SageI didn’t think. I couldn’t think.The second he disappeared into his room, something in me snapped.I stormed after him, my anger burning hot and unchecked. I shoved the door open without knocking, barely registering the surprised look on his face before my fists connected with his chest.Again. And again.I hit him, my hands landing with no real force, but he didn’t stop me. He didn’t flinch, didn’t push me away. He just stood there. Taking it.That only made me angrier.“Why are you doing this to me?!” My voice broke, my throat burning from the sheer force of my emotions. Tears streamed down my face, and I hated it. Hated how weak I felt, how desperate I had become.He made me this way.He still didn’t say anything, just stood there while I pounded weakly at his chest. I wasn’t even trying to hurt him, I just wanted something. A reaction. Anything to prove that this wasn’t as easy for him as he made it seem.But he gave me nothing.I let out a broken sob and, before I could sto
SageI got the message just as I was leaving campus."Come see me. Wear something good."It wasn’t much, it was just a simple text. But my heart nearly leapt out of my chest.For three days, I had waited, my phone sitting untouched, willing myself not to text him first. I told myself that if he wanted me, really wanted me, then he would have to be the one to make the next move.And now he had.A slow smile crept onto my face as I read the message again, barely resisting the urge to do a ridiculous little happy dance in the middle of the hallway.I wasn’t naive enough to believe everything was fixed just because of one dinner and one text. But it was a step in the right direction. My direction. And I wasn’t about to let it slip through my fingers.After I went home to my place that night, I cringed at the thought of what I did. I snuck to his house, made dinner like a psychopath and hit him. It only dawned on me that I didn’t act appropriately and if I were him, I wouldn’t want to see
SageI had spent hours picking the perfect outfit. I wanted to look good, no, I wanted to look stunning. If the professor was asking me to see him and had specifically told me to wear something nice, then I needed to make an impression.You would think I was a girl getting ready for her first prom date. I was so excited and anxious at the same time because I had no idea what he was planning or what we were doing.But still, I didn’t want to disappoint him by not dressing up to standard.When I finally settled on a sleek black shirt with matching slacks that hugged my body just right, I took one last glance in the mirror, smoothed down my hair, and grabbed my jacket. My hands were trembling slightly as I walked out the door.By the time I arrived at his house, my heart was practically hammering against my ribs.I knocked, and within seconds, he opened the door.He was already dressed, looking effortlessly perfect as always. His crisp white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his da
SageLondon was the best experience I have ever gotten. I was grinning and blushing till we were ready to go home.Seeing the private plane waiting for us even after the three days we spent here was even more exciting.By the time we got back home, I was already half-asleep in the car. The long hours of travel, the excitement, and the emotional rollercoaster had drained every bit of energy from my body. I barely registered when the professor unbuckled my seatbelt and lifted me into his arms.I might have stirred slightly, but exhaustion pulled me right back under.The next thing I knew, I was in his bed. His scent surrounded me and it comforted me. I didn't move. I couldn't.I was jet-lagged, and my body refused to cooperate.I felt the warmth of his arms as he settled in beside me, pulling me close. His fingers traced soothing circles on my back, and I melted into him, letting sleep consume me once more.When I woke up, the bed beside me was empty.The absence of his warmth made me f
SageIt was a pretty intrusive question but I didn’t know what else to ask. I had no choice.That woman came here and disrupted the little peace I had. So I had to wonder how he put up with her because a minute in her presence and I was already drained.I looked up at him expectantly, He exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. "I don't want to talk about it, Sage."I crossed my arms, studying him. His shoulders were tense, his jaw locked in frustration. But I wasn’t going to let this go. Not when I had just found out he had been married, and not when his ex-wife had walked into his house like she still belonged there.Said all kinds of things to me and obviously changed his mood."River," I said softly, sitting across from him. "I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I need to understand. I don’t want to be blindsided like that again."He ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes avoiding mine.“I just…” he started, but he stopped himself, shaking his head.“You just wha
SageI had said it before, the past always finds a way to haunt you.It didn’t matter how much time had passed, how much you had moved on, or how much you convinced yourself that old wounds had healed. The past had a cruel way of creeping back into your life when you least expected it, slipping through the cracks you thought you had sealed.It also affected everyone around you. When my phone buzzed that evening, I wasn’t expecting anything unusual. Maybe a message from Kaiden, still bitter about my choices, or a text from the professor finally checking in after the yesterday’s mess. But when I picked it up and saw the name Valeria from web search flashing on my screen, a strange feeling settled in my gut.The message was simple:"Meet me at Peretti’s Café. We need to talk."I stared at it for a long time, debating whether I should even entertain whatever she wanted. The professor had made it clear that she was his past, something he had long buried. If I was smart, I should leave it
SageShe gave me a sideways glance before sighing. “Well, it felt that way. I worshipped the ground he walked on. I thought we were meant to be. But the thing about loving someone that much is… when they stop loving you back, you feel it.”I stiffened at that. “He stopped loving you?”She tapped a fingernail against her cup. “I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe he never did. Or maybe he just… lost interest.”I frowned. That didn’t sound like River at all. The man I knew was passionate, intense in his emotions, even when he tried to hide them.“You’re saying he changed?” I asked.“No,” she said bitterly. “I think I just never saw him clearly to begin with.”I swallowed, unsure of how to respond to that.“He wasn’t cruel,” she admitted. “Not outright. He never yelled, never called me names, never raised a hand to me. But he made me feel small. Like I was an afterthought in his life. I’d talk, and he’d nod, but I knew he wasn’t listening. I’d reach for his hand, and sometimes, he’d let me hold it
SageI tried calling the professor, but he wasn’t picking up.I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone, willing it to ring, but nothing happened. Each unanswered call only made my frustration grow. I had spent all night tossing and turning, trying to make sense of Valarie’s words, of the pieces of their past that didn’t quite fit together.And now, I needed to talk to him. I needed to hear his side again to make sure he wasn’t lying to me.Kaiden had been scarce, not that I was surprised. He was good at disappearing when I needed him the most, but maybe that was for the best. I wasn’t in the mood for another one of his self-righteous lectures. I could already hear him saying, I told you so, with that infuriating smirk on his face.By morning, I was exhausted but had no choice but to drag myself to school.I walked into campus, my mind still tangled with questions, when I spotted her.Valarie.I stopped short for a while to make sure my lack of sleep wasn’t making me hallucinat
SageI woke up with a tight knot sitting right in the middle of my chest. The apartment was quiet. No sign of Kaiden, and the sun had already climbed halfway through the sky.The sheets beside me were cold. He hadn’t come home last night.Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I wandered out into the living room, expecting maybe a note, maybe Kaiden sitting on the couch eating cereal out of the box like he did when he was too tired to pretend to be put together. But it wasn’t Kaiden I found.The professor sat there, hunched on the edge of the couch, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely interlocked. He didn’t even glance at me when I entered.“You’re up early,” I said cautiously, voice still raspy with sleep.His eyes lifted to me. They looked tired, more than tired. Hollow. “Did Kaiden come home last night?”I shook my head. “No. I thought he went to see you. He got your message, didn’t he?”His lips pressed into a line. “I went to his condo. He wasn’t there. I waited. His car was gone.
KaidenMy phone buzzed again.I glanced down at the screen through the strobing lights of the after-party. The text was from the professor. “Are you home?” Something about him checking up tugged at my heartstrings. My chest tightened and I wanted to go home even more.Being here was challenging for me. I wasn’t home. I was at the kind of party that used to thrill me. A rooftop venue in the city, neon lights flickering against polished glasses, expensive perfume clouding the air, and beautiful people, too many beautiful people. Some I recognized from the runway. Others from TV. All of them orbiting around free liquor and someone else’s fame.I would have been delighted to have all these people around me,But none of them looked like Sage.None of them carried themselves like the professor.I leaned against the balcony railing, letting the air hit my face. I didn’t belong here. Not really. Not tonight.Months ago, I would have been thrilled to be here but right now, I wanted to be hom
KaidenThe clink of glassware and soft instrumental music floated through the private dining room, but I barely noticed any of it. My attention was locked on the man seated across from me, Desmond, the so-called sponsor, though I knew better now. He wasn’t just another businessman looking to capitalize on talent. He was the distributor. The puppeteer behind the chaos circling my life.Martin couldn’t stop talking. “You know, this whole thing… it’s a damn miracle. The sponsor paid for the new condo in full. Quietly. No credit checks, no delays. Even Sage’s outfit, hell, the professor’s tux too, he took care of it all. Who does that?”He kept saying all the things that I didn’t want to hear. Didn’t he know that I was terrified?I kept my gaze fixed on Desmond. He smiled faintly, swirling his wine like he had all the time in the world. I didn't trust that smile. It was too smooth, too practiced like everything about him.I was skeptical to be here even though I had no choice. I didn’t w
KaidenWhen we got home, Sage was still trembling in my arms.I guided him gently to the living room couch and sat with him, wrapping the throw blanket from the armrest over his shoulders. He hadn't spoken much since we left the boutique. The only sounds were the occasional hitch in his breath and the way his fingers clutched the fabric of my shirt like he needed something solid to anchor him.He really was scared, I can’t imagine how terrified he must have been. Hearing that so close to him must have pushed him off the edge. I hated seeing him that way.“I’ve got you,” I murmured. “You’re safe now.”He leaned into me, his body slowly relaxing as he drew warmth from my presence.“Kaiden,” he whispered, eyes fluttering. “I don’t understand why this is happening. Why me?”“Because you matter,” I said. “More than you know. And I swear, whoever’s behind this won’t get close to you. Not while I’m breathing.”Eventually, his head dropped to my shoulder, and his breathing slowed. I held him
SageIt was entirely unfair for someone like Amir to be real. Tall, lean, with chiseled features that looked like they belonged on a movie poster rather than in a security file, and a voice that dripped with smooth, practiced calm. He was the kind of handsome that made your thoughts scatter just a little if you looked at him for too long.And I was doing exactly that.“Mr. Amir, right?” I asked, extending a hand, hoping my voice didn’t tremble like my fingers did. “I’m Sage.”He nodded, his grip firm but not overbearing. “I know. It’s a pleasure.”He smiled and I don’t mean the empty kind people give when they’re on duty. It was warm. Polite. And it made my stomach flip in a way I hadn’t expected.But as he turned toward the room, I caught sight of Kaiden and the professor.Both of them were glaring.I blinked.Kaiden’s jaw was tight, eyes narrowed like he was assessing a threat he didn’t like the look of. The professor, arms crossed, stood with the energy of a man who’d already decid
KaidenWhen Martin dropped me in front of the professor’s house. I barely waited for him to drive off before I dug out my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before I hit Bryan’s name.He was the only one who was making an attempt to help me right now. He answered on the second ring, his voice calm and clipped, like always.“Kaiden?”“Yeah, it’s me.” I moved to the far side of the room, away from the windows, and lowered my voice. “Something weird’s going on. I need to tell you about it.”“What kind of weird?” His tone sharpened immediately.I told him everything. The prepaid boutiques. The law firm. The condo being bought out. The way no one could or would tell me who was behind it. I could practically hear him frowning on the other end of the line.“You think it’s Sage?” he asked quietly.“No,” I said quickly, too quickly. “I don’t know. I mean—I don’t want to think that. And it’s not the professor either. I know that much. They would tell me if they are trying
KaidenI stared at the silver-trimmed envelope resting on the counter between the professor and me like it was some kind of explosive. The award ceremony. My name was on the guest list, of course. It had to be. I was the damn honoree.“I have my own invite, thanks to my connections,” the professor said casually, leaning against the kitchen counter. He swirled his coffee slowly, watching the dark liquid spiral. “But I think Sage should go with you.”Sage, sitting cross-legged on the couch and peeling a tangerine, looked up with a sheepish smile. “Would that be okay with you?”I didn’t even think about it before I answered. “No.”Their expressions changed almost instantly, surprise flickered across the professor’s features and Sage’s smile faltered.“It’s enough that Sage’s already in the spotlight,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, my words reasonable. “With the way everyone’s been talking and taking photos, I don’t want to put him in harm’s way, more than I already have. If you
Kaiden The clock on the bedside read 3:12 a.m. I rolled onto my side, confused by the soft glow seeping under the bedroom door. I blinked the sleep from my eyes, and when I looked over, Sage was still fast asleep beside me, his breathing steady and rhythmic. I reached out, touched his hair lightly, then slid out of bed. The hallway was silent except for the distant hum of the fridge and the occasional rustle of the wind brushing the windows. I padded barefoot across the wood floor, and as I neared the living room, the scent of whiskey hit me first. That, and the sound of papers being shuffled with irritation more than purpose. The soft overhead light in the corner cast a gold sheen across the professor’s back. He was hunched over the coffee table, glass of whiskey in one hand, papers spread out like an autopsy, calm chaos wrapped in tension. He didn’t look up when I entered. “You’re still awake?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I have work to do,” he said, not looking at me. His
KaidenI watched Sage’s chest rise and fall steadily, his breathing finally even and calm after a long, exhausting day. The faint hum of the heater filled the small apartment as the evening air drifted colder through the windows. He looked peaceful in sleep, peaceful in a way that didn’t match anything we’d been living through lately. It was a lie his body told, one I was grateful for, even if I knew it wouldn’t last. The last thing I needed was for him to keep worrying about the unknown.Today took a toll on him.I sat at the edge of the couch, elbows resting on my knees, hands folded, but my thoughts weren’t still. They kept drifting back to the question he asked earlier about whether we’d ever go back to how things were. And now I knew for certain: we couldn’t. Not with this storm closing in around us, not when every time I let my guard down, something tried to take Sage from me.I haven’t even figured out how to apologize to the professor, it took me a lot of thinking to realize