Page 41 of Right Where You Left Me
“Oh, honey.” I say softly.
He waves me off. “It’s fine. They can’t all be winners right?” He’s smiling, but I can tell he’s torn up over this. Sage and I share a look, and I know she sees it too. I can see the indignant anger, rearing to fight in River’s defense. But I can also see River doesn’t want to talk about it so I say, “Want some pancakes, Riv?”
“Depends. Are you making them or is Sage? Because I saw the remnants of dinner and I don’t think?—”
“You mother fucker!” She shrieks before tackling him. “Now I don’t even feel bad for you!”
I watch as she tries to wrestle him to the ground and chuckle. Whipping our breakfast up quickly, the three of us sit together on the couch and talk about the PG version of our nights until it’s time for me to go.
“I promised my mom I’d help her out around the house today, since it’s my day off.” I say when Sage walks me to the door. “But, I’ll text you.”
“You better.” She says with a fake pout. “I’ll miss you.”
I don’t even try to hide my smile. “I’ll miss you too.”
She pulls me in for one last searing kiss and as I walk to my car I can still feel her on my skin.
This is never going to get old.
CHAPTER 16
Sage
Emma: Good morning, babe. Hope you slept well, I can’t wait to see you later.
Waking up to Emma’s good morning texts is becoming part of my morning routine. Seeing them time stamped for three thirty a.m. when she gets up for work is even better knowing that she’s thinking about me that early in the morning. It’s comforting, knowing that I’m not the only one consumed in this. She’s all I fucking think aboutanymore, and you won’t find me complaining about that fact one bit.
It’s been three weeks since our first night together, and things have only gotten better. She doesn’t spend the night often if she’s working the next day. Mostly because she said she’d feel bad having an alarm set so early when I’m asleep beside her. But, I honestly wouldn’t care. I’d wake up at the crack ass of dawn every single day if it meant she was the first thing I saw every time I woke up.
I text her back a good morning of my own, along with something a little spicy to get her flustered. She always snaps at me about it when I come into the cafe and I live to see her eyes ignite. It’s so fucking hot.She’sso fucking hot.
I pull myself out of bed, shower quickly, and throw on some clothes. I’m in the cafe this morning so it’s just a cafe branded hoodie and some boot cut jeans. I grab an extra shirt to throw in my bag to change into before I go into the shop after I’m done helping out this morning.
River is eating breakfast when I meander out into the living room. He’s scrolling through his phone, muttering under his breath in French, while he shovels cereal in his mouth and he doesn’t notice me right away.
“Who ya texting?” I ask, and laugh when he jumps.
“None of your business.” He snipes.
“Okay, bitch.” I say and shove him. “It’s Levi?”
“No.” He says defensively, but sighs. “Yes. I um, I asked if he wanted to get together again, and he has very politely declined.”
I grimace. “I’m sorry, love.”
He shrugs, but I can tell this is hurting him more than he’s trying to let it. “It happens. I come on strong, I know I’m— I’m a lot.”
“Riv, you have such a big heart. Someone is going to be so fucking lucky to have it one day. You’ll see. Real talk, real heart?”
“I don’t really want to talk about me, Sagey.” He says quietly.
“Oh, Riv.” I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hug him as tightly as I can. “I’m sorry.” He doesn’t say anything, but he leans into me so I just hold him for a while. “It’ll all work out.”
He clears his throat and shrugs me off. “So, how’s Emma?”
“Good.” I say. “Things are really, really good.”
These feelings I’m developing for her are big. So terrifyingly, capital letters, B I G. It’s different this time around. I was so in love with her when we were younger. She has always been this bright and loud presence, it’s hard not to love her. But now, things are bigger and brighter and although it’s scary and I’m still trying not to worry that I’ll get hurt again, it’s also the best feeling in the world. Because that gorgeous girl is mine. And I get to be the one to show her just how amazing she is.
