“When you guys were young,” she starts, “When the um,incident, went down. Sage was broken for a really long time. She came home that semester and was just sosad. It took me a few days to get her to leave her room, and weeks to get her to finally tell me what happened.”
She looks out toward the cafe and sighs. “I know that you two have gotten over that, and that you both had agreed to move on. But you need to know that she was not okay after that allhappened. I don’t personally know how she felt, this is all just from what she said, but she felt abandoned. She was coming to terms with her sexuality which I’m sure is scary on its own, but then she lost her best friend in the entire world at the same time. She— God, Emma, she was like a ghost and I never want to see my sister like that again. I know you two have worked it out, but if she’s feeling even a fraction of what she did back then, then you need to understand what she was going through.”
“I know.” I choke out, the tears I tried to keep inside flowing freely down my cheeks. “Fuck, I know Piper. And I don’t ever want to hurt her like that again. I’m not mad at her, I just want her to understand that I think she’s worth fighting for. That I’m not going to stop trying to get through to her. I lo—” I snap my mouth shut. Oh my God, I do love her, don’t I? I mean, of course I fucking do. How could I not? From the second I met her, and through all the bullshit we went through to get to this point, I fell so madly in love with her that I’m sick with it. She is the only thing I want in this world, and I’m going to get her back. “Piper, I’m going to need your help with a plan.”
“A plan?” She asks slowly.
“Mhm. I’m going to win your sister back.”
We spend the rest of my shift planning exactly how I’m going to do that in between customers and when it’s time for me to go, Piper wraps me in a big hug. “I’m rooting for you two.” She says. “Just let me know when it’s time for my part in your master plan to woo my sister.”
I hug her back tightly. “Thank you. I’ll keep you updated.”
I drive home as quickly as I can and still be safe and run into the front door. The house is full of delicious sweet smells, which I can only assume means Liam is baking in the kitchen. I find him and my mom sitting at the kitchen table, mugs of tea in their hands as they chat. “Am I interrupting anything interesting?” Iask as I sit down. I snag a sip of my mom’s tea and at her huff of annoyance, grin at her.
“It’s like you don’t remember the manners I taught you.” She says with an eye roll. “Tea bags are still out if you want your own.”
“I’m good.” I say with a wink. “How were your mornings? It smells really good in here, Liam. Whatcha making?”
“Brownies, at your mom’s request.”
“You do love a good fudge brownie.” I say, fiddling with the corner of the tablecloth.
“You’re being weird.” Liam says with a raised brow. “What’s wrong with you?”
I give him a blank look. “You mean other than the girl I’m in love with being done with me?”
My mom gasps dramatically and Liam sets his tea down turning his entire body toward me. “Okay.” He says. “We’re getting deeper into that, right now.”
“Yeah. Came to that realization at work this morning.” I say and lean back in my chair. My hair dangles behind me as I stare up at the ceiling. I worked through a plan with Piper today, and hopefully I can get all the pieces together, and most importantly, get Sage to give me a chance to talk to her. “I have a plan.”
“A plan.” My mother echos. “To do what?”
I fill them both in on everything that I talked to Piper about earlier. Both of them eager to help and do whatever they can. After some more tea and the incredible brownies Liam made, I’m feeling better about this. It’s going to work. I’ve texted both River and Peyton to clue them in on everything too, and both have assured me that they will play their parts. There’s a tendril of hope sitting deep in my chest, and I’m letting it grow, because I know that this plan is going to be successful. I’m going to show her just how important she is to me, and that I will do whatever it takes to fight for her.
I’m going to get my girlfriend back.
CHAPTER 20
Sage
“You’re all set.” I tell the young woman sitting at my chair. I just finished a thigh piece of a nymph sitting on the moon for her, and it looks sick. I smooth out the last bit of the clear tattoo bandage and have her check it out in the mirror at my station before she heads up front to pay with Peyton.
“I love it so much! Thank you, I’m going to tell all my friends to start coming here from now on!”
I laugh. “That’s what we like to hear.”
The bell above the door chimes and I hear Peyton’s greeting of “Can we help you, dude?” Ever the professional.
I freeze when I hear Liam’s voice. “No thanks, I’m here to talk to Sage.”
“She’s just finishing up with a client. Sage!”
“Yeah.” I croak. “I, uh. I heard him. Gimme a few minutes to get cleaned up here and we can chat.”
He nods and sits himself in one of the chairs up front, grabbing one of the random magazines we have stashed up there to flip through.
What the fuck is he doing here? Hasn’t he done enough… showing up here and being allfriendlywith my girlfriend. Ex… ex-girlfriend. Fucking, fuck.
