Letting Go (Mitchell Family #1)(36)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“If you don’t want Tyler to know than you have to let Colt go.”

I shook my head. “No!” She held me tight and let me cry more. I knew my eyes were completely swollen, but I couldn’t help it. I thought I cried when Ty had the accident, but this was so much worse.

Chapter 21

Colt

I sat in the hospital parking lot for over an hour, hoping Savanna would come running out. I had this idea in my head that she would realize she loved me and we could just drive off together. With me not telling her how I felt, she was free to jump right back into Ty’s arms. I punched the dashboard so hard, I busted my knuckles. The burn took away from the fact that I knew I lost the girl.

I watched as she and my relatives came walking out of that hospital. They never even looked my way as they exited. I didn’t follow close behind them and when they turned to drop off Savanna, I kept going until I reached the farm. Sam greeted me, but I wasn’t in the mood to play catch with her. I walked straight into carriage house and looked around at what was meant for a perfect night. The candles were still on the table and dishes in the sink. Savanna’s little outfit was lyin’ on the bedroom floor. Her overnight bag was in the corner. I let my body fall back on the bed while I considered how the hell I was going to get out of this mess.

I saw the headlights pulling up out front and knew that my uncle was not going to go to bed until things were settled. Sure enough, as I tossed Savanna’s clothes in her bag and threw them in the closet, my uncle came rushin’ in. “Colt, where are ya boy?”

I walked out into the living room. “I’m here.”

“Sit down Son. We need to talk.”

I put my hand across my chest. “I think I’d rather stand.”

“Suit yourself. I’m not going to beat around the bush here. I am not very pleased with you right now. We are family and that’s about all we got when we look at the big picture. Now this thing between you and Van is over. I don’t know how you got involved with that girl, but from what I have noticed, it seems to have been goin’ on for quite some time. I think it would be best if you left town. Now it will take me a few days to get ya a flight back home, so I would appreciate it if you would not contact her. My boy doesn’t need to ever find out about this. He has been through enough.”

“You aren’t going to tell me who I can and can’t talk to!”

“If you know what is best, you will walk away. There are other women out there. Go find your own. I don’t know what this girl has going for her, but obviously she gives herself out to anyone who is askin’”

“Don’t you dare talk about her that way! She isn’t how you are sayin’. She’s nothing like that at all. Do you have any idea how many women your son bedded while they were together? You might not know, but I was the one he called to brag about it to. She doesn’t deserve that. Then after everything he did to her, you blamed her for his accident. That little bastard drank more whiskey than we both have in our whole lives. He shouldn’t have even had a license.”

“Mind your words Son. You are talkin’ about my boy.”

“Look, he is my blood and I don’t want him hurt, so I will walk away. You need to know one thing first. I love her. I just want her to be happy. If she wants to be with him, than I wish her the best. Now, if you will leave me be, I think I want to be alone.”

My uncle shook his head and walked out the door. I picked up a candle stick and threw it across the room, puttin’ a large hole in the wall next to the bathroom. It was bad enough that Savanna chose Ty, but now I couldn’t even say goodbye. I dug through every cabinet in that carriage house lookin’ for somethin’ to drink. When I found nothin’, I headed out to the barn where Harvey had a room. I felt bad about waking him, but I pushed the man until he woke anyway. “Harvey, where is the whiskey?”

He wiped his eyes before pointing to a small wooden cabinet in the corner. He shook his head and closed his eyes as I made my way to the cabinet, and grabbed the first bottle I found. It wasn’t whiskey, it was tequila. This particular brand was straight up from Mexico, worm and all. I opened the bottle and began drinkin’ it before I had even made it out of the barn. The slow burn made my eyes water, but I just kept hittin’ that bottle.

In no time at all, I couldn’t feel my fingers. My body was numb and that’s just how I wanted it to be. I didn’t want to think about Savanna and how I would never be able to touch her again. Her pretty face would only be a memory to me from now on. My cousin would never let her go, and that is what she wanted all along. I never had a chance.

I woke up with a bottle in my hand and a massive headache. It took me a few minutes to access what had happened the night before. When I finally was awake enough, I wished there was more tequila left in the bottle. I grabbed some shoes and decided the best thing to do was work. I had to keep my mind off of things until I could get a flight back home. I should have just called myself, but there were no taxis here and my uncle would have reported the truck stolen if I tried to take it.

There was one field that still needed to be tilled and reseeded, so I took the tractor and started working. A few hours passed and the sun was really startin’ to get to me. My body was dehydrated from all the liquor and I could have passed out at any time. I noticed one of the farming trucks heading in my direction, so I turned off the tractor and waited to be yelled at again.

My uncle stepped out of the truck and headed in my direction. In his hands were two large bottles of water. “I may be pissed at you, but you are my blood boy. Harvey told me about the tequila and when I heard you out here, I knew you were needin’ some of this.”

I took the bottles and started downing them. The beads of sweat were now stingin’ my eyes, so I took some of the water and poured it over my face. “Thanks!”

“We got a call this mornin’ about your cousin. He can come home next week. Your aunt is goin’ to throw one hell of a party and Tyler wants you there. Now, I know what I said last night, but for the sake of my son, I am willin’ to let you stay. I need your word that you will keep your hands off of his girl Colt. I appreciate everything you have done with the farm and I can’t say I don’t need the help. I know I was stern last night, but what you did wasn’t right. At any rate, there aint nothin’ we can do but move forward.”

“I will stay as long as you need me.” Was all I could say.