Chapter 23

I reccommend the book The Guy, by TelnishaHaymond. This book is such a great book and the boy is so mysteriously great, I cant even describe. I LOVE this book so far and it's a pretty much have you stuck reading in one sitting, book.

Oh and I got some interesting questions last time. Blaze is American, so is Sage. I'm American too. Blaze is formal because of the etiquette classes he went to, but he's still American.  Oh and if you wanted to see the cast they are on the last chapter! :) enjoy!

Oh and off to the right are pictures of Lana and Mark, and on the bottom Marnie and Stacy

Baby I know, you do that to all the girls

You know that I'm fragile,

And I can't believe you or read you

Cause there's pleasure in your preview

It's all in your eyes-Artist: Solange Song: Sandcastle Disco

Sage’s Pov.

Zac’s parents handed their jackets to Blaze and he just tossed them onto a random stool at the breakfast bar. I rolled my eyes but I left them there anyway because they would be easier to locate that way. He sat back around the Monopoly board with the now beaming Lana and the hurt Zac and his parents. I joined them and we played as normal.

“So Sage can we expect kids soon?” Marie asked with stars in her eyes, she was the type of person you would hate to disappoint.

I shrugged and looked at Blaze, “Pshh, I don’t know if he could handle kids.”

Blaze looked shocked for a quick second, but regained his composure. “Is that a challenge?” I just shrugged at him and he pulled me into a side hug and kissed me on my forehead. I noticed lately that Blaze has been very affectionate lately, whether we’re in front of our friends or not. He’d do little sweet gestures that I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have even thought about doing when I first got here.

The game went on as normal, with Zac cheating and Lana attacking him. Marie just smiled and allowed it to happen, and Tyler laughed about it. These were some nice parents and Marie decided to help me get the food ready in the kitchen.

While I was getting the meatloaf out of the oven, Marie was stirring the gravy. I looked up and saw Blaze throw a game piece at Mark, and smiled a little when Mark thought it was Zac. Zac poked out his bottom lip and threw a piece at Blaze, and it hit him square in the forehead. Even though it was a tiny plastic piece Blaze wasn’t expecting it so his head went back a bit and I giggled.

“So honey, how exactly did you get Blaze to open up to you? He hasn’t been that way in a long time.”

“He didn’t,” I smiled. “I opened up to him, and he’s slowly becoming a person that I’ve never seen before, and it’s a good thing.”

“Well one thing I know is under that mask, I’ve never seen Blaze happier. He’s happier with you.” She smiled gave me a warm side hug and carried the gravy to the table. It felt good to know that people who were close to Blaze thought I was making him happy, it was comforting, and I sort of believed them. I was falling in love with Blaze, and I knew that would be a bad thing in the long run.

But I couldn’t help it, I was falling in love with him now, not just his nice spurts. I was falling in love with the mean attitudes, with how he slept, with how he was so dedicated to work, how he was playful one minute and serious the other, the way he’d hold me. And if someone asked me if it scared me, I’d tell them that  falling is always scary, especially when you know what’s at the bottom.

I looked over to Blaze and his eyes squinted in questioning. I just looked down at the meatloaf and picked it up heading to the table. I ran back into the kitchen to get the potatoes from burning.

Once I put them down on the table and went back to the kitchen to get the drinks I was cornered by Blaze.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his forehead to mine.

“Nothing,” I told him avoiding his green soul-searchers. He removed one arm from my waist and pushed my chin up to look at him.

“Sage, are you okay?” I know this seemed like a dumb thing to do but I couldn’t help it, his eyes looked like he really cared and since my attraction was only building I had to do it, and I could just blame it on the fact that we had to seem very intimate because that’s how soon to be married couples act.

“Sage don’t just stare at me, answer me.” He pleaded, and it sounded so unlike him.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. Like any normal person, Blaze was shocked, but after a few seconds he warmed up and kissed me back. Again I was hypnotized like every time I kissed Blaze. Nothing could stop me, I was invincible. His kiss was like I belonged to him, like he loved me. As the seconds passed it seemed as if Blaze wanted more, the way he pulled me closer and caressed my back and butt.

All of a sudden he pulled away and my eyes shot open, but his were still closed. He was breathing out hard through his nose, but I could tell it wasn’t just to catch his breath. Before I could apologize he leaned back in kissing me, but this time with so much force it was pressing my back into the refrigerator. I personally thought this was better than a movie kiss, my nails were digging into his sides and I’m sure he would have marks on his skin, but it didn’t matter right now, all that mattered was his mind blowing kiss.

“Hey, you guys been back here for a while now, we decided to eat in the living room… in front on the TV.” Zac informed us walking into the kitchen. But Blaze didn’t let go of me as fast as I did of him, he did it very slowly and turned to face Zac. I scurried out of the kitchen with the liter of pop in hand, but I did hear one thing from Zac.

“Dude what are you doing? You can’t just do that to her.” I didn’t even want to hear what Blaze was going to say, I didn’t need to; I knew. I brought out the pop to the living room where everyone was seated in front of the TV watching the starts of what looked like a horror movie.

“Whoa, Sage that had to be some talk! You two were in there for like 10 minutes and you look like shit.” Aubrey laughed, Mark and Lana joined in. Even Marie and Tyler laughed but tried to cover them up with fake coughs. I made a face and stuck my tongue out at all of them. I exited to the nearest bathroom and took a look at myself. My lips were red and a little tender to the touch, my hair had a little flyaways but that’s because Blaze kept his hands on my butt and back, and my clothes were slouchy. I fixed myself up a bit and walked back to the dining room to get me some food and I sat back down on the couch.

When Zac and Blaze came back, Blaze’s face was set blank, but I knew that meant that he was irritated or mad. I looked up at him, and looked down at me with a concerned look in his eye, but soon he let that fade away too. He sat down next me and nibbled on his food, and everyone else eyes went towards the television.

“She stupid! Run! Don’t fall! She’s a dummy! Aubrey I swear if you’re in one of these situations and I find out that you fell I will disown you as my daughter,” Marie scolded.

Aubrey scoffed and replied, “If I fell I‘d give you full rights to disown me, I wouldn’t want to be myself.”

The rest of night went without trouble and when it was time to go, I was actually sad. They were like Zac and Aubrey in some ways, but much calmer.

Marie turned to Lana and said “Espero que seas la novia de mi hijo pronto.”

Lana’s nose flared in laughter, "Tal vez cuando crezca.” Marie laughed and hugged her.

“Mom? When did you learn Spanish?” Zac asked confused.

“When you and Aubrey moved out,” Then she looked at me, “It was nice meeting you Sage. Remember what I told you. I hope to see you again.” She gave me and Blaze a hug and waved at her kids and Mark. “I’ll see you too soon, so no hugs. Bye everyone.” And her and Tyler left.

“Well I’m sleepy and I have class in the morning. Night” I told everyone.

“Well, we’re going to go. See ya later.” Mark told us pulling Aubrey out of the room.

“Well my apartment’s ready so I’m going to sleep there. Zac you can come but you sleep in the other room. I just don’t want to be alone, this is not a me and you getting together thing.” Lana told Zac, but he perked up anyway and threw a smirk me and Blaze’s way.

“So you get the house to yourself today kiddos. Remember what I said Blaze, and Sage don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He winked and pulled Lana out the door skipping merrily downstairs to her condo.

“Remind me why they’re my friends again?” Blazed asked drily, I knew it wasn’t a question that needed a reply but I did anyway.

“Because deep down you love them,” I skipped to the bedroom to change my clothes. I was a little confused. Was I supposed to still sleep with Blaze or go to my room? I didn’t want to ask because it’s embarrassing.

“Sage,” he cleared his throat a little. “Sage, I think you should sleep in here with me.” My face tilted upwards. “Because I—I mean with Zac and Aubrey you never know when they’ll just bust in here, and stuff.” He looked up and saw my smile and then put his head back down and went into the closet.

Even I knew that was a lie, Blaze wanted me in here with him. Blaze wanted me, to be somewhere with him. Maybe he was starting to like me too, maybe even love me? I closed my eyes to rid myself of those kinds of thoughts; they were doing anything but hurting my feelings. When he came back out, I went in and changed.

He was lying in the bed and just looking at him got me to thinking. Aubrey and Lana were always shocked that Blaze was completely innocent with me. Was it because he didn’t find me attractive? Is that why he was okay with Zac’s choice?

“Blaze?” He looked from his book and up at me. “Am I not attractive?”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “Sage where is this coming from?”

“I mean Aubrey and Lana, and newspapers and Marnie, basically everyone say that you were quite the player, yet you never made any indication in the deal about that. Like I know this is nothing but a business arrangement but still, a girl could only wonder.”

“It definitely not that I don’t find you attractive, Sage. It’s just that I know business comes before pleasure, and I would never do that to you.” That was super sweet coming from Blaze then he had to kind of ruin it with the next thing that came out of his mouth. “Besides, you’re a virgin and you’d have an attachment to me, and you don’t need to be attached to me. Someone you love is supposed to take that. I’m not what a person like you deserves.” Then he started to mumble and I could barely make out what he said but it sounded like “You deserve better than me.” But I didn’t, I wanted him but I know in my heart I couldn’t have him.

I curled up on my side, and Blaze pulled me closer in his sleep. I fell asleep feeling as if his arms were home. The next morning I didn’t feel so good so I didn’t want to go to school. I went to the bathroom to clean myself up but jumped right back into the bed. When Blaze came out of the closet in a dress shirt, he looked over and saw me in the bed curled up.

“Are you okay?” He asked concern etched in his voice.

“I’m fine; I just can’t go to school today.” I told him not even bothering to look up at him, no matter how much I wanted to.

“Sage what going on?” I knew whenever he used my name he wanted answers.

“Cramps, Blaze. Horrible ones,” I replied from under the pillow I place on my head.

“Oh, I’ll go get you some medicine, and things.” He hurried sounding a little embarrassed. I heard his feet shuffle against the carpet and into the bathroom.

He handed me the Midol and a bottle of Voss water. I took them and rolled over to go to sleep.

When I woke up, it was to Blaze typing in the bed with his shirt off. I rubbed my eyes. I looked at his back and saw four dark red marks on both sides of his body. Did I do that during our kiss?

"Blaze did I do that?" I mumbled groggily running my fingers on the indentures in his skin from my nails.

His face twitched up a little. He looked to the side and down at where I was touching. "Yeah, but it's fine."

"I'm so sorry, I didnt know. Do they hurt?"

"Not much, and it's fine Sage." He answered, and mumbled, "I kinda like them."

Then I realized it was only 12:00 in the afternoon. “What are you doing here?”

“I—uhm wanted to make sure you were okay.” I smiled.

“Blaze, I’m having cramps, I’m not in labor, and you could’ve gone to work. Besides I’m going to be like this all week, I can go to school tomorrow though.” I laughed. His cheeks went red and he scratched the back of his neck.

“Thanks for thinking about me though.” I told him and kissed his cheek. I got up and went to the bathroom. But before I closed the door I think I heard Blaze say, “I always do, and that’s the problem.”

I'm a cool low Jane

with the skip on my feet

I play tough as nails

With my heart on my sleeve

I'm nothing but a sand castle

Baby don't blow me away, away