.

His entire world shifts.

Savannah crouches just in time, and Stanley barrels into her, his tail wagging as he licks her face. She lets out a soft laugh, and I swear, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard her make that sound.

“Hey, buddy,” she says as she threads her fingers into his fur, whispering something I can’t make out. It’s quiet and tender and makes him melt against her, while I just stand there, useless and watching them like an idiot. Why do they look so perfect together?

Sighing, realizing that I’m completely gone for the two of them, I set her bag and the takeout boxes on the kitchen counter. I tap my finger across the counter, feeling that awkward tension coming back.

This is not how my dates usually end…

“As it’s only been a few days,” I say, keeping my tone easy. “I’m assuming you remember where everything is?”

She nods, still stroking Stanley behind the ears, her lips slightly parted, like she wants to say something but doesn’t have the courage to just yet.

I feel the same. There’s so much I want to say to her, but I hold back, knowing if I do, I might scare her away.

I clear my throat, scrubbing a hand over my jaw. “I think I’m going to hit the sack. I’ve got training in the morning.”

Her gaze drops from me, back to Stanley.

“Okay,” she says quietly, standing. “Thanks again for everything.”

“Always.”

I take a step toward her, but then think better of it, and turn on my heel, heading to my room even though I feel this weird sense of unfinished business between us.

“C-Cade?” Her voice is soft and hesitant, but it’s enough to make me stop.

When I turn, she’s closer now, with her arms folded across her stomach, her shoulders pulled in tight.

I bend my knees so I can look at her and place my hands on her arms. “Is everything okay?”

Then, before I can say another word, she steps toward me. Her arms slip around my waist and she presses herself against my chest. She’s… hugging me. Again. It’s tentative at first, almost as though she’s testing the weight of it, the feel of being held by me.

And I freeze, feeling the weight of it myself. I know what this is, and I know how hard it is for her to be so vulnerable.

Slowly, I wrap my arms around her, one hand resting between her shoulder blades, the other at the small of her back as my thumb gently grazes the fabric of her sweatshirt in relaxed, careful strokes.

I draw in a slow, deliberate breath, letting her scent wash over me. Warm vanilla, rich and familiar, laced with something softer. Something unmistakably hers.

She pulls back just a fraction, enough for our eyes to meet. Her deep, unreadable eyes hold me in place, tethering me to this moment. To her.

And then, before I can fully process what’s happening, she kisses me.

It’s not deep or desperate. There’s no urgency, no rush. Just the softest brush of her lips against mine. It’s light as a whisper, yet somehow detonating right in the center of my chest.

It lasts only a second, too brief for me to react, but long enough to ruin me.

Because it’s deliberate.

She meant it.

And fuck, so did I.

She lingers, close enough that I can still feel the warmth of her breath, like she’s caught between staying and stepping away. Then her arms drop and her body eases back, leaving nothing but the hollow space between us.

“Good night, Cade,” she murmurs, her voice low, breathless and I can only hope that maybe that kiss wrecked her a little too.

I stand there, frozen, stunned by the taste of her still on my lips, knowing with full certainty I’ll be thinking about that kiss for the rest of my life.

“Good night, Savannah.”

And just like that, she disappears down the hall, slipping into the guest bedroom without saying another word.

I stand there, staring at the empty space she left behind, feeling like the ground just tilted beneath me.

With a quiet laugh, I drag a hand down my face, shaking my head.

Damn.

I’ve been around plenty of girls before, but none of them could make me feel like this with just a peck. Still grinning like an idiot, I turn and head to my room, shutting the door behind me. Pressing my forehead against the wood, I let out a slow breath, a smirk tugging at my lips.

“Yeah. I’m fucking done for.”