Breaking Hearts

The old wooden clock above the bar showed ten minutes past midnight when Savannah Lewis wiped down the counter for the final time. Tonight was different. For the past four years, this little college bar in Sunnyvale had been her second home. The cracked leather seats, the faded posters on the walls, and the familiar sound of laughter filling the room had become part of her everyday life. It wasn't fancy. It wasn't the kind of place people dreamed of staying forever. But it had given her something she needed. A chance. Between late-night shifts and early morning classes, Savannah had fought for every assignment, every exam, and every opportunity that brought her to this moment. Graduation day. By morning, she would be wearing a cap and gown, walking across the stage, and closing the chapter of her life she had spent years building. She should have been excited. And she was. But mixed with the excitement was something else. Fear, anticipation? She had no clue... The city was only a few miles away, filled with opportunities she had spent years dreaming about. A new job. A new apartment. A new beginning. The future was waiting for her. But before she stepped into it, she had one last shift to finish. "You're actually leaving us?" Lily teased as she carried a tray of empty glasses toward the kitchen. Savannah smiled. "I think it's time. I can't work here forever." "Don't say that. Who else is going to save me from the terrible customers?" Savannah laughed, shaking her head. "You could come with me, explore the city?" "Nah, I know that even though I'm graduating tomorrow, my life will always just be here. Anyway, I'm holding you to celebrating tomorrow night; we are on, right?" Before she could answer, the bell above the front door rang. Her smile slowly faded. She looked up. And there he was. Brian Lakewood. The man who never seemed to belong in Sunnyvale. "Ooh, Mr McHotty is here. You better see what he wants," Lilly winked and walked away to get a table their round of orders. Savannah brushed off Lily's remark and looked at the dark and broodingly handsome young man. He stepped inside wearing a dark jacket that probably cost more than everything behind the bar combined. His confident walk and calm expression always attracted attention, but Brian never seemed interested in anyone else. Only her. Savannah still couldn't understand why. The first time he walked through those doors, she had assumed he was lost. Someone like him belonged in expensive restaurants in the city, not in a small college bar surrounded by students. But he kept coming back. Always the same corner table. Always watching. Always leaving her with more questions than answers. "Your usual?" Savannah asked as he approached the counter. A small smile appeared on his face. "You remember." "It's hard not to. You come here often." "Maybe I have a reason." His words caught her off guard. Before she could respond, he leaned slightly closer and gently lifted a loose strand of hair that had fallen near her face. His fingers slowly twirled it once before he let it fall. Savannah froze. "What are you doing?" she asked softly. "Wondering why you always look like you're about to run away." She looked away, pretending his words didn't affect her. The truth was, she didn't know what to make of him. She didn't know what he wanted. She didn't know why someone like Brian Lakewood seemed interested in someone like her. Was she just some kind of temporary amusement? Was he the type of man who enjoyed the thrill of chasing someone before walking away when he got bored? The thought made something inside her tighten. A feeling she refused to acknowledge. She quickly focused on pouring his brandy into a glass with a single ice cube. Their eyes met. She immediately looked down and busied herself putting the bottle away. She could feel him watching her. Strangely, he hadn't moved toward his usual seat. That first night he spoke to her, she had felt the same strange pull. He had barely introduced himself. Just his name. Just his drink order. Nothing else. But his eyes had told her a completely different story. They felt like an invitation. Like there were secrets hidden behind them. Secrets he wasn't ready to share. Savannah looked up briefly as he lowered his head toward his drink. Why did he have to be so attractive? Her cheeks warmed when he suddenly looked up. Almost catching her staring. Almost. She quickly turned away. A few minutes later, the front door opened again. Ethan, one of her college friends who worked in the back rooms of the bar, stood near the entrance holding his car keys. "Savannah, ready?" She nodded and signaled that she was coming out in a bit. Lily stopped to speak to him and just then she caught him saying, " ... yeah, we can do that. I told Savannah that I'd give you a lift to campus tomorrow as well after I swing by her place. Or if you go to her place to get ready, it could save tine." She saw Lily nodding as she thought about his suggestion before she grabbed her bag and nodded toward Brian before walking away. She didn't know him well enough to say goodbye. After all, this was probably the last time she would ever see him. But as she moved toward the door, she noticed something change. Brian had gone completely still. The relaxed confidence he always carried disappeared. His expression hardened. His eyebrows tightened slightly, and although he said nothing, Savannah could feel something had shifted. She wondered what had caused it. Then she decided it wasn't her problem. "Thanks, Ethan," she said, stepping outside. But as she walked away, she felt it. Brian's eyes following her. She turned back, and sure enough, he was standing near the doorway, watching her leave. For a moment, the confident man she always saw disappeared. There was something else in his expression. Something almost like anger. Savannah looked away and continued toward Ethan's car, unaware that Brian had already made a decision. Watching Savannah leave with another man stirred something inside him that he couldn't ignore. Especially that man. He had spent weeks finding reasons to walk through that bar door. He had found something worth fighting for in those beautiful green eyes of hers. He didn't want to lose her to him! --- The quiet hum of Ethan's car filled the space between them as they drove through the nearly empty streets. Savannah rested her head against the window, watching the familiar buildings disappear behind them. The town always felt different at night. The streets that were usually filled with students and laughter became peaceful and almost forgotten. Tomorrow everything would change. She would no longer be a college student struggling between classes and late shifts. She would be a graduate trying to find her place in the world. "So," Ethan said, breaking the silence, "are you nervous?" Savannah looked over. "About graduation?" "About everything." She smiled faintly. Maybe Ethan knew her better than she realized. "A little," she admitted. "I spent so much time trying to get here, and now I don't know what happens next." Ethan nodded. "You'll figure it out. You always do." Savannah appreciated that about him. Ethan was dependable. Kind. Someone she could count on. Which was exactly why she couldn't understand why her thoughts kept drifting back to Brian. She hated that she was thinking about him. The way he looked at her. The way he spoke as if he knew things about her she had never told him. And the way one simple touch had left her completely unsettled. Savannah shook her head. Trying to convince herself that tonight had been the last time she would ever see him. "He’s just a customer," she whispered. "What?" Ethan asked. She quickly looked away. "Nothing. Just tired." A few cars behind them, another vehicle moved quietly through the streets. Brian Lakewood followed at a distance. He told himself he was only making sure she got home safely. That was all. At least, that was what he wanted to believe. He had spent weeks watching Savannah work behind that counter. He had noticed the way she smiled at everyone. The way she worked harder than anyone else. The way she never seemed to realize how special she was. But tonight was different. Tonight, she had left with another man. And for the first time, Brian wondered if he had waited too long. Did Ethan mean something to her? Was Savannah already taken? He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as Ethan's car turned onto the quiet street near Savannah's apartment, and he remembered that she was getting a lift for her graduation the next day. He waited until she entered safely. Then, finally, he drove away with a new plan forming in his mind. Savannah climbed the stairs to her apartment, unaware that the mysterious man from the bar had been watching from a distance. The next morning, she would walk across a stage and celebrate the biggest achievement of her life. But she had no idea that Brian Lakewood would be there too. Waiting.