Echoes of Us

by Aaron McLean

A contradiction wrapped in a smirk and a well-worn pair of jeans.

And Wrightsville Beach had a way of pulling people back together—whether they were ready for it or not.

“You think letting him go was the right thing. That playing it safe was smart. But, Savannah, safe doesn’t mean happy.”

She wasn’t just some fling."

"She was… the one that got away."

I’m not gonna let you walk away without seeing where this could go. Not this time."

"Careful, Savannah. You keep playing hard to get, and I might just have to make you beg."

“Savannah, this place—this dock—it’s the echoes of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because of me—you, it's the Ec...

“No matter how breathtaking this place is… it will always be ...

“My first?" A brief pause, "Well, my favorite place is ...

He was wild oceans and crashing waves. He was lightning in the middle of a summer storm. He was everything that made her heart race and her soul ache.

She didn’t want safe anymore. She wanted him.

“I never settled down because no one was ever you.”

This time, she was his. And this time, she wasn’t letting go.

“I have always imagined bringing you here.”

“Chase—” “Don’t say anything,”

“Just—know that it...

"I told myself if I ever got another chance with you, I’d give you everything you deserve."

"You deserve the ocean and the shore, Savannah."

She knew this wasn’t just a rekindled spark. It was a wildfire. And she was already burning.

“You’re not just another night, Savannah,”

“You’re not just someone I’m going to fuck.”

Oh, she was so gone for this man.

“Are you always this smooth?”

“Only when it comes to you.”

Chase had been waiting for her.

And she wasn’t going to waste another second.

Chase Montgomery was built for sin.

"Is this what you wanted? Is this what you fucking wanted?"

"You wanted this side of me?"

"You want me to stop holding back?"

"Then listen, Savannah. From this moment on, you’re mine."

"You keep doing that, and I’m gonna make damn sure you never forget who you belong to."

“You’re mine now, Monroe.” And then? Then he fucking proved it.

"You keep looking at me like that,"

"and I won't be responsible for what happens next."

Because Savannah Monroe wasn’t just part of his past. She was his future. And now? He just had to make her see it.

“No maps. No plans. Just us and the road.”

And suddenly? She wanted him to belong to her.

“Now, I don’t know. Some things are worth staying for.”

Because three days weren’t enough. Three lifetimes wouldn’t be enough. But time didn’t care. Time never cared.

"I can’t picture any of it without you in it."

"I think—I just want someone to come home to."

"I love you."

"You were never supposed to be temporary."

"Then don’t let me be."

She wasn’t just leaving a place. She was leaving her heart behind. And it belonged to him.

"Stay."