Page 32 of Where We Met

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

I hate her being mad at me, even if I was just trying to protect us. She could get in trouble too, and I would hate for this to ruin what she's worked so hard for.

Instead of responding, she just looks at me in a way that reveals her disappointment. Damn, did she learn that from Pa? She's good at it.

Once the plates are out, they pick up their things and start to walk back the way they came in. I watch the guy put his hand on her lower back, and that’s all it takes. I'm up and out of my seat in an instant, excusing myself to use the restroom.

As they approach the side of the house, I see his hand reach for her again, and instinct takes over. "Princess," I shout.

She stops abruptly and turns around. "Excuse me?" she answers.

"You know this guy?" her friend questions. He looks back at me with disdain as he sizes me up.

"Go ahead," she tells him. "I'll be right there."

He gives me a once-over from head to toe before turning around and walking away. Savannah faces me, arms crossed, as she waits for my next move.

"Who is he?" I ask as I close the distance between us.

Her eyes follow me, analyzing my every move as I stop right in front of her, hands in my pockets.

"What?" she asks.

"That guy." I point in his direction. "Something going on between you two?"

When in the world have I ever been the jealous type? Never. This feeling is new for me, and I can't say that I'm a fan.

"Who, Declan?" she asks. "Are you serious? No, nothing's going on between the two of us."

My hands remain rigid in my pockets. "He wants you."

"No, he doesn't. We're just friends."

"Yes, he does. It’s obvious."

Her arms fall to her sides as she rolls her eyes. "Whatever. If he does, I don't see how it would concern you,ProfessorLuke, seeing as you’ve ignored me all week. Not to mention dismissing me at your family’s table like I am nothing more than the help to you. Like I’m nobody of significance."

She starts to walk away, but I gently grab her arm and pull us behind a large maple tree. I press her against the trunk while my hands rest on two branches above her head, caging her in. It wasn’t my intention to get so close to her, but I can feel her breath on my lips.

"What are you doing, Luke?" she weakly asks.

"I'm sorry, Savannah."

She looks into my eyes, her face clouded with sadness.

"So, I'm not your princess anymore?"

My chin falls to my chest as my shoulders collapse. I grip the tree branches hard enough to feel them scratch my skin, but I welcome the pain. It's a brief distraction from the agony of knowing that I let her down.

"I'm just trying to protect both of us," I whisper. When I look up, I see the glistening of her eyes. "Princess…"

A bitter laugh escapes her, and then she shakes her head. "Don't do that. I love it when you call me that. Don't say it out of pity." A small tear slips down her cheek which she wipes away quickly, as if she's embarrassed. "Does that mean I'm up for grabs tonight? If Declan makes a move, I shouldn't stop him?" she suggests.

She's testing my strength, trying to see if I could really give her up that easily. As much as I want to be that man, the one to snap and tell her she's mine… I can't.

Chapter Eleven

Savannah

---