Sage

THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THEN A NICE CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE DURING THE COLD SEASONS

"Slow down or you'll get brain burn." Dorian grins.

"That's not real." I say, sipping my cocoa.

Dorian shrugs. "Only if you believe it doesn't."

I roll my eyes. "Well, I don't."

Today Dorian and I are going to see Coldplay, he snagged us a pair of tickets recently. I wasn't going to say no to a free concert performed by these musical geniuses. Plus it's been a long time since I've seen a live concert, not since The Monster Tour staring Eminem and Rihanna. Ah, memories.

Before going to the concert we decided to meet up and hang out for a bit. So we've gone to the mall and window shopped, played some video games at Gamestop (I beat him twice) and then got some warm drinks to stray away the winter weather.

"So, this is probably going to be severely blunt, but I'd like to make our arrangement to be a little more permanent." Dorian blurts out.

I stared at him, puzzled. "What?"

"You and I text everyday, we see each other and have fun...at least I hope you have fun with me." He chuckles, sheepishly.

"Of course, you're a blast." I assure him.

Dorian smiles. "That's good. Well...er, I'd like us to have fun together...as something more than friends."

Suddenly my eyes widened.

He isn't...

"Basically what I'm saying is," He clears his throat. "I'd like to be your boyfriend. I know it's probably sudden to ask this given we've only known each other for a short amount of time but I like you. A lot. And I want to make sure no other guy gets the chance to snag you before me."

"Dorian." I breathe.

"You don't need to answer now, obviously." He looks at me, serious. "But I want you to know I'll be waiting eagerly for an answer."

His declaration took me aback. For the past few months I have been distracting my feelings for Greyson, truthfully, sometimes I don't fight it. Dorian is a great guy and somewhere inside me I knew this would happen but to actually hear it changes everything.

If I'd date Dorian I'd only be hurting him in the end because eventually I'd have to marry Greyson. To string a guy as great as Dorian along for the remaining months of being seventeen isn't such a nice thing to do. As soon as I turn eighteen my whole life will change and despite me having to suffer, Dorian will be crushed.

Though, to be honest I didn't want to say no.

Call me crazy but I've never had a boyfriend and I've never experienced dating. The fact that I'll never have to chance scares me more than anything. To be in a one-sided love marriage for my entire life sounded awful. Especially when I could be with someone like Dorian who would reciprocate my feelings.

"Well, lets drop this topic, there's no need to dwell on it." Dorian speaks through the silence. "We've got to go see Coldplay."

"Yeah." I smile lightly.

→←

All I could see were red and white lights, flashing before my eyes.

My stomach dropped.

The last time the ambulance were here it was...

For my dad

Immediately I open the cab door and storm towards the truck awaiting in front of my house. But when I arrived to the crowd I see two rush and push a gurney into the ambulance frantically. However, my Dad wasn't the one on it. Dad was standing next to the truck with wide eyes covered in crimson next to an officer. Seconds later the truck leaves.

"Dad?" I find my way towards him.

"Sage." Dad sighs, relief in his tone. "You're okay."

"What happened?" I asked.

"They...They cam back." Dad frowns.

Instantly my blood turned to ice. "No."

"But I was out getting some beverages."

The fact that he was okay was enough for me but that led to another question. "Then who...?"

"He wanted to wait for you to get home, he was worried about you and that Dorian guy." Dad says quietly. "So I let him in the house to wait but I needed some drinks so I went to the store real quick and left him alone..."

"Who—?" My breath hitched. "Greyson."

Remorse and sadness fogged Dad's gaze.

The blood...that wasn't Dad's.

"No."

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we still need a few details." The officer cuts my thoughts.

"Dad we need to go to the hospital." I begin to panic.

Dad looks at me then the officer.

"Hey ma'am you forgot to pay." A familiar voice says behind me.

It was the cab driver.

I looked at him and pulled out three twenty dollar bills. "Take me to the hospital."

Without hesitating the cab driver accepted my request and we went to the car.

→←

By the time I got to the Hospital, Dawn and her husband were already there. And surprisingly so was Richard, their father. It's depressing that I didn't expect him to rush to see his son, but then again, it was his son.

The most interesting part about it was how concerned Richard looked. His usual cold exterior was broken and showed nothing but concern.

"Sage!" Dawn ran to me.

"How is he?" I asked immediately.

"They aren't telling us anything yet, do you know what happened?" She asks.

"No I was...out." On a date.

I'm now feeling a strong guilt about going out all night with Dorian and having fun. While Greyson stayed at my house and waited for me. Even though Greyson didn't want me to see Dorian he is still willing to make sure I got home safe.

"I'll tell you what happened." Richard spoke, harshly. "Greyson forgot his status and stayed at an unsecured house, alone. Knowing very well that there's someone after the Slade's."

Now I felt even more guilty.

I hadn't forgotten what happened with my Dad a few months ago but I'd finally gotten to a point where I didn't dwell on the horror of it. Now I'm realizing that whoever this man or whatever is out to get us is more than what meets the eye. He'd been so silent for so long, why'd he come up out of the blue like this?

"Fuck." Richard barked.

"Father calm down." Dawn comforts him. "He'll be okay, it's Greyson."

Dawn looks towards me but freezes, her lips purse.

"Well, that's not exactly the reaction I was hoping to get." A man says behind me.

I turn around to see who said that, and who made Dawn look so uncomfortable. To my surprise it was an unfamiliar man with incredible looks. He had dark brown slicked back hair, his eyes were almond colored, and smile bright.

The man was wearing a business casual outfit, holding a coat onto his forearm. Who was he?

"Hudson." Richard speaks. "Can't say you're a sight for sore eyes."

"Hey, I'm not here for you guys, I'm here for Greyson. What'd he do now? Mess around with some chick and get his junk snapped in half?" The man—Hudson jokes.

Immediately I can tell I won't like this guy.

"Why are you here if you're going to joke around? Greyson's in the fucking hospital." Dawn hisses. "Always so immature, you still aren't able to function like a human being, when will you grow up?"

Hudson's smile faded. "For your information, I've got more maturity in my fucking pinky than your entire body, Dawn."

"Please." She scoffs.

"Don't act so highly of yourself Dawn, it doesn't suit you." Hudson sneers, then grins. "I'd much prefer the girl I met in High School who loved being on her knees—"

"Hudson." Richard scowls.

"You're such an ass!" Dawn yells, her face red with embarrassment, tears threatening her eyes. It wasn't a second more before she stormed away to the other room, probably to be with her husband.

"Don't you ever speak about my daughter in that manner. I don't give a bloody hell if you're Greyson's only friend, I'll have him hate me for taking that away before you destroy Dawn's image." Then Richard walks away, probably to comfort his daughter. Or to prevent him from punching the daylights out of Hudson, who very much deserved it.

I was just about to follow when Hudson cleared his throat. "So...is he okay?"

My eyes widened, not because he asked me this question (which I admit was shocking as well) but because of the sincerity and worry in his voice. That wasn't the tone of a man who was heartless and didn't care would have.

"I'm not...sure." I answer, hesitant.

"I'm Hudson, Greyson's friend—best friend not to brag." He smiled, painfully.

"I'm...I'm Sage." I tell him.

Suddenly his eyes widen. "Wait you're Sage Slade?"

"Yes?" I cross my arms, uncomfortable that he knew my last name.

"Greyson's told me about you." He informs me. "I just never expected you'd be what...eighteen?"

"Seventeen."

"Whatever is going on with that dumbass he better wake up soon, because he's got some explaining to do." Hudson says under his breath.

"Huh?" I tilt my head, confused.

"Nothing." Hudson straightened himself out. "I'm rather in need of some coffee, care to join?"

"Greyson's in the E.R. and you want coffee?" I frown.

"Ah, yes, you weren't around when he broke his leg or got beat up so hard he got knocked out or fractured his knee." He sighs. "Trust me, if he was almost impossible to deal with then, he'll most assuredly be worse if something worse happened. So do yourself a favor and indulge in some coffee before he wears on you. Greyson can be a bit of a...drama queen."

This was true, I don't know anything about Greyson's past.

But that didn't mean I was going to leave before I knew he was okay. "I'm going to have to decline. I'd rather make sure he's fine."

Hudson studied me briefly. "Very well." Then left.

→←

Two hours later and the Doctor finally came out, he removed his gloves and threw them in the trash. Everyone stormed towards him but Richard beat us all.

"What's going on?" Richard asks.

"Everything is alright guys, he's a fighter." The Doctor smiles, assuring us. "Greyson pulled through though we're going to keep him here for a few days to make sure. The interesting part about this was that whoever stabbed him—"

Stabbed

Oh my gosh it was the same guy. I couldn't breathe.

"—didn't hit any vital body parts. It's like the person who stabbed him missed by a miracle or possibly knew what he was doing. It takes someone with experience to stab someone four times without tearing through anything super important. Though it did tear through some things, we managed to get that fixed."

The horror that whoever did this knew what they were doing made it even worse. Worst of all Todd is on a break with his children and this could have been prevented if I hadn't pushed him to do it. Then again, Todd's my watch-dog.

"Can we see him?" Dawn asks.

"He's still sleeping but I can't see why you can't go in there. Though small groups only, keep it in two's, he needs rest." The Doctor informs us.

So everyone looked at one another.

"Since there are five of us, I'd like to go in first, alone." Richard tells everyone.

We didn't argue with his request so he did as he said he would and went to the room first. Then we all waited our own turn. Since Dawn would never be alone with Hudson apparently or her husband, which made sense, they'll go together second. Hudson and I will go after.

For a fiance I feel like I have no power in this family even though I feel the worst.

→←

It took a while but it was finally time for Hudson and I to see him. Eager I sped walked towards his room straying way past Hudson.

When I got inside the room I quickly noticed this was definitely a private room for the wealthy because of the furniture and colored walls, but dismissed it. Hudson was laying down, his eyes closed, and bandaged everywhere.

"Damn, he looks like crap." Hudson points out the obvious.

I walk up to Greyson and stood next to him. "I'm sorry." Suddenly I feel my nose start stinging and eyes began to water. "This is my fault...if I hadn't...gone out with Dorian...you wouldn't be at my house."

There was silence, nothing but the sound of beeping.

"Sage?"

My heart stopped and I looked down, rubbing my arm across my eyes, wiping away the tears. "Greyson?"

"Fuck." He hisses under his breath. "I feel like shit."

"Well you look like it too." Hudson chuckles.

Greyson grumbles. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Well I am your friend." Hudson shrugs, with a smile.

Greyson opens his eyes slowly and looks around the room while squinting. "That motherfucker got me didn't he?"

"Got you good." Hudson informs him.

Greyson sighs. "Fuck. I thought I had him, I fought him and managed to knock him out...but when I grabbed my phone and started dialing the police he somehow got me. Then it's a blur."

From the bruise on his cheek I could tell there was some minor fighting. It wasn't shocking to see that Greyson would fight back, especially with how fit he was and short-tempered.

What surprised me is that he lost.

A phone starts ringing. "I'll be back, it's work." Hudson says then walks out of the room.

"Maybe you should go back to sleep." I try and persuade him.

Greyson chuckled, dryly. "Get stabbed and tell me how easily it is for you to sleep."

"Don't joke around about this." I frown.

His eyes slide to mine. "Why not, it's not like it bothers you. If I died you'd be free from me. Free from this marriage—"

"Don't talk like that." The tears are back. "Why would I want you to die?"

Greyson studies me and realizes his mistake. "I didn't mean..."

"Why would you say that!? You know how I feel about you." I sniffled.

He didn't say anything.

"Even after hurting me...even after...I still love you." I wipe my tears away, feeling like an idiot.

"Sage." Greyson says, then grabs my hand. "I'm sorry...I didn't think that was true."

I don't know why but I kept crying, all the worry and hurt just poured out. Unexpectedly I hear rustling and suddenly I am pulled down onto the bed—onto Greyson.

Immediately I panic. "What are you doing!? You're hurt!"

"You're fucking heavy." He groans.

My brows furrow. "Then why'd you pull me onto you?" I push myself off of him.

But he pulls me back, pushing my head back against his chest. "I can't but think what would happen if it was you alone in that house. Is it so bad to need reassurance and feel that you're really here, safe?"

Admittedly no. But I didn't say anything, I just complied with his wishes. Greyson's such an idiot, worrying about me when he's the one who got stabbed multiple times.

My chest tightens, a tinge of pain reveals itself. How can this same guy be the one who breaks my heart over and over again? The same guy who can't stop sleeping around and being a complete heartless jerk.

"Woah am I interrupting something—?"

Greyson narrows his eyes at Hudson. "Get. Out. Now."

"Fine, whatever." Hudson says but smirks. "Told you, total drama queen."

I couldn't help but snicker.

Greyson shifts beneath me, fixing himself. "Did you snicker?"

"Nope." I lie and snickered again.

He sighs. "You're a terrible liar."

After he said that we stayed in complete silence for a while. It wasn't awkward or tension filled, for some reason it felt comfortable.

"Am I getting to heavy?" I look up at Greyson.

There he was, asleep, peacefully. Despite the occurrence of the night he somehow managed to fall asleep without fear. He's truly stronger than I am, it took me months to drown the memories away. What's also funny is that even though he got banged up pretty bad, he still looks nothing less than perfect.

In fact the battle scars appealed to him much more, giving a more manlier look to his usual perfect composure. He was rough and ragged and I can't lie, that version of Greyson suited him more than the uptight one.

"Goodnight, Greyson." I say getting up but suddenly I am pulled back. "Are you awake?"

Silence

No answer.

His breathing was even and there's no way a man whose as tense as Greyson could hide that. So I tried to leave again but I realize that he didn't intend to let me go. "Greyson, let me go." I sigh.

But did I really want to go?

I decided that it'd be smarter to settle in his grasp than possibly wake him up. A man like him who works so hard he gets grey hairs cannot possibly miss sleep after an attack. So I laid back onto him and stared vacantly into the room. And soon enough, I fell asleep too.