Chapter 19 Chasing Forever
Chasing Forever
Mallory’s Reaction
Savannah barely made it three steps into the house before Mallory was on her.
Her best friend was perched on the couch, a glass of wine in hand despite the late hour, her eyes sharp and way too knowing. The moment Savannah stepped through the door, Mallory arched an eyebrow, her lips parting in anticipation.
“Oh my God.” Mallory sat up straighter, setting her wine down with a thunk. “You did it, didn’t you?”
Savannah let out a breathless laugh, kicking off her sandals before collapsing onto the couch beside her. “No.”
Mallory blinked, her brows furrowing. “No?”
Savannah let her head fall back against the cushions, her limbs still tingling, her mind still replaying every second of the night—the way Chase had looked at her, touched her, kissed her. But she didn’t regret stopping. She didn’t regret the way it had ended. Not one bit.
“No,” she repeated, turning her head to face Mallory.
Mallory looked appalled. “I don’t understand. The sexual tension between you two is enough to fuel a small country. Are you seriously telling me you didn’t—?”
Savannah groaned, pressing her hands over her face. “Trust me. I wanted to. He wanted to. But Chase…” She exhaled sharply, her stomach flipping just at the memory of his words. “He wants to do it right.”
Mallory’s jaw dropped. “He stopped? Voluntarily?”
Savannah nodded.
Mallory’s head fell back against the couch, her eyes squeezed shut. “I hate you.”
Savannah burst out laughing, but Mallory wasn’t finished.
“I mean, I love you, I do,” she continued, waving a hand dramatically. “But God, Sav. Where the hell do I find a man who stops himself because he respects me too much to rush it? Like, do I need to go put in a request with the universe? Light some candles? Do a damn séance?”
Savannah smirked, nudging her with her foot. “Get in line.”
Mallory groaned, grabbing a throw pillow and smacking Savannah with it. “No, seriously. You have to tell me everything. And I mean everything.”
Savannah grinned, biting her lip as warmth spread through her chest. “Where do I even start?”
“Start with the second you saw him. And don’t leave out a damn thing.”
Savannah tucked her legs under her, fingers trailing over the seam of the couch as she started talking.
“So when I get to the marina, he hands me this coffee like he just knows exactly how I take it, and then he tells me to get in his truck.
No explanation, nothing. Just ‘you’re late, Monroe.
" She smiles. Then he says "I’ve been waiting for you since the day you left, Savannah. Another ten minutes wouldn’t have made a difference. "
Mallory throws her hands up. “What the actual fuck? He just—what? That’s some Nicholas Sparks-level shit right there. Are you kidding me?
Savannah snorted. “So we drive, and instead of taking me to the usual spots, he pulls up at this little hidden inlet—one of those places that only locals know about. There’s no one around. Just the water, the sand, and us.”
Mallory’s eyes widened, leaning forward like she was absorbing every word. “Romantic as hell. And?”
Savannah smiled, remembering how the morning air had felt cool against her skin, how Chase had moved with ease, spreading out the blanket, pulling out a cooler.
“He had breakfast packed.”
Mallory gasped. “Tell me he made it himself.”
Savannah bit her lip, tilting her head. “I'm pretty sure he did.”
Mallory smacked the couch. “I hate you.”
Savannah laughed, shaking her head. “We sat there, eating, talking, just being, you know? Then came the boat.”
“What boat?” Mallory scoffed.
Savannah’s heart skipped a beat just thinking about it. “God, Mal, it was perfect.”
Mallory clutched her pillow, ready to combust. “I want to fucking know, tell me.”
Savannah exhaled, tucking her feet under her.
“So after breakfast, we spent the whole day together. Just us. No distractions, no rushing. And then, when the sun started going down, he tells me to wait while he goes to grab something. Next thing I know, I hear the low rumble of an engine, and there he is, pulling up in a boat.”
Mallory gasped dramatically, gripping Savannah’s arm. “No. No.”
Savannah nodded, smiling. “He just stood there, holding out his hand, and said, ‘You coming, Monroe?’”
Mallory groaned. “That’s it. I’m dead.”
Savannah laughed. “So I get on the boat, and he takes me out to this little cove where the water stretches for miles. There were these tiny sandbanks covered in seagrass, and the sky—God, the sky was melting into golds and pinks. And we just sat there, watching the sun go down, wrapped in a blanket, his arm around me like he was claiming the moment.”
Mallory exhaled, pressing a hand to her heart. “Savannah Monroe, if you don’t kiss that man senseless the next time you see him, I will physically fight you.”
Savannah chuckled, but then her voice softened. “That’s not even the best part.”
Mallory’s eyes went wide. “There’s more?”
Savannah nodded. “At one point, he just looks at me and says, ‘This is my favorite time of day for this spot.’”
Mallory blinked. “And?”
Savannah swallowed. “I asked him why. And he just looked at me and said, ‘Because it’s yours.’”
Mallory shot up. “What in the actual hell?!”
Savannah laughed. “He pointed toward the shore, and I realized where we were. Right in front of his house. Where everything started. And then he said it again—he meant it, Mal. He told me I deserve the ocean and the shore, and this was the best he could do.”
Mallory slapped a hand over her mouth. “I swear to God, Savannah, you better marry this man, or I will.”
Savannah laughed, warmth creeping up her neck. “It was the way he said it, Mal. Like he’d been carrying those words around for years.”
Mallory groaned, collapsing onto the couch. “No. I can’t. This is unreal. This man is writing poetry with his damn existence.”
Savannah sighed, her heart full. “It was… everything.”
Mallory fell back against the cushions. “This is some Christmas movie-level romance, and I’m losing my mind. Savy, I don’t think you get it. This isn’t just a guy you like. This is it. This is the story that people dream about.”
Savannah laughed, shaking her head, but her chest tightened at the truth of it. Because Chase meant it. Every damn word.
And for the first time, she let herself believe it.
Because Mallory was right.
This was it.
And Savannah was finally ready to let herself have it.
Later that night, Savannah nestles beneath the cool sheets, staring at the ceiling, her heart still tangled in the aftermath of Chase Montgomery.
It wasn’t just his words that clung to her—it was his touch, his scent, the way his voice had wrapped around her like a warm tide pulling her under. She closed her eyes, letting the memories settle over her, slow and sweet like honey dripping from a spoon.
She could still feel the ghost of his hands on her waist, the way he had held her like she was something fragile and fierce all at once. The way his thumb had traced slow, reverent circles against her hip, as if memorizing her, grounding himself in her presence.
The way his lips had lingered at her temple before he’d whispered, Not tonight. Not like this.
And the way she had felt those words, deeper than just her skin.
Her breath wavered, her pulse uneven as she turned onto her side, staring at the phone on her nightstand. The screen was dark, but she didn’t need it to see the message forming in her mind.
She bit her lip, reaching for it, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
Was it too much? Too soon?
Would it make her seem needy?
She groaned, pressing the phone to her forehead, exhaling sharply. She hated overthinking. She had spent years pushing her emotions down, keeping them locked behind logic and caution.
But Chase wasn’t someone you guarded yourself against. He was the kind of man you fell for without a parachute, knowing the landing would be worth it.
She couldn’t play games with him. Didn’t want to.
Her fingers found the keys before her brain could catch up, her heart hammering with each word.
Savannah: I know you’re probably asleep, but I just wanted to say—thank you. For tonight. For stopping. For proving you’re not just some guy who wants to add another name to a list. It meant more to me than I can explain. And I can’t stop thinking about you. Sweet dreams, Montgomery.
She hovered over the send button, hesitating for a single, breathless second before pressing it.
The moment it was sent, she let the phone fall to her chest, staring at the ceiling, her nerves tangled with something warm and unfamiliar.
This wasn’t just about attraction. This wasn’t just about chemistry.
This wasn’t just about the way he kissed her like he had waited a lifetime to do it.
This was more.
And for the first time, she let herself feel it.
Let herself want it.
Maybe this wasn’t just about wanting Chase.
Maybe she was already falling for him.
Her phone vibrated, the sound slicing through the quiet.
Her breath hitched as she grabbed it, her pulse a drumbeat against her ribs.
Chase: I wasn’t asleep.
Her stomach flipped, her fingers tightening around the phone.
Chase: I’ve been lying here, thinking about you. Thinking about how hard it was to walk away tonight. How I almost didn’t.
Her heart stuttered.
Chase: You deserve more, Savannah. You deserve every damn thing this could be. And I’m going to prove it to you.
Savannah swallowed, her body burning from just the words.
Chase: Sweet dreams, Monroe. You’re the last thing on my mind tonight.
She inhaled sharply, her fingers curling into the sheets.
Oh, she was so gone for this man.