Page 51 of Cold Hard Truth

Outside, the sounds of the city kick up and remind me that I’m dead in the center of it. Sirens and horns slice through the peace now that I’m awake.

A thump comes from the wall my bed is facing, followed by another. Then, a moan.

“Yes.” A woman’s voice cries out as the banging intensifies, and I’m reminded of what woke me up in the first place.

Apparently, when Sage said he had work to get done this morning, he meant he was going to let some randomwoman in the apartment. And now I’m stuck in the room next door, listening to this. As if it’s not bad enough to be back in this city, now I have to face the fact that Sage has clearly moved on.

It’s a kick in the gut, even if I don’t blame him.

We might have been each other’s first, but when I walked away, I knew I wouldn’t be his last. Still, I don’t want to listen to it.

Climbing out of bed, I fish my tarot deck out of my purse. I’m surprised Sage didn’t burn them in the trash with the rest of my things after I left—the butterflies included. Instead, he kept them in his tattoo shop.

I don’t know if it’s safe to read into that.

Making my way into the living room, the moans are harder to hear, and when I turn on the fan, it mostly drowns them out.

I sit at the table by the windows and stare out at the view of the street. Pollution blankets the city, and while some people are probably put off by that, it’s a reminder of home to me.

Folding my legs beneath me in the chair, I settle in and pull my tarot cards from the box, spreading them out across the table.

It’s been years since I’ve seen this deck, and I’ve missed it every day since. The cards are all black and white, with small pops of color on the back of them. And I can still remember Ellie finding them at the bottom of the barrel at a dollar store and insisting I buy them.

Grazing my fingers over the cards, I can still feel her through them. I close my eyes and imagine her smile. Iimagine the parts I want to remember. Anything to chase away the images of what happened in that basement.

Fanning the cards out, I take a deep breath. I’ve been told more than once that reading cards is demonic. People have a hard time accepting things they don’t understand, and they’ve never understood me.

But to me, my cards are peaceful. They’re clarity through chaos. They’re familiar and calming.

“You found your cards?”

I jump when Sage stops in the doorway, resting his forearm against it and looking down at the cards fanned out on the table. He’s shirtless, showing off every inked inch of his bare chest. And there’s nothing about him that reminds me of the twenty-one-year-old guy I remember because he’s all man now.

His black sweats hang low on his hips, and there’s not a hint of underwear, so I’m pretty sure that’s all he’s wearing. And his hair is messier than it was a couple of hours ago—not that I should be surprised given what I just heard through the wall.

“Found them at the shop.” I shrug.

“So you took them?”

“They’re mine, so yes, I took them.” I go back to my cards and try not to stare open-mouthed at Sage walking toward the kitchen.

If he was a danger to a teenage girl’s heart rate when he was younger, then as a grown man, he’s a full-on cardiac arrest.

Another figure comes out of the hallway. It’s a girl who reminds me of the ones who hung around the clubhouse.She’s pretty, but it’s hard to tell if it’s natural or bought with all the bleach and fake eyelashes. She’s wearing a tiny red dress and carrying her heels in her hands. Her hair and makeup are a mess, but I’m sure she was once painted to perfection. I try not to stare at the red mark on her neck as she walks into the room.

Sage leans a hip against the counter, watching the girl as she makes her way through the space. And she offers me a quick smile while barely passing a glance at Sage before disappearing through the front door.

I shake my head.

“What?” Sage crosses his arms over his chest, and it draws out the hard lines of his pecs.

“Nothing.” I shuffle my cards, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. “It’s just that you didn’t even say goodbye. It’s rude.”

“Didn’t know one-night stands required manners.” He smirks, probably trying to get under my skin like he’s always been so good at.

“I wouldn’t know.” Planting my hands on the table, I face off with him.

Sage doesn’t break my gaze, holding it long enough that I realize I’ve stopped breathing at some point and my head is light. I take a deep breath and sit back, tugging at the hemline of my oversized T-shirt. I wish I’d thought to put on pants and a bra before leaving my room.

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