Page 103 of Heartbreaker
John had…
If he’d already asked for my parents’ blessing, how close was he to asking me? Yes, we’d talked about it. A lot. But I didn’t think…
“You didn’t just ‘grow apart,’ did you?” She asks.
I close my eyes, raking my bottom lip between my teeth as I try to hold back the emotions swirling in my chest. “No,” I say, tearfully.
“What really happened,mija?” My mother pushes the hair back from my face and wipes away a tear that escapes the corner of my eye.
I sigh and open my eyes to meet her concerned stare. “John…only dated me because of a bet.”
“¿Qué?”What?
“It’s a long story, Mamá, but a group of the guys were saying some gross things, and—”
“About you?”
I nod. “He stepped in. And by doing so, they dared him to sleep with me before a certain day.”
“And he did this?”
“Not technically. We didn’t sleep together until after that. John says the only reason he agreed to it was to protect me.”
“Do you believe him?” she asks, calmer than I expected her to be.
“I want to,” I say, looking away from her. “But—”
“Savannah, I wish you had come to me about this sooner, so I could have been there for you. So you weren’t alone.” She pats my hand before giving it a gentle squeeze. “You had every right to be upset, but my love, I think it’s time that you let it go. That man loves you. He’s always loved you, far longer than you two had ever been together. I knew it from the first time I laid eyes on the two of you.”
“The John I know—”
“The John youknowwould have done anything,anything, to protect you.”
“But agreeing to a bet—”
“Why did he agree to it?” Mamá asks. The tone in her voice tells me that I’m not going to win this. I can’t because I know where it’s going, and I know she’s right. “Exactamente,” she says when I don’t answer.Exactly.
“But his mom hates—”
“Has her own healing to do. Her issue was never with you, Savannah.” She cradles my cheek in her hand. “Mija, it’s okay to want this. It’s okay to want him. To admit that you were hurt and upset, and you made a decision based on those feelings. It’s okay to admit you made a mistake; you both have made some mistakes. The past two years that you’ve been home, we could all see you weren’t happy. The light inside of you dimmed, and it wasn’t until you came back here that I saw it return…When you walked on that stage three weeks ago, it was there, brighter than ever. This is what you love,corazón. Not coaching. Not the ranch. This. And him.”
The warmth of tears burns my eyes. I look away, trying to regain my composure.
She gently grips my chin and pulls me back, wiping away the moisture collected in the corner of my eyes. “Even if you choose not to pursue a reconnection with John, I think you need to stay here…with EWE. Sign the contract, SJ. Do you what you love. What you’re meant to do.”
After a moment, my mother sighs before she leans forward to kiss my forehead and whisper that she loves me. Just before she walks through the door, she looks over her shoulder and, with a brow raised, she orders me to get some sleep.
“You look hot,” my sister-in-law says when I step out of the bathroom. I roll my eyes but can’t fight my own smile. She said the same thing on her wedding day when I walked out in her chosen bridesmaid dress, except I hated that dress. It was a one-shouldered tie-neck in a burnt orange color, and while it made her happy, the rest of the bridal party couldn’t stand it. This dress, though, was handpicked by my former stylist specifically for tonight.
The moment he pulled it off the rack, I knew it was the one. It was the only dress hidden within a garment bag, and as he unzipped it, he said, “I was saving the best for last.” The vibrant red, floor-length chiffon gown with a sheer overlay was the perfect mixture of classy, romantic, sexy, and red-carpet chic.
“And if Brooks doesn’t think so, then he’s blind,” Amara says with a twinkle in her eye, handing me the earrings my stylist paired with the ensemble.
“Amara!”
“Am I wrong?” Her brows raise in question.
I’m not getting into this discussion when I’m about to spend the better part of my evening with the man in question. It’s Legends Night, and while we don’t have to spend all night together, Amos expects at least a few photos and a little bit of combined face time. The press and fans have been eating up this story, and the owner of this company has no issue giving them exactly what they want.
