SAGE
Alex hadn’t let me leave his sight for the last three weeks.
It had been fucking miserable. My cuts and bruises were pretty much gone. But I’d been exaggerating my fake back pain so I could spend most of the day in bed, away from him. I’d barely seen Niko. He came and saw me after everything happened, but Alex didn’t give us a moment alone. Then his dad blew up his phone until Alex pretty much told him to get the hell out of the house. His dad’s been making him help with the society. When he was here, he kept his distance since Alex was always in the room. Always.
He made Niko go to the store if we needed something. Anytime I was on the couch, Alex was touching me in some sort of way. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could do this.
Last week, Alex had been in the shower, and for once, Niko had been here. I asked him to get me the last thing I needed to complete my list of what I needed to leave. Before he could respond, his mom had walked in with a tray of food. Both their parents had been spending way too much time here.
“Would you like another piece, Sage?” Caitlin asked, passing the tray of meatloaf to Alex.
Ever since her son had disappeared, Caitlin had lost the happiness in her eyes. But she had been putting on a strong front for the rest of her family. She’d been bringing us meals so often that our fridge was overflowing with leftovers.
“No, thank you,” I responded quietly, feeling the weight of her joyless gaze.
I wasn’t sad about what I’d done to Geo. He was going to kill me, and I did what I needed to survive. But guilt had been eating me up every time I saw the pain in Niko’s eyes. We hadn’t had a chance to talk about it, and I wasn’t sure he’d want to discuss it with me. Or talk to me at all.
Theo and Caitlin were here for dinner for the third time this week, and acting in front of them, on top of Alex, was exhausting. Every time Theo glanced my way, his stare was filled with loathing. He blamed me for everything that had happened.
“I think I’m going to lay down for a bit,” I announced, ready to get away from them. My gaze slid to Niko, and my eyes narrowed in surprise when I saw a small smile playing on his lips. That was the most happiness I’d seen from him in weeks.
“Hold on,” Alex said, grabbing my hand to keep me at the table. “I’m going somewhere with Dad for the next two days. I feel horrible for leaving you, but something needs to get done.”
Excitement hit me for the first time in weeks, and I swallowed it while everyone’s attention was on me. Caitlin was giving me an encouraging smile, as if I were devastated that Alex was leaving. Niko kept eating, keeping his eyes off me. Theo was engrossed in his phone.
“I’ll call to check up on you,” Alex continued. “And I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. If the smile Niko was trying to hide was any indication, it was him who would be staying with me.
The next twenty minutes dragged on while we finished dinner. Alex went to pack a bag while his parents said goodbye and left the house. Niko began washing the dinner dishes, and I moved beside him and started drying them. Neither of us said a word, but anticipation was heavy in the air.
I caught myself from flinching when Alex grabbed my hip, turning me around. Pressing a kiss to my cheek, he kept me in his hold longer than I wanted.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, exhaustion filling his voice. “I know you’ve had a horrible few weeks. But don’t worry, baby. When I come home, we’re going to move forward. We’ll talk about it when I get back.”
Panic flared from his words, but I didn’t ask what he meant. I was going to enjoy these next two days being free of him. He muttered a goodbye to Niko before heading to his Jeep. I watched him drive away through the window, feeling the constant weight on my chest ease a fraction.
“Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” Niko murmured from behind me, his arms going around my waist. “It’s been hell not being here for you.”
“Have you been sleeping at your parents’?” I asked as he pulled me toward the couch. Since everything happened, he’d barely spent a night here.
“Yeah.” He frowned as we sat down. “They’ve been watching me as much as they’ve been looking for Geo. They think I’ll be the first person he contacts. Or that I might try to search for him. They’re worried I’m about to snap.”
“Are you okay?” I whispered. “You had to see what I did. And then you went back to clean it up. I’m sorry, Niko.”
“Listen to me.” He turned until we were facing each other. “I am not mad at you. You protected yourself. Yes, I miss my brother. But I do not blame you.”
“How can you not hate me? I know how it feels to lose a sibling. I could never forgive Geo for what he did.” I shook my head as tears filled my eyes.
“That was different,” he murmured, pulling me into his chest. “I can mourn the brother I loved. The one I grew up with. The man he became was someone I didn’t recognize.”
“I thought you were avoiding me,” I mumbled into his shirt.
He pulled away, meeting my eyes. “Believe me, if I could, I’d be spending every fucking second with you.”
Relief flooded me. “It’s not going to stay like this, is it?”
“Everything’s different right now, Sage,” he said hesitantly. “Our entire family is in a spotlight for a reason none of us want.”
“I’m done.” I kept his stare, making sure he knew I was serious. “I can’t do this anymore. Especially with you not here.”
“You can’t run. There are too many eyes. If that’s what you want to do, we’ll plan something—”
“I’m not leaving,” I cut him off sharply, being completely honest with him. “I’m doing what I promised myself a year ago. I’m exposing the society. They can’t keep doing this to innocent women.”
His jaw ticked, and I couldn’t decipher his thoughts as he stared at me. He scrubbed his hand over his mouth before letting out a long breath.
“I figured you were planning something like that.” He jerked his head toward the window. “I got the smartphone you wanted. It’s in your car under the floor mat right next to the spare key.”
“Thank you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you’ve been waiting for to do whatever you’re going to do? You needed the phone?”
“That’s part of the reason.”
“What’s the other part?”
I shrugged as if it were obvious. “Because if I do, it’ll hurt you.”
Surprise gleamed in his eyes before the smile I had missed lit up his face. I cried out in surprise when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to my feet. One of his hands wrapped around the back of my neck, pulling me closer.
“You have a lot of motivation to make sure this plan of yours works,” he murmured softly. “And I’ll help. Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”
My jaw fell. “Niko. You realize I’m talking about the entire society. Alex. Your dad—”
“I know what it means.” He pressed his finger to my lips. “And when that happens, I’ll most likely go down with them. I’m connected in every way, Sage. There’s no way to keep me out of it. And that’s okay. After the shit I’ve done and the things I’ve helped with, I’m just as guilty as the rest of them.”
“No—”