Chase’s gaze flickered—just the briefest hint of something unreadable passing through his expression before it disappeared behind that maddening, confident ease. And then, as if he had all the time in the world, as if he wasn’t currently unraveling her piece by piece, he lifted his glass to his lips and took a slow sip, watching her over the rim.
Like he knew. Like he could see every thought racing through her mind.
And that damn grin?
It stayed.
Chaselifted his drink and smiled. "Mallory, don’t take this the wrong way, but I knew you would tell her. I was counting on it."
Mallory blinked, brows knitting in confusion. "I—what?"
But Chase didn’t elaborate. He just shrugged, impossibly calm, still looking like this entire night had unfolded exactly the way he expected.
Like he had been waiting for this moment.
"I hoped you would talk her into coming." He said, smugly.
Savannah’s breath caught.
She had spent all day spiraling, agonizing over whether she should come. Whether it would be a mistake. Whether he would even want to see her. She had thought about every scenario, every possibility. Had imagined him looking at her with resentment, or worse—indifference. Had braced herself for impact, for the hurt that would come when she saw him moving on, moving forward, existing in a world where she was just a memory. And now—standing in front of him, hearing those words—He had hoped she would come. A warmth bloomed low in her stomach, unwanted but insistent, curling around her ribs and squeezing.
Mallory let out an exaggerated, almost offended gasp, smacking a hand against her chest. "Oh my God. Was I just played?"
Chase’s grin turned wicked, effortless. "I’d never say that out loud."
Savannah wanted to be irritated.
She wanted to be annoyed that Chase knew her well enough to predict that she would eventually walk through that door. That he had been so sure of her, so certain of how this would unfold, that he had casually accounted for Mallory’s meddling like it was just another step in the plan. But mostly? Mostly, she was staggeringly aware of how close he was.
The heat of him. The subtle flex of his forearm, where the edge of a tattoo peeked beneath his rolled-up sleeve. The way the dim lighting caught on the sharp cut of his jaw. The way he smelled—woodsy, clean, familiar in a way that sent her straight back to late-night drives and tangled sheets and whispered, half-laughed confessions.
She cleared her throat, forcing herself to focus. "So, let me get this straight." Her voice was steadier than she expected, but not by much. "You weren’t surprised to see me?"
Chase tilted his head, watching her in that way that had always undone her, the way that made it feel like he saw everything. "Surprised? No." A pause. A flicker of something deeper in his gaze.
"Relieved? Yeah."
Savannah’s heart stuttered.
Mallory, still dramatically recovering from her betrayal, turned to Gus in outrage. "Can you believe this? He used me."
Gus just chuckled, shaking his head as he wiped down the bar. "Darlin’, you let yourself be used." His eyes twinkled with amusement as he tipped his chin toward Savannah. "We all knew this was happening before she did."
Savannah’s mouth fell open. "You too, Gus?"
The old bartender smirked, slow and knowing. "You were bound to walk through that door one way or another."
Her stomach tightened. Because damn it, she hated that they were right. She hated that no matter how much she had told herself she wasn’t ready for this, that she wasn’t coming back, some part of her had already known the truth. That she would always come back to him. She groaned, turning back to Chase. "Unbelievable."
But Chase just looked pleased. Not smug. Not cocky. Just pleased. Just genuinely happy that she was here.
And that?
That was dangerous.
Because if he had been angry, if he had been cold, if he had given her something—anything—to hold onto, maybe she could have stood her ground. Maybe she could have convinced herself that leaving had been the right thing. But instead, he was this. Effortless. Smooth. The Chase Montgomery who had always been impossible to ignore.
She exhaled sharply. "Okay. Fine. You knew I’d come. What now?"
