Page 76 of Courtside

“Sage,” he started, fighting the need to pull her close to him and hold her tight until all of the pain was erased from her eyes.

She shook her head, and her loose blonde hair shifted where it was draped over her shoulders, shining like honey in the lobby lights. “Please,” she said, quiet and resigned. “I just want to go to bed.”

With a nod, David stepped back from her, and something broke in his chest as he watched her posture slump, her long, strong arms wrapping around her stomach as she started toward the elevator bay.

The elevator ride up was silent.

He fought the urge to hold her, knowing deep down that if he touched her it would be for the selfish desire to satisfy something within himself and not for her benefit. There were a million things he still had to learn about Sage. He wasn’t naive enough to think that she’d shared all of the pieces of herself with him in the few short months they’d been friends.

But he had learned that she was the kind of person who needed to stand confidently on her own before accepting the company of someone standing beside her. And he had the feeling that tonight, in the wake of whatever had happened, Sage needed to stand alone.

When the doors opened, Sage turned to the right, and David followed, silent, even though his room was the opposite direction.

He stood back while she unlocked the door. When she pulled it open, she glanced back over her shoulder, hesitating as her red-rimmed eyes met his.

“Let me know if you need anything,” David said softly, mindful of the quiet rooms around them. “Anything, Lefty.”

She nodded and then slipped inside, the door clicking shut softly behind her.

* * *

David had showered and was laying in bed with his book when his phone buzzed on his nightstand. He’d texted Tim that Sage had made it back safely, and thought it was most likely a response from him.

When he picked it up, he barely glanced at the screen before he was out of bed and pulling on sweats and a t-shirt, not even bothering with shoes.

Phone in hand, he walked as quickly as he could down the carpeted hallway. As he knocked softly on the door, he glanced back at the message on the screen.

Please come over.

The door opened, and Sage stood there, hair pulled back in a braid that hung over one shoulder. She still wore the same thin shirt she’d been wearing earlier, only she’d changed into sleep shorts.

But David couldn’t think about how beautiful she was, not when her face crumpled and another wave of tears streamed down her face.

A choked whimper shattered the quiet between them. “You shouldn’t be here,” she said, wiping at her tears with both of her hands.

Pain constricted his chest. “You asked me to come, Lefty,” he said, softly. “I’ll always come when you ask.”

She didn’t respond, only pushed the door open wide enough to let him in. David walked past her, catching a whiff of her floral scent before stopping in the open space next to the single queen bed. “What happened, Sage?”

Her bare feet padded over, and she dropped down on the edge of the mattress, leaning forward to bury her face in her hands. “I,” her muffled voice began. “Do I have to say?”

David decided that listening to his instinct to go to her was the greatest idea he’d ever had. He moved to the bed, kneeling on the ground in front of her and bringing his hands up to encircle her wrists.

“You don’t have to say anything. But you’re crying, and I’ve never seen you sad like this.” His thumb brushed across her skin. “Do I need to hurt someone?”

Sage shook her head. “No.”

“Then what do you need?”

Another sob shook her body, and David settled for tightening his grip just slightly. Only enough to let her know that she wasn’t alone.

“I think right now I just need you to be here with me,” she whispered, still hiding her face in her hands.

“Done.” David stood, and then climbed onto the bed. He settled himself against the headboard, patting the open mattress next to him. “Come here.”

He was honestly surprised when Sage complied, crawling up and taking the spot next to him. Her posture was stiff, and her eyes looked down at where her hands were clasped in her lap.

It was so obvious that she was in pain.

---