Savannah’s mouth flapped open and closed. Guilt strangled her words. Echoes of the past sneered at her, calling her a slut. “I wasn’t myself at the time,” she whispered.
James rolled his eyes, grinning. “I’m just teasing.” He trapped her against the counter. His arms caged her like a rat. “Now, about that lunch.”
Savannah ducked under his left arm and put the kitchen table between them. “I think you should leave.”
The smile fell from James’ face. “Is that a no?”
“Yes.”
Drawing a breath, James straightened up. He shrugged. “All right, fine. I’ll see you in class,” he said casually.
Savannah nodded. “Yeah…”
Shoulders hunched, James strode out the door and slammed it shut. Savannah heard him muttering about her being a tease as he went down the stairs.
She collapsed into a chair and held her head in her hands. What a disaster. It was like she was incapable of moving on; sabotaging relationships before they even had a chance to start. No matter how many times she told herself she had to, she couldn’t let the past go. She didn’t want to.
Eventually, Savannah dragged herself to her feet, gathered her book bag, and left for class.
****
Night transformed the world into something almost unrecognizable. Shadows blended in with darkness, broken only by splashes of light from streetlights. Savannah stood by a small truck in the parking lot while staring at the dorm Rob lived in. He was there. His fresh scent told her so. Her stomach was twisted in knots. She forced her feet to move her forward, but she halted at the foot of the steps.
This was not a good idea. She should forget it. Let Rob believe she was a bitch who stole his virginity. He and James could rant to each other about it. It’d be a bonding moment for them. They’d start a bromance because of her. All she had to do was live with the fear of being the target of their animosity. It was high school all over again. She groaned and sank onto the bottom step.
Car doors opened and people approached. Savannah looked up. Three guys wearing shirts with Greek letters on them sauntered to her and surrounded her like a pack of hyenas. The smell of alcohol was thick on their breath. This was not what she needed right now.
One sat next to her. His body brushed hers. “You look like you have a lot on your mind. What’s got a pretty girl like you sitting out in the cold?”
Savannah scooted away. “Just thinking.”
They snickered.
She glowered at them. “What’s funny?”
They elbowed each other, but the one next to her shushed them. “Nothing,” he said innocently.
Savannah glowered. “Suuure.” She stood.
“Hey, where ya going? I thought we were having a nice chat.”
Savannah kept her voice flat. Final. “No, we weren’t having a nice chat. Goodbye.”
The guy grabbed her. He scowled. His voice was low. “That’s not nice.”
“You’re not nice.” She pulled free and stalked away.
Footsteps behind her told her they were following. A sliver of fear wedged into her mind. What if the situation got out of hand? They had been drinking. A girl couldn’t be too sure how far someone might go when they weren’t thinking clearly. Then again, these guys didn’t have her strength and reflexes.
But getting into a fight was the last thing she wanted, so she picked up her pace. They did as well, giving lewd commentary on her as they tailed her. A flash indicated one of them had snapped a photo of her. But they were keeping their distance. They just wanted to rattle her. She held her head high. No way was she letting them know they were succeeding. Eventually, they would get bored and leave her be.
Grunts and shuffling made her look over her shoulder. Two of the frat boys lay unconscious on the ground. A figure covered from head to toe in black held the last one.
Amber eyes locked with Savannah’s.
He dropped the frat boy, whirled around, and crashed through the bushes. Without a thought, Savannah launched after him. Branches tried to slow her down, tearing her skin and clothing as she ran. She lost sight of him, but his scent served as a brightly lit beacon through the dark. Finally, she stumbled into a clearing. Trash littered grassy slopes. An overgrown road—the pavement cracked and crumbling—led through the opening. She paused, sniffing.
Among the smell of refuse and nature was the smell of sweat mixed with earth and pine. She drew it deeper, memorizing it. Her heart fluttered. That was his scent. It wasn’t unfamiliar. She had smelled it before on campus and around her dorm, but she hadn’t known it was his. Her heart beat faster. He was alive.
“Evan.”
Chapter: Evan
“Evan.”
His eyes widened. No, she didn’t know it was him. How could she when his face was covered?! He peeked out from the hill he hunched behind. She faced his direction. Her blue eyes calmly scanned the dump. Longing rose in his throat. She was waiting for him to show himself. He wanted to go to her, but he had to remain hidden. If she found out…
He sucked in a breath. The sound hissed through his teeth, and he grimaced. It barely sounded human. Savannah’s eyes snapped to where he hid. He needed to run. If he ran fast and far enough, she’d forget him and move on.
But the hope shining in her eyes told him she had never let him go and never would.
She walked toward where he lay. He pleaded with himself to get up and escape, but he couldn’t move. His body was paralyzed by fear. Or hope. He couldn’t deny the thrill of being reunited with her. To hold her close and stare into her eyes, to hear her laugh. But the thought of her knowing what they had done to him put a sour taste in his mouth. He was something less than human. How could she stand to look at him? If she did, it’d be in pity.
Savvy.
“I’m here, Evan.”
She was less than ten feet away. Her fists were clenched at her sides. Tears glimmered in her eyes. It almost drove him to her. She wasn’t supposed to cry.
“I cry because you’re not in my life.”
He gulped and rose, focusing. “I’m sorry, Savvy.”
She moved closer. He needed to keep space between them, but his feet were cemented to the ground. His pulse was racing by the time she stood before him. Her eyes searched his face, lingering on the scarf covering his mouth.
“What happened to us?” she whispered. “Why are you scared of me?”
“I’m not afraid of you. I…”
“Then why did you run?”
“I didn’t want you to see me.”
“Why?” More tears fell. He wanted to wipe them away and do everything in his power to never see her cry again. She deserved happiness after all she had lost.
How do I explain?
“Try.”
So many thoughts clouded his mind, but he chose which ones she’d hear carefully. “We vanished for a year, taken.” He cupped her hand. “They did things. To both of us.”
She gulped down a breath. Her voice trembled. “Who took us? I don’t remember anything.”
“It’s better that way.” He could only dream of the bliss of not remembering what happened, to try to live a normal life. It was the only way he could keep going. If she could move on, he could repress his jealousy and be happy for her.
She reached for the scarf wrapped around his face. He stopped her and finally put distance between them. Her hand fell to her side. “Why can’t I see you?”
“You don’t want to.”
“I can handle whatever happened. Any scars.” She touched her stomach, and sadness made her eyes shine.
He barked a laugh that sounded gravelly. What he had qualified as more than scars. “Go back to your life, Savvy.”
“You are my life.”
Now it was his turn to cry. “Not anymore.” He turned his back on her; the hardest thing he had ever done since the night they returned and he went into hiding.
Just go. Please.
He didn’t move until her scent faded. His legs
wobbled as he walked back to the rusted car. Each movement didn’t feel like his own. It was as if he was outside his body, watching someone else. A stranger. He unwrapped his face and neck. It took all his strength not to rip the fabric to shreds. Instead, he gripped it until his knuckles turned white. A sob worked up his throat. He slumped against the vehicle.
“Evan?”
His head snapped up.
Savannah ground to a halt. Her eyes widened, and a gasp slipped free.
Evan whirled away. He put a hand over his mouth and fumbled for his scarf. Shit, shit, shit. How had she snuck up on him? Run. RUN!
He had barely taken a step when she latched onto him. She moved faster than he expected. Their gazes connected again. The horror in her eyes made bile rise up his throat. Her grip was like a vice, leaving him trapped.
He pressed the scarf to his face. Please don’t look.
Chapter: Savannah
Savannah clutched Evan’s arm. Her nails dug into the fabric of his coat. She stared, wide-eyed, at his face and the jagged hole where his mouth should have been. Needle-like teeth protruded from it.
What… she tried to grasp what she saw and put words to it, but her mind was as blank as a piece of paper. His thundering heartbeat echoed in her ears, and the sour scent of fear made her dizzy.
Don’t look. Don’t look at me. Please! His voice echoed as if in an empty chamber.
He pressed his face against a black scarf. Slits along his neck moved up and down, like a breeze ripping through loose paper. He was breathing. She felt his breath coming from the gills.
Go away. Please, Savvy. I don’t want you to see me. Again, his voice seemed to bounce, and she wasn’t sure if she was really hearing him or imagining it.
“Evan.”
“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” He broke free of her grip and stumbled back. Tears shone on his cheeks. “I’m not him anymore. They…”
He turned and ran, but she’d be damned if she let him slip through her fingers. She almost had, thinking the reason he wanted her gone was because he was over her. But that wasn’t right. He was here, so close. And he stopped the frat boys from harassing her. Why do that if he didn’t still care for her?
She wasn’t losing him again.
Savannah tackled him, and they crashed to the ground. Something along his back squirmed underneath her. He tried to buck her off, but she trapped his arms against his sides. Their breath sent puffs of dust in the air as they panted. He strained against her.
His voice pleaded. “Savvy, don’t do this. Let me be dead to you.”
“I can’t.”
“You need to move on.”
“No.”
He twisted around and looked at her. She saw her reflection in his eyes. Her panic mirrored his. She cupped his cheek. His eyes closed, and he sighed softly. When he opened his eyes again, tears filled them. “Please.”
Her throat tightened. “I did try. For you. I believed you were dead, and I mourned you. And I tried to date other guys, tried to be interested in them, but none of them compared to you.” She traced her fingers around his mouth. He sucked in a breath. Turning his head, he squeezed his eyes shut.
Don’t.
“How can I hear your voice when you’re not speaking?”
He met her gaze. “I can’t talk anymore, so I became a little psychic. I’m rusty at it, though. Gotta concentrate to keep thoughts I want private.” He removed her hand from his face.
I can’t kiss her ever again. The words echoed in her head.
“Kissing’s overrated.”
He closed his eyes. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
The cool night air bit into her exposed skin. She lay awkwardly on top of Evan. His body was hot against hers. He didn’t struggle anymore, but she feared he’d run if she relaxed her grip. “I’m letting you up now. Promise you won’t run.”
“Promise.”
They sat up. Savannah was ready to grab him if he reneged, but he didn’t move. He secured the scarf.
She untucked it from the coat’s collar. “You have to breathe, right?”
He looked away. His head hung low. “You noticed.”
She examined the gills. “They’re exotic.”
“Savvy, please.”
Her gaze snapped to him. Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t accuse me of lying. You thought I wouldn’t love you anymore if I saw you? Do you believe I’m that shallow? We grew up together. I loved you for a long time before we finally made it official. Every boyfriend I had, I dumped because he wasn’t you. I was an idiot for not seeing it sooner.” Her voice choked, and she had to spit the words out. “I thought I lost you. And you’re trying to push me away because you have vanity issues?”
“This is more than vanity issues. I’m barely human.”
“I’m not either. I changed, too.”
Evan closed his eyes. The gills fluttered. “I know.” He looked at her. “I remember everything. The light. Being taken.”
Savannah’s heart leapt into her throat. Evan remembered. He had the answers to what happened that missing year. She licked her lips. “Who…what took us?”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Aliens. They wanted to, I don’t know, experiment on us.”
Savannah nodded. She felt calm. A part of her, deep down, understood whomever had taken her wasn’t human. What else would explain her strange abilities?
“Savvy.” His pulse sped up. Fear filled his eyes. “You need to know something about me. I’m…”
“Don’t be afraid to tell me,” she said softly.
“Whatever they crossed me with… it was like a… a predator, and my digestive system… I tried normal food. Stole from a house, but it made me sick. I have to eat… blood. Like a vampire.”
Savannah brushed her fingers through his hair. It was gritty and dirty, but she didn’t stop. She had missed touching him. “It’s okay. I’m not scared of you.”
He nodded, but his body was stiff.
“Shhh,” she crooned and laid his head against her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
He finally relaxed against her. His voice was a hollow whisper in her head, as if he didn’t have the energy to “speak” louder. “I’ve imagined this many times. It was always a fantasy; you accepting me.”
“I do.”
“But please understand.” He tilted his head to stare at her. “A lot has changed, and I honestly didn’t know how you’d react. Sometimes, I’d imagine you looking at me as if I was a monster. That’s what kept me away. I wanted to hold onto the safe fantasy instead of trusting you. I’m sorry.”
Her heart tore. All those years he was missing from her life, he had been held back by fear. As much as it hurt, she understood why. There were times she felt so altered, she imagined that the people who knew her before only saw a stranger now. It was isolating and lonely. The thought of losing more friends and family was like a stab to the heart. It was why she pretended to be normal.
“I won’t lie. Knowing you didn’t trust me stings, but I get it. Life isn’t a fantasy, and it was a shock to see you. I. Was. Horrified.” She touched the scarf hiding a mouth full of lethal teeth. He was right. They couldn’t kiss, but she didn’t care. “Losing you again isn’t an option. First loves are one in a trillion.”
****
The sun was peeking over the horizon when Savannah trotted up the steps to her dorm building. At the door, she paused and turned. Evan hid in the fading shadows. She blew him a kiss. He caught and pressed it to his chest.
She smiled. “Tomorrow night. Don’t be late.”
I won’t.
A yawn worked free as she returned to her apartment. She closed the door with a soft click and leaned against it. Her chest swelled, ready to explode from the happiness filling it. Evan was alive and with her. Their path would be rocky, but she was committed to doing whatever it took to be by his side.
“By the look on your face, you must have been with someone good.”
“Mandy,” S
avannah yelped. It wasn’t often people were able to get the drop on her.
Grinning like a cat, Mandy sat in the living room with a mug of coffee in hand. “Well, are you going to tell me about it?”
Savannah shrugged and strode to the cupboard for a cup. “About what?”
“Come on.” Mandy jumped up from the couch. “I woke up at five in the morning, and you weren’t in your room. Only one thing gets a girl to stay out all night, and it starts with a b and ends with an oy. Who is he? What’s he like? Where is he from? Does he go to this college? Is he smart?”
The air suddenly felt thin. Savannah gulped down a breath. Mandy stared at her as if expecting Savannah to produce a diamond out of her ass. She poured herself some coffee to buy time. Mandy was still watching when she turned. Her voice was calm despite the nerves flapping in her stomach.
“There’s no boy.”
“Uh-huh.”
“There isn’t!”
“Okay.”
“I’m not lying. I’m not.”
“The more you deny it, the more I know the truth. Fine. You don’t have to tell me yet. Maybe you’re not sure he’s the one.”
“He is.” Savannah slapped her hand over her mouth.
Mandy’s face beamed. “I thought so. Since you spilled a little, I won’t bug you for more. For now. But you, your new boy toy, me, and Todd should totally go on a double date so I can grill him. I’m going back to bed. Night or morning.”
Savannah groaned. She headed to her own bedroom, stopping by the bathroom to dump the coffee. A few minutes of shut-eye was what she needed. Then she’d form a story to keep Mandy satisfied and Evan hidden.
****
Savvy?
Savannah’s eyes snapped open. She bolted out of bed. Blankets tangled in her legs. A look at her phone showed the time past midnight. She had slept through the day. Why didn’t Mandy wake her? Or maybe she had, and Savannah had been that tired.
Savvy?
Abducted Life Page 4