The Better Man

by Len Webster

  Her fourth attempt was another failure.

  Savannah reached his voicemail.

  Again.

  So she hung up.

  Again.

  And tried.

  Again.

  “It’s Will. Unfortunately, I can’t answer your call. Please leave a message, and I’ll return your call shortly.”

  She got the same results as her previous attempts.

  The cab finally stopped, but they were still some distance away from South Station with the street being blocked for the emergency personnel.

  “Thank you,” Monty said as she paid the driver, and they got out of the cab.

  As Savannah stood on the sidewalk and saw the emergency lights, she buckled and leaned against the building she was next to.

  “Savannah?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t tell him.”

  “Tell him what?”

  She met her boss’s heartbroken gaze. “I didn’t tell him I love him. I was scared. What if …?”

  “Don’t,” Monty scolded. “He’s fine, okay? He’s fine. And when you see him, you’ll kiss him and tell him.”

  Savannah nodded. “You’re right.”

  “I know I am.”

  That had a small laugh escaping Savannah’s lips. A laugh that was filled with remorse. She shouldn’t be laughing.

  Many had died today.

  She could only pray to God that the man she loved was not one of them.

  “He’s fine,” Monty assured as she grasped Savannah’s hand. “Is there anyone you should call?”

  “His family. Only his sister knew he was coming back …” She frowned. “I don’t have their number.”

  “Is there anyone you know who might?”

  Evan.

  He was the only person she could call.

  “Yeah, our goddaughter’s father,” she revealed.

  “Okay. You call while we walk. We’ll find him, okay?”

  Savannah nodded as she gripped her phone tightly, went into her contacts, and called Evan. It rang several times before she heard her best friend’s husband say, “Hey, Sav.”

  She swallowed the large lump in her throat. “Evan … I’m in Boston right now.”

  “You’re in Boston? Oh, yeah. For those awards you and AJ told me about. Miller, Auntie Savvy is in Boston!”

  She heard her goddaughter’s giggle, and it filled her chest with warmth, remembering her sweet laughter with Will.

  Will …

  Just the thought of him, of his life, made it hard to breathe through the pain.

  “Evan, this is important.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I …” She hated to say it. She hated it so much, but she had to be strong. “Can you call Will’s family?”

  “Why?” He sounded confused as she heard Miller crying in the background. “Hang on, my love. Daddy’s got you. Uncle Hunter will call you back after he goes to the gym and practice later. Sorry, Sav.”

  She didn’t have time to explain. “Turn on the news.”

  A moment later, he said, “Okay, I have it on. A train collision at South Station. Jesus. That looks bad.”

  “Will was on that train,” she revealed. “He was here for the Shannon Awards, too.”

  “Shit!”

  “Can you please call his family? He was going back to New York to see Lori.”

  “Yeah,” Evan said. “I’ll call them now. Savannah, do you need me to be there with you?”

  She let out a sob, her composure breaking. “Yes.”

  “Okay. I’m on my way. Keep me updated, okay?”

  “I will,” Savannah promised before she hung up and called one person who had to know. She inhaled a deep breath and called the Four Seasons.

  “Good morning, Four Seasons Hotel. How may I help you?”

  Savannah followed Monty to the sealed off barrier. “My friend, Emerson Calvert, is staying at the Four Seasons. I’m also a guest at your hotel. It’s an emergency. I need to reach her room right now.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t give you—”

  “Her best friend, the man I love, was on one of the South Station trains involved in the collision!”

  The Four Seasons employee’s breathing hitched. “I’m sorry. I’ll put you through to Miss Calvert’s room now.”

  He had said more, but Savannah tuned him out until she heard Emerson say, “Hello?”

  “Emerson?”

  “Savannah?”

  She sighed in relief. “Emerson, it’s an emergency. There was a train crash at South Station. Will was on one of the trains, and I can’t get ahold of him. I don’t know—” Savannah paused, realizing how incoherent she must have sounded with her sobs.

  But she must have made some sense because in an emotionless voice, Emerson said, “I’m on my way.”

  Thirty-seven

  Savannah

  The police weren’t giving out any information.

  The death toll was at sixteen.

  The injuries were three times that and more.

  Savannah had called the hospitals, but the information was limited.

  It had been four hours since she saw the report on the screen.

  Evan had joined her at the station and told her that Alex was on her way home. Miller was with her uncle Kyle, so Noel and Clara could join Savannah and Monty outside of the station. Clara Parker had food from her restaurant and bakery brought to the station for the first responders who were still looking for survivors.

  But survivors were now few and far between as more bodies were pulled from the station.

  Covered bodies with no names.

  “Savannah?” she heard behind her. She turned around to find Will’s sister and parents with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Savannah knew Lori through the years. They were connected by her best friend, Alex, but now, their connection ran deeper.

  They both loved a man who was trapped inside.

  For Lori, it was her brother.

  For Savannah, it was the man she would drive five hours to see every weekend.

  The man she wanted constellations with. The man she wanted forever with. But as the hours passed, that future was dwindling. All she could do was pray and hope he fought hard.

  Lori ran up to her and hugged her tightly. “This is all my fault.”

  Savannah shook her head as she rubbed her back. “It’s not, Lori.”

  “It is,” Lori said as she pulled away. “I was selfish. I couldn’t deal with the sex tape and needed him. He was dropping everything for me. Now he could be—”

  “It’s not your fault,” Savannah reiterated. Then she glanced over at Will’s parents. She’d known Keira and Alex Lawrence for years. They had always been kind to her at the family events her best friend had invited Savannah to. “I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence.”

  Will’s mother walked up to her and hugged her. “He’s going to be okay. I know it. I feel it. Will is okay.”

  Savannah nodded into Mrs. Lawrence’s shoulder.

  Savannah wasn’t sure.

  Unlike Mrs. Lawrence, Savannah had watched as body after body was carried out of the station.

  The longer the rescuers took, the more hope they took from her.

  And she needed it back.

  Just like she needed Will.

  Thirty-eight

  Philomena

  “Philomena, breathe. You could go into shock, and that’s not good for the baby,” the doctor in the delivery room said.

  “Baby, breathe,” her husband said next to her.

  It was a blur.

  Hours of pain.

  And not just pain from the induced labor the doctor had put her in the moment she reached the ER after being pulled from the train.

  Philomena couldn’t fathom how this had happened to her and her son.

  They were going to New York to visit her sick mother.

  Then a bright light.

  The man sitting with them was on the phone and smiled at her son who was tire
d from being woken up early for their train. Her mother was sick, and Philomena wasn’t sure if she would be able to visit again before she gave birth. As she got comfortable in her seat, she heard screams. She looked out the window and saw people running, then she saw the speeding train heading toward them. Panicked, she glanced over at her son who had no idea of the danger they were in. Before she knew it, the man who sat with them grabbed her son and shielded them.

  Darkness collided with a bright light, consuming them.

  She felt her arm being pulled, and she opened her eyes to see her five-year-old son. Relief filled her, casting her despair away for a moment, knowing that her son was alive and safe. Philomena glanced over JJ to find that he was okay, but then she saw the man.

  Bleeding and unconscious.

  Philomena began to cry again, remembering how he had unselfishly protected them. He didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around them and held them tight as the train collided with theirs.

  Then, the stranger came to.

  Just for a second while they heard the first responders run toward their carriage.

  She was pinned under him, and he opened his eyes.

  He was covered in black dust.

  His face was bloody, but his light brown eyes were kind and assuring.

  “Help!” he screamed. “She’s pregnant!”

  JJ was crying as he tried to wipe the blood from the man’s face.

  He was fading.

  And Philomena somehow pulled herself from under him.

  He didn’t wince. He didn’t even try to push himself up.

  Then the rescuers came and tended to him first, seeing the blood pooled around him.

  “Sir, can you hear me?” the firefighter asked.

  The stranger nodded. “I hear you, sir.”

  “We have a priority one—”

  He shook his head. “No. Not me. She’s pregnant. Please. Please check on her and her son. I’ll be fine.”

  “Sir—”

  “Please. Please help them.” His voice faded as his eyes closed.

  JJ continued to rub the blood away. “Mister. Mister, wake up.”

  It was a rush.

  They lifted her, but she didn’t want to be lifted.

  The stranger opened his eyes for a moment to see the firefighters helping her and JJ.

  He seemed content.

  Like he was at peace.

  “I’m Philomena. This is my son JJ. What’s your name?” Philomena begged as the firefighters held her.

  The man reached over and grasped JJ’s broken fire truck. Then he handed it to her son and smiled. “My name’s William. But everyone calls me Will. You be brave for your mom, okay? She’s gonna need you to be strong.”

  JJ nodded. He didn’t take kindly to strangers. He was usually shy. But with Will, he listened. Maybe JJ sensed that the man who saved them was dying. “Thank you for saving us, Mr. Will.”

  That had their hero smiling. “Follow the firefighters. They’ll help you.”

  Philomena couldn’t see his legs. They were crushed under seats and metal fragments from the train. There was so much blood that she wasn’t sure if it was just his. He glanced over at her, and she could see the begging in his eyes. He didn’t want her son to see him die. So she nodded.

  “JJ, hold the firefighter’s hand, okay?”

  “Momma, my arm hurts.”

  She looked down to find her son’s arm swollen and red. “It’s okay, JJ. We’ll get a doctor to look at it. For now, just use your other hand.”

  Her son brought his fire truck to his chest and nodded. Then he reached up and grasped the first responder’s hand who said, “Come on, son. Let’s get you out of here.”

  As the firefighters turned to take her out of the train, she yelled, “Stop!” Then she turned to Will. He seemed confused. “Is there someone you want me to find?”

  His eyes softened with appreciation. She wouldn’t let him die without the chance to say goodbye. He nodded in the puddle of blood. “Her name’s Savannah. Savannah Peters. My family knows I love them, but she doesn’t. She’s from Vermont. Just tell her. Just tell her …” His voice faded again. And then Philomena heard him struggle to breathe as more rescuers boarded the train. “Tell her I love her.”

  She nodded. “I’ll find her. I’ll tell her.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered with peace on his face as he closed his eyes.

  “That’s it, Philomena. He’s almost here,” the doctor said. “Let’s push one more time. And one, two, three …”

  Philomena pushed.

  Harder than she had ever pushed. The seconds got away from her as she pushed hard. Her husband squeezed her hand and praised her as she heard a cry. She looked up to find her son, bloody and with mucus on him. He was born two months early. The trauma from the train collision was too risky for her baby.

  But as Philomena looked at him, she saw how perfect he was.

  He was life.

  “What should we call him?” her husband asked, causing her heart to ache.

  There was a belief in her family.

  With every death comes life.

  She would honor her hero.

  With her son.

  “William.”

  Thirty-nine

  Savannah

  It had been over twelve hours since the train collision.

  More people were reported missing.

  More deaths confirmed.

  More bodies yet to be found.

  The train’s brakes were possibly sabotaged, but that was all the authorities knew. There were rumors that it must have been someone involved in the corruption case against the Boston Transport Department. Tension between the department and drivers had hit an all-time high after union talks had failed to reach a settlement.

  They still hadn’t found Will. Hospitals were so congested that no one could identify the injured. Will’s parents had gone to every hospital and put his picture on notice boards, but apparently, no doctor or nurse had the time to look. They were too busy saving lives.

  With every hour that passed, Savannah struggled with her hopes and beliefs. She had prayed for the first time in years, asking God for guidance and for Will to be found safe and alive.

  But her prayers only found the stars as they twinkled above her.

  Savannah hadn’t been a very good Christian since her parents’ divorce. In fact, she had been so angry with God when her mother had cut her off, but now, that seemed so insignificant. She had been so caught up with her money problems that she almost missed life.

  She almost missed a life with Will.

  And now it seemed she would only ever have the moments they had.

  Savannah wiped away a tear as she held up her phone. She unlocked it and went into her album. She swiped through her photos until she found the one of Will and Miller at the planetarium.

  Her heart ached at the sight of his smile as he looked at their goddaughter in his arms. The red and blue galaxy swirled beautifully behind them as the constellations peeked through. It was the most beautiful moment she had ever experienced, and she couldn’t even thank him for it. Her tears came hurtling back, and she wiped them away with the back of her hands. She couldn’t imagine never seeing his smile again or feeling the warmth of his kindness. The possibility of his love welcoming her home.

  I should have told him last night …

  The thought made her breathless as the heat in her chest consumed her ability to function. She should have told Will she loved him. She had the opportunity this morning before he left, but she didn’t take it. Savannah thought she had time. That they had so much time together.

  “You really do love him,” she heard her best friend say next to her.

  Savannah turned to find Alex staring up at the same stars that Savannah and Will had looked at. The night they looked at them together was the night that made her really look at Will and her feelings. Watching him walk away left her with a hole in her chest, but now that hole was a galaxy of emptines
s.

  If she had known those moments were potentially their last, she would have held on tighter.

  She wouldn’t have fought him or her affections.

  I would have told him I loved him sooner.

  “I do,” Savannah confessed. It seemed unfair that others knew she loved Will and he didn’t.

  Alex lowered her chin and faced her. Her eyes were red as she tried to smile through her pain. “During my entire flight, I thought of you and Will. For a second, I didn’t get it. I thought Evan was joking. But he wasn’t. You’re my best friend, and he’s my cousin. You’re Savannah, and he’s Will. But it makes sense. Because you’re one of the best people I know and so is Will.” Tears ran down Alex’s face. “You deserve the best, and Will is. The guys you dated in college were awful. And when I thought about you two together, I realized Will would treat you the way you always deserved.”

  “I’m sorry, Alex. I should have told you about us.” Then Savannah sighed, realizing that she should have told her best friend a lot of things. “And I should have told you about Walter.”

  Disbelief flashed in her emerald eyes. “Walter as in Walter Vidović? Landon’s best friend? That Walter?”

  Savannah nodded. “We hooked up at Duke. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know what we were. Then you broke up with Landon and … I should have told you.”

  “You should have,” Alex said in a tight voice as she sat down next to Savannah on the wicker chair. “But that doesn’t matter because you love Will, right? You love him more than Walter?”

  “I do, Alex,” she confessed. “And I’m sorry I never told you.”

  “I always knew that when you were ready, you’d tell me you were in love. You have nothing to be sorry about.”

  “I do.” She looked back at her phone, seeing how beautiful he was at that moment at the planetarium. “I didn’t tell him I loved him. He doesn’t know, and it’s been hours …”

  “They’ll find him,” Alex assured as she reached over and grasped Savannah’s hand.