enough money to live in a better neighborhood. One that didn’t require her to have her pepper spray at the ready when she came home after dark.
That was for the future, she thought with a sigh, and trudged up the steps.
Chapter 13
The following morning, after a sleepless night, Savannah sat on the bench for a long time, not really seeing anything. Just staring straight ahead. He hadn’t come. She’d been so sure that Gaelen was different but, in the end, when it was really important to her, he hadn’t shown up.
Sighing, she shifted on the bench, sorting through the events of the past few weeks. They’d spent so much time together, making love, laughing, sharing thoughts, and enjoying meals together.
And now…she’d graduated. Her new boss had called last night to congratulate her, reiterating that they were excited for her to start work on Monday morning.
That was good, she thought. Wonderful, even. She needed to focus on her career and not on Gaelen.
At least one part of her life was going well, she thought. If she’d had silly dreams of Gaelen falling in love with her and the two of them spending the rest of their lives together, having babies and growing old in each other’s arms…okay, those were just silly fantasies.
Her job wasn’t to dream. Her job was to work. She was good at working. After years of holding down two or three jobs, work was what she did best. And now, she’d have a career, not just a job.
Standing up, she looked around, startled to notice how dark it had become. When had that happened? As she walked towards the subway, Savannah realized that her legs were stiff and her bottom hurt. Had she really been sitting on that bench for…looking down at her watch, she realized that six hours had passed since she’d come out here.
“Good grief,” she muttered and picked up her pace. It wasn’t safe to be out here after dark, alone and without her pepper spray. Not to mention, it was stupid to be so completely unaware of one’s surroundings.
Looking around, she noticed the black SUV sitting on the corner. Sure enough, as soon as she walked down the sidewalk towards the subway station, the SUV followed her.
She pushed her hair back, startled when her hand came away wet. “What in the…?”
She wiped her cheek again and realized that she’d been crying.
She picked up her pace. “I don’t cry!” she muttered. “Not over a man who doesn’t want me.”
She walked down the filthy steps of the subway entrance, flipped her card against the reader and walked through the gates. Standing on the platform, she looked around, thinking that her subway should arrive in about… she wasn’t really sure. So instead, she sat down on one of the benches and…cried. “Stop it” she muttered, wiping the tears away. “Just stop it!”
“Are you okay, honey?” an older woman asked, stopping to look at Savannah curiously.
Savannah smiled, nodding her head. “I’m fine.”
The woman didn’t look convinced. “You don’t look fine.”
Savannah chuckled damply, wiping away more tears. “Man troubles.”
The woman nodded with understanding. “I figured. Bastards. All of them!” She shifted her purse on her shoulder. “You’re better off without em, honey!” With that piece of advice, she walked away, stepping onto the subway.
“Huh,” she muttered. “That’s my train.” But she didn’t have the energy to get up. Especially when the doors closed and the train sped off. That’s the good thing about the New York Subway system. Another train was always on the way.
A half hour later, she stepped out of the subway system near her apartment building. She snorted when she spotted the black SUV waiting. One of the guards was coming out of the building, looking concerned, and Savannah felt a spurt of satisfaction. They were worried because she hadn’t arrived home on time. Good! Let them worry!
Instead of going in the front entrance of the building as she normally would, Savannah moved to the side door, slipping in and heading up to her apartment. She was done with Gaelen, so he could just pull his guards back. She wasn’t his concern anymore.
Closing her apartment door, she leaned back against it. For a long moment, she simply closed her eyes and breathed in and out, trying to control the pain that threatened to swamp her.
Letting her bags drop to the floor, she opened the fridge, but nothing inside appealed to her. She slammed it shut and stripped off her clothes, letting them fall to the floor