Savannah didn’t disagree. It was nice to escape the deluge of noises and smells. Occasionally, she considered going home and finishing her degree online. But her parents living in a hayfield meant slow Internet, which would cause a challenge with classes.
And if she was being brutally honest, she couldn’t stand the daily reminders of him. She barely endured the occasional reminders college shoved at her.
“How’s work, Mom? Any more young guys hit on you?” Savannah waggled her eyebrows.
Red flushed up Charity’s cheeks. “Your father put a stop to it. He got a little jealous.”
Andrei huffed and grumbled. “I did not.”
“Of course not. You know you’re stuck with me.” Charity winked.
“Doesn’t sound like a bad thing,” Savannah said softly.
Charity clasped Andrei’s hand. “No, it’s not.” Her eyes lit up. “Is someone special in your life finally?”
Savannah stiffened. This was not where she meant the conversation to go. “I’ve met a few guys, but no one interesting.”
“No one like—”
“Mom!” Savannah snapped. Her hands curled into fists, and tears sprang to her eyes.
Charity’s smile faded. “Sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Why don’t we talk about something else,” Andrei said quickly.
Savannah released her breath. “I’m sure you saw on the news the governor is signing the petition for the recount.”
“Like that’s a better topic,” Andrei muttered. His face turned sour.
“Oh, don’t get started.” Charity sighed.
“Why do we have to do what the governor wants? He’s only punishing people for protesting him. Who voted for him? Wasn’t me. Voting was rigged. Had to be.”
Charity shot Savannah a glare. Fresh guilt swelled through her, but she ignored it. Anything to keep her parents off the one topic she refused to discuss.
****
A chorus of crickets chirped outside Savannah’s window. She lay in bed, listening and remembering. The sound had annoyed her when she was little. Now, she found it peaceful. A slice of normality. No matter how enhanced her hearing was, crickets always sounded the same; as if they were in the room with her.
Her thoughts drifted to the night her life changed. Questions brewed, but she had no answers. Rising, she dressed and padded to her window. It opened with a loud scraping noise, but she didn’t worry about waking her parents. They were heavy sleepers. The ground was two stories below. She jumped and landed on all fours.
A chill hung in the air. She zipped her jacket up to her chin and began walking. The dirt road passed under her feet. She didn’t think of where she was going though she knew where she’d end up. Jumping over a ditch, she plunged into the field. It hadn’t been hayed yet, and wheat came up to her hips. She held her arms out, letting the stalks run through her fingers. The rustling noise was like a balm that quieted her mind.
When she arrived at the spot, she knew. How, she wasn’t sure. A feeling in her bones, in her heart, told her to stop. This was it. This was where her life had been altered.
It had been a warm, summer night. He had snuck over to her house, throwing pebbles at her window to wake her. She had giggled, at first, refusing to climb down, but eventually joined him. Hand in hand, they had walked along the dirt road. He had pinched her, causing her to scream. He took off before she could sock him, running though the field. She took chase. He let her catch him. They fell to the ground, arms wrapped around each other. Their laughter had echoed through the night. Then, a light. Her next memory was of waking up, surrounded by paramedics and cops. He was nowhere to be seen.
Why did I come here?
Savannah didn’t know. Returning to her parents’ house and her bed, sleep continued to elude her. She hummed her favorite Jordan Sparks songs, thought about homework, even counted sheep, but to no avail. She stayed wide-awake. And what was worse, he kept sneaking into her thoughts like the ghost he was.
When she closed her eyes, she saw him smiling. A tightness gripped her chest. She threw off her blankets and rose again. This time she went to her closet. She dug around until she found the box on the top shelf, hidden by a pile of old clothing she had outgrown.
Her hands trembled as she went through the photos and letters written in blue ink. Unfolding one, she read:
Savvy,
English is boring! I can barely keep my eyes open. You’d think these classic writers would write more interesting books. How about adding a zombie? Or a gryphon? Yeah, then the story would be much more interesting. Traveling on gryphons instead of boring horses and carriages. I know, I know. You like horses. But imagine how much faster it’d be to travel on a gryphon. I’d keep you warm, too. You’d be safe with me.
I’ll see you after class.
She kissed his name.
She read a few more letters. The words grew harder to read as tears fell. It did the trick, though. She was drained, weighed down from the pain of seeing him the only way she could now; in her memory. The box was carefully repacked and returned to its hiding spot. She collapsed on her bed and passed out with his name on her lips.
****
“Your visits always pass too quickly.”
The usually cheery kitchen felt heavy with the weight of goodbye. Charity hugged Savannah tightly then cupped her face, as if she was memorizing Savannah’s appearance in case it was the last time they saw each other. “And if you get tired, pull over.”
“Of course.” She turned to her dad.
Worry shone in his eyes. He didn’t try to hide his fear when he crushed her tightly against him, as if that would ensure nothing bad ever happened to her again. “Drive safe, and ring us when you get there so we know you made it.”
“I will.” Savannah hurried to her car. After a weekend visit, she was ready to escape. The memories were too strong, the lure to stay in the past too tempting. She had to get away to move forward, to look to the horizon and the future. Hopefully, one day, going home wouldn’t invoke pain.
Then he really will be gone from your life.
Her grip on the wheel tightened, and her breath stuttered in her lungs. Eager for a distraction, she turned on the radio. When her favorite song came on, she cranked the volume and sang loud, letting herself get lost in the drive.
It was dusk when she pulled into the campus parking lot. The fading sunlight streaked between the dorm buildings. Laughter and music floated from an open window. Not everyone was ready for the weekend to be over.
She leaned back in the seat, prolonging the trek to the third floor. An aching bottom prompted her to get moving. Her legs were stiff from sitting in the same position. At the door to the building, a rustling made her stop. She looked over her shoulder. Long shadows stretched across the courtyard. Not a blade of grass moved, the air dead. She listened for the noise, but her hyperactive hearing picked up nothing. Dismissing the sound as a squirrel or some other critter in a nearby bush, she shrugged and went inside.
“Mandy, I’m back.” Savannah tossed her keys on the kitchen table. “Mandy?” Frantic shuffling came from the Mandy’s bedroom.
Mandy stumbled into the hallway wearing only a shirt and underwear—both on backward. Red flushed her cheeks. “Savannah, I didn’t expect you back this soon. You said you lived hours away.”
“It’s two hours, and I said I planned on getting back before it got dark. I left a little earlier than planned. You know how it is when you visit family. They want you to stay and stay, but you have to go.”
Mandy nodded in sympathy.
Todd joined them, still fumbling to zip his jeans. He gave Savannah a lopsided grin. “Hey, you’re back. How was your visit?”
Savannah chuckled and shook her head. “Stop behaving as if I’m your parent who caught you in the act. I mean, I did, but it’s fine. You’re adults, and I’m not a prude.”
Mandy brushed her hair out of her face. “I know, but I had a roommate last year who freake
d out on me. Made living with her awkward.”
“Well, don’t worry.” Savannah kicked off her shoes. “I won’t have a heart attack, but I will appreciate not walking in on you guys naked. Not my thing.”
“So a threesome is out of the question?” Todd asked.
Mandy smacked him.
“I’m kidding!”
Mandy glared at her boyfriend, as if she wasn’t sure she should believe him. Savannah inched past them and escaped to her bedroom. She unpacked her dirty clothing and jammed it into the basket. She should have washed it at her parents’ house. Free laundry. Before she forgot, she rang them to let them know she made it back safe.
Perching on her windowsill, she stared at the silent courtyard. A tall, dark figure darted across the clearing. His shoulders were hunched, and his head was down. He looked as though he wore a burka. Or maybe it was the deepening shadows giving the illusion he was covered from head to toe. She cocked her head as she watched. Was that the source of the rustling she had heard? No, he was too big and she would have heard, as well as seen, him in the bushes. He stopped and turned. Her breath caught. Was he looking at her? The face was in shadow, but she felt his gaze on her. Before she could be certain, the figure whirled around and disappeared into the trees.
Chapter: Xxxx
He was stupid. A stupid idiot. Why did he refuse to let her go? He should’ve stayed far, far away. That’s what he told himself he’d do, but instead, he had to snoop around. He tried to break into her dorm apartment to figure out where she went for the weekend. What was he expecting to find? A note telling him? It was none of his business. Savannah was free to go wherever she wanted.
The quills along his back strained against his clothing. He yanked the trench coat and shirt off before he ruined both. The quills rose like the hair on a dog’s hackles. He paced back and forth, drawing deep breaths in an effort to cool the anger rocking him.
Let her go. Let her the fuck go.
A growl burst from deep within him. He slammed his fist into a tree. Pain radiated up his arm. He hit it again, and the wood splintered like his heart.
The truth was, he didn’t want to let her go. Each second he was forced to stay hidden in the shadows burned him. Hell would feel like a vacation compared to his reality.
Knuckles bloodied, he put his shirt and coat on and returned to the car. A flower grew through the rusted floor. He toyed with the yellow petals. Savannah said she never wanted him to send her flowers because they died. He didn’t listen. Each Valentine’s Day, he sent a rose. His lips tried to smile as he remembered the way she’d blush. She’d say she didn’t want the flower, but all day she’d carried it with her, brushing it against her cheeks.
For a second, he considered crushing the flower in his grip, unable to bear the reminder of how his life used to be. He sat up, shoved his hands into his pockets, and leaned his head back against the seat.
Savvy, I miss you.
Chapter: Savannah
The professor droned on about the Great Depression and it’s effect. She clicked through the slides, looking as unenthused as the students seated before her. Savannah doodled daisies in her notebook’s margin. Her eyelids grew heavier by the second. At this point, she wouldn’t notice if she fell asleep. The professor probably wouldn’t either.
“Psst!”
Savannah blinked. The guy sitting in the desk next to her—James she thought was his name—handed her a folded piece of paper. She wrinkled her nose. What was this… middle school? But she took the message and opened it. A stick figure had a monster gnawing on its head. The caption asked, Do you think Prof would even notice? Savannah snorted, and a few people looked at her. Biting her lip to stay quiet, she scribbled a reply and sent it back to James. He covered his mouth, fighting hard not to laugh. They exchanged notes for the remainder of the hour.
“When’s your next class?” he asked as they gathered their books.
“I’m free for the next two hours,” she replied.
“I’m free for the next hour. Would you like to grab lunch?”
“No thanks” was on the tip of her tongue, but she found herself hesitating. At her parents’ house, she had vowed to try harder at moving forward. That meant meeting someone and eating lunch with him. The idea of going on a date made her stomach flop, but she nodded. “Sure. Sounds good.”
“I’m James, by the way.” He flashed her a smile.
“Savannah.”
“Like the cat.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“It’s a breed of cat. Well, hybrid. A cross between domestic and serval. Great pets.” He ducked his head. “My aunt has some. They’re kinda like small leopards.”
Savannah chuckled. “They sound like pretty animals.”
“I think so.” The way James’s gaze raked her up and down made her skin crawl. She shook the feeling off. If she was going to be serious about a possible relationship, that meant they’d be doing more than just looking at each other. She examined James the same way he had her.
He towered over her by at least four inches. His brown eyes were warm, and his black hair was styled into cornrows. A silver hoop glinted in one ear, and he had a stud in his nose. Tattoos lined his arms. His shirt was tight, showing off defined muscles. She was tempted to walk around him and see how the backside looked in those skinny jeans, but he was watching her with an amused look.
Can you accept the fact James isn’t him?
She didn’t want to answer that. Motioning to James, she headed for the door. “Shall we go?”
They exchanged the basics as they walked. Majors. Hometowns. Hobbies. He had a couple scholarships he snagged for basketball. Savannah tried to be interested, but she found herself judging James. He didn’t like to cook. His enthusiasm about drinking was a little too high. And he had a wicked wandering gaze.
No, she was fishing for excuses to back out. She was determined to go through with this lunch and see where it led her.
“Why not?”
She focused on James. “Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted to get pizza with me tomorrow, and you shook your head.”
Heat pulsed across Savannah’s cheeks. “Oh, oh. Sorry. I got lost in thought. Sometimes I start out listening, and you say something, and it sparks a memory or whatever, and I zone out. It’s a flaw.”
James grinned. “I think it’s kinda cute.”
Savannah smiled, but it was a struggle. She should be flattered, she assured herself.
The food court was packed when they arrived. Lines stretched to the doors, and voices buzzed excitedly. The smell of pizza, tacos, burgers, and garbage clashed with sweat and body odor. Savannah stifled a cough, trying not to react.
“Hope I can eat before I have to jet,” James said, eyeing the lines.
Savannah hesitated. She really didn’t want to bring James to her dorm, but her stomach was growling like a dog, and she wanted to escape the food court. Already a throb was forming in her sinuses. She reminded herself she had to see where this went.
“My apartment has a kitchen. We can eat there.”
James’s eyes sparkled. “Sounds like a plan.”
Savannah led the way to the dorms. A maintenance truck was parked on the curb by her building. The man inside locked eyes with Savannah. Quickly, he looked away, taking out his phone and pretending he hadn’t been caught staring.
She ushered James into the building. Her resolve trembled as they climbed the stairs. She couldn’t help but hope Mandy had skipped class and would be there. Three was company. But she knew she had no such luck. Her nose told her it had been hours since her roommate was in their dorm.
Savannah went to unlock the door and it creaked open. Her stomach flopped.
“Forgot to lock your door?” James asked.
Savannah licked her lips. “No, I’m sure I did when I left.”
James scowled. “Well, there’s that truck out front. Maybe it’s maintenance fixing something.”
“My neighbor s
aid her stove broke last week,” Savannah said softly.
“Dude probably got the wrong apartment number then.” James strode past her and into her apartment.
Savannah hesitantly followed. She caught whiff of a strange scent, but it was stronger in the hallway. Probably clinging to hers and James’s clothing and they had brought it in. Dismissing the paranoia as silly, she walked to the kitchen.
James stayed in the living room. “Cozy. I live off campus and share a place with four other guys. We alternate who sleeps on the couch weekly.” He stretched. His gaze wandered down the hallway. “It’s my turn right now. I miss a bed.”
Savannah tried not to shudder and kept her voice casual as she rummaged through the cupboards. “What sounds good to you? We can make sandwiches, if you want.” She froze when James’s body brushed against hers.
His hand swiped the hair off her neck, and his breath was hot against her skin. “I’d like to eat you. Tell me it’s not on your mind, too.”
Savannah licked her lips. A small part of her wished the full moon was out. Then she’d have no issues throwing herself against this man. They’d have sex and build a relationship, or something like that.
But she couldn’t dismiss the feelings—or lack thereof—for James. Yes, he was handsome, but again there was no attraction. James wasn’t who she wanted.
“I-I think you’re reading the situation wrong. This is lunch. Nothing else.”
James kissed her neck. “You sure? You’re breathing fast. I bet your pulse is racing. Your skin is flushed. You want me.”
Savannah turned and pushed James away. “Look, James, you seem like a nice guy, but we barely know each other. Today was the first time we’ve talked.”
“So?”
She drew a deep breath through her mouth and exhaled through her nose. “You are reading the situation wrong. I’m not that kind of girl.”
James snorted. “Not what I heard.”
His words felt like a bucket of ice had been dumped over her head, slowly chilling her to the bone. “W-what?”
“My buddy Rob pointed you out. He said you showed up at his door one night hornier than a three-balled tomcat. Said it was mind-blowing sex, but you bailed on him the next morning. It was his first time and you broke his heart.” He feigned a pout. “I think you owe him an apology.”
Abducted Life Page 3
