Tanner's Beacon

05 - Old South Pittsburg Hospital

Savannah sits outside in the grass as the others get ready for Dakota's little pit stop. They are close to the location she knows that, but Dakota refuses to give her or Chelsea any hints but she noticed a conversation from afar earlier with  Dak, Alex, and Tanner that looked suspiciously serious. She's trying not to think about it honestly so instead she's focusing on soaking up the sunshine that finally peeked out after lunch. She had just gotten off the phone with her mom and Alan and was feeling in pretty good spirits about that but her mind had been wandering since that weird interaction with Tanner when Chelsea was pushing her to date. He had seemed visibly angered by it, I mean he was nearly as tense when they go into haunted locations. 

Is he just worried I'll get another Jeremy?

Trying to protect me from another heartbreak?

Or does he care for some other reason?

Savannah pushed that last thought out of her head. She couldn't let it wander that way because hope would fill her belly and then she'd just be disappointed again like she was the summer after her freshman year of college. She had thought Tanner had begun to see her in a different light, she wasn't sure but she thought the way he looked at her was different. Then she came home happy to see him and hear all about the past year, especially about his football season. She had even flown home to see one of his games, she had been so proud when he won and had given him the biggest hug. She could have sworn there was something there that night. She was a fool though because when she returned home for the summer so did Tanner's girlfriend. Savannah was admittedly crushed, she had even cried about it, Chelsea had found her too which made it so much worse. Savannah insisted it was because of something else but Chelsea knew, of course she knew. 

"What's got you thinking so hard?" Tanner's voice broke the silence and caused her to snap out of her trance. 

She slowly tilted her head up at Tanner who was standing over her, a small smile on his lips before he settled next to her. 

"Nothing much," Savannah said simply refusing to meet Tanner's gaze. 

"You look pretty concentrated." Tanner insisted a little confused on why she seemed so intent on not looking at him. 

Crap was I too obvious earlier? Is she weirded out? Tanner thinks. 

"I'm not looking to date anyone you know." She speaks up after a moment "I just want you to know that."

Tanner can't help but feel relieved but he tries to play it cool nodding. "So there's no one that's caught your eye not even the coffee shop guy." 

Savannah shakes her head. "No, I wasn't interested in him."

"No crushes then?" Tanner doesn't know why he's asking. 

Savannah slowly turns to look at him. 

"No, well no new ones at least." With that Savannah stands up brushing herself off and offers him a hand. 

"Come on we should go make sure Dak hasn't murdered Chelsea for hogging the bathroom." 

Tanner allows her to help him up, but when she goes to walk away he remains frozen. Because what was that supposed to mean?! No new ones! Who the heck has she had a crush on in the past? I mean as far as he knew there was no one really before Jeremy. A boy in college that didn't work out and Savannah didn't even seem that brokenhearted about it. Was there someone else? Then there was the way she had looked at him when she said it as if she was trying to gauge his reaction. But it couldn't be him, could it? He shook his head softly to himself, he couldn't think about this now he needed to get his head in the game, especially with this entity that solely attacks women. He watched Savannah head into the RV and the gentleman in him did not watch the way her hips swayed as she walked.