Ruby Revenge

SAGE

What a shitty three days.

For the two days after I gave Niko the peep show, Alex had taken the days off work. He wanted to spend more time with me and give Niko a break. It was a long two days of acting. Especially when I couldn’t drink wine before I had to be nice to Alex.

I could act however I wanted with Niko. When Alex was home, I put up a front. A mask of my former self, even though that girl was long gone.

Today, I was ecstatic when Alex left for work, only to have Geo show up fifteen minutes later. Niko hadn’t looked very pleased to see his twin, but Geo stayed anyway. And I spent the whole day in my room. Geo scared me, and if he tried going near me again, I was going to break his nose instead of only giving him a bloody one. Probably not a good idea, since I promised Alex I could learn to love his family.

I cracked my door and poked my head out into the hall. I’d heard the front door slam and hoped that meant Geo had left.

“He’s gone,” Niko called out from the living room.

A weight lifted off my chest as I walked out of my room. Niko was on the couch, and I bit my lip as I sat next to him. The tension was radiating off him as he stared at the muted TV with his jaw clenched.

“What did Geo want?” I asked quietly.

“Nothing.”

I frowned. “He stayed all day.”

“He wanted us to hang out. I haven’t seen him much,” he muttered, running a hand down his face.

Before I could answer, the headlights of Alex’s Jeep shone through the windows and my stomach twisted. I didn’t even get to drink my wine. Dealing with him buzzed was hard enough. I wanted to be nowhere near him when I was sober.

“Hey, baby,” Alex greeted me as he walked through the door.

I cringed to myself like I did every time he said that. It brought back the memory of the night he found me.

“Hi, Alex.” I flashed him the brightest smile I could manage.

“I’m going to change clothes really quick. And then, Sage, I wanted to talk to you about something. Alone,” he said pointedly, looking at Niko.

“Hey, baby brother, you’re the one that wants me here. I’m not going to leave just because you want special time with your girlfriend,” Niko replied, his eyes still glued to the TV.

Damn. He really was in a mood. I stood up before they started bickering.

“I’ll just wait for you on the porch.” I gave Alex a quick kiss on the cheek and resisted the urge to wipe my lips.

“Okay, I’ll be out soon.”

I nodded and waited until the bedroom door clicked shut. Staring at Niko, I stepped in front of the TV.

“Hey, you’re in the way—”

“Do you know what he wants to talk about?” I asked him in a low voice, not wanting to be overheard.

Niko turned his gaze to me. “I have no idea. Sounds like you’re going to find out before me.”

Fear began to swell up inside me. What if the society changed their mind about me? I brushed my fingers over my shirt where my key sat in my bra.

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with the group. I would have been told if it was,” Niko assured me once he caught sight of my panic.

I nodded, although I didn’t share his confidence. He’d done next to nothing with the society because he spent all his time with me. How did he know when they made a decision?

Niko leaned back on the couch. “Better go wait outside like a good girl.”

I shot him a dirty look before heading out to the porch. He was such a dick when Alex was home. I gazed up at the stars as I waited. It was a beautiful and clear May night. It was hard to believe it had been almost a year since this nightmare began. Lightning bugs filled the cornfield next to the house. The only sound was the crickets chirping. This would have been a perfect place to live. If it wasn’t my prison.