Sage's POV The team’s accusations came in a furious torrent, a wave of angry voices demanding answers I couldn’t give. They crowded around me, a sea of hostile faces, their words a barrage of accusations. “How could you do this?"“You ruined his career, you whore!” “Did you really sleep with him?”I was frozen, unable to speak, the shame and the shock was like a heavy blanket suffocating me. The world felt like it was closing in, every whisper a nail in my coffin. Just then, I saw her. Pauline. She walked into the basketball court, her face a mask of cold resolve, and my heart skipped a beat. A foolish, desperate hope flickered within me that she might defend me, that she might, for a moment, be my friend again.But she didn’t even look at me. She walked straight past the huddle of my teammates and up to one of the girls. “Where’s Andrew’s bag?” she asked, her voice calm and steady, a stark contrast to the chaos around her.“In the locker room,” the girl replied, her eyes wide with
Sage's povThe next morning, the weight of the world felt impossibly heavy on my shoulders. Every muscle ached, every breath felt like a struggle. But I knew I couldn’t hide forever. With a deep, shuddering breath, I dragged myself out of bed, a ghost of my former self, and got ready for school.As I walked across campus, I felt it immediately. The stares. The whispers. Every head turned as I passed, every conversation seemed to pause and then resume in hushed tones. The eyes that followed me were a mix of pity, disgust, and morbid curiosity. It was the walk of shame, made real and public for the entire campus to see.I rushed to my locker, my head down, desperate to avoid eye contact. I grabbed my books and hurried to class, but even there, the whispers didn't stop. The familiar faces of my classmates were now a sea of judgment. I felt isolated, alone, a pariah in a place that had once felt like home.After the lecture, I was walking down the hall, my mind a haze of shame and pain, w
Sage's POV The sight of Anastasia, her face a mask of cold fury, was the final, brutal act in the play of my betrayal. I didn’t wait for her to speak. I didn’t wait for Andrew to explain. The words he had just spoken, the cold, calculated lies he’d fed me to make me leave, were enough. I turned and ran, the front door slamming shut behind me with a finality that echoed the death of my heart.I didn’t look back. I didn't want to see his face, to see the pain he claimed to feel, the pain that wasn't enough to make him fight for me. I just ran, my feet pounding on the pavement, a silent, desperate escape from the wreckage of my life.I went home and collapsed on my bed, the world outside a distant, irrelevant hum. His words, the terrible, bitter lies he had spoken to me, were a constant replay in my head. “I lied… I wasn’t looking for a relationship… I just wanted to sleep with you…” Each word was a fresh cut, a new layer of pain. The tears came, hot and fast, a torrent of grief for a l
Andrew's POV My chest ached with a pain so profound it was physical. Every word out of Sage’s mouth, every accusation, was a dagger to my heart. She couldn't understand, and how could she? How could she possibly comprehend the impossible choice I was making, the sacrifice I was forced to make for a promise I’d made to my daughter years ago?"You got lost?" she'd said, a bitter, broken laugh escaping her lips. "And you think that's an excuse? You let me fall for you, Andrew. You let me believe that this was something real, something worth fighting for."Tears streamed down her face, a sight that tore me to pieces. I had hurt her. I had hurt the one person who had managed to find a way back into my carefully constructed life, the one person who made me feel alive again. I had to end it. I had to stop the bleeding, even if it meant becoming the monster she now saw.“Sage, please,” I pleaded, my voice hoarse. “Don’t do this. I’m just trying to protect you.”“Protect me?” she scoffed, a f
Sage's POV He burst through the backdoor, the sound of his feet on the wooden porch echoing in my ears as I ran. My mind was a chaotic blur of shock and pain, the words I had just overheard replaying on a cruel, endless loop. End this… not worth it… protect my niece… They were cold, calculated words and they had sliced through my heart with surgical precision."Sage, wait!" Andrew's voice was a desperate call behind me.I didn't stop... I couldn't. Every part of me, every nerve ending, screamed for me to run as far and as fast as I could. I flew through the living room, a blur of motion, a silent scream of betrayal caught in my throat. I didn't want to see his face. I didn't want to hear his excuses. The words had been clear and his silence had been even clearer.He caught up with me at the front door, his hand grabbing my arm, his fingers a tight, unyielding vise. "Sage, please. Just listen to me."I whipped around, tears now streaming down my face, my vision a watery blur. I ripped
Andrew's POV The sound of my sister’s voice that was usually a comforting melody, was a sharp, unrelenting knife in my chest. I sat there, a silent, unwilling participant in my own trial as Amelia laid out the case against me. She had a point, a powerful one at that and the logic in her argument was suffocating. I couldn't argue with the truth, only felt the cold weight of it pressing down on me."Andrew, you have to end this," she said again, her voice softening slightly but her resolve unwavering. "I'm not trying to be the bad guy here, I just... I can't stand by and watch you make a mistake that will destroy your relationship with your daughter. This relationship with Sage, it's not worth it."I looked away, my gaze fixed on a distant point in the garden, anything to avoid the accusing look in my twin’s eyes. "I know, Amelia," I mumbled, the words feeling hollow even to me. "I've... I've thought about it. But for now, I'm just going with the flow. I don't want to think about the f