Breaking Hearts

Leaving Soon

The warmth inside Brian's car was a welcome contrast to the cold night outside.

Savannah sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring through the window as the familiar streets slipped by in a blur.

She could still hear Ethan's voice.

"I love you."

"Maybe if you gave us a chance..."

Then the memory shifted.

Him reaching for her.

Trying to kiss her.

Following her when she'd asked him not to.

She wrapped her arms around herself.

What hurt the most wasn't that Ethan loved her.

It was that someone she'd trusted had ignored her when she'd said no.

A lump formed in her throat.

She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears before they fell, but a quiet sniffle escaped instead.

Brian glanced at her.

He didn't say anything immediately.

He simply waited.

After another moment, he spoke.

"I'm guessing you don't want to go home tonight."

Savannah looked out of the window again.

"No."

A small sigh escaped her.

"...Just to be safe."

Brian nodded once.

"Alright."

That was all.

No questions.

No demands for an explanation.

No attempt to convince her otherwise.

Just acceptance.

Something about that simple response eased the tightness in her chest.

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable.

It was peaceful.

For the first time since leaving the club, Savannah felt like she could finally breathe.

After several minutes, she cleared her throat.

"So..."

Brian glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road.

"So?"

"What were you doing out this late?"

"Working."

She smiled faintly.

"At this hour?"

"Some jobs don't end at five."

A small laugh escaped her.

"I suppose not."

Another comfortable silence settled between them before curiosity got the better of her.

"What do you do?"

Brian rested one hand loosely on the steering wheel.

"A new development is being built just outside Sunnyvale."

"The one near the university?"

"That's the one."

She nodded.

"I've noticed a lot of new faces around town lately."

"They've probably been coming into the bar."

Her eyebrows lifted.

"Actually... yes."

She smiled.

"For the last few weeks we've had people I've never seen before coming in almost every evening."

"They're probably working on the project."

She turned toward him.

"So you're... what... in construction?"

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"You could say that."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic."

"I enjoy the work."

"Then why say it like that?"

He chuckled quietly.

"Because construction isn't really the whole story."

She tilted her head.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm managing the project."

"Oh."

That made sense.

At least, she thought it did.

"My economics lecturer mentioned it a few months ago. He said it would bring more investment into Sunnyvale."

"It should."

"And jobs."

"A lot of them."

She smiled.

"Maybe that's why some of the graduates are deciding to stay."

"Maybe."

She looked back out of the window.

"I guess the town is finally growing."

"It is."

Brian's eyes drifted briefly toward the unfinished buildings standing against the night sky.

"I've always liked watching things being built."

She smiled.

"You have?"

He nodded.

"There's something satisfying about taking an empty piece of land and turning it into something people will use for years."

She studied him for a moment.

"You sound like an architect."

For the briefest second...

Something unreadable crossed his face.

"I wanted to be one once."

"What changed?"

He looked back at the road.

"Life."

He said nothing more.

Savannah smiled to herself.

Brian Lakewood really was impossible to figure out.

Every answer Brian gave somehow created three more questions.

Several minutes passed before Brian spoke again.

"So..."

She looked over.

"So?"

He smiled slightly.

"What's next for Savannah Lewis?"

She laughed softly.

"You make it sound like I have everything figured out."

"Don't you?"

She shook her head.

"Not even close."

He nodded.

"Then let me ask it differently."

She waited.

"What do you want to do next?"

Savannah leaned back against the seat.

"I've been applying for jobs in the city."

"The city?"

She nodded.

"If everything works out, I'll probably leave next week."

Brian looked at her.

"For good?"

"This town has been good to me..."

She smiled sadly.

"...but there's nothing really keeping me here anymore."

"What about the bar?"

"Last night was my final shift."

"And your friends?"

"I'll miss them."

Brian stayed quiet.

Savannah looked out of the window again.

"But everyone has to move on eventually."

Silence settled over the car.

It felt different this time.

Heavier.

Brian's hands remained steady on the steering wheel.

Only the slight tightening of his grip betrayed his thoughts.

"So..."

His voice was quieter than before.

"You're leaving."

Savannah nodded.

"Next week."

Brian kept his eyes on the road.

Outwardly, nothing about him changed.

Inwardly...

Everything had.

He had spent weeks convincing himself there would be time.

Time to get to know her.

Time to earn her trust.

Time to tell her who he really was.

Apparently...

He had far less of it than he thought.