Page 32 of Sage Haven
For a while, I let myself believe the moment could last.
That we were just two people lost in music.
That nothing else mattered, but then the set ended, and that spell seemed to shatter.
She turned towards me; her green eyes clouded with something I couldn’t quite name.
Fear.
Confusion.
Maybe both.
Then, without warning, she bolted.
Slipped from my grasp like water through clenched fists.
Vanished into the crush of bodies before I could catch my breath.
I didn’t hesitate. Didn’t think.
I moved after her, relentless.
The crowd was thick, but I knew how to move through it. I was a predator in their midst, and she was the only thing I saw.
What was she running from?
Me?
Herself?
Then I found her.
Collapsed on the ground, trembling, hands fisted in her hair like she was holding her head together, and Sam, my brother’s girlfriend, was already there.
Kneeling beside her, whispering softly, “Are you okay, Sage?” Her voice was gentle, coaxing.
Sage.
Her name was Sage.
Sage shook her head.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered. “I need to go home.”
Sam glanced at me, then at Castor who appeared behind her like he’d always been there.
Such a dutiful little boyfriend.
“I’ll drive you,” Castor said. Ever the optimist. Like he didn’t know the weight of what had just happened.
I didn’t argue.
When Sage tried to stand, her legs buckled.
And instinct took over within me again.
I caught her before she hit the ground.
