Chapter 36

If you want more depth on the characters, and bonus info about Temp His, go check out this interview I did with  MissIndependent_19!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Oh and at the end theres a sneak peek of my new story! I hope you like it!

I'm sorry for just pushing you into it, but it's like a bandaid lol. COMMENT + VOTE! Aubrey was named after Drake, and Lana after Lana Del Rey. lol Funfacts Also the next couple of chapters will be in 3rd person's pov.

I lay alone awake at night, sorrow fills my eyes but I'm not strong enough to cry

Despite of my disguise, I'm left with no shoulder, but everybody wants to lean on me.

I guess I'm their soldier. Well, who's gonna be mine

I bottle all my hurt inside, I guess I'm living in lie.

Inside my mind each day I die. What can bring me back to life?

A simple word, a gesture someone to say you're beautiful

Come find this buried treasure rainbows lead to a pot of gold

I've given too much of myself and now it's driving me crazy (I'm crying out for help)

Sometimes I wish someone would

Just come here and save me Artist:Beyonce Song:Save the Hero

Sage’s Pov.

I could definitely see a change in Blaze, and I wasn’t just talking about the fact that he’s a smiley boy now. These past couple of days he’s been acting weird—well weirder than usual. He’s been deep in his thoughts lately and it’s been concerning me.

But that didn’t matter at the moment, because right now the boys had brought the food they cooked out onto the dining room table and expected us to actually consume it. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that the food did look at least ‘edible’. Now I’m not saying it looked like it was going to be good, because that would be a lie.

Aubrey was the first brave soul to take a bite. She chewed a bit of the macaroni and cheese, because we decided that’s what we were going to try first. “This isn’t half bad, babe.” She said smiling at Mark.

“Hey! We all equally worked on that,” Zac whined wanting a little credit.

“Yeah I agree it isn’t—what is this?” Lana screeched pulling an eggshell from the Mac n’ cheese. I was clutching my stomach from laughing so hard and Aubrey was trying to keep hers at bay. Aubrey was still chewing some of her food and choked a bit, so Mark patted her back a bit and she spit up an eggshell.

“Why the fuck is their eggshells in the macaroni?” Aubrey asked white pushing the bowl away from herself disgusted; the she looked accusingly at her boyfriend. “Didn’t I tell you that eggshells belong in the trash?” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“I thought that’s what makes the cheese sauce stuff creamy?” Mark shrugged, looking at Aubrey worriedly.

“STEAK TIME!” Zac yelled excited, and I’m sure he did a good job. I mean not much could go wrong with a simple steak.

I spoke to soon, because he pushed a dark brown piece of meat in front each of us. I gulped because it was now my turn to try the food. I bit into the steak and immediately spit it out when I felt blood squeeze out of it.

“Zac, medium rare is ten times different from burning the front and not letting the inside cook,” I spoke calmly, not trying to push his efforts down.

“Sage don’t be so nice, the shit’s nasty Zac. What did you expect? She’s not a vampire or a werewolf?” Aubrey rolled her eyes and Lana glared at her for being so mean.

“We still have the cake, and we read all of the instructions for this one.” Blaze had a determined look on his face, as if he was magically hoping the cake would be the best ever.

I stuck my fork into the cake and was surprised to see that it was actually moist and soft. I took one bite expecting for the vanilla cake to be a tragedy but it actually was pretty good. It could use a bit more sugar but it was still decent nonetheless.

“Are there any eggshells I should know about before I eat another piece?” I asked not trying to bit something crunchy.

“Nope, we paid attention to Aubrey’s warning,” Blaze replied. We dug into the cake and found nothing wrong with it.

“Well I’m proud of you boys! The cake was an actually success!” The boys beamed proudly, but we still had to order take out. When I walked into the kitchen my jaw dropped, it was burned on one side, and the other wall was caked with food.

“BLAZE, ZAC, and MARK! What did you do to my kitchen?” I yelled outraged. Macaroni was still stuck to the pot, with burnt pieces all around it. The cake pan was practically ruined and don’t even get me started on the counter where I’m sure Zac sat the hot steaks.

Aubrey and Lana came in with their mouths ajar looking at the impossible mess. When the boys finally made their way into the kitchen they had sheepish looks on their faces.

“Sage, we can always hire someone to clean it up,” Blaze smiled as if that would let him go off the hook, but nuh-un not so fast Mr. Business man. All men should know they’ll never win an argument against a woman.

“Nope you guys are going to clean it, you made the mess, and you fix it.” I commanded with a hand on my hip. I tied my hair into a bun and plopped down on the breakfast nook and prepared to watch them clean. Lana and Aubrey joined me not even a minute later, with expectant faces.

“You seriously can’t expect us to do this? We haven’t cleaned a day in our lives; it’s just like the cooking.” Zac whined.

“It’s about time you learned then, now chop-chop this kitchen won’t clean itself.” Lana ordered staring Zac in the eyes, when he gave her the puppy dog look.

Three hours, four water wars, three arguments, and a bottle of Sprite later, the kitchen was cleaned as best as possible. Of course we had to help the boys and we crashed around the living room since the kids took the bedrooms.

The days with Blaze were becoming shorter and shorter, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I was conflicted, on one hand I could tell Blaze I loved him and he would reject me or I could leave when the time came and nothing would happen to me other than utter heartbreak. But I think the latter would be better, since I wouldn’t actually hear the words out of his mouth.

The café was up, but not finished. It would take a couple more weeks for it to be finished, the wiring needed to be done, the windows put in, paint—though I thought Blaze and I could do it, he thought that it would be better if more ‘qualified’ people painted.

Blaze was acting more affectionate if possible, he made sure to be around me everyone moment he could. He even had me coming into the office with him again to ‘help’ him with work, even though it’d turn into make outs as soon as we’d not agree over something. Again the office people were shocked to see me almost ten months later, as if I was just going to disappear—haven’t they read the magazines? But that didn’t matter, because I was going to be gone sooner than they thought. I wasn’t going to actually become a Colton despite what most people thought was going to happen.

I was definitely going to miss Zac, Aubrey, Mark, and Lana; they had become the best friends I could ever ask for. I never thought I was missing out on lifetime friends in high school, I always thought that they were a waste of time, seeing as half of them would spread across the country and you’d lose contact with them, till they slowly fade away and only memories would remain.

Blaze’s birthday was rapidly approaching and Sage already has plan for it, but she was now sitting with Mark and Zac, while Lana and Aubrey went to go grab some milk and formula for Matthew, and Blaze was on his way here from work. Grams was due any moment also, she was supposed to be talking to me about Blaze’s birthday.

Mark was overanalyzing my face, and it was starting to get annoying. Zac’s full attention was towards the TV, not even sparing both of us a glance.

“Mark is there something on my face?” I asked my annoyance clear in my voice.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly, and that caused Zac’s attention to turn from the TV to us.

I scrunched my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes in confusion. “What—what are you talking about?” I asked genuinely confused.

“I know,” Was his simple reply, nothing less nothing more. I was still confused for a bit till I saw the look of concern cross over his features.

“He told you?” I asked, and that seemed to catch the slow Zac up to speed.

“No, I figured it out myself. How are you holding up, now that the day is coming up?” He asked again, I swear Mark could be a psychiatrist. His gray eyes were lit with concern and I knew exactly what he was talking about. But before I could reply Blaze marched in with a smile on his face when he saw me, but when he noticed my expression his smile wiped completely away.

“I don’t think you thought this whole idea of yours through Blaze,” Mark paused and glanced at me. This whole time Zac stayed silent; most likely in his own thoughts about the situation. “You didn’t think about Sage’s emotional state after this, or how we’d react to this.” Though this was none of his business he had a point there.

"Sage knows better than to fall in love with me Mark, she' smart." That causes me to burst. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was going to tell him, he needed to know.

"No I'm not smart! Obviously I'm the stupidest person you know!" I yelled standing up from the couch, not looking down at Zac or Mark who were shocked at my outburst and looking up at me. I could feel their eyes, but I didn’t want to see their pity.

"Sage what are-" Blaze began to question but I cut him off, I didn’t want to hear it. I needed to get this out first.

"I'm an idiot and I know it. You told me that you picked me because I was smart. Smart enough not to fall in love with an arrogant, stoic, but deep down loving guy like you, but you were wrong Blaze." A lone tear runs down my face. "And at first I thought that maybe I'd be angry at you, and that you were the stupid one for being so lovable, but I realize that I'm the dumb one for doing exactly what you told me not to, for doing the most stupid thing I've ever done; which is fall in love with you. I'm so sorry."

I couldnt hold in the rest of the tears that threaten to leave my eyes, the flood came and I fled from the crime scene, that was the death of my heart. I locked myself in our room and bawled my eyes out. And when I say cry think of wailing. I cried into his pillow, putting all the frustration of this year into it.

I hide in the room till Blaze came and knocked on the door. “We have to talk Sage. You don’t mean that. I uh have to go pick up some things but when I come back we have to discuss it.”

I didn’t want to discuss it. In fact I wanted to avoid it at all costs. I wish I never said it, I wish Mark would’ve never got on the subject; I wish I wouldn’t have opened my big mouth. Because if I didn’t, I would be in Blaze’s arms right now soaking up his affection as if it was some type of water and I was the sponge.

I was done, and it was over. Blaze didn’t love me, he didn’t want me. The deal was going to be over, and it was coming soon. I’m so stupid, I’m an idiot. What was I thinking? That he was going to magically grow feelings that he told me from the beginning weren’t possible? I packed all my things into a suitcase and I left a note for him. I hoped that it would leave everything settled between us. Even though I was the one hurt, I knew he would need closure too.

Grams was there about an hour later, my tears were dried and my now I was just staring blankly into the wall in front of me. She knocked lightly on the door, and I got up letting her in. She smiled, but when she took in my appearance she frowned. I’m sure she must have missed my suitcase by the door.

“Sweetie what wrong? My grandson sounded distressed when he called.” Her older face was contorted in a confused manor. I tried to give her a small smile, but I guess my glassy eyes gave me away. “Are you two fighting? Because if so, that is completely normal.”

"The wedding’s off Grams,” I cried out before I could stop myself. “He doesn’t love me! This was all just a fake arrangement to make you all happy. But like the fool I was, I actually fell in love with your grandson. I loved him... I love him. But he will never love me, like he told me in the first place. I don’t even know how it got this far. I was dumb to think that he could ever love me. I'm so stupid.” I laughed without humor.

I started speaking more to myself than her, but I knew she was listening to me ramble. “How could the girl that everyone called 'smart' be so stupid? I actually believed him when he said I was special to him. I took him, laughing and smiling with me, actually showing emotions as love. Well I was wrong. I was wrong about it all, about him, about what I thought was an ‘us’. I was wrong about love. But you know what it was the best time I ever had in my life. I will never say it was a waste. I'll just say that I was stupid for ever thinking that a poor girl could have the rich billionaire love her. I was never fully his, I was only temporarily his."

I did my best to escape the room that cause so many memories to flood me at once; I’m surprised I didn’t run into a door or something.

I called a cab and as I get in Zac shows up. “Sage—Sage where are you going?” I gave him a small soft smile.

“Home” I looked at his shocked face. I knew he was confused,

“Sage, you’re acting weird we live up there.” He pointed at the beautiful Colton Condo building that up until a few hours, I shared with them.

“The deal is over Zac. I broke the rules.” I replied, my taxi meter was still running but I had to say goodbye.

“The rules? What are you talking about? What happen earlier can be fixed.” He tried to reason, but he knew deep down, and so did I that what happen earlier couldn’t be fixed. The only way it could be fixed was if Blaze loved me—which he doesn’t, so I shouldn’t even entertain that thought.

“I broke the only rule he gave me. I’ll miss you Zac.” I closed the door, and the cab driver sped off. I looked through the back glass of the cab car seeing a sullen and confused Zac behind in the dust.

I don't know why, I don't know why I'm so afraid

I don't know how, I don't know how to fix the pain

We're livin' a lie, livin' a lie; this needs to change

We're out of time, we're out of time and its still the same

We can't stop the world, but there's so much more that we could do

You can't stop this girl from falling more in love with you

You said 'nobody has to know',

Give us time to grow, and take it slow

But I'd stop the world, if it'd finally let us be alone

Let us be alone Artist:Demi Lovato Song:Stop the World

---------------What do you think? How do you feel? Oh and I love it when you guys quote your fav part of the chapters!-------------------------------------------

(Chasing December)Sneak peek! Main Characters' names-December and Hunter!

He liked to hide in trees and read books; despite the fact that it ruined his bad boy image. He irritated me like no other, but for some reason I cant get him out of my life. No this isnt exactly about how the bad boy changed my life(though he did) or about how I changed his(but I did). It's about how we came to be, and how we made each other better in good and bad ways. Whatever that means.

"I dont bite.... hard." He smirked at me, winking one of his bright eyes at me. It only made me more frustrated.

"Yeah but Hunter, if you did you'd probably give me rabies." I rolled my eyes looking back at the book in my hand.-Tell me what you think about it, also!