Savannah's Fate [short story]

Chapter 15: Pleading to No Avail

Chapter 15:

As Savannah trekked home, she felt excited and yet terrified at the same time. She was excited for the news she brought, but terrified of what her family's reaction might be. Firstly, she didn't even know how to begin. Secondly, if she even began right, she knew her family wouldn't approve.

But then her thoughts went to Cole, and she smiled. She loved the way he invaded her thoughts, in good and bad times. Like this, when her nerves were truly getting to her, he was there.

His words were there.

Love can conquer anything.

It was a comfort. Not only that, but she saw him. She saw him in her mind. Dark eyes, the tanned skin of a working man, the black hat, the crooked smile. After talking with her family, she would see him. Really see him. He would be with her, always.

He's mine now.

They'd given themselves to each other through engagement, and now they belonged to each other, and no one else. It made her feel happy, and yet she realized how close, how so very close, she'd been to losing him. She couldn't bear the thought, but he had survived. And she knew he would survive.

We will survive.

{-}

As Savannah arrived home, she hesitated by the door. Terror filled her as she thought of what she would say, and what her family would say. After holding a gun on her own brother, she knew she couldn't redeem herself. Her hand rested on the doorknob, her heart beating rapidly. All she had to do was turn it, and yet that was the hardest thing she could think of doing.

Sucking in a breath, she closed her hand tighter around the doorknob. Her mind flipped between turning the knob and just running away.

After a few seconds, the decision was made for her. The door swung open with her brother on the other side.

"You," Jesse sneered.

"Yes," she said softly. "It's me."

Savannah looked at Jesse's expression, then looked to her pa. The same anger was on his face, and it scared her.

"Care to explain?" her father asked.

"I do," she croaked.

"Explaining won't do no good," Jesse snapped. "You betrayed us. You went against your own kin. You don't belong here."

Savannah gasped. He had meant the words to hurt, and they had. A tear threatened to fall. She looked desperately to her father. "Pa?" she squeaked.

"That'll be enough, Jesse," he huffed. "We must let her explain. We can give her that much."

Savannah let out a breath of relief.

"Now sit," her pa ordered.

Savannah nodded and sat. Jesse closed the door behind her and slammed down into a chair. He only glared at Savannah.

"Thank you, Pa," she said.

"Well, get on with it!"

Savannah swallowed. "Yes, sir." She looked up at Jesse. "Now I don't want any interruptions."

"I've already heard enough," Jesse sneered. "You can't point a gun at me and then be raising your voice to me, sis. I won't have it. You either start talking or just keep quiet."

Savannah swallowed hard, tears springing to her eyes. She ignored his comment. "I met Cole three days ago. I was sitting there, just looking at the horses, and then he was there. I was scared, Pa, I really was. After you'd said all those horrid things about the Tyders, I was sure he was a bad person. But he's not. You were so wrong about them - all of them. The moment the first words left his mouth...I felt different. I felt like everything was going to change. I felt that my whole life was just starting to begin. I-I know how crazy that sounds, but it's how I felt." She paused, feeling the swell of love. "In just three days, I've felt like I've known him all my life. I read Romeo and Juliet to him, and I saw the way he looked at me after reading. I know the way I felt after reading. Seeing him unable to say anything, hearing his understanding and words of courage...I knew he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It was fast, it was crazy, but it was also beautiful. Then when I heard Jesse shot him, well, it felt like I'd lost my whole life. And today when Jesse came...I was sure he was going to kill Cole. I was afraid of losing him because...I...I love him, Pa."