Page 55 of Bitter When He Begs

Instead, I just feel off balance.

“And he actually listened to you?” I ask, forcing a smirk.

Damon huffs out a quiet laugh. “For once, he had nothing cocky to say.”

I nod, pushing the door halfway closed again, already done with this conversation. “Great, thanks for the update. Now fuck off.”

But he doesn’t move, and his eyes stay on me. “You sure you’re good?”

I hate that he feels like he has to ask.

I flash him a grin that I know doesn’t reach my eyes and say, “Never better.”

Damon doesn’t believe me, but he lets it go. As soon as the door clicks shut, I lean my forehead against it, pressing my palms against the wood, and my breaths come a little too fast.

I don’t know what Sage thought he’d accomplish by showing up at my door. What he thought I’d say or what he wanted from me. I don’t know if he was planning to push me into another argument, ask another question, or just stand there looking at me the way he always does—like he’s trying to figure me out.

I don’t fucking like this.

I push off the door and start pacing, raking a hand through my hair and resisting the urge to pull. There’s a weight on my chest right now that I don’t know what to do with and it makes me anxious as fuck.

Then there’s another knock at my door and I close my eyes, already feeling the irritation creeping up my spine. I’m already done with whatever Damon has to say now.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I mutter, walking toward the door and pulling it open, already snapping, “What part of ‘fuck off’ didn’t you—”

Sage stands there looking up at me with wide eyes. He takes a step back and swallows deeply, the look on his face telling me he didn’t expect me to answer, like he’s already regretting showing up here.

“I know Damon said you needed space,” he murmurs, barely loud enough for me to hear. “And I know I should probably just… leave you alone. I mean, Iwasleaving you alone, but—” he cuts himself off again, pushing his glasses up and groaning under his breath.

“Fuck, I don’t even know why I’m here. I just…” He trails off and shakes his head, fingers curling into the sleeves of his hoodie.

“I guess I just wanted to check on you,” he says finally. “Make sure you weren’t…”

He trails off again and bites his lip while glancing up at me through his lashes before looking away again. Then he takes another step back, already retreating. “Forget it,” he mumbles. “This was stupid.”

I grab his wrist before I even realize I’ve moved, fingers closing around it before he can slip away again… before I can lose whatever the fuck this is.

He stops, eyes widening, but I don’t let go. I don’t even hesitate when I pull him into my room, kicking the door shut behind us and pressing him back up against it. I place my palms against the door, caging him in before he can start running his mouth again.

His breath catches, and fuck, I feel it—the tension between us, thick and buzzing, daring one of us to break it.

I don’t speak, I just lean in, catching the faint scent of peppermint. The same fucking scent that’s been haunting me since the last night we were together, since I had him just where I wanted him.

Sage swallows hard, shifting under my gaze, but not pushing me away, and suddenly I don’t care why he came up here.

I’m just glad that he did.

Sage

Lucatowersoverme—all6’3’’ of him. Broad shoulders block out the light behind him, his body radiates heat, and his presence is overwhelming. I have to crane my neck just to meet his gaze, and even then it’s too much.

“Why are you here, Sage?” he asks, and I can feel the flush creeping up my neck at the sound of his voice. Fuck, I had forgotten how deep it is.

I swallow, my throat tight, heart hammering, and skin prickling at the intensity of his stare. I know I shouldn’t be here, but that doesn’t change the fact that I am. That I let him pull me into his room again and still haven’t pushed him away.

I clear my throat, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I… uh, I shouldn’t have come up here. I’m sorry, I won’t bother you.”

Luca shakes his head, and his blue eyes are locked onto mine, almost as if he’s looking for the real reason I’m here. “That’s not what I asked, Sunshine,” his voice turns soft. “Why’d you really come up here?”