CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: CONFESSIONS

SAGE'S POV

“I said I'm fine, Crystal. If I can survive everything that has been happening in this house, then I can survive standing for a few more minutes,” I muttered, nudging the oven door shut with my foot and straightening up even though my ankle gave that small annoying pulse that reminded me it was still healing.

For a wolf, I had the healing time of a snail.

Crystal made a face from where she was perched on the counter, one leg swinging lazily while her fingers moved across her phone. “You said that yesterday and you almost fell down the stairs.”

“I didn't fall,” I replied, grabbing the tray and sliding it onto the counter. The smell of slightly burnt cookies hit me immediately, making me whine and I pulled off the mitt, tossing it aside. “And don't even start. I know they're burnt. I got distracted.”

“You mean you were staring into space like a tragic heroine,” she said, finally glancing up at me.

I narrowed my eyes at her before reaching for one of the cookies anyway. I was hungry and I wasn't about to waste food just because it looked a little questionable.

“Werewolves heal faster, remember,” I added, biting into it and immediately regretting my life choices because it tasted exactly how it smelled. I made a face while chewing. “So technically I should already be fine.”

“Technically,” Crystal echoed, dragging the word out like she didn't believe me at all.

I wiped my hands on the towel and leaned back against the counter for a second, watching her without making it obvious.

I watched her type on her phone, her lips tilting upwards and my brows furrowed in confusion.

“So,” she said suddenly, locking her phone and tossing it beside her like it hadn't been the center of her existence two seconds ago, “how was dinner with the great and powerful Eloise? Tell me everything.”

I snorted, shaking my head as I reached for another tray. “She was… nice,” I said slowly, because that was the only word that made sense even though it didn't feel like enough.

“Like actually nice. Nicer than I expected. Which is weird because she raised Dante and I don't know what the hell went wrong there.”

Crystal laughed at that, a real laugh this time, and for a second everything felt normal again.

“Puberty does a lot to boys,” she said, shrugging one shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. “Clearly.” I pulled the next batch out—this one slightly better than the last—and set it down while she reached over without hesitation, grabbing one even though it was still too hot.

“It's still burnt,” she said around the mouthful.

“You're still eating it,” I shot back. We fell into a small silence after that, not uncomfortable but not exactly light either.

I could feel it building again, that slight tension that had been sitting around her since she walked in, like she had something stuck in her throat and didn't know how to push it out.

“So,” she said again, softer this time, “do you know what you're going to do about everything? Like with Dante and the baby and all that.”

I paused, my fingers tightening slightly around the edge of the tray before I forced myself to keep moving. Stopping would mean thinking too much, and I was already doing too much of that lately.

“I don't know,” I admitted, letting out a small breath. “He mentioned something about an ultrasound, which is ridiculous because it hasn't even been that long, but you know Dante. He acts like everything is urgent and life-threatening.”

Crystal nodded, but she wasn't really reacting the way I expected. Her eyes drifted again for a second before she caught herself.

“Yeah,” she said, a little too quickly. “That sounds like him.” I frowned slightly but didn't push. If she wanted to say something she would, and if she didn't then forcing it would just make it worse.

She hopped off the counter suddenly, brushing her hands against her jeans like she was getting ready to leave. I blinked at her.

“Where are you going?” I asked, glancing at the clock instinctively. “It's not even time yet. Don't tell me you suddenly became a responsible employee overnight because I know you too well for that.”

She avoided my eyes. “Work,” she said, grabbing her bag. “I just… I need to go early today. There's stuff to handle.”

I stared at her. “You hate going early. You literally complain about it every single time. What changed?”

She shrugged, still not looking at me properly. “They're paying me well,” she muttered, like that explained everything.

I didn't believe a word she said but I let it go. Because sometimes people needed space to say things in their own time, and I wasn't about to corner her into something she wasn't ready for yet.

“Fine,” I said, waving her off lightly. “Go. We'll talk later.” She nodded, turned, took a few steps toward the door, and then stopped.

I watched her turn back slowly, my brow furrowing as I leaned against the counter again, crossing my arms this time because now I knew something was coming.

“Is it the cookies you forgot?” I teased lightly, trying to keep it normal, but she didn't smile.

“No,” she said, her voice tighter than before. “I need to tell you something.”

I straightened a little, one hand moving to my waist as I looked at her properly now. “What is it?”

“I kissed Cade.” Those words were not what I expected to hear and all I could do was blink slowly while my head tried to process everything.

“What the fuck,” I said, the words slipping out before I could even process them properly. “When did that even happen?”

“Last night,” she said quickly, like ripping it out faster would make it easier.

I stared at her like she had just grown a second head. “Go to hell,” I said, letting out a sharp laugh that didn't quite feel like humor.

“Is that why you've been acting weird? Running off early, glued to your phone like a teenager?”

She winced, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again. “I didn't know how to tell you,” she admitted, her voice softer now, more real.

“I didn't even know what it meant. It just… happened. And then we talked and everything got messy and I thought maybe I should just ignore it but I couldn't and then I decided to give him another chance and—”

“Wait,” I cut in, holding up a hand because she was spiraling now and I needed her to slow down. “You decided to give him another chance? As in you actually like him.”

“I think I do,” she nodded fervently, turning a bright shade of red.

I studied her for a moment, at the way her shoulders were slightly tense, at the way her fingers twisted together unconsciously, at the way she looked both terrified and hopeful at the same time.

And a chuckle left my lips. Not because it was funny, well it actually was. “You,” I said, shaking my head, a smile tugging at my lips despite everything, “overthink far too much.”

“Don't laugh,” she groaned, covering her face for a second before peeking at me again.

“I'm serious, Sage. I don't know what I'm doing and I feel like I messed everything up and I didn't want to hide it from you but I also didn't want to ruin anything and—”

“Hey,” I said, stepping closer and grabbing her wrist lightly, stopping her from spiraling any further. “Breathe. You're not confessing a crime. You kissed someone. You like someone. That's not the end of the world.”

She looked at me like she wasn't sure if she believed me. “Are you sure?” she asked quietly.

I nodded, my grip loosening slightly as I let out a small breath. “Do you like him?” I asked instead.

She hesitated but a slow nod still followed.

“Yeah,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I do.”

I studied her for a moment, then smiled, softer this time. “Then stop panicking like you just ruined your life,” I said, nudging her lightly.

“You're allowed to feel things, even if they're messy.” She let out a shaky laugh, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders.

“You're not mad?” she asked, almost like she was testing it.

I rolled my eyes. “Now give me one reason why I should be?” I replied, and she groaned again, swatting my arm.

“You're the best.”

“Accurate,” I grinned, grabbing a small container and starting to pack some of the cookies the slightly better ones to take to granny the next time I visited.