“He was being a jerk,” she said. “Is that so surprising?”
“No,” Savannah said. “I guess not.”
“Anyway.” Emily Nicole pulled at the sleeves of her sweater. “I was hoping that since you’re letting me stay, it might mean that we can still be friends.”
“I don’t know,” Savannah said, shifting uncomfortably. She barely knew Emily Nicole. They’d had a blast when they were making that video together, but after last night, did Savannah really know how far Emily Nicole would go to climb to the top? She wasn’t sure. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.” She lowered her head. “I really am sorry.”
“I know.” Savannah believed her, but it was all so fresh right now that she wasn’t sure what to do. “But it’s been a long few days, and I’m really tired.”
“All right.” Emily Nicole stood up and headed for the door. “Thanks for listening.”
* * *
The door shut, and Savannah was finally alone. She let out a long breath and allowed all of the sadness and frustration to wash over her. This trip had been awful, and she just wanted it to be over. But it wasn’t just the trip. Her life was spinning out of control and she couldn’t keep up.
Whenever her emotions took over to the point where she couldn’t think straight, one thing always made her feel better—music. So she grabbed her iPod, locked herself in the bathroom, curled up in the empty Jacuzzi and selected her “sad songs” playlist. The first notes blasted from her earbuds, and the tears immediately streamed down her face. All the hurt, rejection and frustration poured out of her. Songs came and went, until Savannah had cried so much that her eyes burned, the tears dried in salty streams on her cheeks. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed like that, curled up crying in the bathtub, but enough songs had passed that it had to have been at least an hour.
The song she was listening to ended, and she heard footsteps on the bathroom floor. She paused her iPod and forced her eyes open. Damien sat down on the marble ledge next to the tub, his eyes full of concern.
He must think she was so pathetic, crying in the fetal position in an empty Jacuzzi.
She pulled the earbuds out of her ears, not moving from where she lay on the cold porcelain of the tub. “How did you get in here?” she asked. “I locked the door.”
“The bathroom lock isn’t designed to keep out criminals.” He reached into his pocket and held up a coin. “I used this to wedge it open.”
“Oh.” Savannah sat up and pulled her legs toward herself, wrapping her arms around them. “Okay.”
“You’d been in here for a while, and you weren’t answering when anyone knocked,” he said. “Your sisters told me to give you time, but you were in here for so long. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She stayed where she was, unmoving. But he waited, watching her, apparently expecting a response.
“Does it look like I’m okay?” She sat up, unable to meet his eyes.
“No, it doesn’t.” He sat down next to her, close enough that she could feel electricity hum between their bodies. “So, is this normally what you do when you’re upset?”
“Listen to depressing music, curl up in a bathtub and cry?” She chuckled at how sad it sounded. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Why?”
She twisted her hair around her finger. “When something’s really bothering me, I just like to get it out.” She couldn’t believe she was talking about this, here, with Damien. But he’d sounded genuinely curious, so she continued, “I like to completely give in to the emotion. If I pretend I’m not sad—if I try smiling through it, and pretending like everything’s fine—it makes it worse. When I give in and let it out, I feel better.”
“Interesting.” He nodded. “I’ve never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.”
“I don’t understood how going out and pretending to be happy is helpful for anyone,” she said. “But by letting myself feel everything, I’ll wake up tomorrow morning refreshed and ready to start the day with new possibilities.”
“So you’re going to get over Perry in one night?”
“There’s not much to ‘get over.’” Savannah shrugged. “I never really knew him at all. I thought I did, because I follow his Twitter and Instagram and his interviews, but none of that’s real. He was basically...a person I’d imagined in my mind. And I can’t be interested in a person I dreamed up. Especially when...” Her cheeks flushed, and she broke away from Damien’s gaze.
“Especially when what?” He studied her with so much intensity, as if his gaze could pull the confession out of her.
Savannah swallowed, her tongue feeling thick. Last night, Madison had been so convincing when she’d told Savannah to be honest with Damien, and Savannah had felt ready. Now she was so terrified that she couldn’t think.
Maybe it would help if she reminded herself about what Madison had said. How she thought that Damien was truly interested in Savannah, because he was no longer trying to make the first move. Because he hated the possibility of rejection. How if Savannah wanted to know if there could be anything between them, she had to be brave and tell him how she felt.
He’d already seen her at her lowest point—lying in the bathtub with tears, and probably mascara, running down her face. What did she have to lose?
“I’m not upset about what happened with Perry because he’s never really been the one I was interested in,” she said. “It’s you. It’s been you since the first day I came to Vegas, when you knocked on my door and introduced yourself.”
He watched her in wonder, as if that had been the last thing he’d expected her to say. “I don’t understand,” he said, shaking his head.
“What’s not to understand?”
“Where do I even start?” he said. “Over the summer, you chose Nick. Then when the school year started, you friend-zoned me. And at your Sweet Sixteen party, you spent most of the night flirting with Perry.”
“I know.” Savannah’s eyes teared up again, and she buried her head in her hands. “I was talking with Perry as a fan—I honestly didn’t think he would remember me or that I would ever hear from him again. But then he texted me. And after all those months of thinking you weren’t interested in me, I figured if I was going to try moving on with someone else, it might as well be Perry Myles.” She shrugged. “But it all ended in disaster.”
“A disaster that started the night Madison kissed me at Luxe,” he said. “It feels like that happened in another life.”
“It really does,” Savannah said. “She finally apologized, and told me she never should have kissed you.”
“I wish I could say that I wish Madison hadn’t kissed me,” Damien said. “But I can’t.”
Savannah’s stomach fell, and she took a sharp breath inward. “What?” she said. “I thought you didn’t have feelings for Madison anymore. Now you’re glad she kissed you?” She moved to stand up, but Damien put his hand around her wrist, stopping her.
“I don’t have feelings for Madison anymore,” he said, his eyes blazing with so much intensity that Savannah could barely breathe. “But it was the night she kissed me—well, the morning after she kissed me—that it started to sink in that Madison and I were never going to be good for each other. So while I hate the way it went down that night, I’m glad Madison kissed me. If she hadn’t, who knows how long it would have taken for me to realize that she isn’t the one for me? I might not have been as quick to see what was in front of me the whole time.”
“Do you mean...me?” Savannah swallowed, hoping she wasn’t taking his words the wrong way.
“Yes.” He smiled, and her stomach felt like it was free falling in a million different directions. “Of course I mean you.”
“But when you were first interested in me—the week I moved to Vegas—it was when you still had feelings for Madiso
n,” she said. “We barely knew each other.”
“When we first met, I thought you were hot, and I asked you out,” he said. “Then the Madison stuff happened, and I thought you’d chosen Nick, so I went on that summer teen tour. But it wasn’t Madison I was looking forward to seeing when school started—it was you. When I got back to town, I was hoping you would reach out to me, but you didn’t. That drove me crazy.”
“The phone does work two ways,” Savannah reminded him. “You could have reached out to me.”
“That’s why I went to that volleyball party,” he said. “I knew you would be there. We hung out, and I started helping out with your YouTube channel so we would have a reason to spend time together. That was when I really realized I was falling for you. You have a good heart, down to the very core of it, and you see the world with so much hope and light. You believe in yourself, you think the best of everyone and you thought the best of me. You trusted me to help you spread the word about your YouTube channel. I’ve had tons of friends all my life, but none of them have ever believed in me like you have. You’re beautiful, Savannah, and I’ve never felt as happy around anyone as I do when I’m with you.”
Savannah’s lips parted, and she saw herself through Damien’s eyes. Not as the naive girl with her head in the clouds who worried too much about what other people thought about her, but as someone full of light and hope. Someone who could place her trust in another person and help him see himself in a new way.
“If you’ve felt this way for so long,” she said, “why did you never tell me?”
“I was going to, on the night of your Sweet Sixteen party,” he said. “I was waiting until the end of the night, since I knew you were busy with recording for the show and mingling. But Perry Myles was hanging all over you, and we didn’t get a moment alone together. Then there was Oliver’s car accident. He may be a jerk sometimes—well, a lot of the time—but I’ve known him since preschool. Seeing him like that was rough. When the doctors weren’t sure if he would make it, I wasn’t thinking about anything else. Once he woke up and they said he would be okay, you were on that family trip in Italy.”
“And when I got back home, everyone knew I was texting with Perry.” Savannah shook her head, marveling at how oblivious she’d been.
“Yep,” he said. “So I backed off.”
“I’m so sorry, Damien.” She held his gaze, hoping he believed her. “You’ve always been the one I wanted, but I had no idea you felt the same, and I didn’t want to be that girl who couldn’t get over the guy who only saw me as a friend. So I tried to move on. But it’s always been you. It’s been you this entire time.”
“So you would have chosen me over Perry Myles?”
“Of course.” Savannah rolled her eyes. “Perry’s a player. I always knew that—everyone knows that. I wish I hadn’t—”
She didn’t have time to finish the sentence, because the next thing she knew, Damien’s lips were on hers. He kissed her slowly, as if he were exploring the depths of her soul. His hand cupped her cheek, his fingers tracing the dried lines of salt where tears had been pouring down her face, and it was like he could take away all the pain and betrayal from earlier. The crazy thing was...it worked. Everything that had happened today and last night didn’t matter anymore. In fact, Savannah was glad it had happened, because it had all led to this moment.
His fingers traveled through her hair, brushing it off of her face. “You know,” he said, his lips grazing hers. “You don’t need the hair extensions, or the sparkly makeup, or the fancy clothes. I noticed you the day you arrived in Vegas, before you had all that stuff, when you were first walking down the hall of the Diamond. You shine, Savannah, because of who you are inside.”
“Thank you,” Savannah said, smiling. “But I have the hair extensions, and the sparkly makeup and the ‘fancy’ clothes because I like them. Not because I’m trying to please anyone else. They make me happy.”
“I was trying to give you a compliment.” He chuckled and moved to kiss her again, but Savannah placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. “What?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” she said. “Everything’s perfect. But what you just said about me...you really mean it?”
“Every word.”
“But what about next year?” The question tumbled out of her mouth. “You’re going to college, and I’ll still be in Vegas.”
“I’ll still be in Vegas, too,” he said.
“What?” She tilted her head. “You’re not going to college?”
“No,” he said. “I’m going to college. But I got into UNLV, and they have a great publicity and marketing program. I love Vegas. I don’t plan on moving anytime soon.”
“In that case...” Savannah took a deep breath. “Do you want to be my date to Adrian and Rebecca’s wedding? I know it might be too much, too soon, and that Adrian can be intimidating, but I have a plus one, and I haven’t asked anyone yet—”
“Savannah Diamond,” he cut her off, her name sounding like music when he spoke it. “Are you asking me out?”
“Maybe.” She smiled shyly. “Are you saying yes?”
“Yes,” he said, kissing her again. “Of course I am.”
chapter 26:
The morning after Perry and Noel jetted out of town, breakfast was the most peaceful meal they’d had since arriving in Aspen. Courtney, Brett, Brianna and Madison gathered early in the kitchen and made pancakes and eggs for everyone. Well, Madison sat at the kitchen table and watched as the three of them cooked, but she was smiling, chatting and laughing—an entirely different person than the standoffish girl from last summer.
And Brett...well, Courtney felt closer to him than ever. She’d never given much thought to when she would lose her virginity—she’d always assumed it would happen in college—but being with Brett had been perfect. Every time he looked at her, she could feel how much he loved her, and how much she loved him.
She hadn’t told her sisters yet, and while the drama of the One Connection boys leaving had distracted them, she knew from the way they watched her that they suspected something was up. She couldn’t keep it from them for much longer, but for now, it was nice having it be just between her and Brett.
Evie wandered into the kitchen, followed by Emily Nicole, Peyton and Oliver. Savannah and Damien were the last two to join them—from their own bedrooms. They must have slept late because they stayed up so late talking last night. So late that Courtney had gone to bed before she could talk to Savannah about what had happened with Perry.
She was happy to see that Savannah looked bright and cheery—completely opposite from how sad she’d been yesterday. Maybe Courtney had been wrong last summer, when she’d thought Damien was a sleazeball. Or perhaps he’d changed and grown up in the past few months.
Breakfast was on the table and ready for them to dig in, when Savannah’s phone blared the latest One Connection hit.
“I need to change my ringtone.” Savannah silenced her phone and glanced at the caller ID. “It’s Grandma. I should probably get this.”
Courtney nodded, unsure of why Grandma would be calling now. She had called twice since spring break had started, but in the afternoon, between après-ski and dinner, since she knew they were skiing during the day. Whatever it was must be urgent.
A pit formed in Courtney’s stomach. This must be about Mom. Had she relapsed last night? Gone to a bar and gotten drunk? Driven after drinking and hit something—or someone? As much as Courtney wanted to believe in her recovery, she wouldn’t put it past her.
Courtney gripped the edges of her chair as Savannah picked up the phone. Hopefully she was wrong, and Grandma was simply checking in to say hi. Mom had been doing so well recently. If she’d relapsed, it probably had to do with how Courtney still hadn’t forgiven her about keeping Britney a secret. Then it would be partly Court
ney’s fault.
Her emotions must have been plastered on her face, because Brett placed his hand over hers. She managed a small smile, hoping to express her appreciation for his support, and he squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was there for her no matter what.
“She wants to talk to you.” Savannah held her cell out to Courtney. “She wouldn’t tell me what it was about...just that she tried your phone first, but you didn’t pick up. She sounds...well, she doesn’t sound good.”
Courtney took the phone from Savannah—her case was blinged out in Swarovski crystals, the sunlight from the window bouncing off it like a disco ball. “Hi, Grandma,” she said, her mouth so dry that her tongue felt like sandpaper. “Sorry I didn’t pick up when you called... I was making breakfast and left my phone in my room. What’s going on?”
“I have some bad news.” Grandma sounded lifeless, and Courtney was positive that this was serious. Even in the worst of times, when Grandma had broken the news that Mom was going to rehab and Courtney and her sisters would be moving away, she hadn’t sounded this hopeless. “It’s probably best that you step out of the room, away from the group.”
Courtney made her way into the billiard room, which had gone relatively unused all week, except for a few nights ago when Oliver had hosted a pool tournament that he’d won. Savannah, Peyton and Brett followed her inside, shutting the door. They watched her expectantly, as if asking for permission to stay. Courtney nodded that it was fine.
“Are you somewhere you can talk?” Grandma asked.
“Yes.” Courtney braced herself on the edge of the pool table. “Savannah, Peyton and Brett are here, too.” She put her phone on speaker and laid it on the green felt surface.
“Brett?” Grandma sounded confused, and Courtney wondered why. Then she realized—she’d been so concerned about keeping her relationship with him secret that Grandma had no idea how close they were.
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