Rising from the Ashes (7 page)

For some insane reason, I’d decided I was going to start running that morning. The only thing I had working for me in my attempt at a three-mile jog was the fact that it was November. In Texas, that meant it was a comfortable sixty-five degrees outside with only eighty percent humidity as opposed to the standard thousand percent.

About a mile in, I decided I was a complete idiot, but I had the type of personality that wouldn’t allow me to quit something once I’d started, so I finished the three miles. I’d walked a lot, but I’d finished, damn it! It was nothing short than a miracle that I was able to shower and get myself ready for work later that morning.

And for that reason, I was currently sitting in my office at work with my head on my desk, feeling like I was going to die. Maybe Emmy had been right. Maybe I
was
allergic to exercise.

“Everything okay in here?” I heard from behind me.

I didn’t even have the energy to lift my head. I just turned it to the side and looked up at Ben standing in the doorway.

“You okay, Savannah?” he asked, concern evident in his voice.

“I think I’m dying,” I responded in a weak voice.

At my pathetic declaration, Ben’s concerned expression morphed into a smile, and he started to laugh. “What did you do?”

I slowly pushed myself off my desk and slumped back into my chair. “I went for a three-mile run slash walk, and now, God is punishing me.”

He stared at me like I’d grown a second head. “All this for three miles? You’re kind of a drama queen, aren’t you?” he asked with a cheeky grin.

“Screw you, asshole! Get out of my office.”

Ben threw his head back and let out a full belly laugh. “Oh, come on, Savannah. It was just a short little jog. I could do three miles half asleep.”

I threw my staple remover at Ben’s head, only missing by
thiiiis
much. “First of all,” I replied defensively, “it wasn’t a
short little jog
.” I shot him a death glare, hoping to melt the skin off his face. “And secondly, I’m allergic to exercise. Just ask Emmy. She’ll vouch for me!”

He just stood there, still chuckling.

“You think it’s funny now, but when I keel over, it’s on you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I think I should at least get the rest of the day off.”

“For what? Being active?”

“Mental distress due to unnecessary physical activity,” I responded.

“How about I spring for lunch? You think you can live till then?” Ben asked me.

I stared up at the ceiling, giving that some serious thought. On one hand, my limbs felt like Jell-O, and I was pretty certain I’d look like a drunk Gumby if I attempted to walk, but on the other hand, I never passed up a free meal.

“You’ve got a deal.”

Ben and I shook hands. Then, he left my office, and I went back to my paperweight routine.

“So, is this place any good?” Ben asked as we walked into Virgie May’s.

I’d been working hard at avoiding Charlotte, but with Ben next to me, I was able to stand a little taller and not worry about a potential run-in with the one chick I couldn’t stand. Plus, I was really in the mood for a piece of chocolate pie.

I thought making friends with Ben was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. There was just something about him that made me instantly comfortable. After our little misunderstanding, we’d comfortably fallen into the friend-zone with no issues. I felt a sense of calm around Ben that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I loved all of my friends equally, but maybe the fact that Ben was just mine and I didn’t have to share his friendship with Jeremy was what made it so easy.

“It’s only the best food in all of Cloverleaf. See…” I declared, pointing to the hand-painted sign in the front window of the diner. “It says so right there.”

“Well then, it has to be true.”

We took our seats at a table off in the corner, and Ben started looking over his menu while I scanned the diner for Charlotte. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed she wasn’t working.

“So, what should I get?” Ben asked me, still scanning the menu.

“You can’t go wrong with the meatloaf, but the smothered pork chops are really good too.”

“All right, I think I’ll take your word and get the pork chops.”

“You won’t be disappointed, I promise.”

A few minutes later, Emmy came walking over to take our order. I could tell by the grin on her face that she’d instantly misinterpreted my lunch with Ben. I was probably going to be grilled about my relationship with him later, and that was the last thing I wanted.

“Well, hey there, you two. Don’t you look all cozy?”

I’m gonna punch her in the throat.

“Hey, Emmy,” Ben replied with a bright smile. “How are you today?”

“I’m fantastic,” she responded.

She turned to face me, and I could see her evil mind working.

“So…is this a date?”

Then, I’m gonna stab her with my fork.

“Wow. You’re as subtle as Liberace,” I deadpanned.

“When have you ever known me to be subtle? That would be like you claiming not to be a drama queen.”

Ben attempted to stifle a laugh behind his hand, but he failed miserably. Choosing to ignore him, I kept my glare on Emmy.

“Ben and I are just friends,
Emerson
.” I used her full name, hoping to get my point across that she was walking on thin ice.

No such luck.

“If you say so. But if it matters for anything, I think he’s fine as hell, girl.” With that, she sauntered off.

“You didn’t even take our order!” I hollered after her.

“You’re getting the meatloaf because that’s what you always get, and Ben is getting the pork chops because they’re awesome!” she yelled back as she made her way to the kitchen.

“She’s like a food ninja,” Ben said, totally in awe of Emmy’s gift at guessing people’s orders.

“Yep, being annoying clearly isn’t her only skill.”

“I didn’t find her all that annoying,” Ben said with a smile.

“That’s because she called you fine.”

He glanced over at me with a little grin. “Well, she’s obviously a very smart woman.”

Ben and I sat for a while longer, enjoying each other’s company and our delicious lunch. Of course, Ben loved the pork chops, and Emmy couldn’t help but come by to gloat a little.

Shortly after we finished eating, Ben excused himself and headed to the restroom. I’d just finished putting the rest of our lunches in a to-go container when the chair across from me squeaked loudly against the tile floor. Looking up, I was surprised to see Jeremy sitting in Ben’s unoccupied seat.

“So, you two dating now?” were the first words out of his mouth.

No hello or how’s your day going? Nothing like that.

It didn’t take a genius to realize this conversation was going to go downhill fast.

I rolled my eyes and leaned in to prevent the other diners from eavesdropping. “No, we aren’t dating, not that it’s any of your business. We’re just two friends who had lunch together.”

I could see the muscle twitching in his jaw as his brows furrowed.

“That guy wants in your pants, Savannah.”

My anger was starting to slowly boil beneath the surface. If Jeremy pushed me any further, I was going to go off. “Again, Jeremy, that’s none of your business,” I snapped.

I started to stand, but he reached across the table and grabbed my wrist, keeping me in my seat.

“So, you
are
screwing him then.” It wasn’t a question.

I jerked my wrist out of his hold and leaned in close enough for only him to hear. “Despite what you might think of me, I don’t fuck every guy I’m seen in public with.”

“I didn’t—”

I raised my hand to cut off his protest. “When I said it was none of your business, I meant that you have no right demanding to know who I am or am not sleeping with because you have a
girlfriend,
Jeremy. The day you got into that relationship, you lost all right to worry about my sex life.”

“We’re still friends, Savannah. Or have you forgotten that?” he said between clenched teeth. It was obvious he was having a hard time keeping his anger in check.

Unfortunately for him, I didn’t have that kind of strength. “No, I’m not the one who’s forgotten we
were
friends.
You’re
the one who’s been AWOL for months.
You’re
the one who runs away the minute your girlfriend snaps her fingers. And
you’re
the one who hasn’t said more than a handful of words to me since you and Charlotte got together. I knew that things would be different when you started dating, but I didn’t expect you to act like we hardly know each other.”

“That’s not how I’ve been acting,” he insisted.

“Isn’t it? We might not have been a couple, but you still picked up the phone and called me every night just to see how my day was. When was the last time you called me?” I didn’t even give him a chance to answer. I just continued to pour out everything I’d been keeping locked inside me for so long. “Tell you what—you go about your business, and I’ll go about mine. I’m officially releasing you of any obligation you might feel you have toward me. I don’t need people in my life who are only there out of a sense of responsibility. I grew up with that, and I won’t tolerate it from anyone—least of all, you.”

I stood up just as Ben was walking back to the table.

“Everything okay here?” he asked as he eyed Jeremy speculatively.

“Everything’s fine,” I replied, grabbing Ben’s arm and pulling him away from the table. “We need to get back to work.”

“You sure?” He still hadn’t taken his eyes off Jeremy. They were in some sort of stupid macho-guy standoff.

“Positive. Let’s go.”

We started walking and were just about to the door when Jeremy spoke again. “We aren’t finished talking, Savannah. You said your piece, and you’re damn well gonna listen to mine.”

I glared at him over my shoulder and replied, “The hell I am! I don’t need to hear anything you’ve got to say, Jer. This conversation is
over
.”

I watched as the anger slowly crept out of his beautiful brown eyes, and a slow smile spread across his lips, showing his gorgeous dimpled smile.

God, I hate that stupid smile!

“That’s where you’re wrong…
sugar.
”

I let out an exasperated huff, and I could hear him laughing behind me as I finished pulling Ben out the door.

“You know, one of these days you’re going to have to tell me what the story is with you two.”

“Hmph, there’s no story to tell.”

I could hear Ben chuckling beside me, but I refused to look at him.

“For some reason, I highly doubt that,” he muttered under his breath.