Bet Me

Chapter 21

Savannah POV

"You're back late."

"Oh Darren. What a nice surprise!" I say, genuinely surprised, it had been awhile since his last spontaneous visit. Being with James for the past couple of months made me completely forget about the guy I had been dating back at home.

"Why don't you answer my texts anymore? Do you realize how worried I had been about you?"

"I'm sorry, Darren."

"You're supposed to answer me when I call."

I back down, taking any criticism he might throw at me. Maybe he was right, I was wrong for ignoring him. "I know." 

"You have been the worst girlfriend for the past couple of months." He continues. "Do you not stop to consider my feelings? What you put me through?"

"Look Darren, it's just been a lot to take in. I'm sorry."

"A lot to take in, just  like that muscular blonde guy that came walking into your dorm earlier like he owned the damn place. Was he a lot to take in?"

My ears perked up as the image of James suddenly popped into my mind. "What did you say?" My gaze made it's everlasting stay on my shoes back up to Darren.

"James." Darren gets up and starts walking slowly around the room, as if to interrogate me. "He came in here, asking for you. Didn't really get into the details of what for because I stopped that scum in his tracks when I called you my girlfriend." Darren stops, cocks his head at me, and then smirks as he licks his lips slowly. "I guess I ruined your chances of you ever having him. Too bad because that's probably the only guy in his league to like a girl like you."

My whole body clenched up tightly as I kept my eyes on the man prancing around my room. He acted as if he owned it, as if he owned me. I wasn't too sure who Darren was anymore because the Darren I knew wasn't this way, at least I didn't think so. "You said you loved me." I continue, not knowing what to say. "But you don't say those kind of things to someone you say you love."

"You said you loved me! Then you go around falling in love with a guy you don't even know, just like this is some sort of Hollywood chick flick? You don't know that guy but you fell for him, just so he could get into your pants. Congratulations Savannah, you played yourself. You fell for a guy who doesn't give a shit about you."

"You're right Darren, I did. I fell for a guy who never loved me and never will. You know, James made me feel like I mattered for once. He treated me like I was the only girl he ever laid eyes on. You know what you used to do? You would tell me how hot other girls were when we were out in public. You realize how that made me feel?"

"Didn't I stop doing that?" 

Ignoring Darren, I continue. "Oh and what about out in public or around friends? You never held my hand or kissed me in front of them, you just said it made you feel uncomfortable. I guess it didn't make you uncomfortable when you cheated on me though, did it?" Noticing Darren's expression, I chuckle. "Yeah you thought I forgot didn't you? You know, you made me feel like shit for all of the years we were together. You emotionally abused me and it took a guy like James to make me realize my worth."

"Were?" Was all Darren said before he lunged himself towards me. Not knowing what to do, I dodge him and run the other direction across the room. Darren continues to make his steps heavy with each step he takes, trying to corner me in. I swiftly sprint towards the door, gripping onto the handle to scream the loudest I could before his hand covers my mouth. He turns me around facing him as he pins me up to the wall. I had never seen this side of Darren before. "You're so lucky I don't beat the living shit out of you right now." I could feel the spit from his mouth land on my face. My cheeks grew hot and I was holding back the tears. Wiggling from his embrace, he grabs on tighter. "You deserve everything I put you through. Don't you ever talk to me again." He let's go and pushes me down onto the floor, walking out as he slams it shut.

"Savannah? Savannah?" Savannah." My eyes slowly flutter open. I notice the shoes in front of my face. The designer Tommys told me it was Allie. She bent down to my level. "You're finally awake. Are you experiencing your first hang over?" She pat my back, until she realized the mascara marks that run down my cheeks. "Oh dear." She continues, "What happened babe?"

Grasping everything that just happened to me earlier, I sit up and lean my back against the wall. The same wall Darren had me just hours prior. "Darren came over." 

"Oh no. Tell me what did he do?"

Grabbing an elastic from my wrist, I pull my hair into a messy bun. Allie hands me some face wipes from her purse, sitting adjacent from where I am. "I guess Darren came for a surprise visit and while we were both gone, he decided it'd be a good idea to stay here to wait for me. Well in that time, James also decided it'd be a good idea to come over to see me."

"Uh oh."

"Yes exactly. It gets worst." I take a deep breath and continue. I felt like I could start crying on the floor again at any second. "We started arguing. Not like a normal argument, like a really bad head on argument."

"How bad was it?" Allie interrupts again, she scoots closer to me, engaged in the story. 

"Well, it got physical. He came at me and pinned me to a wall. He told me I was lucky he didn't beat the shit out of me." I felt the tears creep up on my eyelids before Allie wraps herself around me. "I just didn't know he was that way. It was almost like he was a different person." I continue, my snot and tears fall onto Allies arms. 

"Oh babe. Most of the times they don't seem that way."

"I knew him my whole life."

"Some people don't show their true colors until way later on down the road. Face it, you didn't love him anymore and he knew that. He knew what he lost. And the way he treated you when he found out you cheated most likely means he was doing it too. Hun, this was good. Now you don't have to feel guilty anymore being with James."

Picking myself up, I walk over to the bed as Allie follows. I lay on my back and stare at the ceiling letting out a huge sigh. "That's only if he still wants me. He probably hates me now."

Allie nudges me. "Let's go to the movies or something. Anything to get your mind off him." I take her extended hand, wiping the excess tears.