The Older We Get

Chapter 33

               "Chandler!" I scream before hitting the brakes, my consciousness split in two at the thought of him on the road, scraped and bleeding, head cracked open and who knows what else, all of that scaring the sh1t out of me until I hear a slow introduction to him laughing at his practical joke, his body still seated in the passenger space beside me, him totally fine.

It was just a joke?

"I can't believe you fell for that!" He bends over holding his stomach, my mouth open, hands trembling and eyes watering at this entire explosion of feelings that just set off inside of me.

He's laughing at me?

I'm crying and he's laughing at me?

Is he for real?

-Chandler's P.O.V.-

"I wasn't gonna jump, are you crazy?" Ah, I'm too skilled. And Sage is way naive, how cute. "So anyway-" My eyes go to meet hers but I get cut off by the door opening and her stepping out onto the empty road, her back to me while she lingers in front of the hood.

Uh.

"Sage?!" I tilt my head and pry open my door just to watch her sink to the ground as I hurry over. "Are you ok!? Do you feel sick?" Instinct leads my hand to her back as I begin to rub, but instead of making her feel better; my world goes upside down when she turns on the spot and slaps my fingers so I won't touch her.

Is she pissed at me?

"Sage? What's wrong?"

"Just leave me alone for a second." My heart turns to ice when I notice her voice and how wet her cheeks look in this light.

"You're crying." Why? "Tell me what's wrong." I force my hand on her shoulder when she gives me a glare and stands straight right before taking hold of my shirt and shoving me back.

Sh1t.

"Don't touch me!" My mouth drops when she yells. "How could you do that to me!?"

"D-Do what? What did I do?" The prank? "That? It was just a joke-"

"Grow up Chandler! You don't do those kinds of jokes! What the fvck were you thinking?!"

"What was I thinking?!" I immediately turn defensive at the sound of her belittling me again. "You grow up! Who actually thinks somebody's gonna jump out of a car?!"

"No!" Sage takes a step closer and I see she's not about to turn pliable to my attitude. Fvck, why is she crying so much, I don't understand! I feel like utter sh1t right now and this is how I deal with it?! Fvck! "You don't get to be mad this time. You have to own up to the fact that what you did was sh1tty. How could you do that to me?!" Sage's strong confrontation turns vulnerable when she presses her hand to the side of her head so her eyes can clamp shut as she heartbreakingly sobs in front of me. "You fvcking as$hole!"

"Sage. I'm sorry." I step closer, as gently as I can when she shoves me back. "Sorry."

I'm sorry.

Unbelievably sorry.

Fvck.

I didn't know she'd actually believe me.