There was a sharp gasp. Coach Andrus, his coach, Harrison, Laura and Kelly all stood in the hall, staring in.
Savannah stood in the doorway.
Her eyes were huge, her face unreadable. “Sawyer?” she whispered.
He closed his eyes. He couldn’t refuse her again. He couldn’t tell her no, couldn’t see that pain in her eyes again. He couldn’t hurt her.
But he had to.
He opened his eyes, found her, and could read in her eyes that she already knew his answer. She was here, for him. Giving him one last chance, and now she knew the truth — that he’d loved her from day one, and he’d been fighting to keep his heart away from her, even when she’d offered hers over and over.
“Sawyer,” Beckett said quietly. Sawyer didn’t look at him, hated him, loved him, all rolled into something that felt like it might be killing him from the inside. “She’s the only girl either of us have ever loved.” Beckett gave one short, sad laugh.
Sawyer made up his mind.
Savannah.
Beck was still talking. “Go get her, Sawyer. I’ll be okay.”
Sawyer was already on his way across the room. He caught her, swept her up against him. “I love you. I’m so sorry.” His hands cradled her face, brushing away the tears soaking her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Buttercup. I thought–I thought I was doing the right thing. But–but–but it wasn’t the right thing. It was hurting you, and that’s the last thing on earth I ever wanted to do. Please forgive me.”
She sobbed, just once, and buried her face in his chest. He pulled her into him, surrounded her, trying to tell her with his embrace, his racing heart and shaking hands, everything he couldn’t tell her in words.
And she knew. Because Savannah owned his heart, and she knew.
“Now that that’s over, hospital. Both of you. Now,” Coach Harrison said, crossing his arms over his chest.
Savannah laughed, a watery, exhausted, terrified laugh, and backed away. He pulled her into him again, wrapped his arms around her. “I’m not letting you go this time.”
“Holy creak,” Laura said. “You’re both going to the hospital. BOTH. Come on, already.”
****
SAVANNAH LAID her head against Sawyer’s shoulder. He wrapped her good hand in his, tracing up and down her fingers while they rode silently to the hospital. It took hours, because of the road damage, the houses and fences torn from their posts, cars turned on their side. The news said it was the worst storm they’d had in 103 years.
And she’d survived it.
It felt like a dream, a nightmare, a fantasy. But this, this was real. It felt more real than anything she’d ever done.
He raised her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers gently. “Holding hands is my promise that you don’t have to face the world alone,” he murmured.
She smiled up at him. “You’ve been holding my hand for months.”
He nodded, very serious. “Exactly.”
EPILOGUE
THERE WAS SOMEONE RIGHT BEHIND HER.
Savannah could hear the breathing, the pound of feet nearly on her heels. And she was tired. So tired. Her legs shook and her breath came in short, painful gasps.
“Run, Savannah! Run!”
They needed her. They screamed her name because they needed her to not give up. Digging deep, she found one last, brief burst of energy. She lengthened her stride, rounding the corner, her arms burning, pumping, weak.
“You got this, Savvy! Run!”
“All the way home, baby! Come on!”
Sawyer waited at the finish line. Laura and Kelly, the second and third legs in their four by four relay, were on the sidelines, still trying to recover — hands on knees, bent over, struggling for air after running for all they were worth.
Savannah couldn’t let them down.
If she won this race, they could take regional.
She shoved the pain and exhaustion down deep and reached instead for strength and courage. Lengthening her stride, she found her second wind.
“Come on, Buttercup!” Sawyer bellowed.
She blew across the finish line, stumbled over exhausted feet, and landed in Sawyer’s arms. “You won, baby. You won.” He kissed her forehead, laughing proudly, holding her upright.
“Good race,” he said to the other girls she’d beaten.
Coach Andrus hugged her, careful of her still-healing arm. Laura, Kelly, and Dara tackled her, screaming and not careful at all about her still-healing arm. Her team swarmed the field, already celebrating. Savannah hobbled across the track to her water bottle, watching the excitement from the sidelines. Under the bandage, her head ached. On the plus side, it held kept the hair out of her eyes.
“Good run, Savvy.”
Beckett stood just off the bleachers, watching her.
“Thanks, Beck.”
“Look, about what happened in Oregon.”
She shook her head, backing up. “Don’t, Beck. Don’t go there.”
But he grabbed her hand with both of his. “I just want to apologize. I’m sorry, Savvy. I really am. Not just for my behavior then, but for all the time. I shouldn’t have tried to keep you apart.”
She sighed. She knew this conversation needed to happen, but right now? She was trying to celebrate. And breathe. But apparently, that didn’t matter. “Beck, he loves you. He misses you. You made him choose between me and you, and do you know who lost? Not you.” She motioned toward Sawyer, talking to his coach on the field. “He did. Sawyer lost.”
Beckett shook his head. “He didn’t lose me, Savvy. Neither did you. I’m—” He gave her a crooked grin, “—reevaluating my life choices. I’ll always love both of you, so it’s safer if I keep my distance. All I ask is please, Savvy. Don’t hate me.”
And what, exactly, was she supposed to say to that? “I won’t, Beckett. I hope you find peace. I really do.”
“For the record, he would have chosen you anyway. Even if I hadn’t told him to.” Beckett leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. “Good run today.”
“Thanks.” She started to turn away, but he caught her arm. By now, Sawyer was watching them, dark eyes narrowed as he glared at Beckett.
“Just one more thing, Savvy. He messes up, I’ll be here. I’m not giving up on you. Or on us.”
“I’m not going to mess up, Beckett.” Sawyer’s arms slid around Savannah’s waist, pulling her gently back against his chest. “I know what life is like without her, and I don’t want it. I’m not going to let her go.”
About the Author
Wendy Knight is the award-winning, bestselling author of the young adult series Fate on Fire and Riders of Paradesos. She was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, no touching the knives…you get the idea). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big—her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S.
You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
C
HAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER TEN
EPILOGUE
Star Crossed Hurricane Page 9
