Four years ago.........
I rush into an empty supply closet and hope that no one has seen me. I know I am ditching Neal, my best friend, during his wedding reception but I don't give a shit at this point. I have been humiliated enough tonight and would like to forget this entire night.
It shouldn't be like this. It's my best friend's wedding. I was part of the whole planning process and had been excited for this night since it was all Neal could talk about. Bree was his 'The One' and he couldn't wait to tie the knot.
I cannot believe I was this stupid. I saw the signs but I just didn't want to believe it. 'We're not working out Sage' fucking Darren and breaking up with me a few days before we were supposed to attend Neal's wedding together just to waltz in with his supposed "friend" draped around his arm. If only he hadn't come to the wedding, but it had completely slipped my mind that he was invited, one of Neal's college friends. Couldn't be avoided.
Just Friends. Just Co-workers. My Ass.
Why did he have to parade her in front of me like that? Ugh. It made me feel so damn disgusted with myself that I was ever with such an asshole like that.
All I wanted was a night away from all my stupid problems and to enjoy a good wedding. One of the moments that me and Neal have looked forward to all our lives.
But at this moment, I wish I was anywhere else.
I jump when I hear a door close farther down the hallway from where I am. Probably someone hooking up in one of the other rooms.
Wedding hookups are common knowledge.
Maybe it is Darren. Who the fuck knows?
I want to say I am just done with all of this bullshit, I know for a fact that I am not as strong as I pretend to be in front of everyone else.
Outside, in the real world, I am a freaking badass, if you ask Neal. 24 years old and still not as quite happy as I pretend to be. My achievements do not reflect how I am inside at all.
I am a completely insecure person underneath and I would be happy if I could blame it all on Darren. Or one of my ex for that matter. But, it wasn't all him. Home life had never been good for me. Throughout my childhood, I had stuck close to Neal and Nav. Their family had always been the ones I clung to when I needed a safe space.
Neal and Nav, twin brothers, were my saving grace when I was 10 years old and had to start over in a new city. With my mother, not in the picture, and my father, working hard and busy. Their house was my regular hang-out spot.
Neal and I became the ultimate duo and Nav was the older one, by a few minutes to Neal. It was the three of us until high school. Nav got popular because of football and stopped hanging out with us as much.
Me and Neal were all each other had. We stuck together like glue throughout high school, and college and now live only a block apart.
The rattling on the door to the supply closet I was in brings me out of my daze. I look over to notice a splash of dirty blond hair that I would recognize anywhere.
Thank God.
"Neal" I exclaim as I open the door and pull him in. I don't wait for him to say anything before I hug him. I need the closeness. I needed the warmth and the safe feeling he always provided.
I feel his hand on my arms and I go completely still.
Because Neal doesn't have callused hands.
And he did not wear that specific suit.
Then it clicks.
Ugh. Why.
Why out of everyone that could've found me, it had to be him.
Before I could push myself off of him, he pulled me closer and hugged me tight. His hands go to my hair and start massaging.
Oh, that feels so damn good.
Why am I enjoying this?
I should push him off.
How did he find me here?
Why do I not want to let go of him?
I'm blaming the emotions.
"Nav"
"Shhhh," he says as he pulls me even closer to him.
"What are you doing?" I ask. Why do I sound so damn breathless?
"You seem like you need a hug" He simply says.
Not having any answer, I keep staying in his embrace. I remember the last time we hugged like this because it was years ago. When we were still friends. When we used to hang out constantly.
When we used to go up to the treehouse in their backyard and watch stupid rom-coms and throw popcorn around.
Me and Neal and Nav.
That's the only reason why I am not pushing him away. I missed him. Even if I would never admit it.
And I did feel safe in his arms. Like we are not at his brother's wedding, hiding away in a supply closet. Like I didn't just watch my asshole-of-an-ex parade around his new whatever-she-is in front of almost everyone I knew just to humiliate me.
******
After what seemed like hours, but in reality, it was only like 10 minutes, we detangle ourselves from the hug and I look at him for the first time tonight.
He looks damn good in those black slacks and light blue button-up shirt. He had shredded his suit coat somewhere, I'm guessing. I should've known he wasn't Neal. Nav is much more built, because of years of football.
"Care to tell me why you are hiding out in a supply closet?" He asks with such authority that it makes me look at his face.
I honestly don't know what to say. I still feel dazed but I manage to croak out, "I needed a minute away from all of that" as I point towards the wedding hall.
"It was more than a minute, Winnie." He says.
Ugh. Stupid nickname. He hasn't called me that in years. I used to like it but now it brings all the memories of the past and makes me feel strange.
"Well, I wasn't timing it was I?" I snap trying to deflect from the intense look he was giving me. "And anyways what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be dancing, enjoying the wedding?" Anything other than finding me being emotional in the freaking supply closet.
"I could ask you the same question?" He asks. Matter-of-factly.
"Yes, actually I was about to go find Neal and Bree and dance a little. Let's go." I say quickly as I try to walk towards the door.
I feel him before I feel his touch.
He's hovering behind me. His hand has come forward to close the door that I had opened and I can hear the sound echoing outside.
Bang!
I can feel the heat from his body and it's making me shiver. My body has never reacted to Nav in this way before. Not that we were ever as physically close as we are at the moment.
The heat is spreading out throughout my body and pooling somewhere deep down that I want to ignore but at the moment I can't.
Calm down, girl. Nothing is happening tonight. Especially with Nav.
"Where do you think you're going?" he whispers in my ear as his lips graze me.
"What are you doing?" I stutter out. I don't know whether to embrace whatever is happening or run far far away.
I somehow doubt that he would let me get far. I knew he always had that controlling personality but never thought I would be on the receiving end, especially like this.
"Sage, why are you crying over some duchebag? You know we don't like it when there are tears in your eyes."
We? Who is we?
I know he doesn't mean him.
"Oh, so you care now," I say before I can filter myself and as soon as I say that, I find myself being turned around and coming face to face with him.
Well, face to chest because he's a lot taller than me, even in heels. I can smell his cologne and it smells intoxicating.
What in the seven hells is happening?
"You don't think I care" He states more than asks and his voice drops an octave, "Then you haven't been paying attention, Winnie."
There he goes with the nickname again.
I couldn't help but shiver at that.
"What do you want?" I ask looking him in the eyes. I can't seem to look away from his hazel eyes. My heart is beating fast and I can feel his heartbeat from where my head is touching his chest. And it's beating fast as well.
He is silent for a while as he stares at me with those magnetic eyes before he murmurs, "You".
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Hey Readers,
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story.
I love Sage and Nav already and hope you fall in love with them as well.
See you in Chapter 2
xx Lovely Cheleska