A/N: I still don't own it, so please don't sue me.
This story is rate M for adult language, themes, situations, and future lemons. Read at own risk. No one under 18, please.
Thank you (as always) to RemyKilday for pre-reading.
I worship at the altar of HammerHips' ass.
Chapter 7: Still On Your Side
You want to run, you want to break free
What you want ain't what you need
Can't you see that I care
I know I'm hard on you sometimes
But when you're looking for the things you can't find
Don't you know who'll be there
Who will, I will
When it's more than you can handle
Ain't no lie
-"Still On Your Side" by BBMAK
Sage POV
I awoke the next morning much calmer but still upset. I also woke up with a major headache, which I wasn't sure if I should attribute to going to bed angry or the booze I'd swilled in my upset. Groaning and rolling over was painful, but I still had to get up.
I trudged into the bathroom and showered quickly, brushed my teeth, and headed back into my room to dig out a pair of comfy sweats and a T-shirt. I checked my phone quickly and found several texts from Alec.
Is everything OK?
I'm so sorry I couldn't help.
Please just tell me you 3 are OK.
I can't reach Janey, please call.
Are you OK?
I groaned again and tapped out a quick, succinct message.
We're all fine. They dropped me off at home and headed back to the dorms.
Then I headed upstairs to find coffee. Thankfully, Jasper had already put a pot on, but he was nowhere to be seen. I poured myself a mug, snitched a cigarette from the pack on the sideboard, and headed out onto the deck for a quick smoke, allowing the nicotine to heal my fractured pride.
Kid.
Jasper wished I was a kid.
I almost spit with that thought.
I finished my coffee in record time, stubbed out the cigarette, and went to refill my mug. Jasper was still nowhere to be seen. I headed to the front door and peeked outside. The truck was still out front.
Sighing, I headed back downstairs and bypassed my door for Jasper's. I knocked quietly. There was a hollow scraping sound but no other noise. I knocked again.
"Jas?" I called. The scraping stopped, but he still didn't acknowledge me. "Jasper, please?"
I heard him sigh and then he called, "Come on in." in a really hoarse voice.
I pushed the door open and stepped into the mirror opposite of my room… with a different paint job and more manly bedding. Jasper was at his desk with a pistol in pieces, cleaning it. I felt my eyes go wide.
I'd been around plenty of guns, living with Charlie for so long, and I knew how to fire one, but I was fairly certain Emmett didn't know Jasper had one in the house.
"What can I do for you?" he asked, not bothering to take his eyes off his work.
"I came to apologize." I answered and he paused for a moment, still staring at the barrel of the pistol, but then he started right back up again. "Jas, I'm sorry. I overreacted. I know you didn't mean it the way it came out. I—"
He held up his hand and I immediately shut my mouth. "Do I do right by you?"
Odd.
"What are you talking about?"
He sighed and put the gun down, turning his chair to face me, and actually meeting my eyes for the first time since I'd come in. Now that I had a clear view, I could see he obviously hadn't slept. Or at least hadn't slept well. His eyes were red and tired, he had dark circles under them, and his short hair was in disarray as though he'd been tugging on it.
"Do I do right by you?" he repeated. "Do I take care of you, back off when you need me to, defend you when you need me to? Am I a good friend?"
"Jas, you're the best." I answered, suddenly panicked. I had no clue where he was going with this, but I was suddenly scared.
"Really?" I nodded. "No, I mean really? Because with how you blew up at me last night, I'm wondering what I've done? We never used to fight."
I rolled my eyes and kicked at the carpet. "Jas… it's kinda hard to hold an argument when there's two weeks between responses." I mumbled.
"Even before, when we were writing twice a week, we never argued." His eyes were so sad, I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "I just—I don't know what I did to draw so much ire…" he drew in a shuddering breath. "I make it a point not to be like Emmett." He whispered.
"Oh, Jazz." The tears spilled over and I rushed at him, throwing my arms around his neck. "Jazz, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that! I'm so sorry!" it took him several moments of hearing me apologize before he finally wrapped me into the comfort of his arms and pulled me into his lap. "I'm so sorry." I continued to whisper against his neck.
He shook his head. "I just… I don't want you to end up hating me. And I don't want you to get hurt." He murmured into my hair. "God, I was so worried about you… and I would give anything to be able to trust the world, but I know I can't. And I feel like maybe I can do a better job than Emmett because I don't have all the personal shit with your dad and your depression weighing me down. I can see you as you are." I stiffened, but immediately relaxed again. "Just please tell me I'm doing an OK job."
I hugged him tighter, pressing a quick kiss into his jaw. "You're the best." I whispered. "Please don't be upset with yourself."
He hugged me tighter and gave a low chuckle. "Alright." He nuzzled me lightly. "But next time I'm fuckin' turning you over my knee. Don't pull that shit on me again or I really will treat you like you're twelve." His tone was humorous, but I could still feel the sincerity of his warning. I'd hurt him and I'd have to do better.
Still, I had to giggle and when he gave me a look, I sighed, "I'm sorry… I just pictured that scene in McLintock!" Jasper snorted a laugh and I was glad to see him smile. "At least we're not fighting because of sexual tension." Jasper shifted uncomfortably but didn't say anything, so I simply laid my head on his shoulder.
I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, but the next thing I knew, Jasper was carrying me gently and setting me down on some soft surface. It wasn't my bed… this… whatever was much, much softer and I burrowed down into its depths as I smelled the comforting scent of worn leather, soap, and cologne. It smelled exactly like Jasper.
I opened my right eye to peek and realized I was on his bed. He'd put me down there in order to finish cleaning the pistol. When he was done, he put it back together, but kept the loaded magazine separate. He put both pieces in a brown shoebox and put it at the bottom of his closet. I closed my eyes and drifted off again.
The next time I awoke, Jasper was carefully spreading a quilt over me. I opened one eye to see what he was doing and then rolled over.
"Jazz?" he started, having not noticed my waking, and gave me a small smile. He was still tired. I wondered what he'd been doing while I'd been napping. "What have you been up to?" my voice was hoarse from my throat being so dry and he immediately handed me a bottle of water, which I accepted gratefully.
He shrugged. "Just sitting. Thinking."
"You look like you could use some sleep." I observed.
Jasper ran his hands over his face and nodded, trying to stifle a yawn. "Yeah, I suspect I could." I nodded and started to get up, but he shook his head and climbed onto the bed, on top of the quilt. "Come here." He smiled and opened up his arms for me to snuggle against his chest.
"Jazz, do you hate me?"
I heard him snort a laugh. "No, Sweetheart, I most certainly do not hate you. I could never hate you. You just gave me a swift kick in the ass, that's all. Don't worry, I'll kick you back eventually." I smiled as he rubbed my back. "It's alright, Sage. Tempers have been high all over. I think we just had a shitty night." I nodded into his chest.
"I am sorry." I murmured, looking up and I saw the corners of his mouth curve up in a smile.
"Sage, if you keep apologizing, we'll never get back to normal."
I smiled a little. "Your bed's comfy. Why's your bed so comfy?"
He smirked. "Because Emmett didn't pick out my mattress." He teased.
But he was right. Emmett had picked out all of my bedroom furniture… including some horrible peach-colored bedding.
I groaned and buried my face in his chest. "You know… I've got a ton of money saved. Maybe I need to buy myself some new bedding."
His smile grew into the mischievous one I knew came only when he was in full tease mode. "What about the mattress?"
And it was my turn to tease. "That's easy. I'll just steal yours while you're at work one night. I'm sure Alec, Felix, and Demetri won't mind the heavy lifting."
The smile shrank a little as he said, "You keep those boys out of your room." He was still smiling, but the tone was warning.
I smirked, trying to brush it off. "I don't think you have to worry about anything happening with them."
Jasper nodded, closing his eyes. "Sure I don't, Sweetheart. Because they drive twenty minutes from campus—in the middle of rush hour in the middle of the week to come here so you don't have to stay on campus for a few extra hours—and their intentions are totally pure." I lifted my head off his chest and his right eye opened to peek at me. "An erect penis has no conscience." He said simply.
I smirked. "From what I hear, the limp ones aren't all that ethical, either."
He smiled at that. "No, no they're not."
I shook my head. "But I don't think you have to worry about them. They're just friends."
"Right." He drawled out. He rolled on to his side, facing me and hugged me to him. "I'll always worry, Sage. It's just a matter of what about."
Groaning, I rolled onto my other side so we were spooning. "Jazz, please don't get all uber-protective all of a sudden."
"Hey!" he shook me gently and I could tell by his tone that I'd offended him. "I will always want to protect you."
I sighed. "I know.
Jasper POV
When Wednesday night rolled around, I made sure I was home by six. True to my word, I hadn't told Emmett anything of what had happened over the weekend, but that didn't stop me from being wary of Alec.
If he'd been OK with putting his own sister into that situation with the party, how could I trust him with Sage?
For some reason though, Emmett had decided to come home early as well and for once, I truly found myself on the same side of the fence as him.
We both sat in the dining area, him with the newspaper, me with my Ethics text and a notebook, listening and watching as Sage's group went bit by bit through their course material.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emmett's fist ball up and then release reflexively, and I turned to see Alec pushing a stray strand of Sage's hair behind her ear. She was blushing.
I cleared my throat. "I'm gonna get a beer, Em. You want one?"
He shook his head. "If I'm gonna have to put the hurt on that kid, I wanna be completely sober doing it."
I smirked and made my way to the kitchen. I leaned down into the fridge and when I stood back up and turned, Sage was glaring at me, arms crossed over her chest.
"How's it going in there?" I asked, taking the top off and taking a long pull.
"Stop. Hovering." She growled.
She fuckin' growled at me!
"I'm not hovering." I smirked. "I'm studying Ethics."
"You and Emmett are hovering. You've never sat here while my group's been here and neither has he."
"True." I shrugged. "Because we've both been working…" her eyes sparked and it dawned on me. "Which is what you were going for when you scheduled it for Wednesday nights… Emmett and I both work late." I was hurt. Really hurt.
At least she had the decency to look sorry. "Can you blame me? Look at how you're acting!"
OK, apparently she wasn't that sorry.
"How am I acting?"
She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I don't know… like… I don't know, just stop glaring at Alec like that! And don't let Emmett cock-block tonight!"
She made to leave, but I grabbed the back of her tank top and pulled her backward. "What exactly am I looking at Alec like?" she made to step away and I locked my hand around a section of her belt, holding her fast.
"I don't know, Jas… It's just… I don't know… If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous." She murmured. "Just stop, OK. I think you were right and maybe Alec does like me… just please don't let Emmett cock-block tonight." She pried my fingers from her belt and left me in the kitchen.
And Peter's words from that day at the Slicery came back to me. No need to act all jealous.
"Oh. Fucking. Shit." I whispered to myself.
I was jealous.
"What?" Emmett asked, coming in to grab a bottle of water.
"Nothing." I grunted and went back out into the dining area.
Alec was sitting unusually close to Sage, turned toward her so that her shoulder was touching his chest, as he discussed negative ions with her.
I cleared my throat as I passed and jerked my head backward a bit as though giving a warning of Emmett's approach. That would be good enough to cover the fact that I was cock-blocking. And I smiled a little as Alec backed up a bit.
"Say, I'm gonna order a pizza… You guys want some?" Emmett called, as he appeared out of the kitchen.
"Thanks, Em, but we already ordered—" the doorbell rang and Sage immediately rose and padded toward the entry. "Ping's." She finished.
And there was my ego, getting smacked again. Ping's was our thing.
Ha. If only.
If only I'd just gone downstairs when she'd called me on my bullshit.
If only I weren't jealous about the scrawny kid who looked like he hadn't even hit puberty yet.
If only she weren't currently dividing her beef curry onto two plates and handing him one.
Well, someone's just had their dick slapped.
And put through a meat grinder.
And fed to wild dogs.
And…
I cleared my throat, packed up my stuff, and strode over to the door. "I'm gonna head to the library." I called over my shoulder.
"Get a grip, Jasper." I chastised myself as I threw my backpack into the cab of the truck and sped off toward campus. "Get a grip. Get a grip. Get a grip."
Great. I have a new mantra.
My cell phone buzzed and I pulled it out, opening a text from Sage.
Leftovers in the fridge. You OK?
I grimaced. There was no way to not lie on that one. I stopped at a red light and tapped out a reply.
Just hit with a bunch of shit all at once. I'll be fine.
A moment later, her response came.
Emmett's cock-blocking. Alec looks like someone kicked his puppy.
I smirked. I had a sneaking suspicion Alec looked more like someone kicked his nads, and for once, I was thankful for Emmett's overbearing nature.
I pulled into the parking lot of the library and headed inside, immediately taking the elevator to the third floor and straight to the Ethics section. There was only one other person in the stacks, a tiny young woman with jet black hair that stuck out in all directions. She was whisper-thin, with pointed features and a pixie-ish look about her.
As I made my way down the row looking for my book, she looked up and smiled at me. "Zeeler. Mondays at ten?" she asked.
I hadn't actually been paying attention so my response was idiotic at best. "Huh?"
Her smile widened, showcasing pearly white, even teeth. "You have Professor Zeeler… Mondays at ten AM?" I nodded. "I thought I recognized you. You sit in the third row, two in off the center aisle."
Weird.
I didn't even know what row I sat in, how the hell did she?
"Are you researching your paper?"
"Uh… yeah." My head was swimming. She was smiling and standing closer and then I suddenly remembered myself. "I'm Jasper, by the way. Jasper Whitlock." I held out my hand to shake hers.
"Alice Brandon." She replied, shaking my hand. I couldn't help but smile back. "So what's your topic?"
I rolled my eyes. "Should Our Conscience Determine What Is Morally Right and Morally Wrong." I answered. Alice cringed.
"Well, at least it's better than mine." She shuddered. "What Is the Difference Between A Moral And A Non-Moral Issue."
I felt my jaw go slack. "Seriously?" she nodded. "You have to write about that for ten pages?"
"Yeah. I was really upset he was choosing our topics for us, and I almost hit the roof when I found out that was mine."
"I would have. I think I'd have demanded a new one." I laughed. I spotted the book I'd been after and grabbed it, nodding for her to follow me to a table.
"I did! He wouldn't budge." She pouted and I laughed.
She was cute. And nice.
"Well," she sighed. "It was nice to officially meet you, Jasper. I've got to get a bit more done before I'm ready to leave."
"Yeah… Yeah I do too. But I guess I'll see you in class on Monday."
"Definitely."
I smiled. "Have a good night, Alice."
I sat in the library for several more hours, studying, searching for books, searching for arguments to help support my stance. By the time I was ready to pack it in and go home, it was already midnight.
I crept quietly into the hallway, locked the door, and set my stuff down carefully. My stomach was growling, so I headed toward the kitchen, turned on the light, and nearly jumped out of my skin.
Sage was sitting on the counter in a blue shelf bra and matching boy shorts. I gulped. I couldn't help it. I'd never seen her in so little before. She was shielding her eyes from the sudden onslaught of light, but her other hand held a spoon poised over a tub of ice cream.
And for the first time ever… I caught sight of lavender ink etched over her bottom-most right rib. I immediately recognized it as Sanskrit because of a brief stopover in India while overseas. What it said, I have no clue.
Sage must have caught my look and realized what I was seeing because she breathed and straightened so that I could see it fully. "It says Judgment does not bind her, for she writes her own destiny."
I reached out and ran my fingers along the markings, smiling slightly at the tingling sensation that crept through my fingertips at the soft caress. "It suits you." She beamed at me and I remembered myself, backing away. I moved to the fridge and began digging around, purposely avoiding the beef curry. "How'd it go tonight?"
"Emmett totally cock-blocked. I'm thinking I should just run away and join the circus."
I smiled at that. "And what would you be?"
"A clown."
"Why?"
She snorted a laugh. "Because I'm already a joke."
My back went ramrod straight of its own volition and I glared at her. "Don't ever let me hear you say that again, Sage."
She rolled her eyes. "Jasper, give it a rest."
"You first."
"Jas, just stop, alright? I'm really just not in the fucking mood." She took a spoonful of ice cream and I realized just how drawn and tired she looked.
"What happened?"
She shrugged. "What didn't happen? Alec was telling me I looked pretty, Emmett told him to back away slowly, and then he was escorting him out." She rolled her eyes. "There's no way I'm going to be able to look at him again."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're awfully calm." I stated.
She smirked. "Get a good look at the Jeep in the morning."
I just shook my head. "I still don't want you talking like that." I turned back to the fridge.
"You should be used to it by now."
"That doesn't mean I like it! Jesus, do you talk about yourself that way to Carmen? Because if she hasn't bitch-slapped it outta you, maybe you need to find a new Therapist." I growled, but I immediately knew I'd overstepped. I turned to find her frozen, staring at me, her spoon hovering over the ice cream. "Sage, I'm sorry." She didn't move. "Sage?"
She seemed to snap back to attention and her eyes narrowed marginally. "Carmen's been good for me. She's easy to talk to."
"Do you talk about yourself that way to her?"
"What way?"
"Don't play stupid, you're not that kind of blond." I snarled. "Do you talk about yourself with that… worthless attitude?" she shrugged.
"I don't even realize I'm doing it."
"Well dammit, it needs to stop!" I cried.
"Why are you yelling at me?" she asked.
I drew in a deep breath. "Because I'm fuckin' tired of you acting like you're not fuckin' worth it and you are!"
"Excuse me?" we both turned to find Rose standing in the kitchen doorway, her hands on her hips. Sage immediately slouched to hide her tattoo. "First of all, it's midnight, so stop fighting." We both had the decency to look ashamed, though I knew neither of us were. "And second, I've gotten Emmett to agree to let you go out on a date." She smiled hopefully at Sage.
Sage, however, wasn't buying whatever Rose was selling. "What's the catch?"
Rose shifted uncomfortably. "You… remember Edward? The guy who does the books for the garage?"
Sage looked as though she were about to be sick and pushed the ice cream away from her in disgust. "Please tell me you're joking."
"He really likes you, Sage. And he's really very sweet."
"Rose, you call him Edweird."
"I do not."
I smirked. "Don't lie, Rose. It's so unbecoming."
"He's nice." She insisted. "And he's very taken with you, Sage… and I think Emmett's agreeing to him because we work together and maybe also because Edweir—Edward has a healthy sense of fear of him."
"Yeah, but isn't the point of my first date supposed to be that I like the guy, not necessarily that Emmett," she spat his name. "Likes him?"
Rosalie sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. "Sage, it's a step in the right direction. The fact that he's agreeing at all should speak volumes. Maybe you can just throw him this bone?"
Sage rolled her eyes. "One condition." Rose nodded, listening. "Past this first date, which will obviously be a family dinner because I know how Emmett loves to humiliate me, is my decision." Rose nodded in agreement and disappeared back upstairs. "Jazz?" I looked at her and felt my heart break as she held out her arms. I immediately closed the space between us and hugged her, lifting her slightly off the counter. "Can we just not fight? I need you."
I closed my eyes and nodded.
Right words… wrong context.
"Of course, Sweetheart." And then I couldn't help but smirk. "So… Edweird."
"Oh, God!" she buried her face in my chest, shaking her head back and forth. "This is gonna be so fucking bad."
"He can't be that bad."
She sat up again, shaking her head. "It really is. He's just… yeah… you'll see." She closed her eyes and cringed.
And then I couldn't stop it. "Yeah, I see quite a bit."
Just shoot me.
But I had to laugh as Sage went tomato red and slid off the counter. "Well, quite frankly, that's your own damn fault. I was perfectly alone, in the dark, with my ice cream. The blender and coffee maker didn't care that I was in my underwear."
"Yes, I'll be sure to remember that next time I turn any lights on." I called as she made her way to the basement door. "Careful, Jas, Sage might be half-naked." She flipped me off before disappearing downstairs.
After exiting the house on Thursday, I understood what Sage had meant about the Jeep: there was a long pink banner stretching across the back that read, "Honk if I bring sexy back" and it appeared she'd taken pink headlight film to the head- and reverse lights, ensuring that whenever Emmett used them, they'd glow bright pink. But that wasn't the worst of it. Not by a long shot. She'd rigged the horn to play Christina Aguilera's "Can't Hold Us Down" when engaged.
In short, Sage was pissed.
She'd never gotten vindictive and included vandalism and a vehicle in the game before.
But it was still hilarious. Rosalie even thought so and threatened to get Sage hired to do custom "Pink Work" as she called it. After the Jeep fiasco, the rest of Thursday and Friday passed quickly.
But by Saturday evening, the mood was significantly darker. Sage had come upstairs for her "date" in a pair of jeans and a powder blue T-shirt with a cartoon rabbit that said "Show Me the Bunny". Emmett had promptly told her to go change.
The second time, she came back in her cutoff denim skirt and a pink wife-beater.
No go.
The third time, she came back in her robe, and I couldn't help but laugh as Emmett yelled at her.
The fourth time, she came back in a green bubble dress with cap sleeves. Personally, I liked that one the best. But apparently the dress was too short at mid-thigh.
Next…
"Why not wear that gray tartan skirt and a sweater set?" Emmett asked.
Sage looked like she might throw up. "Uh… Right… Em… You do realize I threw that skirt away almost as soon as I got it, right?" he glared at her. "And I don't own a sweater set." That was a lie, but I was laughing too hard to care.
When she finally reappeared at the top of the steps, she was wearing her jeans again and a peach colored cardigan.
"I'm not changing again. Get over it." She growled as Emmett made to protest… over what I have no clue. She plopped down on the couch next to me and picked up her Chemistry text. "Alec dropped from the study group." She mumbled.
I rolled my eyes. The part of me I couldn't get a handle on was jumping for joy that she wouldn't be around Alec anymore. The part of me that knew she needed to pass Chemistry remembered that Alec had been the only person able to explain covalent bonds to her and make her understand.
I bumped my shoulder against hers. "Sorry, Sweetheart."
She shrugged. "Jane said he just didn't have time with Rush, but he dropped on Thursday… seems a little too convenient."
"Yeah." I agreed, making a mental note to discuss Emmett's interfering when it concerned her classes. "Well… maybe you'll see him out and about on campus and you can talk to him. I'm sure he wouldn't be against to talking to you."
She pulled out her cell phone, pressed a few icons, and showed it to me.
Have to drop study grp. Sorry. Nothing personal.
I grimaced.
"Men have a habit of abandoning me in text." She mused. "Do me a favor, Jas. When you finally decide to get the hell outta Dodge, at least have the decency to actually call me."
And there's my dick getting slapped again.
Jesus! Why do I get lumped in with all the rest?
Because I have a penis… That's what Rose would say.
Instead of reaming her, knowing she was feeling particularly sensitive at that moment, I simply wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick hug. "You know I'm not going anywhere." She gave a small nod, but didn't bother looking up from her lap. "You OK?"
She shrugged. "What kind of a crappy first date gets set up by your older brother?" she whispered and I watched her cheeks flame; she was humiliated. Not just that Emmett had set it up, not just that he was vetoing her outfits, but that we were all here to watch. "Oh, geez." She wiped her cheeks, stood up, and fled to the bathroom to fix her makeup and calm herself down.
Some days I really hated Emmett.
Today was one of those days.
There was a knock on the door and I groaned and got up to answer it. What met me when I opened the door was… interesting.
Edward was about six feet tall with a shock of bronze hair that he'd apparently tried to tame—and failed at—miserably. It looked like a bad comb-over, except that he wasn't balding. His bright green eyes were obscured behind coke-bottle glasses. He was hunched slightly and I was having trouble deciding if it was out of insecurity or a spinal disorder. But he smiled and stuck out his hand.
"Edward Cullen, Sir. I'm here to see Sage."
I shook his hand and nodded. "She's inside. I'm Jasper Whitlock."
"Rosalie's brother." He stated.
"That's me." I opened the door to allow him in, taking in his attire. Gray slacks, a short-sleeve white button-down tucked in military style (completely flush with the body), and a really bad blue tie with gold polka dots.
Wow.
"Edward!" Emmett called, coming over to clap him on the back. "Nice of you to come."
"Nice of you to have me." Edward replied, shaking Emmett's hand. I finally noticed he was kinda twitchy, and I wondered if it was natural or chemical. Probably natural. He was like a pasty penny-colored Urkel. It was… odd. And it kinda made me want to stuff Sage in her closet just to spare her.
Who am I kidding? I don't need that much space! Stuff her in the glove compartment!
But then Sage was opening the bathroom door, the picture of Put Together. She shot me a look before giving Edward a tight smile and stepping forward.
"Hello, Edward."
Edward started, involuntarily jerked in surprise, and held out his hand. "Sage. So nice to see you again." My eyes narrowed as the corner of his eye twitched.
She shook his hand. "You too." That was such a lie, but I wasn't about to call her on it. She just had to get through tonight.
"Dinner's ready!" Rosalie called as she began carrying dishes out to the dining room table. We trailed Sage in and she immediately went to help Rose in the kitchen.
I'm pretty sure Rose had known Sage would need my support that night. With Emmett at the head of the table, Rose was to his right and I was to his left. Sage was to my left and Edward was across the table to Rose's right.
We filled our plates and ate in silence for several minutes before Emmett cleared his throat. "So, Edward, what do you like to do in your spare time?"
"Well," Edward replied thoughtfully. "I'm a Numismatist."
Emmett raised an eyebrow.
"He collects coins." Sage answered his unspoken question, never taking her eyes off her plate.
Edward nodded. "What about you, Sage?"
"Sage plays the guitar." Emmett answered for her. "And the piano… she writes music sometimes."
I glared at Emmett in a bid to shut him up.
"Oh… I'm… not fond of music." Edward replied.
The fuck?
"How can you not like music?" Sage asked.
"Well… it's really a waste of time… Frivolous… those who pursue it either burn out or get caught up in some horrible lifestyle, and really… what good does it benefit society?"
I moved my leg to press it against Sage's in a small gesture of comfort as I asked, "What good does coin collecting do?"
Edward's eyes went wide and his mouth popped open, imitating a fish gasping for breath. Finally, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "My parents will be very happy to meet you, Sage. They're quite excited to visit and—"
"Meet me?" I grabbed Sage's hand under the table and swallowed the urge to wince as she dug her short, but sharp nails into my palm.
He blinked, confused. "Emmett… said," my eyes flew to Emmett who was looking uncomfortable and staring at his plate. "That you were excited to meet my family. They're visiting next week and—"
Sage dug her nails in deeper and I let out a small "Ow" before she stood up, glaring at Emmett and Rose; at least Rose had the decency to look truly ashamed. "I think I'm gonna just go to bed. Since Emmett seems to want to control everything, you can go ahead and take him to meet your parents, Edward. I'm sorry you wasted your time." And then she was gone, disappearing down the basement steps.
Emmett rolled his eyes and stood. "I guess I better go smooth this over."
I threw down my napkin and stood, glaring at him. "I think you've done enough. I'll go talk to her. You go and make things worse and I'll be the one burying you in the middle of the night."
His brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would you be burying me?"
I smirked. "Because Sage is too little to drag your sorry ass and me being ex-military and all, I'm sure I can find a decent spot where they won't find you." I shot him a warning look and took off after Sage.
End Note: Push that button and leave me some love
