Page 79 of Ashes of the Past
“I’ll do that in the morning. I’ll get all of this to the lab, and then I’ll call you when I have the results.”
I nod, watching as she climbs into her truck and pulls away, kicking up dust as she heads toward the main road. I stand there for a second, looking around the ranch, when I realize a vehicle is coming down the driveway. It’s a car. A sleek black sedan that doesn’t belong here. My stomach knots as it rolls to a stop in the driveway. I stand there, trying to see if I can tell who it is.
Maybe the adjuster decided to come back out to ask more questions.
The driver’s door opens, and Savannah steps out.
I go stiff. My breath slows, my jaw tightens. For a moment, all I can do is stare.
Did I take too many pain meds today? Is she really standing here?
I close my eyes and open them again. There she is. The woman I used to love, the one who walked away without looking back, is standing here like she belongs.
I used to think she was flawless—blonde hair, bright eyes, the kind of beauty that made a man feel lucky just to stand next to her. Now, all I see is someone I don’t recognize. Someone I don’t want to recognize.
Before, I’d get so angry and hurt when she talked to me or I had to see her, but right now, I don’t feel anything.
That’s a lie. How did I ever think she was so beautiful when I can just see how ugly she is on the inside now? How did I miss that in the beginning?
She steps toward me, arms outstretched like she’s about to hug me, but I put my hand up, stopping her cold.
“Jack,” she breathes, a little taken aback by my reaction. “Aren’t you even gonna say hello?”
“What the hell are you doing here?” My voice is flat, emotionless.
She huffs, rolling her eyes. “It’s not exactly hard to find someone in this trashy little town. Not a lot of places forsomeone like you to go. And, of course, everyone knows who you are and directed me to this…” She opens her hand and gestures around, rolling her eyes as she does. “…ranch. God, I’ve never understood how you could stand to smell cow shit all day long. It’s atrocious.”
My jaw tightens. “You always were good at looking down on things you didn’t understand.”
Her lips press together, but she doesn’t deny it. Instead, she crosses her arms, shifting her weight like she’s settling in for an argument. “I came to talk to you.”
“I guess you made the trip out here for nothing. I wasn’t answering your phone calls, even blocked you, Savannah. That’s not me playing hard to get. Our divorce has been final for some time, and the alimony check total has been changed at the courthouse. If you came here looking for money, I ain’t got it.”
She harumphs and rolls her eyes again.
“I didn’t come here for money. You weren’t replying to me, and I…I need to talk to you. I flew all this way out here for you, Jack. The least you could do is listen.”
I don’t owe you shit.
I bite my tongue and clench my fists. I should walk away. I should turn around and go into the house and leave her out here without a second thought. She’ll follow me into the house, and I don’t want to bring her drama in to John and especially not around Olivia.
“Then talk.”
Something shifts in her expression—annoyance giving way to something softer. Her chin trembles slightly, her gaze flickering away before she meets mine again. “Jack… I made a mistake.”
Oh, this is rich. I always thought this day would come. I didn’t think the sound of those words would make me disgusted, though.
I stare at her, the words barely registering before I let out a breathless, disbelieving chuckle. “You made a mistake?”
She has a lot of damn nerve.
My entire body is hot with rage. I have so much that I want to say to her. I shake my head. There’s no point in telling her anything because it’ll fall on deaf ears. She also doesn’t get to change her mind now, not after we went through court and everything. She was relentless in that courtroom, making up lies about me and then trying to get as much alimony as she possibly could. I lost my house to her.
There’s no going back to that.
Her eyes shine, her voice trembling just enough to make it clear she wants me to believe her. “I shouldn’t have left you. I was stupid. I thought I wanted something else, something better, but—”
I let out another laugh, shaking my head. “Better?” I scoff. “Savannah, you left me like I was nothing. Didn’t even look back. You slept with my best friend. I can’t trust you, ever. Now you’re standing here telling me you made a mistake?” I take a step back, turning toward the house. “Too damn bad.”
