Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Roman.
“Hey,” I answered quickly, stepping away from the PDA show unfolding before me. “Please tell me you’ve got something.”
“I handled Emily’s father,” Roman’s voice came through, steady and composed. “He won’t be a problem anymore.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Wait-what do you mean handled? Like legally or…?”
“He won’t bother her again. That’s what matters,” he replied, his tone leaving no room for further questions. “The rest… we’ll talk when you get back. It’s not a phone conversation.”
“Did you find anything? Any skeletons?” I pressed, anxiety creeping into my voice.
There was a pause on his end, a long one that stretched out like an eternity.
Finally, Roman responded, his voice clipped. “Let’s just say some closets should never be opened. I’ll be at the house when you get in. Lizzie will stay with Alyssa until Emily’s discharged in the morning.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “I’m on my way.”
The line went dead, and as I turned to rejoin Dean and Chloe, I suddenly collided with someone-bam! I smacked straight into a solid chest.
“Sorry, I-” I stammered, looking up, only to have the words freeze in my throat.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted out, my heart racing as I recognized the familiar face.
Zane.
The name hung in the air like a whisper, a reminder of the past that I wished I could forget. Chloe’s ex, Zane, but there was something peculiar about how he introduced himself-Zane, with a silent G.
His hair was tousled, more chaotic than usual, as if he had run his fingers through it a hundred times in frustration or thought. The green t-shirt he wore clung to his athletic frame, a perfect fit that accentuated the contours of his muscles. His jeans hung low, relaxed, giving him that effortless cool vibe. The piercings in his brow and lip caught the myriad lights of the mall, shimmering like tiny stars against the backdrop of the bustling crowd.
That grin of his, the one that always felt like a challenge, was still plastered on his face. It was as if he knew something I didn’t, something he was perfectly content to keep hidden, while the world remained blissfully unaware.
Yeah… cocky.
I could feel the tumult in my mind, spiraling out of control. Was I really losing my grip on reality?
“Savannah,” he said, his voice smooth, as if he had been waiting for me to appear.
My heart raced, thudding against my ribcage. What on earth was he doing here?
“Zane?” I replied cautiously, trying to mask the tremor in my voice. “Shopping for stilettos now?”
A smirk played on his lips. “Nah. Just came to check out some… old habits.”
His gaze drifted toward the boutique, where Chloe was giggling with Dean, pointing animatedly at a teddy bear dressed in a police costume. My stomach plummeted. This was no coincidence; they were here together.
“You two came together?” I inquired, my voice barely above a whisper.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “She needed a ride. I happened to be in the area.”
Great. My vertigo always decided to strike at the worst possible moments. The ground beneath me felt like it was tilting, and I instinctively reached for something to steady myself.
Of course, Chloe wouldn’t remain absent for long-not with her ex showing up just like that. I suppressed a sigh, nodding in a way that suggested I was unfazed.
“Let me guess, you’re the getaway driver too?” he teased, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Unfortunately,” I muttered, my voice laced with sarcasm.
His eyes roamed over me, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. “See you around, Sav.”
When we finally exited the store, Dean was laden with shopping bags, half of the boutique seemingly in his grasp, while Chloe clung to his arm like a pampered cat, purring with delight.
“I’m starving,” she chimed, sliding into the backseat with an air of entitlement. “Let’s order sushi on the way home.”
“Why don’t we just order at home?” Dean suggested, sounding far too reasonable.
She pouted, her lower lip jutting out. “But I want it now, Dean.”
“Okay. Anything for you, baby.” He acquiesced without hesitation.
Dean didn’t even spare me a glance as he climbed in beside her, and just like that, they were entwined, limbs tangled together. Chloe rested her head against his chest, and his hand began to caress her thigh, a gesture so intimate it made my stomach churn.
Chloe tilted her face up, whispering something that sent a jolt of discomfort through me. Dean chuckled softly, brushing her hair back as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then they kissed-soft at first, then deep, then with an urgency that made my heart race for all the wrong reasons.
So hungry for each other, I could hear the soft sounds of their lips meeting, the wetness of their tongues entwining.
Chloe laughed, a sound that felt like a knife twisting in my chest. “Dean, stop. My sister’s here.”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white.
Get a grip, Savannah.
They were in the backseat, not in some romantic movie. This wasn’t a limo, nor was it a music video. I was mere moments away from slamming on the brakes, just to disrupt their rhythm.
But I held back.
I continued driving, the dutiful designated driver. The ex-girlfriend who was expected to be okay with everything. The sister who was supposed to smile and nod, uttering the words, “I’m happy for you two.”
Chloe’s moans were muffled by Dean’s mouth, his hand sliding beneath her blouse, squeezing in a way that made my heart ache. I stared straight ahead, clenching my teeth so tightly that my molars protested against the pressure.
Every laugh, every whispered endearment felt like a thousand needles piercing my skin.
They were in love, and I was left in the front seat, drowning in heartbreak.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.