Stay With Me (2 page)

Chuckles erupted around the church. With a quick glance to my parents, I felt my heart warm as I looked at how happy they were. It was a far cry from the first time I told them I loved a girl who wasn’t Greek.

The music started and everyone stood.

The moment I saw her, my breath stilled.

Beautiful couldn’t describe her.

Savannah glanced around at a few people before looking up at me. Our eyes met and we both smiled. My heart hammered in my chest while she made her way to me. There was something missing, though. The spark in her eyes was gone. For a moment, I swore I saw doubt.

Shaking my head slowly to erase my erratic thoughts, I watched as she made her way down the aisle. Savannah sobbed and pressed her lips together as tears began streaming down her face.

Halfway down the aisle, Savannah’s smile vanished. She stopped walking and clutched her chest.
Something is wrong.
Looking at her father and then me, she dropped her bouquet and called out, “Thano,” before she collapsed to the ground.

I stood there for a brief moment in total shock before I ran over to her. I fell to the floor and pulled her into my arms. “Savannah! Baby, what’s wrong?”

Tears ran down Savannah’s face while she struggled to speak. “I really do . . . love . . . you.”

“Baby, no. No, don’t do this to me!” Looking up, I glanced around at everyone as I screamed out, “Somebody help her!”‘

My father, who was a doctor, rushed to my side. “She’s having a heart attack.”

My eyes widened as I fell back and watched my father. Someone yelled out, “Call 9-1-1!”

Savannah’s eyes were closed as my father began CPR. My mother wrapped her arms around me as she quietly began praying.

Wiping my tears away, I took Savannah’s hand and pleaded with her, “Baby, please don’t leave me!”

My pleas went unheard.

FOUR YEARS LATER

T
HE MUSIC PULSED
through my body as I watched Nicholaus try his best to put the moves on some blonde he had been talking to for the last twenty minutes. It was almost painful to watch him crash and burn.

Letting out a sigh, I glanced around for Gus and Thad. If I knew Gus, he was in the parking lot screwing some girl—and Thad—Lord only knew what he was up to.

I motioned for the bartender. “I’ll take another bourbon, neat.”

Acknowledging my request, he quickly got my drink and set it in front of me. Sliding him a twenty, I said, “Keep the change.”

Tapping the bar, he smiled and said, “Thanks, dude.” Turning to the person who sat next to me, he asked, “What will it be, pretty lady?”

The air around me changed as I glanced to my right. A girl with brown wavy hair sat and said, “Jameson on the rocks.”

I lifted my drink to my lips and smiled. Taking a sip, I said, “A woman who knows how to drink.”

Feeling her eyes on me, I turned to look at her. What happened next was totally unexpected. My breath hitched as the most beautiful green eyes looked into mine. The first time in four years a woman had any sort of effect on me and it had to be in a fucking bar.

“Yeah, well, my daddy taught me two things. How to shoot a gun and how to order a drink.”

Lifting my eyebrows, I slowly nodded my head. “Remind me not to piss you off after you have a few of those.”

She gave me a polite chuckle and said, “You’re safe. Now my so-called best friend, not so much.”

Okay, I’ll bite.

“Why, what did she do?”

The girl took her drink and damn near drank the whole thing in one gulp. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she shook her head and turned her body toward me. “Listen, you’re cute . . . really cute . . . but I’m not interested in getting picked up by some overly-gorgeous guy who is out for a one-night stand. So you’re wasting your time with me.”

Oh, I’m so very intrigued now.

“Which one is it?” I asked as I gave this girl my best smile. The one where both dimples pop out and my green eyes light up. At least, that’s what I’ve been told anyway. I was certainly blessed with my Greek heritage and I knew when to use it.

Dropping her shoulders, she looked at me. Her eyes moved to my dimples, then on to my lips, and finally they settled on my eyes. “Excuse me?” she asked just above a whisper.

“You said I was really cute, and then you said I was overly gorgeous. I’m curious which one I am. Cute? Or gorgeous?”

Her mouth dropped open as she let out a gruff laugh. “Seriously?”

I finished off my drink and set it down. “Yeah. Seriously. And by the way, I’m not trying to pick you up. You’re not my type.”

Narrowing her eyes at me, she smiled slightly. Slipping off the bar stool, she grabbed her drink and finished it off. Her green eyes pinned me to where I couldn’t move even if I wanted to. “Gorgeous.”

I gave her a quick nod of my head as I smiled bigger. Tilting her head, she said, “But your eyes are sad.”

My smile faded as we stood there staring at each other. Looking away, she quickly said, “Enjoy your evening.”

I stood there frozen in place as I watched her make her way through the crowd. Stopping at a couple on the dance floor, who I assumed was the best friend, she said something and then made her way out of the bar.

Turning back toward the bar, I stared at my empty drink. Pulling out my phone, I sent Gus and Nicholaus a text.

Me: Catching a cab. Don’t stay out late, Gus. Cooking class 9am.

Making my way toward the entrance to the bar, I was stopped three times by women looking either for a dance or to share a drink. Politely turning them each down, I pushed the door open and stepped outside into the cool fall air.

I let out a sigh of relief as I dropped my head back and took in a few deep breaths. Something about the air here in Colorado felt so clean. I moved to Houston, Texas for a year after Savannah had passed away. I needed to be away from anything that reminded me of her. Gus had a friend who needed some help on an oil rig. Needless to say, my parents weren’t too happy when I said I was leaving my job as a marketing manager and heading to Texas. I hated every single minute of it and couldn’t wait to get back to Colorado Springs. The mountains, the fresh air, the snow-covered slopes. The only thing good about that year was that I was busy working. If I was busy, I didn’t think about Savannah.

The day I realized I couldn’t keep ignoring the fact that she was gone, was the day I packed up my stuff and headed home. Life moved on everyone kept telling me. The problem was I didn’t want to move on without her.

A honking horn pulled me out of my thoughts as I waved down a cab. Jumping in, I said, “Eleven-eleven Summit Road.”

“Manitou Springs?” the cab driver asked.

“Yeah,” I said as I dropped my head back against the seat. The moment I closed my eyes, green eyes invaded my thoughts. Snapping my eyes open, I shook my head and whispered, “What the fuck?” Sighing, I dragged my hands down my face. For the first time in four years, another woman besides Savannah occupied my thoughts, and I wasn’t sure how I should be feeling.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. Taking it out, I saw Gus’s name scroll across the screen. Swiping across my phone, I read his text.

Gus: Tell me you’ve got a girl with you. Please tell me you’re gonna get fucked tonight. You need to get laid!

Rolling my eyes, I pushed my phone back into my pocket. I’d been with a few women since Savannah passed away. Most of them had been one-night stands. I had tried to date two of them more than one time. I couldn’t get past the fact that they weren’t Savannah. No one would ever be Savannah.

No. One.

G
US PULLED UP
and parked next to me as I leaned against my door. Grinning from ear to ear, I took a sip of my coffee as I pushed off my car and made my way over to him.

The door to his Toyota Tundra flew open as he stumbled out. “Who in the fuck decided we needed to cook at nine in the damn morning?”

Giving him a slap on the back, I said, “You did.”

With a dramatic sigh, Gus rubbed his hands down his scruff-covered face. “Fucking hell. I never imagined when I went to college to get my degree in marketing I’d be going to a damn cooking class.”

I let out a chuckle. “What better place to get into the heads of women who buy pots and pans than a cooking class. Isn’t that what you said?”