Always You

SAVANNAH

I’m stuck in the office all day.

My mind keeps drifting back to the passionate encounter Elijah and I shared this morning.

The memory of how he made me feel, the way he took control, his touch, it’s all still fresh. I’m still reeling, even after he’s gone.

I need to get a grip.

I push away from the desk and make my way into the store.

Molly is busy with a customer, and I take a moment to survey the scene. Saturdays are always a toss-up.

I catch Molly’s eye and give her a smile. She nods back at me, her hands busy at the cash register.

I retreat back to the kitchen, pulling out a can of soup. I don’t usually eat down here, but I need a break from the office, from the memories of Elijah.

I dump the soup into a bowl and pop it in the microwave.

Footsteps echo behind me. “Hey,” Molly greets.

I glance over my shoulder, returning her smile. “Hey, how are you holding up?” I ask.

She gives a noncommittal shrug. “I’m getting by,” she says, hoisting her bag onto the table.

“I thought you had lunch,” she comments.

I shake my head. “No, I was stuck in the office. I had to finish up some filing and organize the boxes for storage next week,” I explain.

“Oh, okay,” she says. “Funny, I thought I saw Elijah in the hallway earlier.”

I close my eyes, trying to keep my voice steady. I can’t let her know.

I shake my head. “You must be mistaken. I don’t know…” I trail off, turning to face her.

Molly is grinning like a Cheshire cat. “I knew it, I could smell his cologne,” she says. “That man is too attractive for his own good.”

I stare at her, shocked.

Molly stands up. “Elijah and Ruby were never a thing,” she says. “I could tell he was into you.”

“You’ve never seen him with me,” I protest. But my silence confirms her suspicions.

“I know, but I can tell by the way you’re acting now,” she says, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

“I heard that Elijah and Ruby broke up last night. My sister was at the gym when he told Alex, and she told her friend.”

I stare at her, speechless.

“Sav, I know you didn’t cheat on anyone,” she says. “I want you to be happy. You’ve been through a lot.”

Molly removes her hand and sighs. “I think working today has helped me. I don’t want anything to do with my so-called friend or that guy anymore. I deserve better.”

I can see she’s doing okay, getting back to her usual cheerful self.

I smile.

“I’m glad to hear that,” I say. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Molly grins at me. “I’ll see you Tuesday. I’m covering for Claudia,” she says.

She waves as she walks away.

I smile back.

The microwave beeps. I turn around and retrieve my soup.

I settle down at the table to eat.

I glance at the clock.

I’m just starting to eat when my phone lights up: two new messages.

One from Meg, complaining about a hangover and a day spent watching movies.

I can’t help but smirk.

Meg has never been able to handle her alcohol, even back in high school. She must have had more after we left the bar last night.

The other message is from Elijah.

A thrill runs through me at the thought of him thinking about me.

I check the time again, it’s about 4:30 p.m.

I finish my soup quickly, wash the bowl, and leave it to dry.

I head back to the hallway and up the stairs to the flat.

Once inside, I freshen up and change into a navy dress and flats.

I check my reflection to make sure I look okay.

I let out a sigh once I feel ready to go.

I glance at the clock and realize I'm running late.

I head for the door, making sure to grab my bag and coat on my way out.

I lock the door behind me and make my way down the stairs, heading straight for the back exit.

My destination is the gym, my mind filled with thoughts of seeing Elijah again.

But as I round the corner, I freeze in my tracks.

Why would he be there? I wonder, leaning against the wall for support.

I can’t face going in there—not with Danny present.

A wave of nausea washes over me.

I close my eyes. I long to see Elijah, but I can’t risk being seen by Danny. Not with Elijah, especially after he just broke up with Ruby last night.

I pause for a moment to collect my thoughts, but I know I've already made my decision.

I turn back and head towards the store.

I stop just before the entrance, unable to go back in there—not after everything that happened last night.

I glance at the café next door, a smile spreading across my face.

The café is owned by my next-door neighbor, a wonderful woman who took me in when I had no one else.

I cross over to the café and push open the door. The scent of homemade cherry pie fills the air, making my stomach rumble in anticipation.

My mouth waters as I spot a half-eaten blueberry cream cake on a customer’s plate.

“There’s my girl,” comes the familiar voice I adore.

I turn towards Doris and flash her a big smile.

“I thought I’d drop in for some pie,” I tell her. “Everything smells amazing in here.”

Doris grins at me. “Grab your usual spot, and I’ll bring us some pie,” she says, turning to head back behind the counter.

I make my way to the booth where Doris and I usually sit when I visit.

Doris took me in when my mom abandoned me at seventeen. My mom was a drug addict, but she was good at hiding it from the world.

She always managed to keep her addiction a secret. I never let my friends know what was happening at home.

I often stayed with Meg, or Doris would take me in, especially after a fight with my mom. We fought a lot, and it often escalated to physical violence.

My mother chose her boyfriend, her drug-dealing boyfriend, over her own daughter.

I wasn’t shocked when I woke up one day to find all the money gone, along with them.

I managed on my own for a week, but Doris figured out what was happening. She made me pack a bag and move in with her. She called social services and explained everything.

I think social services were surprised that a woman in her fifties would take in a teenager. But Doris was amazing and even helped me start my own business.

I owe her so much, and I shudder to think where I would be without her.

“You look lost in thought,” Doris says, approaching with two plates.

As she sets them down in front of me, my mouth waters at the sight of the pie.

I gaze at the plates as Doris takes a seat across from me. “Let’s eat, but afterwards, I want to know why I saw Elijah leaving your apartment this morning,” she says.

I blush at her words, and she smirks at me. “I’m happy for you, and it’s about time you two got together.

“Judging by the mark on your neck, you had quite the night. I want to hear all about it,” she says, her eyes twinkling.

I laugh nervously. “You really don’t want to know,” I say, taking a bite of pie.

“Well, I’m sixty and not getting any action like I used to, so I have to live vicariously through you,” she says with a mischievous grin.

I nearly choke on my pie at her words.

Oh god, this is really happening.