Page 38 of Hooking a Hottie

“Doesn’t justify a thing.”

“Henry. Please.”

I showed my hands and swallowed down some real anger.

“It was like… I don’t know… I wanted to walk away, okay? And he kind of grabbed me.” She touched her left arm and looked ready to cry again. “He did it before. I panicked, you know? Like before when he did it, it left a mark…”

That piece of fucking shit grabbed your arm and left a mark? And now he did something else and you’re bleeding…?

“I freaked out a little, okay? I screamed at him to let me go. To stop touching me. That I hated his fucking guts…” She gasped for a breath. “So he did. He let me go. Knowing I was pulling away. Knowing I was panicking. So I stumbled and fell really hard. I hit the pillar on the porch. With my face…” She shut her eyes. “Everyone started laughing and pointing at me. I panicked again and ran off.”

“Did he chase after you?”

Sage opened her eyes. She shook her head. “He laughed. I heard him tell everyone that girls can’t handle their liquor. I didn’t take a sip of anything other than water.”

I had words at the tip of my tongue.

Plenty to say.

I knew if I said anything it would just chase Sage away from me. She needed someone to hold her, care for her, not get mad at her.

I slid off the counter and stood tall over her.

I reached with my thumb and brushed it against her cheek and the corner of her lip.

Right then and there a moment hit me…

I had to kiss her.

I mean, if I didn’t say something right now, I was going to kiss her.

“Sage… do you want me to go beat him up?” I asked.

I was only looking to make her smile for a second.

Sage’s eyes narrowed and her lip curled a little bit.

She grabbed my shirt again.

“Henry, I want you to beat the shit out of him for me.”

Chapter Eight

SAGE

Way… Way… Back…

Was I being serious?

Honestly…

Put it this way - normally I would have been kidding. Just blowing off some steam. Saying silly things because I was upset. Just like any other person would. In the confides of a close friend. Everyone has done it.

This time?

“Let’s go for a ride then,” Henry said.

He walked around me and was on the move.

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