Page 51 of Falls From Grace
“Savannah,” Brynn said urgently, “can I please talk to you outside?”
“No.” Savannah looked at her like she was a total stranger. “You can tell me what the hell is going on right now. Please.”
“Oh man,” Noah said, his face crumpling. “I fucked up. I’m sorry-” he looked horrified. This was his worst nightmare, and it was happening right there in front of everyone. “Savannah, it’s my fault. It was my idea. We’re not married at all, Brynn and I,” he hesitated as the singer shook her head in confusion, her blue eyes incredulous. “We’re not even together,” he continued, and Savannah’s mouth fell open. The bewildered look in her eyes as she turned her head to stare at her made Brynn feel sick.
“Why?” Savannah managed. “Why would you lie about something like that?” She was asking Brynn, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Noah jumped in nervously.
“It was my idea,” he said again. “Brynn’s my best friend. I wanted her to come with me - she was having a crappy time of it - and I just figured you wouldn’t question it if I said I wanted to bring my wife.”
Savannah blinked slowly.
“You lied so she could come with you? Why wouldn’t you have just told me you wanted to bring a friend?”
“I don’t know, it seems stupid now,” admitted Noah. “I’m so sorry. You just… we didn’t know you, you were like this random celebrity, we weren’t yet-”
“Friends,” Savannah said flatly. “I wasn’t your friend; I was just a rich, dumb celebrity that came with lots of perks, right?”
“No-” Noah and Brynn protested in unison, each of them burning with shame. The room was silent, the rest of the table hanging on every word, electrified. Savannah kept staring with that terrible look in her eyes.
“And then - stupid me - I thought we actually did become friends, but you just kept lying to me?”
“Brynn wanted to tell you,” Noah fell on his sword. “I stopped her. I didn’t want to fuck up the recording session, so I stopped her, I’m sorry.”
“Brynn is a goddamned adult,” Savannah snapped. She took a breath and visibly tried to settle herself, looking around at the large audience. “You know what? Sorry, everyone, please, go on without me,” she stood up. “I’m just not really in the mood and it’s been a long day. Excuse me.” She strode out from the room. Brynn shoved her way back from the table and raced after her.
Chapter Seventeen
“Savannah!” Brynn tried to slow her exit from the house, but Savannah didn’t even pause. Brynn caught the door on the backswing as Savannah flung it wide open and kept striding out into the dark. “I’m not going to leave you alone until you let me explain,” she warned her, following as Savannah stormed across the dimly lit courtyard.
“Oh, you’re going to explain?” Savannah whirled around and stared at her. “Please, explain it to me, Brynn. Tell me how you lied to me, made me think that you were completely unavailable and yet you flirted with me every single day. Explain it to me, Brynn! Make it make sense.”
“I’m sorry.” Brynn knew better than to reach for her. She stood as close as she dared, hating herself for the look on Savannah’s face. “I should have done everything differently from the very beginning. I didn’t know that I was going to…” she sucked in a breath and threw herself over the cliff edge she’d been teetering on, “…fall in love with you.” Her voice cracked.
Savannah looked like she’d been slapped.
“You… lied to me.” Her voice was small. “You lied to me and for no good reason. I trusted you with my child.” Brynn’s chest felt like it was about to cave in. “You made me think I could never have you, that I was standing on the outside looking in, never able to have the person I desperately wanted because she was already taken. Maybe that doesn’t mean anything to you, but I have been alone for a long time, and I have suffered, Brynn.”
Tears were coursing down her cheeks. She looked small. Brynn broke at the sight and reached out for her, but Savannah dodged her hands.
“And then, last night… for you, I betrayed myself, my morals. For you, I proved that I’m no better than Cole.” She threw up her hands, before hugging herself tightly as if trying to physically keep herself from falling apart, her eyes aching. “When I could have just been… kissing you. Without compromising myself. All of that, for what? That’s not love, Brynn, that’s just fucking with my head.”
“Savannah.” She felt sick. Her hands started shaking. “All of that, it’s true. I’ve behaved like the biggest asshole on the planet. I have fucked this up, so spectacularly and I am so desperately sorry. But it was just that one stupid lie. Everything else between us was the truth. You have to understand that,” she begged. “I have never felt this way about anyone… it blindsided me. And if I’d honestly been able to believe that maybe you felt for me what I felt for you I would have told you everything, in a heartbeat.”
“Is that the real problem here, Brynn?” Savannah’s voice was low. “That you don’t believe you’re lovable? Because if you wanted to know, all you had to do was look at me. I am a mess for you and you refused to see the blindingly obvious.”
They both fell silent. Brynn had no comeback for the truth. Finally, she raised her eyes.
“I regret every bit of pain I’ve caused you, more than I can stand,” her voice broke. “But Savannah, hear me when I say that I will do anything, whatever it takes, however long it takes, to show you that you can trust me.”
“I was married to an addict!” Savannah all but shouted at her. Her cheeks were wet with tears. “To a serial cheater, okay, Brynn? I have been lied to by the person who was supposed to love me, more times than I’ve taken breath.”
“And I am not Cole!” Brynn’s voice was vehement. “I mean it, Savannah. Whatever you need from me to make this right, I will do it.”
“I want you to leave,” Savannah’s voice was low and unbearably sad. “I want you to go, tonight, and I don’t ever want to see you again.”
“Savannah, please-”
“You asked me what I need and I’m telling you.”
