Page 7

Chapter Six

Savannah

I wake up wrapped in Jared’s strong arms, his body pressed against mine, radiating warmth. His chest rises and falls slowly—he’s still out cold. I stretch slightly, feeling his grip tighten unconsciously before loosening again, giving me just enough room to wiggle free.

As I slide out of bed, I pause, glancing down at him. The soft light peeking through the curtains catches the sharp lines of his jaw, the slashing lines of his cheekbones, and the planes of his abs. God, he’s gorgeous.

I bend down and kiss his shoulder, my lips lingering a little longer than they should. A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth, remembering how perfect last night was.

He was my first— the first—and I’m not even embarrassed about it anymore. It’s like an early Christmas present…more than early, but whatever.

The way he had looked at me, touched me, like I was the only thing that mattered, it makes me grin.

I slip into the bathroom, turning on the shower as quietly as possible, hoping not to wake him. The water’s cold at first, sending a shock through me, but I adjust the temperature and let it run warm, quick and practical. There’s no time to linger, even though my body’s still buzzing from everything.

I grab my towel and pat myself dry, my gaze drifting over to the bed again. Jared’s shifted, now lying on his back, showing off even more of those ridiculous abs, his stomach rising and falling with each breath.

My throat goes dry as my mind briefly wanders back to the things I could be doing right now instead of getting ready to leave. God, just one more ride...he’s tempting, like something out of a fantasy I didn’t know I had.

No. Focus.

I shove the thought away and yank my dress out of my suitcase, slipping it on as quickly as I can. I’m not about to turn into some clingy one-night-stand nightmare, even if this one-night stand was...a game-changer.

I zip up the dress and sit on the edge of the bed, fingers trembling as I grab a piece of hotel stationery off the dresser. I need to leave him something, right? It seems rude to just vanish after a night like that.

I chew on the end of the pen for a second, thinking. What the hell do I even say? “Thanks for being my first” sounds...juvenile, but it’s also true. Eventually, I scribble something down.

“Last night was incredible. Thank you for everything. It was like a Christmas present. You’ll probably never see me again, but I’ll never forget this.”

Yeah, that works. Simple, not too desperate. I fold the note and leave it on the nightstand next to his wallet. Leaning down, I kiss his forehead softly, brushing back a lock of his hair.

“Goodbye, Jared,” I whisper.

My stomach twists, but I swallow the emotion. This was just one night. That’s all it was supposed to be.

I grab my bags, hoisting them over my shoulder, and tiptoe out of the room. As soon as the door clicks shut behind me, I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. I stand in the hallway for a second, adjusting the strap of my bag, then pull out my phone to check the address of my new place.

I scroll through the email Kimmy sent me. Craigslist wasn’t my first choice, but when you’re scrambling to find a place and all your options have dried up, you take what you can get.

The apartment seemed fine, and Kimmy was nice enough over email. We agreed on rent, and I Venmo’d her the thousand-dollar deposit last week.

I punch the address into my Uber app and wait for the car to arrive, leaning against the wall outside the hotel. Chicago’s already buzzing with people, the city alive in a way I almost forgot about.

It’s been years since I lived here for two years with my mom when she was trying to work things out with my dad. Spoiler alert: they didn’t work it out.

The city feels different now. Or maybe I’m the one who’s different.

I miss my mom so much it’s like a physical ache. My throat tightens as I think about her, how she was always my biggest supporter, even when everything else fell apart.

I’ll have to visit New York sometimes, make sure her grave’s taken care of.

The Uber pulls up, and I slide into the back seat, setting my bags beside me. As we drive through the city, I watch the skyline pass by, tall buildings and glass reflecting the early morning sun.

Chicago always had this energy, this hum beneath the surface that I never felt anywhere else. But now it feels like I’m here to fight for something, even if I’m not sure what yet.

I force myself to look away from the window and focus on the screen. Kimmy’s apartment should be decent, I remind myself.

After I drop my stuff off, I’m meeting Millie, the blogger. We were friends in high school before life took us in different directions, and she’s one of the only people I know who might help me with this whole disaster. The interview could save me, or at least give me a chance to salvage my career.

The Uber driver pulls up to the address Kimmy gave me. It’s a nice building, a little too nice for the monthly rent, but maybe I got lucky. I drag my bags out of the car and head toward the front door, scanning for her name on the buzzers.

Nothing.

I scroll through the emails again, looking for more details. Did I get the address wrong? No. It’s the right place. I buzz random units, waiting for someone to answer, but there’s nothing. The whole building feels weirdly quiet like it’s asleep.

I grab my phone and text Kimmy. Hey, I’m here at the apartment. Can you buzz me in?

No response.

Ten minutes pass. Then twenty. My stomach sinks as the reality starts to settle in. I check the Venmo receipt again, and it hits me like a ton of bricks. I’ve been conned.

The door to the building stays locked, no one comes out to greet me, and I stand there like a fucking idiot with my bags at my feet, realizing I’ve just handed over a thousand dollars to some random scammer.

My stomach churns, the knot of dread growing tighter with every second that ticks by.

Shit.

I’ve been duped. Terribly. And now, here I am, standing on the sidewalk in Chicago with nowhere to live. I want to scream, but instead, I just stand there, staring at the building, trying to figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do next.

What now, Savannah?

I drag my bags to the side of the street, sitting on top of one while I scroll through my phone, trying to find any hint of hope.

But all I see are dead ends. The fake email, the fake Craigslist ad. All of it.

I want to cry, but I’m too pissed off to even do that. My eyes burn, my chest feels tight, and I want to punch something. I trusted this person—hell, I paid them—and now I’m stranded. Alone. Again.

I scroll through my contacts, my thumb hovering over Millie’s name. Maybe I can tell her what’s going on. But I haven’t seen her in years, and showing up as a total disaster isn’t exactly how I wanted to make a comeback.

I take a deep breath, wiping my eyes. I’ll figure this out.

A part of me wants to go back to Jared’s hotel, just crash there and forget this whole nightmare. But no. I can’t lean on him. It was one night, and I’m not dragging him into my mess.

I swipe through apartment listings, trying to find a last-minute solution, but everything is booked or way out of my budget.

Why the hell did I trust Craigslist?

My gut had warned me, but I had ignored it. And now I was paying the price.

The city is moving around me, people walking past without a second glance. I’ve never felt so small or so fucking lost.

I sit there for a long time, staring at my phone, praying for some kind of miracle. Anything.

But there’s nothing.

Just the brutal reality that I’m here, in Chicago, with no apartment, no plan, and no idea what comes next.