21 | Gold Rush.
| Sage's POV |
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"Look at this place! Exactly the same." Mia smiled, looking around as we walked into the diner.
"Actually, I made him paint it a few months ago." Mom said, glancing over at me as I stopped myself from bashing something against the wall. Or, better yet, someone.
"Well, good for you."
"Mia, hey!" Luke smiled, hugging the dreadful woman. "Nice to see you, Lucas." Mia replied, looking up at him.
Mom snickered, earning a glare from Lucas.
"You're the only person in the world who can call me that, Mia." He said to her. "I know this." She responded.
"I'm saying it for others who plan to try it later." Luke said, totally not at all pointedly.
Mom shrugged, "whatever, Lucas."
"Mia, you know anything about toasters?" He asked. "Not a damn thing," she said. "Well, then sit down and let me get you some coffee."
While Rory, mom, and Mia moved over to a table, I walked up to the counter, following Luke. I watched him pry desperately at a toaster, clearly having absolutely no idea what he was doing.
"I'm not sure that's how you do it," I pointed out. He narrowed his eyes.
My eyes drifted over to Jess, who was walking out from the curtain. He looked at me, the smallest smile on his lips.
"You're making that worse," Jess said, looking over Luke's shoulder, who huffed. "Big help. Thanks."
Jess watched Luke walk away, his eyes traveling back to me. "Hey, you okay?"
"I'm fine," I said.
"You don't look fine." He leaned forward, his elbows holding him up on the counter. "Then, stop looking." I mumbled.
He tilted his head, keeping his eyes locked on mine.
"Sage, who's this?" Mia asked.
I resisted the urge to throw something, taking a deep breath. "Luke's nephew," I said, "Jess, that's Mia." My voice lowered, "the most dreadful woman I know."
Jess smiled, lowering his as well. "So, we don't like her?" I shook my head.
"Got it," he nodded.
"Luke, that's your nephew?" The devil asked, her voice way too high pitched for any person, freaking ancient or not. "It's Liz's kid. Jess, this is Mia, she owns the Independence Inn." Luke said, motioning for Jess to follow him as he walked over to her. He looked at me, raising his eyebrows.
"Huh," he said, carelessly.
"That's hello in slacker," Luke informed her.
"Hey, Sage?" Jess turned to me. I looked over at him, trying my best not to break down right here and now, "hm?"
"Do you have a minute? There's a book I wanna show you."
"Wait-" Luke began, but Jess interrupted him. "You don't need me down here, do you?" At no response, he nodded, "okay, then."
"Sage?" He looked back to me.
"Yeah, sure," I smiled, "let's go." By the look on her face, I could tell mom wanted to stop me, but she didn't.
I followed Jess as he walked behind the counter. The moment we went behind the curtain, I practically collapsed into his arms.
"You are my hero." I said, leaning my head on his shoulder.
I didn't care what I was doing. I was so freaking tired. Mia just didn't know how to shut up. And her stupid high pitched voice was headache inducing like nothing I've ever heard. She sounded like a fire alarm. Annoying. Relentless. And building evacuating.
"No problem, princess," he laughed, letting me pull my head up and start walking upstairs before he followed.
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"Oh. Taylor, hi." I said dryly, pushing through the curtain. He went to respond, before seeing Jess follow out after me.
Uh oh.
"Sage Gilmore!" He began, I rolled my eyes. "Here we go," I mumbled, earning a chuckle from Jess.
"You should not be hanging out with a boy like that. Especially alone. I will talk to you about that, later." He pointed a finger in Luke's direction.
"It's dangerous and very reckless. You're a good kid, Sage. Very smart. And he is bad for you. In fact, all boys are bad! You should stay away from them at once. Unless you want to end up-"
"What, like my mom?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Pregnant at sixteen? Knocked up by a guy who bailed? Unmarried? Leaving my parents? Raising two kids alone? Ruining my life? Is that what you mean, Taylor?" I smiled at his palen face.
I heard mom laugh from her table, while Jess was smiling from beside me.
"I-I," Taylor stuttered, his eyes darted to Luke. "We," he enunciated, "will finish this later." He quickly walked out.
"Nice seeing you!" I called out, waving.
I turned to Jess, smiling. "So, you ready now?" I asked, walking out from behind the counter. "Yes ma'am," he said.
"Ready for what?" Luke and mom asked simultaneously.
Soulmates, I'm telling you.
"We're-" I began, but Jess interrupted.
"Going to a club to get drunk, maybe rob a bank. Break someones nose."
"Which," I clarified, "is bad boy terms for going for a walk and potentially the bookstore." I nodded. Jess snickered. "Potentially? Come on, now." He grabbed my hand, pulling me outside.
"See you later!"
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