The One

by Holly C. Webb

  “But you knew he got someone pregnant,” she sighed, looking almost like she had already made up her mind. “And you didn’t tell me, because you had your friend’s back.”

  “That’s not how it was, Savannah,” I replied as my heart hammered in my chest. This was not how I imagined things would go between her and me

  “I learned when I was young that I always needed to have my own back,” she said as tears flowed freely down her face. “My mom didn’t care about me. My dad was even worse. I have spent the last ten years making something of myself, while keeping people at arms-length. I thought Callie was my true friend, but I guess I was wrong, I didn’t get to have the best friend that Jared got. And then I trusted you. More than I have ever trusted another person in my life, but you let me down too. So, no, we can’t sit down and talk, because there is nothing left to say. You made your choice, and you didn’t choose me. So, I will choose me, Seth. I will have my own back, because I was right. I don’t need Callie, and I don’t need you. I’m done.”

  She turned and walked towards the door, as I stood there and held my breath. I had no idea how this was happening, but it was.

  “Savannah, please,” I called out, my heart aching in my chest as I followed her towards the door. “You can’t leave like this.”

  “And yet I am,” she said as she stopped at the door and turned back to give me a look that stopped me dead in my tracks. “Goodbye, Seth.”

  Then she walked out the door, leaving me standing there; my life and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

  Chapter 22

  Seth

  I stood there staring at the door long after Savannah had left. I thought about going after her, but then I remembered how she looked at me before she left, and I knew that was the last thing I needed to do.

  I hoped that maybe she just needed time to calm down. But in my heart, I knew I had messed things up between us. Still I couldn’t leave things like this. I had to try and make them right. I hurried to the bedroom and got dressed as quickly as I could, before I grabbed my car keys and headed out the front door too.

  On the drive to Savannah’s place, I went over in my head so many times what I was going to say to her, but as I climbed out of the car ten minutes later, all I could think about was how I could never survive if I lost this girl.

  I hurried up the front steps, taking a deep breath before I pressed down on the intercom for her apartment. I waited for maybe a minute, but when there was no reply, I pressed down again, this time holding my finger on the button for longer. Still no answer came. I turned and looked around the street, and that’s when I noticed that her car wasn’t in her usual spot.

  Still, I needed to try one more time. I turned back to the buzzer and pressed down on her intercom once more, but once again there was no reply.

  I stood there for a moment, trying to think where the hell she would have gone, but other than Callie, Savannah didn’t really have friends in Pullman.

  Shit! I thought to myself as I hurried back down the steps. I climbed back into the car and headed for Callie’s house. I knew it was a long shot, but just maybe she went there. Maybe she wanted to tell her friend exactly what she thought of her. In my heart, I knew that wasn’t Savannah’s style, but I was now grasping at straws.

  When I arrived at Callie’s a few minutes later, the first thing I noticed was Jared’s car parked outside.

  “Fuck!” I groaned as I climbed from the car. I knew if Savannah came here, then she would have walked right into this mess and it wouldn’t have been good. I looked around the street, but once more I couldn’t see Savannah’s old beaten up Chevy.

  Still, I had to be sure, I turned and hurried up the front driveway, but before I reached the steps, Jared appeared in the doorway, still looking madder than hell.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Seth?” He hissed, looking like he was ready for round two. “You want to try your luck with Callie now?”

  “I’m looking for Savannah,” I replied, ignoring his childish comment. “She isn’t at her place. I thought maybe she came here to talk to Callie. I need to find her. Do you know where she might have gone?”

  “And why the fuck would I help you?” He growled, taking a step down from the front porch, his face completely unreadable.

  “Look, Jared,” I said, not really having time for Jared’s shit. “If you want to beat me up, fine, go ahead and beat me. But if you ever cared for Savannah, right now, you would pull your head out of your ass and help me find her. She’s gone and I have no clue where. She has no one left. She has lost everything, and I am worried about her.”

  “She isn’t here, Seth,” Callie said, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “I guess I’m the last person she would want to talk to.

  “Then where would she go?” I asked, hoping that maybe Callie would have some clue where Savannah might run to.

  “I don’t know,” she replied honestly, as she came down the front steps too. “Like you said, everyone that she cared about is standing right here, well, other than Jolie. But I doubt she would go to Sylvie’s in case she ran into Jared.”

  “Thanks, Callie,” I said as I turned and headed back down the driveway to my car. I knew it was a long shot, but I was going to head to Sylvie’s and hope like hell she was there.

  “Andy’s!” Jared called out, just as I reached the car, stopping me in my tracks. “The guy from the band. He and Savannah were always good friends. He didn’t like me. But he cares about her. She might go to his place if she was looking for a friend right now.”

  “Thanks, Jared,” I said, turning back to him and giving him a smile. He didn’t smile back. Instead, he just turned and walked back into Callie’s place.

  “Seth!” Callie called out. “If you find her. Will you tell her that for what it’s worth, I’m sorry?”

  “Yeah,” I replied, giving Callie as sad smile. “I’ll tell her.”

  “Thanks” she said, before she turned and headed back up the steps and into the house as I turned and climbed into the car.

  Pulling away from the curb, I knew that I needed to decide where I should go now. I knew Callie was probably right. The last place she was likely to go was Sylvie’s, so I need to figure out where this Andy guy lived.

  So, I swung a right at the next junction and headed for Joe’s. If anyone would have his address, it would be Joe.

  When I arrived at the bar, it was still in darkness. But then, it wasn’t open for another hour. Still, I knew Joe would be there sorting out stock and getting ready for the busiest night of the week. So, I headed for the door knowing this was probably my last shot.

  “Seth!” Joe called out as he looked up from the paperwork, he had in front of him and saw me walking through the door. “You’re a little early for work, my friend, I wasn’t expecting you till later.”

  “Actually, I came to ask you for a favour,” I said as I hurried up to the bar where he was standing.

  “For you, Seth,” he said with a smile as he pulled off his glasses. “Anything.”

  I explained to him what I wanted and why I wanted it. He just shook his head and went back to the office to get Andy’s address.

  “I hope you find her, Seth,” he said as he handed me the piece of paper with Andy’s address on it. “And I hope you sort things out with Jared. You and he are soul brothers.”

  “I hope so too,” I sighed, as I took a piece of paper from him, and headed for the door. “Thanks, Joe.”

  “Anytime!” He called after me as I headed out the door.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting in front of a one-story bungalow, trying to think about what I was going to say if Savannah was inside. I knew this was a long shot, but it was one I had to take.

  Climbing from the car, I drew in a sharp breath and I tried to calm my racing heartbeat. She had to be here, because if she wasn’t, I had no clue where to turn to next.

  As I made my way up the driveway, I noticed a butt sticking out from underneath the hood
of the car that was parked in the driveway.

  “Hello!” I called out, as I slowly walked closer to the car, and almost instantly Andy popped out from beneath the hood.

  “Hey, Seth!” Andy said with a big smile the moment he saw me, and I knew right then Savannah wasn’t here. “This is a surprise. What can I do for you?”

  “I um… I was actually hoping that Savannah might be here,” I replied, knowing how ridiculous I must have sounded. “We…we had this fight, and I can’t find her anywhere. I was hoping she might be here.”

  “No,” he said, giving me a worried look, as he wiped his hands in the rag he’d pulled from his back pocket. “I haven’t heard from her in a couple of days. Have you tried Callie’s?”

  “Yeah,” I replied, trying not to seem as disappointed as I felt. “She’s not there.”

  “Oh,” he said, once more looking worried. “What about Jared?”

  “Yeah, she definitely isn’t with him,” I sighed, giving him a nervous smile. “But if she does come by, can you tell her that I’m sorry, and that I need to see her.”

  “Sure,” Andy nodded and smiled.

  “Thanks,” I said before I turned and started back down the driveway.

  “Seth!” Andy called after me. “For what it’s worth. I know Savannah loves you.”

  “I know,” I said as I stopped and turned back to him. “But somehow I don’t think that’s enough this time.”

  “I hope you find her,” he said giving me a sad smile.

  “Me too,” I replied, before I turned and headed for my car.

  Almost an hour later, I pulled my car into Sylvie’s driveway. After driving to any place I could think of that she might have gone to, I realised that I was never going to find her, especially if she didn’t want to be found.

  So, I decided to try to mend some other broken bridge before I lost everyone that ever mattered to me.

  As I climbed out of the car and began up the driveway, the front door opened, and Sylvie stepped onto the porch. For a moment I froze as the thought crossed my mind that I may no longer be welcome in her home.

  “Sylvie,” I said, giving her a nervous smile.

  “Seth,” she replied as she continued down the steps. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Not really,” I replied, giving her the most honest answer, I could. “I’ve managed to fuck things up pretty good.”

  “Yeah,” she smiled, as she watched me closely. “Jared came by, so did Savannah.”

  “Savannah was here?” I asked, wishing I had just come here when Callie suggested it.

  “She came to talk to Jolie,” Sylvie explained, before she added. “Jared told me what happened too.”

  “I bet,” I sighed, wondering if he’d told her the whole truth, or just the part where he looked like the injured party.

  “You need to talk to him,” she replied. “You two have been friends for too long to throw it all away now.

  “I know,” I sighed, knowing she was right.

  “Besides, he’s going to need all the help he can get,” Sylvie added with a smile. “Because what that boy knows about babies and being a father could fit on the back of a postage stamp.”

  I smiled but I didn’t comment. At least he’d told her the whole truth.

  “You need to put some ice on the mouth,” Sylvie added, smiling at me once more. “And you need to talk to Jolie.”

  “I know,” I sighed, still not moving from where I was standing.

  “Well,” she said this time her smile widened. “Are you just gonna stand there all day, or are you going to come inside.”

  “Is that okay?” I asked, feeling like a little boy standing there. I hated I was so angry at her the night before. She had been the only parent that ever loved me at all for the last fourteen years, and I had hurt her.

  “Of course it’s okay,” she said, giving me a surprised look. “This is your home isn’t it?”

  “I hope so,” I said, my voice cracking with unshed tears, as I closed the distance and wrapped my arms around this amazing woman. “Sylvie, I’m so sorry.”

  “You have nothing to say sorry for,” she replied, as she held me at arms-length. “You were right. I should have told you the truth. But you were already so hurt by your mother. I just couldn’t hurt you anymore.”

  “I know,” I said, as I hugged her once more. “And I meant what I said to Liz last night. You are our mom, not her. It’s always been you.”

  “I love you, Seth,” Sylvie whispered, and I could hear the sadness in her voice. “I don’t ever want you to forget that. You’re my boy too.”

  “I love you too,” I replied, before I finally released her from my embrace. “Now, I just need to talk to Jolie.”

  “She’s out on the back porch,” Sylvie explained. “She needs to know that her big brother still loves her. I mean, I told her you do, but I think she needs to hear it from you.”

  “Okay,” I said, giving her a smile, before I headed into the house.

  Making my way through the hall, then the kitchen, I thought about Savannah. She’d come to see Jolie. I smiled knowing that no matter what, she still loved her. I just hoped that she still loved me too.

  As I stepped out onto the back porch, my heart ached the moment I saw Jolie sitting there, her eyes still puffy from crying.

  “Hey, Kiddo,” I said as I made my way over to her. The moment she saw me, her eyes filled up with tears as she stood up, threw her arms around my neck and began to sob. “Hey, why are you crying?”

  “Because everything is all messed up,” she whispered through her tears. “I don’t want you to hate me.”

  “Jo, I could never hate you,” I assured her, holding her so tightly. “It’s you and me, Kid.”

  “What about Savannah?” She asked, looking up at me. “You love her too, right?”

  “Things with Savannah are complicated, Jo,” I said, knowing I couldn’t promise her that I could make things right. I didn’t want to lie to her. “Savannah is very angry with me.”

  “But she loves you,” Jolie said, giving me a pleading look. “I know she does. She said that she just needed time to clear her mind, but I know you can make her see that you and she belong together.”

  “Sometimes that’s not always enough,” I said, wishing I could give her the response she wanted. I led her back to the swing, and we both sat down.

  “Is it because of Jared?” She asked, but I knew she already knew the answer.

  “He’s part of it,” I sighed, trying to pick my words carefully.

  “I heard him talking to Sylvie,” she said, as an angry v formed just above her eyebrows. “He cheated with Callie, and now she’s pregnant. So, he gets to be with her, but you can’t be with Savannah?”

  “It’s not that simple,” I sighed once more.

  “Isn’t it?” She asked. “How is any of this even fair. You love her and she loves you, but because of Jared you can’t be together?”

  “It’s not because of Jared,” I explained, knowing she needed to hear the truth. “Yes, Jared is very angry with me right now, but that’s not why Savannah and I can’t be together. I lied to her.”

  “How did you lie to her?” Jolie asked, giving me a surprised look.

  “I didn’t tell her the truth,” I said, realising right at that moment just how much I fucked everything up. “I knew Jared had cheated, but I never told Savannah. She trusted me, and I let her down.”

  “I think if you just talk to her,” Jolie said, refusing to let go of the dream she had in her mind. “Tell her you’re sorry.”

  “I did,” I replied, as the gravity of what I done finally hit me. “But I let her down. I let everyone down.”

  “You can make it right,” Jolie said, giving me a pleading look.

  “Jo, I think too much has happened,” I sighed, knowing that I needed to do the right thing. “I hurt the people I loved the most, and I don’t know how to make it all okay again.”

  Jolie looked at me, the sadnes
s in her eyes almost breaking my heart, which only made what I was going to say next all the more difficult.

  “So, with that in mind,” I continued, giving her a smile as I gently touched her face. “I think it’s best if I left Pullman for a while.”

  “NO!!!” Jolie cried, but I quickly reached out and took hold of her hand. “You can’t leave me again, you promised.”

  “I’m not going to go that far away,” I assured her. “I was offered a job in Pomeroy, working for the Washington News. Well, I actually turned it down, but I think I can call them and tell them I changed my mind.”

  “But that’s ninety minutes away,” Jolie said, as tears danced in her eyes once more.

  “I know,” I sighed, knowing I was breaking her heart. “But I will still come and see you all the time, and you could come stay with me whenever you wanted.”

  A sound behind me, made us both turn to the door, where I found Sylvie standing there.

  “Sylvie,” Jolie said, standing up, hurrying to her, tears freely falling once more. “Tell him he doesn’t have to leave.”

  “Shh, sweet girl,” Sylvie said, wrapped her arms around Jolie, as she turned at looked at me. “Seth, is that really necessary? This is your home. It’s where you belong”

  “I think it’s for the best,” I sighed, wishing I could give them both a different answer. “I have messed things up with Savannah, and I have hurt Jared. Okay, he is far from blameless in this mess, but I think I need to give him space until he is ready to talk to me.”

  “You know this will always be your home, Seth,” Sylvie said, giving me a sad smile.

  “I know,” I replied, feeling my heart ache so hard I could hardly breathe. “But I need to do this.”

  “Just promise me that you will come back home,” Sylvie said as tears danced in her eyes too.

  “I promise,” I whispered, swallowing the lump of grief that was almost choking me. “I will always come back home.”

  Chapter 23

  Seth

  “And this is your office,” Michael Larkfield said as he led me into a large corner office at the end of the corridor. Stepping into the office, I forced a smile I really didn’t feel as I looked around the room. “Your dark room is through there, and there is a bank of printers down in the copy room, should you need them.”