SAVANNAH
“What the hell?” Kelvin cursed under his breath, his eyes locked on Blake with a look of disbelief.
I couldn’t blame him. After all, Blake had just stepped in out of nowhere and yanked me away from him like I was his property.
Blake, standing there with that damn smug grin on his face, crossed his arms over his chest, looking like he was enjoying every second of this. "What the hell? Can't I dance with my girlfriend?" he asked, a playful but taunting edge to his voice.
“What?!” Kelvin and I exclaimed in unison, both of us completely thrown off by the unexpected declaration.
“Girlfriend?” Kelvin’s voice was a mix of confusion and disbelief as he turned to me, his eyes searching mine for some kind of explanation. I didn’t have one.
I shook my head in frustration, my mind still trying to piece together what the hell was going on. Blake’s words made no sense. And the way he said them—like it was no big deal—was making my heart beat faster in all the wrong ways.
Before I could say anything, Blake took a step closer, leaning down and pressing his lips against mine in a brief but very deliberate kiss. He pulled away almost immediately, his eyes locking with Kelvin's. Blake’s smirk widening as he looked over at Kelvin, who was standing there, frozen in shock.
Kelvin’s face twisted in anger and disbelief, and then, just like that, he turned on his heel and walked away without another word.
I watched him go, feeling a rush of guilt in my chest. What had just happened? Why had Blake done that?
I yanked my hand free from Kelvin’s and turned, rushing after him. I wasn’t sure if I was apologizing or just trying to make things right.
"Kelvin, wait!" I called after him, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t even look back.
He finally waved me off, his hand dismissing me without a second glance. I stopped dead in my tracks, my stomach twisting into knots.
I stood there, lost in thought, when I felt a tug on my arm. I turned to see Brenda, a curious expression on her face as she grabbed me and pulled me away from the scene.
“What's up? Why does Blake look pissed, and Kelvin looks like he’s no longer interested in you?” she asked, her eyes shifting back and forth between me and the direction Kelvin had gone.
"Well, your brother ruined it," I muttered, my voice dripping with frustration.
Brenda gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth in shock. "It worked? He’s jealous?"
I blinked. I had forgotten that was the whole reason Brenda had suggested I go dance with Kelvin in the first place. But this wasn’t how I imagined it turning out. This wasn’t even close.
"He's a jerk," I muttered under my breath.
Brenda’s grin widened. “He loves you.”
I stopped, mid-step, and blinked at her in shock. “What?”
She nodded, her smile now replaced with a look of certainty. “He loves you, Savannah. You may not believe it, but that fool loves you.”
“Love?” The word tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop it. My brain was still trying to process everything that had just happened. "But… what does that even mean? He just called me his girlfriend, but I don’t think we’ve ever even—"
Before I could finish my sentence, I heard footsteps. I turned, and there he was. Blake, still looking pissed as hell, stalking toward me with purpose.
Brenda vanished into the crowd like she knew what was coming next, leaving me to face Blake alone. He didn’t even look at me as he approached. His eyes were still burning with that intensity, his jaw clenched tightly.
Without saying a word, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward Brenda’s room. I stumbled to keep up, not sure if I should protest or let him drag me wherever he wanted.
Once we were inside, Blake shut the door behind us, and I yanked my hand away from him, my mind racing.
"Blake, first," I spun around, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, "I am Savannah Williams, in case you've forgotten who this is." I waved my hand in front of my face, trying to shake off the nervous energy buzzing through me.
"This," I pointed to my face, grabbed the wipes on Brenda’s dresser and wipe off my make up. "This is the real Savannah Williams."
He raised an eyebrow. “Why are you telling me that?”
“Because it seems you’ve forgotten who I really am,” I said, my voice sharper than I expected.
Blake didn’t say anything at first. He just took a step closer, his eyes never leaving mine, and I felt my chest tighten with every step he took.
“You bullied me,” I said, the words tumbling out faster than I could control. “You’ve been bullying me for almost a year now. You’ve made me feel worthless, like I was nothing but a joke. I’m nothing but a fat, shapeless—”
He cut me off, his lips pressing against mine in a kiss that was so sudden, so intense, I couldn’t react in time.
"Don’t you ever call yourself fat," Blake growled against my lips. His hands gripped my shoulders, his body heat enveloping me, making it hard to think.
He pulled away, staring into my eyes with such intensity it made me dizzy. “You are my muffin, Savannah,” he said, his voice low and possessive. "Only me alone is allowed to bully you, kiss you, or touch you. If another person bullies you, I'm going to let all hell break loose. If any other man tries to kiss or touch you, I won’t hesitate to break his nose, just like I did with Tyler.”
I gasped, my mouth falling open in shock. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or if he meant it, but I couldn’t ignore the way his voice had a dangerous edge to it.
“Really?” I managed to choke out, my voice wavering. “So, you broke Tyler’s nose because you were jealous?”
Blake’s expression darkened, his grip tightening as he slammed my body into his. “You better believe it," he murmured, his hands trailing down my body, possessively touching every part of me.
I felt the heat of his touch, the way his hands roamed over my waist, my hips, and then, shockingly, his hand brushed against my butt. I gasped, trying to push him away, but he didn’t let go. His other hand moved up to my chest, his fingers lingering, making me feel both confused and electrified at the same time.
Then, with a sudden, forceful movement, he released me. I staggered back, my heart pounding in my chest. He reached up and cupped my face in his hands, his gaze unwavering.
"And this face," he whispered, “belongs to me and me alone.”
I blinked, trying to comprehend what he was saying, but my mind was too clouded with confusion and shock to process it all.
“What?” I gasped, my breath catching in my throat. “Are you crazy?”
Blake’s lips curled into a small, almost dangerous smile. “Yes, I am. Crazily in love with you.”
I stumbled backward, completely unable to process his words. My mouth dropped open, and I stood there, frozen in place, as the weight of his confession sank in.
"I love you, Savannah Williams," he added, his voice steady but full of emotion.