From Best Friend To Fiancé (Savannah and Roman) novel Chapter 296

**TITLE: Dreams Folding Into Broken Time**
**Chapter 296**

“I tried.” I reclined against the headboard, my gaze drifting over the chaotic scene unfolding before me. “But you looked so utterly peaceful, lost in your dreams. I simply couldn’t bring myself to disrupt that tranquility. Besides, you were completely wiped out from this morning, remember? I might have a reputation for being heartless, but I’m not cruel.”

“Heartless?” she shot back, her eyes narrowing as she rummaged through the disarray for her phone. “You’re absolutely unbelievable.”

“Correction,” I replied, a smirk playing on my lips. “I’m irresistible.”

She brushed my comment aside, her unsteady legs carrying her out of bed as she fumbled through the closet. A bra, a skirt, her blazer—all while she still seemed to feel the lingering warmth of our earlier encounter. Her hands trembled, breaths shallow and uneven, and her phone buzzed incessantly on the nightstand, a relentless reminder of the world waiting outside our little bubble.

“Calm down, Penny. At this rate, you’ll be sweating through your blouse before you even step outside,” I advised, my tone light but laced with concern.

“Don’t talk to me,” she snapped, snatching her files with a huff, sending papers fluttering across the floor like fallen leaves.

I crouched down, retrieving one of the scattered sheets, and read the heading aloud. “Cross-examination strategy,” I mused. “Interesting choice. Maybe you should have been studying that last night instead of begging for more.”

She froze, her eyes widening. “Reese—”

“What?” I feigned innocence, standing tall. “Too soon?”

Her glare was sharp enough to cut glass. “This isn’t funny.”

“Never claimed it was,” I said, slipping my phone into my pocket. I watched her struggle with the zipper of her skirt, the tension in the air thickening. “You’re too serious, Penny. You used to know how to enjoy life.”

“I have a hearing in less than an hour, and you—” she paused, visibly battling to steady her breathing. “I don’t have time for your games.”

“You never do,” I replied softly, my words hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. “That’s your problem.”

She turned away, muttering curses under her breath as she continued her frantic search for her keys. I followed her movements with my gaze, taking in the sight of the perfect lawyer unraveling before my eyes.

“Your car’s still parked by the road, you know,” I reminded her casually. “Don’t forget you promised you’d send someone.”

She stopped in her tracks. “What? How am I supposed to get to the courthouse?”

“I’ll drive you,” I offered, slipping into my jacket with a sense of finality. “I’ll be waiting in the car. Don’t keep me waiting, Penelope.”

For a moment, she hesitated, torn between the urge to refuse my help and the desperate need for it. I could see the panic flickering in her eyes—the kind that could strip even the most formidable woman of her armor. And I seized that moment without hesitation.

As she brushed past me, I playfully smacked her backside, eliciting a gasp that echoed through the room.

“Focus,” I said, my tone teasing.

Her pulse quickened, and she shot me a glare. “You’re insufferable.”

“Thank you,” I replied, pausing by the door. “Coffee’s on the table. You’ll need it.”

“Reese,” she said, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and something else entirely. “Why are you doing this? Why are you even helping me?”

I met her gaze, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “Because I want to. You just gave me the best night I’ve had in years. I ought to show some gratitude, don’t you think?”

Confusion danced in her eyes, but she managed to muster a quiet, “thank you.”

I nodded, then stepped out, allowing the door to click shut behind me.

Downstairs, I settled into my car, glancing at my watch. 8:45 AM.

“Probably,” I admitted, a hint of mischief in my tone. “But you didn’t seem to mind last night.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, a clear sign she was grappling with her thoughts. “Last night… wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Funny,” I said, glancing at her. “You didn’t call it that when you begged me to stay.”

Silence enveloped us, only broken by the hum of tires against asphalt.

“Reese,” she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper. “Why are you doing this to me?”

The sincerity in her tone nearly caught me off guard—almost. I glanced at her, one hand firmly gripping the wheel. “You really want the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Because you make it too damn easy to fall in love with you again after all these years.”

She was instantly at a loss for words, her eyes wide as she searched my face for a hint of deception, for any sign that I was joking.

I remained calm, my expression steady.

As we pulled up outside the courthouse, she was already halfway out of the car before I could even shift into park. Papers clutched under one arm, coffee in the other, her hair barely contained—a perfect storm of chaos.

“Good luck in there,” I called after her, a teasing lilt in my voice. “Try not to fall asleep on the stand.”

She slammed the door behind her, and I leaned back in my seat, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth. “I hope we never forget each other, Penny. I know this is a disaster, but you’ll come lurking for me. I know you will.”