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  I opened my eyes, and she blushed because I caught her watching me. I smiled as I took a step closer to her, but just as I did, I saw someone move from the corner of my eye.

  When I turned, I saw Savannah standing there, watching us, looking like she was going to be sick. For a moment, I was unsure of what I should do. I just stood there and held her eyes with mine.

  “I’m sorry,” she quickly said as she dropped her gaze from mine. “I didn’t mean to interrupt…”

  “You’re not interrupting anything,” I quickly said, feeling completely gutted that she had walked in just when she did. “Did you want a drink?”

  “I um…” she said as she struggled for something to say. Still, she couldn’t look at me. “I just wanted some pain medication and a glass of water. My thumb is starting to ache a little.”

  “Is it bleeding again?” I asked as I went to close the distance between us, but Savannah stepped back, and I instantly stopped in my tracks.

  “It’s fine,” she replied, putting her hand behind her back. “It just aches a little.”

  “Well, let me get you some water, and those painkillers,” I said as I hurried across the kitchen to where I knew Sylvie kept all her medication in a box. Once I got the painkillers from the box, I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water for Savannah.

  When I turned around, I noticed that Callie was watching us both like she could sense something was off, but she wasn’t sure what. The last thing I wanted was to make Savannah’s friend suspicious.

  If I was honest, I had almost forgotten she was there. I quickly gave her a smile, and she smiled back at me.

  “Actually,” Savannah said, as she looked from me to Callie. “I think I will be heading home instead. I’ve got a bit of a headache.”

  “But it’s still early,” Callie replied, sounding more than a little unhappy that Savannah was leaving.

  “I know, but I’m suddenly not feeling well,” she sighed, as she turned back towards the back door. “I’m just going to let Jared know; then I will call a cab.”

  “I guess I will be going too,” Callie said as she turned her attention back to me. “Unless…”

  “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” I cut her off before she could finish her thought. “Make sure that Savannah gets home okay.”

  “Oh, okay,” she replied, and I knew she was disappointed that I hadn’t asked her to stay. “I should get my things.”

  I stood and watched her as she vanished out through the back door, before I grabbed two beers for Matt and Tom, then headed out to the backyard too.

  Ten minutes later, the girls were saying goodnight, before they headed out to the waiting taxi. I stood at the front door of the house and watched Jared as he kissed Savannah once more.

  Unable to watch it anymore, I turned my attention back to Callie.

  “It was lovely to meet you, Callie,” I said giving her a warm smile.

  “You too,” Callie replied, as she leaned in and softly kissed me on the cheek.

  “We should be going,” Savannah said impatiently, before she looked at me, her face completely unreadable.

  Jared stood next to me as we watched the girls leave.

  “So, what do you think of Callie?” He asked, giving me a strange look.

  “She seems nice,” I sighed as I stepped back into the hallway. “But I meant what I said yesterday; I don’t want to be set up, not with anyone. And that means Callie too.”

  “Is this because of Ashley?” Jared asked, watching me closely.

  “It’s nothing to do with her,” I replied impatiently. “And I would be grateful if you didn’t bring her up again.”

  “But…” Jared began to argue but stopped when I gave him a look that said I meant what I said. Instead he smiled and slapped my back. “Come on, Loser. Let’s get wasted.”

  “Sounds like a great plan,” I agreed.

  Chapter 8

  Seth

  Over the next few days, I gradually settled back into my life back in Pullman. I had collected my new car the day after the family dinner, and Jolie and I had even been out to look at some apartments. So far, everything we had gone to see was too far away from Sylvie’s; or it was too small; or there was a funny smell. Each one we looked at; Jolie found something wrong with it.

  I was starting to wonder if maybe she was having second thoughts about moving out of Sylvie’s house; and if I was honest, I was afraid to ask her.

  I was due to start back at Joe’s that night and if I was honest, I was looking forward to it. I always had fun when I was working there in the past; it honestly didn’t really feel like I was working at all. Also, I was looking forward to the distraction it would give me. The last few days, all I could think about was Savannah and it was driving me insane.

  I hadn’t seen her since the night of the dinner, but all I could think about was the way she looked at me before she left Sylvie’s that night. What did that look mean? Was she angry? Or was it jealousy? I honestly had no clue.

  I didn’t really understand why it should even matter to her if I hooked up with Callie or not? She was with Jared. Granted, I hated that she was, but the fact remained, she was, so me hooking up with Callie shouldn’t have meant anything to her. However, the look on her face said it did.

  “You look nice,” Jolie said with a sigh as she walked into my room, flopping down onto the bed. She was less than happy that her plan to fix me up with Callie hadn’t worked and she was still brooding about it. “You know you’re only going to work.”

  “I always look nice, Jo” I replied with a grin, as I looked at her in the mirror while I continued to fix my hair. “What’s with the face?”

  “There’s no face,” she said as she gave me a glaring look.

  “You’re not still sulking over Callie, are you?” I asked as I turned to face her, but she dropped her gaze to her nails.

  “I just don’t get why you don’t like her,” Jolie shrugged without looking at me. “I think she’s awesome.”

  “I do like her,” I replied as I walked across the room, sitting down next to her on the bed. “Just not in that way.”

  “But she’s perfect for you,” Jolie said as she finally allowed her eyes to meet mine. “But instead you’re going to go to the bar, hook up with some other skank and ruin everything.”

  “I’m not going to hook up with anyone,” I laughed as I reached out for her hand, finally realising why she was sulking. “I’m going to work, that’s all. Nothing is going to be ruined. I will be home when I’m finished my shift. And I promise, we will find the perfect apartment, and everything is going to be okay.”

  Once more Jolie dropped her eyes from mine, and I knew there was definitely something she wasn’t telling me.

  “Jo,” I said as I reached out, taking hold of her chin, then tilted her face up towards mine. “You do want to get an apartment, don’t you?”

  “Sure I do!” She replied but sounded far from convincing. “It’s just…”

  “Just?” I pushed, knowing there was something she wanted to say, but she wasn’t sure how to say it.

  “It’s just I like it here,” she sighed, giving me a worried look. “I like being part of a real family. I like having a real mom. Sylvie is nothing like how Mom used to be, and I like being here with her.”

  “Okay,” I said, taking in what she’d just said. I knew she was right; Sylvie was nothing like Mom. She was warm and caring; everything that a mother should be. She was also exactly what Jolie needed in her life.

  “I just wish we could stay here for a little while longer,” she added before she dropped her eyes from mine once more. “That’s all.”

  “Jolie,” I said as I turned her face up to mine once more, giving her a warm smile. “It’s okay to want to stay here, and it’s okay to love Sylvie. God knows I love her too. But I am almost twenty-five. I can’t stay here forever. But I’m sure if we talked to Sylvie, she would let you stay here…”

  “Stay here
without you?” Jolie exclaimed. “I don’t want you to leave again…”

  “I’m not leaving,” I assured her. “I just think I need my own place. I want you to come with me, you know I do, but if you want to stay here, that’s okay too.”

  “I don’t know what I want to do.” Jolie sighed as she looked up into my eyes. “Do I have to decide right now?”

  “Of course, you don’t,” I replied with a laugh as I pulled her to me, hugging her tightly. “Tell you what. I will look for an apartment with two rooms anyway. We can do up your bedroom however you want, and you can come and stay whenever you want until you decide what it is you want to do.”

  “You would do that?” She asked giving me a big grin.

  “Of course, I would,” I assured her, as I kissed the top of her head. “You’re my family, Jo. There’s just you and me now, and I will do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

  “Thanks, Seth,” Jolie said as she hugged me tightly. “I’m going to go down to Sylvie. She said she is going to teach me how to make biscotti. Maybe I might become a baker like her, because I love baking and working at the bakery.”

  “That would be great,” I replied, smiling at her as she walked towards the door.

  “I will save some biscotti for you,” she said as she reached the door and turned back to me. “Have fun at work.”

  “I’ll try,” I laughed before she vanished out of the bedroom.

  Pushing up from the bed, I walked back across the room and looked at my reflection in the mirror once more. I couldn’t help but smile. I knew that no matter how fucked up my head was at that exact moment, knowing Jolie was finally happy helped make everything seem somehow better.

  When I reached Joe’s, it was still quiet. Joe welcomed me as he always did with one of his bear hugs before he showed me how to use the new till system he’d installed since I last worked in the bar. Then he introduced me to Rick, the barman he had hired to replace me when I had left to go abroad.

  “It feels weird being back here,” I said as we all stood behind the bar. “But also, it’s good to be back.”

  “It’s good to have you back, Son,” Joe said as he patted my back. “You were always one of my best workers.”

  Then he laughed before he added.

  “You were always popular with the girls too,” he grinned. “And that was always good for my takings.”

  “Then maybe I should ask for a pay rise,” I replied as I raised my eyebrows hopefully.

  “Nice try,” he said as he threw his head back, laughing out loud.

  I was about to reply when I turned and saw Savannah walking towards the bar. Instantly I froze.

  “Hey, Joe,” she said as she reached the bar. “Are the guys here yet?”

  “I think they’re just out the back, Sav,” Joe replied as he gave her a warm smile. “You know Seth, right?”

  “I do,” she replied as she finally allowed her eyes to meet mine. “Hey, Seth.”

  “Hi Savannah,” I said, not really sure why she was even here. “Is Jared with you?”

  “He said he might drop by later,” she replied with a shrug. “He doesn’t always come to my gigs.”

  “Your gigs?” I asked, but then I vaguely remember the conversation we had in the car, the day I got back home. “Oh, that’s right, I think Jolie mentioned you were in a band. I didn’t realise that you played here.”

  “Yep,” she replied with a forced smile. “Every Friday.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty cool,” I said with a smile, as I watched her closely. She seemed colder than I ever seen her before, but I had no clue why. I decided to ignore it, instead trying to keep things as friendly as possible. “I can’t wait to hear you.”

  “Well, I should go help the guys set up the equipment,” she replied, ignoring what I had said, as she held my eyes for a moment. Then she smiled, and this time it seemed a little more genuine. “Catch you later, Seth.”

  “I’ll be here,” I called after her, as she made her way across the bar, then up onto the stage.

  As I worked behind the bar, I tried to keep my focus on what I was doing, but time and time again I found myself searching the stage for Savannah. Once or twice my eyes found her, but each time she quickly turned away.

  Then I noticed she seemed to disappear from the stage, and I had no idea where she had gone. By now the bar was starting to fill up, so it was harder to serve the endless stream of customers and keep one eye on the stage.

  I was just starting to think the band had left when the rest of the band appeared back on the stage, but still, there was no sign of Savannah. I was just giving a guy his change when Meggie appeared at the bar in front of me.

  “Hey, Seth,” Meggie said, giving me a known grin. “I didn’t know you were coming back. If I had known you were working tonight, I would have made sure I was working too.”

  “Hey, Meggie,” I said, feeling more than a little unnerved by the way this girl was now undressing me with her eyes. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No thanks,” she grinned as she leaned forward on the bar enough to make sure I had a clear view down her top. “I’m just here to collect my wages. Is Joe about?”

  “He’s around here somewhere,” I said as I glanced around the bar, but stopped when I spotted Savannah standing on the stage. The moment I saw her, my heart almost stopped. She looked completely different than I had ever seen her before. She was wearing black leather trousers and a red, fitted t-shirt that showed off her amazing body clearly. Her blonde hair was caught up on the back of her head. She looked amazing.

  One of the guys from the band whispered something to her; she threw her head back and laughed, and my cock instantly jumped to life as I stood there, lost in the very sight of her.

  “SETH!” Meggie called, and I realised that she had been talking to me all along.

  “Sorry, Meggie,” I replied, as I turned my eyes begrudgingly back to her. “I will get Joe for you.”

  I glanced back up at the stage, and this time Savannah was watching me, the smile she had on her face moments earlier was gone. Instead, her brow was now pinched in a frown.

  I gave her a half smile before I turned and went looking for Joe.

  I found him in his office on the phone, talking to the bar’s suppliers.

  “Meggie is here for her wages,” I mouthed to him as he covered the phone with his hand.

  “Over there,” he whispered and pointed at an envelope on the filing cabinet in his office.

  I nodded and smiled before I picked it up and returned to the bar.

  “Here you go,” I said to Meggie as I handed her the pay packet. “Joe asked me to give you this.”

  I glanced up at the stage once more, and the band was running through their final checks. Once more Savannah was watching Meggie and me, but this time her face was completely unreadable.

  “Do I get a kiss goodbye?” Meggie asked, once more pulling my attention back to her.

  “I… um,” I said as I glanced back at Savannah. This time I could read her face clearly. She was angry.

  “You can do better than her,” Meggie said. I quickly looked at her and realised she had followed my gaze to Savannah. “She is a stuck-up cow. Besides, she’s spoken for.”

  When she said the last line, there was a look of something in her face, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “I know she is,” I shot back abruptly, angry that she had seen what she had. “She is with my best friend.”

  “Yeah, don’t I know it,” Meggie sighed glancing up towards Savannah, before she turned back to me. “Maybe we can meet up for another night of fun.”

  “I think I’ll pass, Meggie,” I replied smiling at her, but looking her in the eyes, letting her know I meant exactly what I said. “That night was a mistake. Fun; but a mistake nonetheless.”

  “Well,” she said as she leaned over the bar, giving me one last view of her ample cleavage. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

>   Before I had time to react, she leaned up further onto the bar. Then she grabbed a hold of my t-shirt, pulling me to her, slamming her mouth against mine, before she released me, sliding back down to the floor. Without saying another word, Meggie turned and walked out of the bar.

  I turned to look at Savannah once more, but she had turned away. I knew in my heart she had seen what Meggie had done.

  Finally, the band began to play music, as the crowd in the bar erupted with a loud cheer. As I looked around, I noticed that the bar was fuller than I had ever seen it before, and they all seemed to be here to see the band.

  The moment Savannah started to sing, I was completely floored. Jolie had been right; her voice was amazing. As she stood there on the stage singing, she looked like she was lost in the words of the song. Like when she sang, she was transported away to another time and place. It was spellbinding to watch.

  As I just stood there watching her; I could barely breathe.

  “She’s pretty awesome, isn’t she,” Joe’s voice pulled me out of the trance that I was in. “Each time I hear her singing, I’m blown away by how amazing she is.”

  “She is incredible,” I said, still watching her. “I could listen to her forever.”

  “I know,” Joe said and shook his head. “Which is why I don’t get why Jared doesn’t come and watch her sing.”

  “He doesn’t?” I asked, surprised by Joe’s comment. But then I remember that Savannah had mentioned the same thing before. “Why the hell not?”

  “I have no clue,” Joe replied. “He did for like the first month they were dating. Then he started arriving at the end of the night, just to collect her. The last couple of times, she ended up catching a cab home.”

  I was surprised by what Joe had said. It didn’t sound like something Jared would do, but then again, having a steady girlfriend didn’t sound like something Jared would do either. Yet, he was with Savannah, and as much as I hated that fact, I knew I just had to accept it.