SAVANNAH
Blake grabbed my hand roughly, his fingers wrapping tightly around mine.
"I'll take her home. Back off," he growled, his voice low and vibrating with something dangerous.
Tyler didn’t flinch. Instead, he took a slow step forward, his eyes narrowing with cold fury. "Really? Weren’t you busy making out with your ex when she was being bullied and made a laughing stock?" he snapped.
My entire body went stiff.
Ex?
I turned to Blake, the question slipping out of me in a whisper. "Ex?"
Blake's laugh was harsh, sharp, and cruel. "That's none of your business," he said, not even looking at me.
Tyler didn’t hesitate. He looked me straight in the eye. "That blonde girl he was hanging with earlier is his ex."
I felt like someone had just thrown me into ice water. My heart dropped to my stomach. Without another word, I yanked my hand free from Blake’s grip and reached for Tyler’s. His fingers curled around mine immediately.
"Let’s go," I said, my voice cracking.
We walked away, leaving Blake standing alone by the pool. I didn’t look back.
By the time we got to the spot where Alyssa and the others had humiliated me earlier, the area was empty. They were gone. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and rubbed my arms, still feeling the sting of their words, their laughter.
Tyler walked beside me in silence. He didn’t speak, didn’t ask if I was okay, and I appreciated that more than anything. Just being next to someone who didn’t expect me to pretend like I was fine meant more than he probably realized.
We kept walking until the school buildings were a distant shadow behind us. The sun had almost dipped completely below the horizon, casting a soft orange glow over the street.
Then he finally spoke. "Where do you live?"
Crap. I hadn’t even called Mom yet.
Right on cue, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my bag and saw her name on the screen.
"Hi, Mom," I answered quickly.
"Savvy, I’m so sorry, sweetie. Something came up at work. I’ll be a little late getting to your school. Can you wait inside the gate for me?"
I swallowed hard and glanced at Tyler, who was looking at me curiously.
"It’s okay, Mom. A friend is walking me home. Don’t worry. I’m safe."
She paused. "A friend? Who?"
"A friend, Mom. It’s fine. I’ll tell you all about it later. Get home safe, okay?"
She sighed. "Alright, but text me the moment you get in."
"I will."
The call ended, and I turned back to Tyler.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah," I nodded. "She just wanted to know where I was."
He tilted his head. "Do you want to get a cab instead?"
I shook my head. "No. I... I like the walk. It’s peaceful."
"Yeah," he said softly. "It is."
We walked a few more blocks in silence. The streets were quiet except for the occasional chirping of crickets and the sound of our footsteps on the pavement.
Then I looked at him. "Why are you always nice to me, Tyler?"
He glanced sideways at me, then shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why shouldn’t I be nice to you? You’re human, aren’t you?"
I let out a soft laugh. "Not everyone treats me like I am."
He stopped walking and turned to face me. His eyes were serious, intense. "Don’t let what they say get to you, Savannah. They’re small-minded, insecure jerks who need someone to pick on to feel better about themselves."
"Easy for you to say," I mumbled. "You’re... you. Cool. Confident. Good-looking. You’re not the target."
"That doesn’t mean I don’t see it happening. Or that I agree with it."
He started walking again, and I followed, still thinking about his words. Then he spoke again.
"You should stay away from Blake."
I tensed. "Why?"
He exhaled. "Because he’s not good for you."
"But I promised to help him with physics," I said. "And he’s helping me with math. And swimming."
"Still stay away from him."
"Why are you saying that?"
Tyler was quiet for a long moment. Then he said it. "Because I saw you two kiss."
I stopped dead in my tracks. "What?"
"At the pool," he said quietly. "I saw it. I didn’t mean to, but I did."
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and my stomach twisted. "It wasn’t... it wasn’t supposed to happen."
"Doesn’t matter," he said, looking away. "The point is, guys like him... they don’t go for girls like you."
His words sliced through me like a blade.
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
He hesitated. "I just mean... he’s popular, rich, has girls like Alyssa throwing themselves at him. And you..."
"And me what?" I demanded, my voice rising.
"You’re different," he said quickly. "Not in a bad way. I like that you’re different. But he doesn’t. Not really. Guys like Blake—they use girls like you to feel better about themselves. Then they toss you aside."
I looked away, blinking rapidly. The lump in my throat was back.
"So, what? I should just give up? Stay in my lane?"
"No," he said firmly. "I’m saying protect yourself. Don’t let him mess with your head."
"You don’t know him."
"I know enough."
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My heart was pounding too hard, my thoughts a mess. We walked the rest of the way in silence, neither of us saying what we really wanted to say.
When we reached my street, I finally spoke.
"Thanks for walking me home."
He nodded. "Anytime."
I turned to go, but his voice stopped me. "Savannah."
I looked back.
"Just... be careful, okay?"
I nodded slowly. "I will."
Then I walked up to my door and stepped inside, closing it softly behind me. But inside, my mind was spinning.