Roping The Cowgirl's Heart

Chapter 13

Wyatt

I sat on the edge of my bed, my head in my hands as I replayed the events of the day in my mind. The look on Savannah's face when she saw me with Daniel, the hurt and confusion in her eyes as she pleaded with me, to be honest with her... it was a sight that I couldn't shake.

I knew I had screwed up, keeping secrets from her like that. But the truth was, I was scared. Scared of losing her, scared of facing the reality of my situation. And so I had done what I always did when things got tough—I ran, I hid, I pushed away the people who cared about me most.

It was a pattern I had fallen into time and time again, a defense mechanism that had served me well over the years. When the going got tough, I got going, leaving behind a trail of broken hearts and shattered promises in my wake. But this time was different. This time, I couldn't just walk away, couldn't just ride off into the sunset and leave my troubles behind.

Because this time, it was Savannah. The girl who had captured my heart all those years ago, the one who had never left my thoughts, no matter how far I roamed. She was the one constant in my mind.

And now, I had hurt her. I had broken her trust again, shattered the fragile bond that we had been trying to rebuild since my return. The thought of losing her, of watching her walk out of my life for good... it was a pain that I couldn't bear, a hurt that cut deeper than any bull's horns ever could.

But I couldn't do that anymore, not to Savannah. She deserved better than that. She deserved a man who would stand by her side, who would be honest with her, no matter how hard the truth might be. And I wanted to be that man, more than I had ever wanted anything in my life.

So, I reached for my phone to call her.

"Sav? Can we talk... please?"

She sighed, "Sure...are you ready to talk to me and let me know what is going on?"

I took a deep breath, to try to find the words. "Savannah. I know you're... you have every right to be mad at me. But please, just hear me out. I'm sorry for keepin' things from you, for not bein' straight with you. I'm just not ready to talk to you about this one specific thing. I don't think you are ready to hear about it either. Please understand that I will talk to you about it. I just need some time to be ready to have this conversation with you. Can you give me the opportunity to work this out in my head. So I'll be able to approach you with this? Please babe..."

There was a pause, "I suppose... But only if you promise me that you will talk to me and'll let me know what is going on..."

I felt somewhat relieved, "I promise... Come back to me, babe. I'm here missing you like crazy..."

Another pause, "I'll think about it... no promises..."

It wasn't the answer I had been hoping for, but it was something. "I'll be here waitin' for you. I love you, Savannah."

"I love you too..."

At least there was some hope in her words that I hadn't lost her for good after my stunt today.

Minutes turned into a whole full hour, and still, there was no sign of her. I was just about to give up and accept that she was still mad with me when I heard a soft knock at my door.

"Savannah?"

She came in, her eyes tired from lack of sleep. But she was here, in front of me.

"Hey..." she said.

I crossed the room in two long strides, with the help of my crutches. My hands came up to cup her face, my thumbs brushing away a tear that still clung to her cheeks.