I Died Once—Now I’ll Save Us Both / Chapter 5: Close Enough to Break
I Died Once—Now I’ll Save Us Both

I Died Once—Now I’ll Save Us Both

Author: Patrick Morrison

Chapter 5: Close Enough to Break

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Just then, my phone rang.

Logan’s voice was clear and steady.

"Come downstairs. I’m waiting."

His voice was like a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge. I wiped my eyes, grabbed my jacket, and headed out into the night.

He was wearing a striped shirt, slouching with his backpack over one shoulder, standing under the flickering streetlight.

I sniffed, trying to compose myself.

Logan held out a crumpled pack of tissues.

He offered me a crumpled pack of tissues. "Back in the day, the marching band shook the field. Today, your yell could wake the whole town."

"Screw you."

"Come on," his voice softened, a little helpless. "Wipe your face."

"You heard everything?"

His presence was steady, grounding. The world felt a little less overwhelming with him beside me.

He walked slowly along the curb.

"Yeah."

His steps were unhurried, matching mine. The silence between us was comfortable, familiar. I didn’t have to pretend with him.

I didn’t know what his silence meant.

Was it pity? Sympathy?

Or did he realize my family was too crazy and want to back out?

The old fears crept in, but I pushed them aside. I wanted to believe he saw more than just my family’s mess.

From my last life to this one, I never completely got over my inferiority and stubbornness in front of him.

I kicked a pebble down the sidewalk, the sound echoing in the quiet night. I didn’t know what to say.

"That day, when I asked you to meet online, you didn’t get caught by Mr. McMillan, did you?"

He asked out of the blue.

"No, I didn’t."

His question caught me off guard. I looked up, searching his face for a clue. He just smiled, a little sad, a little amused.

As soon as I said it, I realized something was off.

"Wait, what???"

"You—you knew it was me?"

I never dared say I was Savannah—the one everyone said looked like a fox, just like her mom. Logically, I was the only one with memories after being reborn. To him, I should just be a study partner, right?

No matter how I racked my brain, I couldn’t figure it out. This guy was sly and sharp.

He looked like he was about to laugh, but bit it back.

"Actually, your essays are really good. I’ve read every one, just never got to keep them." He stopped, standing there and holding out his hand. "Can I have one? Everyone else has one—except me."

His eyes were earnest, hopeful. I felt a lump rise in my throat. I reached into my backpack, pulling out a folded piece of paper. I pressed it into his palm, our fingers brushing for a second longer than necessary.

Funny how we always ended up here. We’d wandered to a fork in the alley.

I suddenly saw a couple flirting up ahead and instinctively pulled him behind a wall.

Logan jumped. "What’s wrong?"

I peeked out, once, twice.

"Not my mom."

He let out a breath, relaxing. I could feel my own heart pounding, the old anxiety creeping in. I hated how much power she still had over me.

The ache crept up my nose, blurring my vision.

"I’m scared to run into her—with different men."

"I want to save her, tell her there’s another way, she doesn’t have to throw herself away…"

"But even I’m so cowardly."

"Still hiding."

My voice cracked, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. I felt exposed, vulnerable. But Logan just listened, his eyes gentle.

He leaned in, brushing my tears away with his lips.

So close, his eyes sparkled.

He said, "Savannah, don’t be sad."

"Be a deer in the woods. Go see the wide world."

His words were soft, but they filled me with hope. For a moment, I believed him. Maybe I could be brave. Maybe I could run free.

I snorted, laughing through snot, and punched him.

"Don’t bring up my screen name!"

He grinned, the tension breaking. We stood there, two kids in the dark, laughing at our own ridiculousness.

Just as things got really intimate, my foot stepped on a brick.

That step shattered the mood in an instant.

A brick, a dark alley, that hand choking me, his face covered in blood—him!

No.

This time, I wouldn’t let him be in danger.

The memory crashed over me, cold and sharp. I pulled away, putting distance between us. I couldn’t let history repeat itself. Not again.

Logan, whether or not I can change my fate…

You were meant for a bright future. Don’t get too close to me.

Don’t.

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