Cain fell on his ass, but quickly recovered and made his way over to us. “Abort! Go! Go! Go!”
He grabbed our arms, but I didn’t move as my stare lingered on Sage to come with us.
“Dude!” Cain grabbed my face. “I know you’re trying to be romantic and pull a romantic comedy out of this shit, but I’m literally about to get my ass kicked. Can we please go?”
The solemn expression on Sage’s face told me she wasn’t going to come with us, and for some reason it bothered me that she was going to stay with this shit-face who cheated on her all the time.
I was going to tell her. “He fuc—”
“You son of a bitch!” the huge husband hollered, interrupting me, sprinting out of the house full boar style.
“Dad!” the guy who threw the party called him, walking up to the scene of the crime Cain had committed.
Fucking Cain.
So much for ever coming back to this house again.
All that was left for me to do was tell Sage, “Happy birthday.” And we were out of there like we were Scooby fucking Doo.
Sawyer must have taken off at some point because his truck came into view, and he didn’t even slow down. We jumped into the bed of his Chevy, and he hit the gas. I couldn’t help myself. I turned around and locked eyes with Sage as she watched us hightail it out of there.
Our eyes never wavered from each other, and for the first and not last time in my life, I felt regret for what could have been. I wouldn’t see her again until years later, and by that time.
Everything had changed.
Everything.
Except…
My feelings for her.
Chapter 4
—Sage—
I watched them leave, and it made me feel sad.
Should I have gone with him? Why did it feel like I’d made a mistake?
I didn’t even get his number. I’d never see him again.
“Babe, I’m sorry,” Memphis expressed, bringing my troubled gaze back to him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
He caressed the side of my face. “You sure are.”
This was Memphis, always the charmer. It was what made me fall for him in the first place. His flirty demeanor and banter worked like magic every single time he used his Casanova antics on me.
Although, this time, they weren’t carrying the same effect as they once did.
Was it because of Ashton? How could he impact me like this when I’d only just met him?
“Did you dress up for me?”
I nodded. It was the truth, I did.
“Sage.” Aspyn glared at Memphis. “Maybe we should go?”
“How about you leave, so I can be alone with Sage on her sweet sixteen?”
“Or…” she accentuated, cocking her head at him with her middle finger on her chin in a sarcastic gesture. “How about you eat shit and die?”
“Aspyn…”
“Oh, come on, Sage. You’re not falling for his shit again? He only wants you because someone else was interested.”
“Aspyn, why don’t you let Sage make her own decisions? Newsflash, you aren’t her mother.”
“Newsflash, you aren’t her boyfriend. You broke up with her.”
“And I’ve regretted it every day since.”
She scoffed out a snide chuckle, “Where were you this evening then? When everyone who loves her was singing her Happy Birthday, huh?”
“I was buying her gift.” He pulled out a small wrapped box from the inside of his jacket, and she eyed him skeptically. “Now, will you leave us alone?”
Still not convinced, she gazed over at me. “I’ll do whatever you want, Sage.”
I peered back and forth between them for a few moments until I responded with, “I’m okay. We will meet up later, alright?”
She reluctantly sighed, not happy with my answer. “I have my phone. Text me when you’re ready to leave.”
With that, she left, leaving me alone with the guy I’d referred to as the enemy only hours earlier.
“Come on, let’s get you a drink, birthday girl.” He grabbed my hand and led the way inside.
I thought about Ashton the entire time.
What was he going to say to me?
I could barely keep up with Memphis’s stride; he was walking really fast for some reason or another. Finally, after what felt like forever from having to push through the crowds of people at this party, we made it to the punch bowl. I was blown away by the fact that one of Ashton’s friends had sex with the mother of this house, and we weren’t kicked out.
What kind of family was this?
I shook away the thought, grabbing the drink that Memphis handed me. I didn’t have to be told twice, I drank the entire cup down. Wanting to forget about the stupid boy who just liked to play the part of the hero for the night.
“I guess I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.”
“Sage, I really am sorry. Are you alright?”
“Maybe you should’ve thought about me before you hit him?”