Until Sage

“If I could give you the world, I would.”

“I don’t need the world. All I need is you.” I kiss him

“A year, maybe a little longer,” she reiterates, looking at me.

“I’m not waiting a fucking year to marry you.”

“We’ll see.”

Rolling to my side, I get up on an elbow and look down at her. “I’m not waiting a year,” I repeat.

“I love her,” I confirm, thinking that doesn’t come close to how I feel about her.

“I swear I’m going to kick her ass when you get her back to town,” he growls, and for the first time since this morning, I smile.

“I’ll let you know when that is,” I say, pulling onto the highway.

“That shit means everything to me, Kimberly. So whatever fucked up shit you have filtering around in your head right now, you need to let it go. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispers, but my limbs stay tight. “Look at me, baby.”

“Look at me, baby.” The edge in his tone has my eyes going to his. “Tell me that you feel this.”

“I feel it.” And I do, but now it’s also accompanied by fear.

“It’s going to be okay.”

It’s not.

“At least stay for the cake,” Kim cuts in, and I fight back a groan.

“You don’t mind?” Mom asks, looking at her, and Kim shakes her head.

“Of course not.”

“Of course not.” She smiles at my girl before looking at my dad and me triumphantly. “Did you hear that?”

I don’t want her happy with anyone else; I want her happy with me. Call me selfish, but it is what it is.

“I wish I could help her,” I whisper.

His face softens. “That right there is the reason I couldn’t move on.”

“What?”

“Your soft spot, your kindness, and your need to make the people you don’t even know feel better,” he says,

“If I marry Kim, I’m just letting everyone here know that I’m taking her to the courthouse or to Vegas,” Sage says.

I frown at him. “Pardon?”

“I’m not suffering through a wedding or wearing a tux.”