Chapter Thirty- Six
Present day
Sage
'It was a trick question, she's a tequila girl when in a good mood, whiskey if she's sad but if she's mad, she will drink anything her heart sets its sights on.' The familiarity of the tone had all laughter freezing and panic rising inside of me. Please God no, please God don't be so cruel to me, I pleaded a prayer as my eyes found his.
'Blue?' His name fell from my lips so easily before I could even stop it. His brown eyes watching me so carefully, the man that tore my heart apart vein by fucking vein hadn't changed a damn bit.
'It's been a long time, Darlin.' He gave me a gentle smile but even after all these years later the sight still manages to make my knees weak. Just like his cousin and everything else in this bloody town, he hadn't changed a damn bit, same rugged hair and dauntingly beautiful mahogany eyes. I had imagined this moment so many bloody times over the years, the day that I was to finally bump into him again and even all those hours that I had spent the first year wishing and trying so hard to not run back to him, none of it could have prepared me for how I was now feeling. I gulped away the ball in my throat, my chest was tightening, squeezing at the ache this man had left on my heart all those years ago.
'Everything ok Sugar?' Felix asked, glancing between me and Blue, but I couldn't reply to him, my throat was constricted, and my lungs were choking just to grasp onto even a little bit of air.
'Sage?' Blue called my name thawing me out of my frozen state.
'If you want a drink Mickey can serve you.' I managed to get out through the shakiness in my tone.
'Can you take a break? We need to talk.' He ignored my ignorance and I wasn't even going to be ashamed at what was so blatant, I didn't want to face him, I didn't know how to face him, how to stop that ache from seeping back into my chest, the ache that he had left there and the ache that had taken me so long to shield myself from. I glanced at Mickey who eyed me with such sympathy, and it made me feel even worse. Because if other people are so visibly cautious of a reunion between me and Blue then I couldn't even imagine the emotions that I'm sure where portrayed on my face right now.
'We don't have anything to talk about, so if you aren't buying a drink, I think you're in the wrong place.' I gave Blue my full attention.
'I got a letter from your uncle; someone sent me it when he died.' He tried, pleading with me with those obsidian eyes of his. 'He said some stuff, stuff that we need to talk about.'
'There isn't anything we need to talk about, if there was something you need to say then you're three bloody years too late.' I cut him off.
'He asked me to talk to you, I need to talk to you about what the letter says.' He pleaded.
'That's bullshit.' I fired, I didn't want to hear what he had to say, I didn't want to be dragged back into the pain of an old wound re-opening, a wound that Blue Mercer had left scarred into my heart.
'Sage, he said you don't play anymore, you haven't played since you left.'
'So that's why you're here? Mister Big Time left the world of fame because an old man guilt-tripped him?' I cut off his reasonings.
'That's not it and you know it, we need to talk and I'm not leaving until you give me just a little of your time Darlin.' He pleaded, but his pleading was drowned out by that bloody name that he had called me since we were kids.
'Don't call me that.' I snapped, the rise in my tone catching the attention of the customers around us.
'Sage.' He begged, and if he hadn't broken me so badly when we were kids then I would have given him the attention he was pleading with me for.
'Still want to buy me a drink?' I turned to Felix, ignoring Blue with a bloody need.
'Beer for me, whiskey for her.' He called out to Mickey as he slid from his seat. The whiskey order wasn't lost on me, and I wasn't even mad about it because hell did I need that drink right now.
'Sage.' Blue let out with a hard tone as I rounded the counter to meet Felix who held his arm out for me with a knowing smile tugged on his lips. I was being vindictive; I knew that, Felix knew that and so did bloody Blue.
Present day
Blue
She watched me with such fury in those pretty green eyes, the storm swirling inside of them only intensified the brightness of her green orbs. She was furious with me way more than I had ever imagined, I didn't understand it, not one fucking bit because she was the one who had left me, she left, and she didn't fucking come back.
'Still want to buy me a drink?' She turned her attention away from me and onto the man who sat before her. Shit if I thought these past years of being away from her was hard then you could only imagine the sting that hit with the visual of her accepting the attention of someone else that wasn't me.
'Beer for me, whiskey for her.' That fuck-tard called out to Mickey as he raised from his seat. I had two minds, one that wanted to push his ass back into the chair and another that wanted to throw the dick out of the fucking front doors.
'Sage.' I ground out, my eyes where hard, tightly trained on her every movement as she rounded the counter and hooked her arm through the outstretched arm that fool had held out for her. With a shake of my head, I turned away from the sight, I couldn't watch that shit any longer. She was testing me, and I was failing, shit she knew exactly how to get under my skin, always has and always fucking will. A glass of whiskey slid across the countertop and stilled in front of me, and I glanced over at Mickey.
'You ambushed her.' He accused with a disapproving shake of his head. 'That's a welcome home drink, not a sympathy one.'
'Didn't plan to, thought she would be at home.' I told him, taking the glass and shooting its contents. Every time I'm around this girl I find myself in way over my fucking head in both the good and the bad aspects of loving Sage Walker but I'd take it, Shit I didn't care because just seeing her for the first time in years had me needing her more than I thought possible.
'What's this letter about?' He asked, tilting his head with a mix of curiosity and a tinge of concern.
'Nothing fucking good.' I told him, forcing my jaw not to tighten with the knowledge the letter had given me. I had purposely kept my answer short, not giving him any insight into the actual words that were written on the paper that came through my door. Wade wrote that letter with the intent for my eyes only and I was going to honor that for him, honor it for her sake.
'Well shit, my suggestion is less of the ambushing, give her space she's got to be going through it with Wade's death not to mention seeing your dumb ass.' He suggested. Like I'd ever take his suggestions into count ever again.
'No offense,' I muttered before continuing, 'The last time you told me to give her what she needed, she up and left, up and left the both of us and that shit ain't happening again if I can put a stop to it.' I told him with certainty, and shit I half believed the words myself with all the fucking determination I felt on the subject.
'I'll believe that when I see it brother.' He shook his head, 'Shit if you can make our girl stay, I'll give you free whiskey for life.'
'If I can get her to stay, I won't need the damn whiskey anymore.' I muttered earning a light chuckle from him.
Present day
Sage
'Please Doll.' Violet begged for the millionth time, and I nearly gave in to her demands just because I was tired of hearing her repetitive begging. I Had spent the day hiding out in Uncle Wade's house, or I guess it was my house now but either way, I spent the entire day hiding from Blue, afraid that if I stepped one foot outside of that front door he would appear out of thin air, Just like he had done last night at the bar. I was conflicted because her request was for me to come over to Mickey's house across the street, well her and Mickey's home now that she had moved in with him. I wanted to spend time with her and Mickey, of course I did, I wanted to spend time with them but the only downside to that was that Blue was definitely going to be there and I wasn't ready to face him again, I don't think I ever will be.
'Seeing him is just too hard.' I admitted, earning another look of sympathy and I hated it, that look right there was all I'd received for the past few days. 'Besides, he is going to want to talk, and I haven't got the strength for that.' I pleaded with her to understand. Before last night I hadn't seen his face since the night I had left town, the night that we lashed out at one another, and the last time that I had heard his voice was the night that I came back to him only to turn around and run from this town as if it had burned me because he had already begun to move on, he moved on before we were even over and shit did that still sting like a bloody bitch.
'I'll have your back the entire night, I promise that Mickey and I won't leave you both in the same room alone.' She reasoned, and I sighed at the plea in her eyes. 'We have news, and we want to tell the both of you, together.' She added.
'Fine.' I groaned my agreement, 'But I'm warning you now that if being near him gets too much for me to handle I'm out of there, before or after your news.' I warned her.
'Totally.' She squealed in agreement with my demands, her eyes gleaming with happiness at my acceptance and I couldn't bite back the smile from tugging at my lips. She really was the same old Violet and I had missed every bloody bit of her company. 'Let's go let's go.' She all but bounced on the spot she stood in.
'Alright, Jeez.' I let out in amusement as she practically dragged me off of the sofa. It wasn't until we were crossing the short distance from my Uncle's house to Mickey's that my anxiousness set in. God, I was so nervous to see Blue it was almost like I was going insane. You would have thought that after three years I would have been able to get a handle on my emotions and feelings towards the boy but if anything seeing him yesterday and the prospect of seeing him in sixty seconds from now was all too confusing. Violet pushed the front door open, and a nostalgic sound hit my ears, Blue and Mickey's laughter rang throughout the house and enveloped me in a world of familiarity.
'Come on.' Violet coaxed as she pulled me through the house and towards the kitchen, a second later the visual of Blue and Mickey playfully swatting one another with dishcloths came into view, the sight both warmed my heart while at the same time tore at it. The two Mercer boys had been my life up until three years ago and it hit hard that I had forgotten how close the three of us used to be, I didn't realize I had missed seeing the pair banter in the way they did, the way they were doing right now.
'You're supposed to be grilling.' Violet scolded; her scolding was solely meant for Mickey but had stilled the both of them.
'Well I'll be damned, Ain't that a nostalgic sight.' Mickey straightened up, his hands resting on his hips as he eyed me and Violet. 'My two favourite girls, my two Doll's standing side by side again.' He grinned in that Mickey way, but the gleam in his eyes was enough to tell me he was feeling just as nostalgic as I had been moments ago.
'What have I told you about leaving that damn grill unattended.' Violet scolded Mickey and I bit down on my lip to halt my amusement at the fact he didn't seem fazed in the slightest as his grin never wavered.
'Sorry to say it Vi, but you walked into that one all on your own, Didn't I teach you a long time ago to never let this boy anywhere near a bloody grill.' I teased through a growing smirk, yeah, I was teasing but there were no lies in that statement, hell that's why Blue always took it upon himself to take over the grill before Mickey had the chance to.
'She isn't lying.' Blue chuckled, the first sound he had made since I had entered the kitchen, drawing me right back to feeling anxious with the intense feel of his gaze on me, I was a chicken because I couldn't even muster up the courage to look over at him. Afraid to see the boy I had left calling out for me to stay all those years ago.
'Ok first of all that was wounding.' Mickey paused before continuing, 'And secondly, I'm fucking over the moon that you're here right now Sage.' He grinned over at me.
'Me too,' I admitted, 'Besides who else is going to brutally tell you that they can smell burnt steaks.' I raised a brow at the aroma of an overcooked chunk of beef that wafted in through the back door.
'Ah, shit.' Mickey went wide-eyed as he darted for the backdoor, leaving the kitchen and the rest of us in a fit of amusement.
'I'm sure glad I made a backup, who wants some pie?' Violet let out amused as she moved towards the oven and I've got to say as stressed as the thought of being here with Blue had me on the way over here, it wasn't as bad as I had originally thought and that was down to how easily the four of us had fallen into a little normalcy.
Present day
Sage
'So that video of your performance at the CMA Music Festival has gone viral.' Mickey grinned at Blue, the mischievous glint in his eyes was the warning that I knew he was about to say something in the attempt to wined Blue up.
'Don't remind me.' Blue groaned.
'That shit was all over the internet.' Mickey laughed his amusement.
'What was?' I asked, completely clueless about the turn in the conversation.
'You don't need to know Darlin.' Blue turned his gaze on me, just like my heart used to stutter under his brown eyes back when we were good, it fluttered its beats with our connected eyes.
'And why is that?' I asked, our eyes never wavering from one another's, and I don't know what had come over me because it was as if my eyes were ignoring the orders to look away, but of course, Blue always could keep my attention on him whenever he wanted it.
'He's embarrassed.' Violet accused from her chair beside me, earning a light chuckle from Blue.
'You ain't seen it?' Mickey asked, 'Doll I promise you whenever you need to laugh just YouTube that shit, there's a video from every darn angle.' He reached for his phone and began fumbling his thumb across the screen.
'Don't show her.' Blue groaned at Mickey, and I couldn't help the amusement I felt at seeing him squirm.
'No show me.' My words all but swatted Blue's from the air.
'There ain't no way you're watching that damn video, Darlin.' Blue shut me down, but his amusement was made known with the slight tug to the corner of his lips.
'Blue Mercer, are you telling me what I can and can't do?' I raised a playful brow in defiance of his words. His eagerness to keep me from watching the video only had me more intrigued and the need to watch it grow stronger.
'No Ma'am.' He smirked, his eyes never wavering from me as he leaned back in his chair with resignment. God, it was so easy to fall back into a comforting place with him that I almost, almost forgot that we weren't on good terms anymore, we hadn't been for three years.
'Doll, prepare your lungs because this shit will kill them.' Mickey brought my attention back to him as he leaned over the dinner table and handed me his phone. I took it and Violet scooted her chair closer to mine in order to watch the video alongside me. Blue and Mickey muttered something to one another under their breath that I couldn't hear because my focus was on the video of Blue standing on a large stage, his guitar in hand as he performed to the crowd out in front of him. He looked so happy up on the stage, so in place there that it was actually warming to see that he had gotten what he had always dreamed of. As he belted out the song, he turned only for his feet to slip from under him, his body crashing down heavily onto the stage.
'No.' I gasped, my hand as if on instinct reached up and smothered my mouth shut as I suppressed my laugh from slipping past my lips. Violet cracked up beside me in full amusement of rewatching the video I'm betting from the conjoined amusement coming from both her and Mickey that they had definitely sat and replayed this video over a hundred bloody times.
'Alright you've had your fun, there was water on the damn stage.' Blue groaned, and I took my eyes back to his and the gleam of amusement that shined back at me.
'Could have been worse, you could have fallen off the stage.' I teased in full amusement, I felt so light-hearted right now and it was odd because I had felt so tight and strained for the past couple of months, or maybe if I'm being honest since I left this town three years ago. Hell, I had almost forgotten how it feels to be around people you care for.
'Baby you'd be surprised at the amount of stages I've fallen off.' He fired back, and my heart stilled, my throat constricting at the endearing name that fell so effortlessly from his lips. I must have portrayed my feelings in my composure because the table grew quiet, his eyes intently burned back into mine. It was almost as if he was staring at me defiantly, like the slip of his words was on purpose or maybe they weren't and that look in his eyes was his defiance of not wanting to take it back.
'Drinks, refill anyone?' Violet rushed, drawing my attention to her and I just knew that she was saving my ass, she had my back just like she had promised that she would.