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Soon, I’m going to prove to her that she’s wrong, though. We’re not better off separately, and I’ll do everything in my power to show her that we can’t live without each other.
“Stop whining.” Hudson slaps my back as he opens the door to The Mill. Walking past the hostess, he heads directly to the back.
“Where are you going?” I look at him and then Lex, who smiles and shrugs.
He pulls back the curtain to a back room, and I tilt my head.
“What’s going on?”
Without responding, Lex pushes me in.
I stumble, almost landing on my face as people yell, “Surprise!”
My head snaps up, eyes wide, as I stare at my friends. Hope, Toby, Ellie, Derek, and Matt.
My eyes scan the room like an eagle hunting its prey, but my target is nowhere to be found. I deflate like a saggy and sad balloon when I don’t see Sage. If only the break-up was just part of the plan. Unfortunately, I’m not that lucky.
“Wow,” I breathe out, looking at everyone.
“Got you good, huh?” Lex smiles, bumping her shoulder with mine.
“Yeah.” Hudson squeezes my shoulder and smiles. “Happy birthday, Tristan. It may not be perfect, but it’s worth celebrating.”
“Thanks.” I hug him, clapping his back.
The room is decorated with gold balloons and a banner. There’s a small bar with a bartender to the left and a long table with appetizers against the back wall.
I greet everyone, thanking them for the birthday wishes and surprise. Someone places a drink in my hand, and I take a sip as my friends talk, but it’s not the same without Sage here. I miss her so much.
“Excuse me.” I interrupt them and walk away.
I rub a hand along my bearded jaw as I observe the scene before me. I’m grateful for all the people here to celebrate with me, but things have taken a different direction in my life. A quarter century and everything I thought I knew I wanted is blurry. Nothing makes sense without Sage.
“Smile, birthday boy.” Lex walks up to me.
I force a smile.
“Thanks. How did you guys plan this on the down-low?” I can’t believe they pulled it off without me finding out. I tend to figure things like this out.
Lex smiles softly and squeezes my arm.
“This was all Sage. She approached Hudson about planning a surprise for you. I helped, especially recently,” she frowns.
“Wow.” I remember the day I saw her walking out of Hudson’s office and how nervous she looked. Is this why?
“I know things are rocky right now, but she cares about you.” Lex pats my arm.
“They’re rockier than the Rocky Mountains.”
“She wants what’s best for you. You can’t blame her for that.”
“I know.” I nod, looking away.
Sage has my best interests at heart, especially after I realized the reasoning behind the break-up, but that doesn’t mean I agree with it.
“So she planned all this?” I wave my hand around.
“Yup. She called The Mill, reserved the room, and planned the decorations. She even picked the menu. Hudson refused to let her pay, though.”
