“You are too easy on her. She’s too spoiled and I’ve had just about enough of her sulking. Four years is too long for a young beautiful girl to be wasting her time in a man who doesn’t love her.”
“Isabel, you know that’s not true. Billy loved her very much.”
“If he loved her so much, why leave her, and why has he sent back every letter she has written to him?”
“Look, I don’t know. Nor do I care. The only thing I know is that our little girl is hurting, and we should be doing everything in our power to make her feel better. She will come around, but it will have to be on her terms. We can’t force her not to love someone.”
Savannah made her way back to the driveway carrying a folding chair under each arm. John walked over to his daughter and took one of them from her and gave her smile. He always knew how to make her feel better. She walked past her mother and put the chair in the trunk. She then took the chair out of her father’s hands and put it with the others. Before she had a chance to close the trunk, her mother came around the car and proceeded with the questioning.
“Why don’t you come to the picnic with us? There will be plenty of eligible bachelor’s attending.”
“Mother, if you mean the same eligible bachelors that attend every year, the same people who were so mean to me in school. Then no thanks.”
“The kids weren’t mean to you, you’re just over exaggerating.”
“What planet do you live on mother?”
“Savannah!” John yelled. “Mind your mother.”
“Dad, I’m sorry, but she is delusional. I was picked on constantly at school. I used to come home crying almost every day until Billy and Travis became my friends. I never fit in. They all have light skin, or blue eyes or beautiful silky hair. I was just a little too ethnic to fit in with them. My skin is too dark, my hair is too course and curly. I will never fit in here with these people.”
“Why are you so ashamed of who you are? You have everything I never had growing up in Puerto Rico. My family had nothing and we lived in a two room apartment. All seven of us. I had to work from the time I was 13 so I could help your grandparents out. We give you everything you want."
“Ma, I don’t need things, I never did. All I ever wanted was a little understanding, but you never give me that. I’m done talking about this with you.” Savannah turned, got into her car and started to drive toward the lake. When she pulled into a parking space she could see plenty of people there. There was never anyone on this side of the lake, which was one of the reasons why it was one of her favorite places to go. It was always peaceful and quiet. Many times in the past few years she had come at night and sat on the dew filled grass. She hoped that when she wished on a star that Billy would be doing the same thing, wherever he was and they were wishing on the same star together. What a stupid thought to have!
Savannah could not be bothered with all these people, so she put the car in reverse to leave. As she put her foot on the gas pedal and stepped on it. She looked up in her rearview mirror just in time to slam the breaks. She then put the car in park and she jumped out of the driver’s seat. “Are you insane? I could have killed you!”
“Yeah, but you didn't. Why the rush Savvy?” Travis asked with a look of confusion on his face.
“I came here to try and relax. What is everyone doing here? And stop calling me that, you know I hate it.”
“We are having the picnic here.”
“Why here? It’s always held at the other side of the lake.”
“Didn't your mom tell you, I saw her the other day when she brought her car for a tune up?”
“No, she didn’t. Tell me what?”
“The picnic is being held here for a special welcoming home for Billy. Billy is coming home today.”
“What?” How could her mother not tell her Billy was coming home, especially today of all days? She felt sick to her stomach, and wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. She opened the car door and attempted to get in, but Travis slammed the door shut.
Savannah angrily looked up at Travis and yelled. “What is the matter with you? Let me go.”
Travis stepped in front of her and leaned in front of the car. “No, you can’t keep running away from your feelings.”
“The hell I can’t! Now move Travis.”
“Look, I can't make you stay but I'm asking you as a friend to stay. At least for a few minutes. Billy won't be here until later this afternoon. Why don’t we take a walk?”
Savannah lowered her head to think of what she should do. She need to sit and wrap her head around what was going on. She'd had no warning at all that Billy was coming home. None.
“Savannah?”
“I’m sorry. Okay. I need to go sit somewhere.”
“C’mon, let’s go sit down by the edge of the lake.”
“Okay”
Travis took her hand as they strolled along the edge of the lake until they came to a spot to sit on the grass. Of course, everyone was looking at them holding hands, but she didn’t care. They were only friends and she didn't give a shit what they thought. Savannah could just hear all the whispers. Look at her. Tramp. First she had one brother and now the other. She didn’t waste any time did she? The looks of disdain from them all was enough to infuriate her.
“Savannah, you’re hurting my hand.”
She let go and apologized. “Oh, I'm sorry.”
Travis shook his hand and whistled. “Wow, I forgot what a grip you had. You were always one of the boys.”
Savannah elbowed him in the rib. “That’s because I only had you and Billy to hang out with. I was never a girly girl anyway. You know that.”
Travis stopped and leaned back to look at Savannah's ass. The tight denim shorts she was wearing didn’t leave too much for the imagination and he smiled slyly. “You sure do look like a girly girl to me.”
Savannah punched him in the arm. “Shut up Travis!”
Travis rubbed his arm. “Ow, that one really hurt.”
“Don’t be such a baby.”
They sat down on the grass and looked out at the lake. Savannah squinted her eyes against the sun's bright rays. “I hate this damn sun.”
Travis took the sunglasses he was wearing on top of his head and handed them to her. “Here”
“Thanks”
“It looks like the whole town is showing up.”
Savannah turned and looked behind her. “Yeah. Hey, where’s your mom. Did you bring her?”
Travis' face turned somber. “No, she was having one of her episodes this morning so I had the nurse come and stay with her for the day.”
Savannah took off the sunglasses so she could look into Travis’ hazel eyes. His eyes identical to his brother’s, which was one of the reasons she always had a hard time looking at him since Billy left. It was like she was looking at Billy and it killed her inside that he wasn't there with her. “Travis, she’ll be okay. You know after she had the stroke she sometimes forgets things, even people.”
“Yeah, but her own son. I can't handle it sometimes. I’ve been with her every day for the past 22 years and she barely remembers me most of the time. Billy has been home all of three times in four years and she remembered him every time. I guess my brother has all the luck doesn’t he?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means our mother loves him more than me, and so do you.”
Savannah knew how much Travis loved her, but she didn’t feel the same way for him. She loved him as a friend. Maybe if things had been different she could have loved him like a boyfriend. But, she fell in love with Billy from the moment she saw him. Even though they were only teenagers, he always put a smile on her face. Travis was going through some hard times with his feelings for his father and at the time he didn’t want to be bothered with anyone.
Now was a different story. Travis was sweet, caring, and a respectable man. He had made a complete turnaround from the troublesome boy he once was. Savannah knew that if she wa
sn’t in love with Billy, she could definitely see herself being in a relationship with Travis. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work out as planned. She was still in love with Billy and there was nothing that could change that. Not even him breaking up with her and sending every single letter she wrote him back.
“Travis, what do you mean by that?”
“It means that my brother has everyone loving him and I don’t.”
“What are you talking about? Your mother loves you. I love you.”
“No you don’t. Not the way I love you.”
Savannah moved closer to Travis and took his hand. “I do love you Travis. I just can’t love you the way you need me to. I still love Billy. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“Don’t tell me what’s fair and what’s not. Was it fair that he left you? Was it fair that he broke up with you? Was it fair that he sent back every letter you wrote him? I don’t think any of that was fair do you? Yet, you pine over him when he hasn't been here for you, not once, in four years. I have been here with you practically every day. Holding you, consoling you, and giving you a shoulder to cry on. That’s not fair. Let me tell you something, it hurts me every time I see you cry because I know I can never be the man you need or even want for that matter. That’s not fair.” Travis began to stand but Savannah grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
Savannah ran her fingers through his short brown hair and rubbed his cheek with her thumb. “I’m so sorry Travis. I understand how you feel, I really do. And I do love you. I love you more than you can ever know. You have been there for me every day and every time I have needed you without question. If it were different believe me I would be lucky to have a man like you. But, I can't shut my feelings off for Billy. I feel so deeply for him it hurts. My heart hurts not being able to be with him.”
Travis took her hand, kissed it, and sighed heavily. “That is something I can relate to.” He leaned over and took her head in his hands. He pulled her forward and gently kisses her forehead knowing that would be as close as he would ever get to her.
Savannah rested her head on Travis’ shoulder as they looked out onto the sparkling lake. She didn't know how long they sat there, and even though people were running about, it was the most peaceful time she’d had in a long time. She really wished that moment could’ve lasted longer.
The loud obnoxious voice of Sydney Bradshaw ripping through the air. She was Savannah’s arch enemy since the third grade. “Hey Travis, your brother is here!”
Travis sat up straight and looked in the distance and saw his younger brother walking with a cane and a bandage over the whole left side of his face. He jumped up and started running towards Billy. When Savannah heard Sydney shout that Billy had arrived she froze. She couldn’t even turn her head. She wanted to look over to him but was rendered immobile from the shock she felt.
Finally, after a minute or so she turned her head and looked up the hill where Travis was welcoming Billy. What she saw was something that was totally unexpected. Billy was wounded, badly. She quickly stood up and her first reaction was to run over to him and throw her arms around him. But, she remembered he didn’t love or want her anymore. Tears flowed from her eyes before she even had a chance to get a hold of her feelings. She violently wiped her eyes and ran up the hill over to Travis and Billy but instead of stopping she went right past them.
“Savannah! Wait!” Travis tried to call her back but she was already getting into her car.
Savannah got into her car started it up and peeled out of the parking spot. Tires screeching and white smoke filled the picnic area. She sped down the road and headed back home. She knew in her gut it was a bad idea to stay at lake, next time she was going to listen to that feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was no way she could handle any more heartache. This was going to be an even more difficult time since it was a small town and Billy would now be home.
The only thing she could do was avoid him. How she was going to do that she didn’t know, but it was the only choice she had now. That is until she saved enough money to get the hell out of town. There was no way she could live there anymore. She was totally unprepared for this situation. Damn her mother for not saying Billy would be coming home today.
Savannah pulled into the driveway almost running her father over and slammed on her brakes. She opened the car door, got out, and slammed it closed. She was seething with anger. Angry at her mother, angry at Billy, and even angry at Travis. How could no one tell her about something so important? She needed to unleash her anger out on someone, and that someone happened to be her mother.
Savannah walked up the driveway and into the house. She called out to her mother who was in the kitchen. “Mother!”
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The Haunting Page 10
