THREE NIGHTS (Complete)

Chapter 8

It's You

Everyone has left the church, and I decide to call the hotel that Lawrence and I stayed in. I ask for his suite number, on a whim he might still be there—waiting for me. They politely ask my name and put me on a brief hold.

"Mr. Prescott has left on business until Tuesday M'am. May I connect you with his voice message or his secretary?"

Away on business? Secretary? He's a salesman. He was supposed to be waiting on me.

Oh my God. Candice was right, and I was a fool. Lawrence played me. He wanted nothing more than sex. Maybe I was his Canadian conquest. Well, he definitely conquered me. Who was he? Was everything about us really just a lie? Of course, it was stupid. Oh yes, Candice will get a kick out of this. I got punked. He's probably off-trolling the Internet in search of his next unsuspecting idiot. That's fine, at least now I can stop worrying about all the money he spent on me. Good for me, I deserve this. I wanted too much and lost everything. My heart is broken in two, the same way I must have broken Ben's heart only hours ago. Fuck Savannah! You really did screw yourself, your father would be so proud.

I want to cry but can't, I'm frozen, hurt, and too confused to cry. I have to believe this is all for the best. I would never have been happy with Ben anyway.

I sit on the bank behind the church overlooking miles of hills and valleys. The skirt of my dress orbits around me, and I gaze far out into the orange sunset.

Minutes pass and a cool breeze kisses the back of my neck.

"Hey, beautiful..."

My heartbeat skips two of the four chambers inside my chest. I swallow hard, afraid to look behind me. Afraid to realize the voice I just heard is nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

"Savannah..." I pivot around slowly, and fix my eyes on him, exquisite, refined, irresistible.

"There she is," he beamed. "And more beautiful than ever."

"Lawrence..." I breathe, feeling like I might faint.

"Savannah," he coo's softly.

"What's going on? I was scared, I couldn't reach you. I thought—"

"—I'm here," he holds out his hand and I take it. "Why?" I can barely recognize my voice, it's so stressed.

"I didn't want to wait for you, so I came for you instead."

"I thought—" he pulls me to my feet and presses his finger over my lips.

"—I tend to go the extra mile, for the people I love," he says softly.

"3000 miles...?" I ask, still shocked.

"You gave me a run for my money..." he smirks.

"I—" he cuts me off again.

"You didn't marry him—why?

"I couldn't—you know why," I bury my face in his chest.

"I'm not certain, tell me."

"He wasn't you," I sob in his chest.

"You have me now, you know that right?"

"I do?" I whimper in his chest like a child.

"—Under one condition."

"What's that?" I ask nervously.

Lawrence releases his grip on me and drops to one knee, taking my cold hand in his warm one.