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SAGE
I’d heard the front door slam over an hour ago, but I was still hiding in my room. I wasn’t sure if Geo was still here, and I didn’t want to see him at all. Or Alex. Since Niko hadn’t come knocking, I was almost positive he was the one who left. Which meant Alex was here. I knew I’d have to show my face eventually. My body was still on edge from the orgasm I didn’t get, thanks to him coming home. I’d almost finished myself off, but the chance of Alex walking in on me vetoed that thought immediately.
My gaze went to the phone sitting on the dresser. Alex had given it back to me, apologizing for how he’d acted. He told me I could call my dad any time I wanted. I was guessing he was trying to build trust. There wasn’t any. He or Niko could check the phone whenever they wanted. Although I had snuck a few texts to Kiara and then deleted any evidence of it.
“Sage,” Alex called from somewhere in the house. “If you’re not busy, I need to talk to you.”
Ice chilled my veins as I stayed frozen on the bed. Anytime he wanted to talk, fear took over. The chance that the society had changed their mind about me was always in the back of my mind. Sneaking around with Niko only made it worse because it was one more thing I needed to worry about. But it didn’t scare me enough to stop what we were doing.
Taking a large breath, I forced myself to stand and made my way to the door. My steps were slow as I moved down the hall, and I scanned the empty living room before turning to look at the kitchen.
“Hey,” Alex said softly as he looked up from his laptop. He was sitting at the little card table and looked to be waiting for me to come out.
“Hi.” I unclenched my fists and tried to relax. He looked nervous, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to enjoy this conversation. I needed wine.
With hesitation, I sank into the chair across from him. An awkward silence settled over the table as I waited for him to speak up.
“Tomorrow is Sunday. And my parents would really like both Niko and me to come. It’s been a while since we’ve all had dinner together.” He paused, as if thinking of what to say next.
A rush of renewed hope flowed through me. Did he trust me enough to leave me alone? Being in a house with no one else for the first time in months would be a dream. Maybe the threat of my dad was enough that he thought I wouldn’t run. I could call Kiara. I had texted her a few times, assuring her that I was safe, but talking to her would help so much. To hear a friendly voice.
“I was thinking we could all go.”
Alex’s words broke through my excitement. Reality crashed down on the feeling of hope. Of course I had to go with them.
“Your parents want to see me?” I asked while holding back tears of disappointment.
He sighed. “I know this is hard for you. But if we’re going to be together, my parents come along with that. We aren’t going to talk about anything you don’t want to.”
That meant they wouldn’t talk about the society. They planned to keep me in the dark forever. But maybe there was something at their house. Evidence about the society. If I was going to be forced to go there, I could at least try to be productive.
He continued, “I think it would help them feel better to know that you’re trying to become part of the family.”
“Sure, I’ll go,” I mumbled. Like I had a choice. I didn’t know who would feel better, his parents or the society, but didn’t care enough to ask. It would only cause an argument.
He beamed and leaned across the table, kissing me on the cheek. It took all my strength not to dodge it.
“Want to watch a movie together?” Alex asked, hope in his voice. He wanted everything to be good. For it to be normal again. It never would. There was no way I was spending the rest of my life like this. But for now, I would. To keep my dad safe. It was hard to admit, even to myself, that for the last month, escaping hadn’t been on my mind as much as it should.
“Do you want some wine?” I asked nonchalantly, Niko’s words rushing through my head. Technically, he told me to stop drinking after today. I could enjoy my wine one more night.
“Have you even eaten dinner yet?” he asked.
“Yes,” I lied, my usual appetite gone from our conversation. “It’s always nice to watch a movie with some wine.”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
I smiled. “I’ll get it. You pick the movie.”
Alex headed to the couch as I opened the cabinet. I took out the bottle of wine and saw Niko’s stash of tequila. I debated for half a second. He probably wouldn’t even notice. I quickly twisted the cap off the liquor and took a long gulp. The bitter taste traveled down and warmed my chest. Usually, I needed a chaser after liquor, but there wasn’t time for that. I reached for the glasses in the other cabinet, and after setting them down, took another shot from the bottle. Opening the wine bottle, I took one more drink before quietly putting the tequila away. That should help make watching the movie more bearable.
I took a sip of the wine as I walked to the couch to help hide the smell of the tequila. Alex patted the couch right next to him. A hint that he wanted me closer than my usual attempt at sitting on opposite ends. Grateful I had found the tequila, I sat down close enough that we were almost touching.
He slipped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to him. It was the closest we’d been since everything had happened. Even in bed every night, I kept my distance. The fresh scents of his cologne and body wash engulfed me. That smell used to be intoxicating but was now just an ugly reminder of the memories I would rather forget.
During the movie, I made any excuse I could think of to sneak another shot of tequila. By the time the movie finished, I was still feeling good. Better than good. Drunk. Numerous shots and two and a half glasses of wine were a lot, even with how much I’d drunk these last few months. Alex stretched, finally releasing me from his arm.
“I think I’m going to bed. I’ve been up since four this morning. I’m exhausted. You ready?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m just going to relax on the porch for a while.”
Lying in that bed was the last thing I wanted. I wanted to enjoy this feeling without him being around.
“Okay. Goodnight.” He gently kissed me on the cheek before heading to the room.
