Page 119 of Courtside

Now they lay boneless in David’s bed, passing Sage’s water bottle back and forth as they caught their breath.

“Sounds amazing,” Sage said, nudging his calf with her foot as she worried at her bottom lip. “I got a job.”

David sat up. “What?”

She couldn’t hold back her smile. “Yeah. I got a call from a local private school a few days ago. It’s small, but they needed a head coach for their high school boys program. I heard back from them yesterday, and I got the job.”

“Sage,” David breathed, his expression transforming as he beamed over at her. “I’m so goddamn proud of you.” His gaze dipped down to her mouth for a second before returning to her eyes. “Is it enough?”

Affection warmed her entire body. “No,” she conceded. “But I’m going to pick up some shifts at The Grove until I find something more permanent.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yeah. Because it’s all mine.” She didn’t hesitate before sharing an idea that had started to take root in the past few days. “I’m thinking about getting a teaching certificate. I could do it part time, and, I don’t know, I think it could be something.”

“If you think it’s something, then I’m all for you,” David said, his voice earnest and full of promise. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ll be an amazing teacher.”

A warmth filled her stomach and she felt her cheeks heat. “Thanks, I guess,” she muttered.

“Take a damn compliment, Sage,” David teased, but the happiness and pride in his eyes felt like a silent declaration. He took her hand in his, threading their long fingers together.

Sage snorted. For a moment she just looked down at their joined hands. She could barely see her skin peeking out between his fingers. “Did you really think that I’d leave?” She looked up at him. “That I’d leave you?”

David’s expression was all the confirmation she needed.

“David,” she said, clambering up to straddle his thighs so that she could look directly into his eyes. “I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to be in the same place as you. The same town, the same apartment complex — fuck, maybe even the same house. Because I’m not done with this. With you.”

“You’re staying in Charleston,” David’s voice was soft as he reached a hand up to brush a piece of hair from her face. “I can’t believe you’re staying.”

Tipping forward, her lips met his in a slow, lazy kiss. As she drew back, something caught her eye.

“David,” she whispered, looking wide-eyed at his night stand.

He followed her gaze to the ceramic dachshund pot that she’d gifted him for Christmas. The spider plant, which was only a few inches tall at the time, had almost tripled in size and added multiple leaves.

She could see the hint of a nervous smile. “I’ve tried to take good care of it,” he said. “I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I looked some stuff up online. It seems happy enough.”

Sage shook her head. “You’re the best,” she murmured, before tucking her face into the hollow under his jaw just like she used to imagine doing. She inhaled slowly, smiling to herself at the echo of Irish Spring that lingered on his skin.

CHAPTER32

TO SEE HER HAPPY

DAVID

David Hughes woke up to the unmistakable feeling of long hair tickling his skin. On instinct, he opened his arms, a lazy, sleepy smile spreading across his face as he felt a warm body wriggling closer to him.

He cracked one eye and looked down at Sage, who had her face buried in his armpit.

“That can’t be pleasant,” David murmured, his voice rough from sleep.

Sage let out a muffled snort before lifting her head up to look at him. “It’s actually quite nice in here.”

He couldn’t contain the sunk-down-into-his-bones happiness he felt when he looked at her. All soft from sleep and relaxed, with her own happiness wide open for him to see.

“You graduate today,” he said, bringing a hand up to thread his fingers through her soft hair. “How are you feeling?”

“More excited about being done than about wearing the silly hood and hat.”

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