Page 34 of Savage

Her eyes, once filled with warmth and adoration, now glistened with a mix of confusion and hurt as I told her, “I think it’s time for us to call it quits.”

“Where is this coming from?” She took a step back and studied me for a moment. “Is this because I went to the graduation party with Misty and Carol instead of coming here to hang with the guys?”

“No, it has nothing to do with the party or anything like that.”

From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was the one for me. She was a natural beauty with long, dirty blonde hair and light freckles dappled across the bridge of her nose and cheeks.

When she was younger, she was a bit of a tomboy, always opting for rough-and-tumble over tea parties and Barbies. Seemed like she was always climbing trees or playing some sport, getting her hands dirty and showing what she was made of, but as she grew older, things started to change.

She slowly started wearing makeup and clothes that complimented her figure, but that untamed tomboy was always there lurking beneath the surface, just waiting for a new adventure. It was what I liked most about her and what led me to ask her to my senior prom.

She agreed, and we spent the next two and half years glued at the hip.

We were into everything from spontaneous road trips to late-night dancing by the ocean. My days with her were a whirlwind of adrenaline, mischief, and teenage mayhem. In my eyes, Londyn and I were unstoppable, a force of nature, and nothing could stand in our way.

I loved her.

And she loved me.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her, but her father was right.

There was no way around it and trust me when I say I considered all the possibilities. I thought about the long-distance thing. U of O was only ten hours away. We could’ve seen each other on weekends and holidays. It would’ve been fine with me, but Londyn wouldn’t want us to be that far away from one another.

I could’ve just gone with her. And I would’ve, but again, she’d never ask me to give up my life with the club. So, I was left with one choice.

I had to end things.

It was the only way to make sure she didn’t pass on her big scholarship to the University of Oregon and give up her dream to get a degree in environmental law.

Londyn crossed her arms with a huff. “What the hell is this all about?”

“I don’t know how much clearer I can be. It’s over, Londyn.” The lines of worry creased her forehead, casting a shadow over her usually vibrant features. “We aren’t good together. It’s best to end things now before they get any worse.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Things between us are good... really good. They always have been.” My heart sank when the corners of her mouth started quivering. It’s what she did whenever she was trying to keep herself from crying. “I love you, Malcomb. I want to spend my life with you. You know that.”

“Sorry, but that’s not gonna happen.”

Disbelief etched her face as she screeched, “Why are you doing this?”

“We’ve run our course, babe. It’s time to cut our losses.”

“Cut our losses? Are you kidding me?” She shook her head, then froze. “Oh, God... This is all because of that stupid scholarship.”

“It’s got nothing to do with that.”

“Bullshit. It has everything to do with it,” she argued. “It means nothing to me, Malcomb. I don’t even want to go to school there, so you can stop with this nonsense.”

“I wish it was that simple.”

I ran my hand through my hair, signaling to Candace that it was time to put our plan into play. Taking my cue, she opened the back door and sauntered over to us. Candace was one of the younger hang arounds, and she played the part well. Even in the dead of winter, she’d wear short skirts and low-cut tops, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Londyn didn’t care for her.

She never did.

She hated the way Candace looked at me and made it clear that she wanted me to keep my distance—which is why I knew she’d be the perfect choice.

Londyn kept her eyes trained on Candace as she placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned in with a seductive grin. “Hey there, handsome. You ready to finish what we started?”

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