Saving Savannah

SAVANNAH

I was incredibly humbled by the offer. Utterly floored.

“Me?”

“No,” laughed Erik. “The other hot psychic girlfriend we’re all dating.”

His words — and their invitation — took me aback. My head spun dizzily.

“I am not psychic.”

“Notice how she only had a problem with that part,” laughed Zane. “She’d didn’t disavow being hot, though.”

Roman slid closer, interlacing his fingers with mine. He looked happy. So did Erik. So did Zane.

“C’mon baby, what do you say?”

Baby. It’s what they’d started calling me since the whole name change thing. Also ‘honey’, ‘darling’, and other stuff. But hardly ever, Julia.

“I know you guys were looking to buy a place,” I said. “And I can’t help with that. Not now, anyway. Maybe after I’ve saved, or—”

“Ah, but that’s not true.”

Everyone turned to look at Erik, and now the other guys were confused too.

“You’ve already helped us save,” he said nonchalantly. “More than you know. His smile shifted left and right, to Zane and Roman. “More than the two of you know, also.”

Zane looked at Roman, who shrugged and shook his head. He turned his attention back to Erik and scoffed.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Erik shifted, secretly pulling something from his pocket. When he opened his hand again, the three of us gasped.

“I’m talking about these,” he said, sprinkling a handful of emeralds across the table.

Silence exploded over the kitchen like a thunderclap. For several long moments, the whole world stopped.

“Y—You… You took…”

“Yeah,” Erik said, looking rather pleased with himself. “I sure as hell did.”

Roman was still frozen in place. Zane was too, but his eyes danced with a sparkling green light.

“How much are these—”

“A lot,” said Erik. “An awful lot, actually.” His eyes flitted upward, settling on mine. “Well more than the cost of a down payment, I can say that much. Right Julia?”

For a second or two I said nothing, I only stared back at him. I couldn’t believe it. But at the same time, I actually could.

“Yes,” I said softly. My mouth couldn’t help but curl into a smirk of admiration. “And yes to your other question too. I’ll move in with you.”

“Look for a house with us,” Erik corrected. “One that belongs to all of us.”

The others looked at me hopefully. Once again I nodded.

“A house for all of us,” I a

greed. “But I have one condition.”