Page 91 of Bitter When He Begs

But then, slowly, carefully, he nods; and fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever felt relief like this before.

Luca

AssoonasSageagrees to come home with me, the tension in my chest loosens just enough that I can breathe again. I don’t think I realized how much I needed him to say yes until he actually did.

Without another word, I open the truck door for him, making sure he’s settled before I climb in and pull out of the parking lot. The air between us is quiet, not uncomfortable but still heavy with everything unsaid, the weight of whatever happened with Nate still pressing against Sage’s shoulders.

I don’t push. Not right now. He’ll talk when he’s ready. Instead, I focus on priorities.

Like food.

Practice was fucking brutal, and now, I’m starving. So, naturally, I pull into the nearest drive-thru because there’s no way in hell I’m cooking tonight, and I’m definitely not letting Sage go to bed without eating something either.

Sage side-eyes me as I roll down the window, arching a brow as I rattle off his order first, then mine without a second thought. “Four cheeseburgers, two large fries, and a chocolate shake.”

I hear the sharp inhale before I even turn to look at him.

“…Four?”

I glance over, already grinning because I knew he was going to react like this. “Yeah?”

His eyes narrow slightly, his mouth pressing into a thin line.“Four.”

I nod, completely unbothered. “Four.”

He stares at me like I’ve personally offended him. “Are you feeding a small village?”

“I’m hungry.”

“You are insane,” he mutters, leaning back in his seat with a disbelieving huff. “That’s not normal. People don’t just eat that much.”

I shrug. “I’m an athlete, baby.”

The moment the words leave my mouth, he freezes. I can see the way his brain short-circuits, and can practically hear the internal screaming happening behind those big brown eyes of his.

And fuck, I love it.

He glares at me, flustered beyond belief, but I don’t even try to hide my smirk. “You cannot justcallme that in casual conversation,” he complains, crossing his arms.

“Why not?” I grin, leaning back against my seat as I wait for our food. “It’s true, isn’t it? Youaremy baby.”

Sage groans, slumping down in his seat like he’s trying to escape reality. “I hate you.”

I chuckle, completely unfazed, and grab our order when it’s handed through the window. Passing Sage the food, I pull back onto the road, heading straight for the house.

The front lights are off, and the driveway’s empty, which means we’ve got the place to ourselves—at least for a while. I park like I always do, leaning on the brake a little too hard, and Sage makes a face like he’s bracing for impact.

“Seriously, do they not test you guys for brain damage during the season?” he grumbles as I kill the engine.

I throw the door open and grab the food, circling around to his side and opening the passenger door for him before he can get out himself. “You’re not gonna roast my parking after I feed you, right?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Feeding me is a strong word when you ordered the entire menu for yourself and then two things for me.”

“You got nuggets and fries.”

“I asked for a wrap.”

“You hesitated,” I say smugly. “With food, hesitation is consent. So nuggets it is.”

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