Chapter Sixteen

Following their shower encounter, Savannah and Carson stood around the island eating pretzels and peanut butter. She was pleasantly surprised that he even considered this idea after she mentioned it days before. It was the ideal treat before she was thrown into a hectic afternoon of serving coffee. Four hours would be nothing, but she still did not want to leave.

Especially now that she would be working with Maeve. Normally, this would not be an issue, but Savannah did not want to deal with the energy from this morning. Part of her was also afraid of losing her cool, which could land her in trouble with the big bosses. Arguing with Maeve on the job would lead to disaster.

However, they were professional enough to not let their silent competition get in the way, right? Masking what was truly going on between them should be simple. Even though Savannah despised what was happening, Maeve was still like a friend. Their friendship had survived a lot worse.

Savannah could not help but be happy, even though the Maeve situation was annoying. Spending time with Carson always brought a smile to her face. The way they were able to reminisce about even the smallest details put her in a better mood. It was exactly what she needed during this dark period in her life.

"Anna, K? Or, Anna C?" She asked him as they discussed old flings, which surprised her. How come she was unaware of this?

Carson scoffed. "Are you kidding? Of course, Anna C," he stated casually.

Savannah laughed. "What was wrong with Anna K? She was cute," she defended.

"Yeah, but she walked funny." He reflected.

She rolled her eyes. "Carson, she had legitimate medical reasons for that," she insisted. "There's no way you're that shallow."

"Obviously I wouldn't care now but I was 15 back then," he defended himself. "It was all about appearances."

That was very true, but it did not make it right. She forgot how illogical teenagers could be. When it came to crushes and who was dating who in high school, everything was so different. If you were not short and petite, guys and girls would not give you a second thought. Savannah was fortunate not only in her small stature but also in her friendship with the Beasleys. That automatically drew more attention to her and Violet just by association.

Carson took another pretzel before he looked at her. "And don't you ever try to act all high and mighty," he started. "You wouldn't even glance at Chris."

Savannah's face scrunched up. "Crater face Chris? Oh no." She shook her head.

"Who's shallow now?" He teased.

"Fair enough but I wasn't making fun of someone's walk," she reminded him.

Carson laughed sarcastically. "Oh yeah because making fun of someone's uncontrollable acne is sooo much better."

Savannah threw a pretzel in his face, but she could not argue with him. Maybe she was a little shallow about Chris back then, but her reaction now would be very different. It was customary to maintain appearances even when your moral compass did not align. Savannah's attitude toward those around her reflected her being in Carson and Cole's shadow. After they left, she decided to take a different approach. She doubts anyone will remember her now that she has become so laid-back.

That did not change Carson's dissimilarity to her in terms of female interests. Anna C was stunning, with long blond hair and a statuesque physique. It reminded her of Maeve, but Maeve was a little bit shorter. If only she were a bit more conventionally attractive, Carson would be all over her. Not just when they have sex.

Regardless, their current situation was manageable. She got him in ways no one else could. It was not ideal, but it was better than what Maeve was getting. She did not want to base their relationship on that, but it was adequate to meet her needs. If she could spend the rest of the day with him, she would. However, work calls.

"Whatever, let's go," she said grabbing her keys.

Carson followed suit as they went outside to enjoy another beautiful day. The sky was bright, and the air was crisp. There was little wind, but Savannah was not bothered. She wore her shorts today to keep herself from feeling overheated. Fortunately, Sugar provided them with work uniforms for both summer and winter. Otherwise, she would have passed out by now.

Savannah had the bright idea to mention her plans for next weekend while they were walking. She had no idea that Cole had not told him, which made the situation awkward. It also did not make sense that he would not invite Carson. He expressed a desire to have fun with his friends. Carson was a part of that.

"I'm so excited to go on this boat next week," she smiled looking over around Carson.

He raised his brow in confusion. "Boat? What boat?" He asked her as if he were unaware of what was going on.

Savannah's smile faded as she realized he had no idea what she was talking about. "Cole didn't tell you?" She wondered. "I thought everybody was coming."

"Coming to what?" He continued to press for answers.

Savannah hesitated to answer his question. The last time he had a meltdown was because she was going to get some food with Wyatt. Who knows how he will react if he discovers she is spending the weekend on his boat with Cole and Violet? It wouldn't be good being that Cole failed to mention anything to him about it.

Savannah licked her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "Um, Cole asked me to accompany him to Wyatt's lake house next weekend." She explained carefully.

Carson froze in place when he heard her words. On the outside, he maintained a calm but stoic expression, unsure of how to handle the situation. However, his insides were filled with rage as he tried to figure out why Cole would do something like this. Why would he ask her, of all people, to join him in something involving Wyatt? He was not trying to hook her up with him, was he? If he was, it sure felt like a slap in the face to Carson. Cole was supposed to be his twin. What could have prompted him to make such an extreme request of her? The cherry on top was Cole's refusal to ask if he wanted to accompany them. That hurt more than the fact Savannah would be alone with Wyatt.

Carson, masking his pain, resumed walking, with Savannah trying to catch up behind him. "Oh, cool," he said flatly.

Savannah quickened her pace, astounded by his reaction. “That’s it? You’re not mad?” This should have been a good thing, but for some reason, she wanted him to become angry. Maybe show that he cared in some twisted way like before.

"What is there to be mad about?" He asked. “You’re grown, make your own decisions.” His voice was cold.

She knew he was concealing his true emotions. So she stepped in front of him, resting her hands on his biceps to keep him from moving. Looking up at his green irises, she could see him fuming quietly to himself. She wanted to slap herself for admiring his stoic expression. The fire in his eyes did something to her body that was difficult to explain. She knew she was attracted to him but to this point? Thinking that he’s hot even when angry. It should be illegal to have the surname Beasley. These boys were too stunning for her taste.

Still, this was supposed to be a serious moment. She did not want him to feel bad about not getting invited. If she had known not everyone was going, she would have stayed behind too. It would not be much of a trip without everyone to keep it interesting. However, it was too late for her to back out. Cole expected her to be there, so she was.

“Carson, I know when you’re lying to me,” she warned him. “I-I wouldn’t have agreed if I knew everyone wasn’t coming.”

Carson chuckled and rolled his eyes at his sweetest friend. “Don’t say that baby. You should go.” He was being genuine this time. “I’m more upset at Cole than you anyway.” He was very upset with Cole, but he was also annoyed with Savannah. He did not mention it, but it was there.

Savannah was hesitant to believe him because Carson was never open about his true feelings. "If you prefer, I can stay at home. It’s no big deal.” She would give anything to have more time with him.

He shook his head, placing one hand on the small of her back and opening the door with the other. As serious as Savannah was, Carson couldn’t let her do that. Despite his disappointment at not getting an invitation, he knew Cole would yell at him if Savannah stayed behind. No matter how much he wanted to convince her to stay with him, he had to do the right thing. He could not gate-keep her or be a cock block. Regardless of how appealing those options appeared.

Savannah moved her hand to his chest, a slight blush on her cheeks. She could not help but feel flustered whenever he touched her so intimately. Surprisingly, he has not picked up on her feelings for him since he returned. She was not very good at hiding them. She was willing to stop going to Wyatt's lake house just to be in his presence. That should have been enough of a clue, but she had forgotten Carson's ability to be dense.

“Savannah, go. Please.” He implored her. It was probably best that he kept his thoughts at bay.

She longingly looked into his eyes, attempting to read him. This time, she could not get a clear image. Why was he so willing to let her go this time? His behavior could not have improved so quickly, given that it had only been a day since he freaked out about her having lunch with Wyatt. He had genuine disdain for the guy. Savannah suspected she was not getting the whole story but did not bother to question it. She would rather enjoy the benefits of being in his embrace than get caught up in frivolous nonsense.

Unfortunately, her moment was cut short when she heard someone clear their throat. She almost forgot Carson had led them inside Sugar, where their friends stood with happy expressions. Well, Cole and Violet looked happy while Maeve was once again annoyed. If she could get Maeve's reaction every time, she would be all over Carson more frequently.

“What did I say, they’re lovebirds,” Cole teased once more.

Savannah rolled her eyes. "Ha-ha, very funny Cole," she said as she squeezed Carson's shirt before pulling herself away from him.

Carson noticed her squeeze and felt a strange tightness in his chest. She had never squeezed him so tightly and so close to his chest before. But because his beef with Cole was so serious, he chose to ignore it. "When did you plan to tell me about your secret lake house trip?" Carson immediately asked him.

Cole looked at Savannah, who apologized before clocking in. “Uhh…well it wasn’t my ideal,” he pushed the blame off himself. "I only invited Savannah because of Wyatt."

“It’s only two days. We can all do something the next weekend.” Violet attempted to make him feel better.

Carson squinted his eyes. "Yeah, right," he said, rolling his eyes. “I can’t believe I’m being left out.”

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t invited either,” Maeve said before smirking. "Hey, we can have fun together if you are willing." She smiled at him.

When Savannah heard that, she dropped a cup, startling everyone. She had completely forgotten about Maeve staying behind as well. She would be alone with Carson for two full days, up to who knows what. That would be her opportunity to swoop in and steal Carson right from under her nose. He would undoubtedly accept it because it was Carson. How could Savannah have missed that?

They all turned to look at Savannah, perplexed as to why she had dropped the mug in her hands. It was embarrassing, but just thinking about those two sent her emotions into overdrive. Was there still time to back out?

“You okay, Sav? Let me grab the broom,” Violet said, running to the back.

Savannah nodded, giving everyone a gentle smile. "Yeah, just silly ole me, I get clumsy sometimes." She brushed it off.

Cole, Maeve, and Carson did not seem to buy that. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Cole inquired again, studying her face.

She gave another nod. "Yep! Everything’s fine.”

But everything was far from fine.