Chapter 21 #2
If Sage Lindman is dead, her wardrobe is going with her straight to hell. Since there’s no mall in Blackmore, I guess I’m gonna have to cut up and alter the stuff I already have until I can get into the city.
I slip my feet into some chunky boots with a high heel, then drop down in front of my vanity to do my hair and makeup.
Even though the sun has barely risen, there’s a pulse of energy running through my veins. I curl my hair once the iron has warmed up, letting my blonde hair hang loose past my shoulders in big spirals. I stare into my brown eyes once my hair is done, just breathing in and out slowly.
Looking at myself today, I’m overcome with the feeling of familiarity, but it’s almost like when you see someone on the street, recognize them, but can’t place them. Half stranger, half friend.
Sage the Savage.
Maybe Beckham was right—more than he realized in that moment. None of them have any idea how savage I can be deep down, and today, I’m going to get answers from them. I could see it in Kaiden’s malicious eyes when I pointed out my father’s face in that crypt. He knows something.
And today is the day for them to spill.
I flip my hair over my shoulder and start my makeup. I go heavy on the eyeliner and mascara, then put on a healthy amount of blush and highlighter to show off my cheekbones. My phone buzzes just as I’m finishing, so I pick it up from my vanity and swipe the screen.
Juliet
Meet me out front of the office in 30?
The message catches me off guard, simply because I never responded to her last ten texts. My lips pull up as I type out a response.
Me
I’ll be there, xoxo
Gran’s sitting at the kitchen table when I make my way downstairs, flipping through a newspaper. She’s got to be one of the last people on earth to subscribe to a physical newspaper. The delivery guy must have to travel out here just for her.
“Morning, Gran,” I singsong as I walk to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
“Mornin’, baby. You off to school?”
I smile, kissing her on the top of the head as I pass her. “Sure am.”
“Ain’t you chipper this mornin’.” She chuckles as her gaze follows me to the door.
I turn, grinning at her. “I’ve decided to stop being a Moody Judy and embrace whatever the world throws at me.”
She nods a little, shaking out the newspaper. “Well, good for you, darlin’. Have a good day.”
“You too, Gran!” I call to her as I make my way out the front door and into the dewy morning. I decide to walk to the university. I could use the fresh air, even though it’s starting to get really chilly outside.
I need to keep a clear head though, and the ten-minute walk to school will keep me fresh and grounded. At least, I hope.
I don’t bother putting headphones in, instead savoring the sounds of the early morning country.
I listen for the birds flying above me, already deep into their day since the sun has been up for a little while now.
The wind blows every now and then, making the trees shuffle and shake with the breeze, bringing a chill to my bare arms and legs.
I like it, even as goosebumps pop up on my exposed skin and drag a chill down my spine.
It's calming, allowing me to focus on the day and how it exists around us. I feel as if I should’ve been enjoying my surroundings like this all along, instead of holding such malice inside of myself for my new home.
I’ve learned the lesson, though, and I’ve learned it painfully and chaotically. I don’t want to hate being in Blackmore anymore, after all. This place is mine, more than I ever thought it would be. This is where I come from, where my ancestors built a home and a name.
Juliet hasn’t arrived by the time I’m walking up the concrete sidewalk just outside the front office of BU. I’m a little early so I slip my bag from my shoulder and drop to my ass on the cement, putting my back against the cold, brick building.
I watch students walk by, out in front of the school and into the different buildings of our campus as they head off to wherever Monday morning takes them.
I feel myself subconsciously looking for the three boys who haunt my dreams, searching every pod of students that flutters by toward their destinations, searching for Vinny’s broad shoulders, Beckham’s slim waist, and Kaiden’s muscular legs.
“Sage!”
Juliet’s voice pulls my attention from my intense search for the Hallows Boys, and I stand up when I find her racing toward me from the opposite side of the parking lot.
I slip my bag back over my shoulder, and before I can even greet Juliet, she’s gripping onto my arm and whisper-shouting.
“Oh my god, what happened to you this weekend?! Did you get my messages? I was trying to hang out! Did you end up spending Halloween with the Fuckboys?! Did they choose you for the Hallows Games? Oh my god, please tell me you didn’t get chosen for that little Game.”
I hold up a hand, halting her word-vomit. “Take a breath.”
She pulls air into her lungs sharply, then blows it out dramatically to make her point. “What. Happened?!”
I laugh. “Nothing happened, Juliet. I spent the weekend with my grandma. I couldn’t find my phone charger.”
The lie slips through my lips like sweet syrup, and I feel a little guilty for being dishonest with my only friend.
She rolls her eyes. “You seriously expect me to believe that?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she scans every inch of me with her gaze, almost as if she’s waiting for something on my body to jump out and give away my lie.
If only she could see the marks covering my body underneath my clothes.
I laugh at her again. “Quit being weird, let’s go get some breakfast. I have some things to tell you.”
She hums between her lips when I slip my arm through hers and start dragging her beside me toward the cafeteria.
After we’ve both gotten breakfast biscuits and orange juice, we find our regular table and sit down. I moan as I pick up my biscuit, overwhelmed by the smell of the sausage and eggs, but when I look up at Juliet, she’s leveling me with a look that says well???
I laugh, taking a small bite of my food before putting it back down.
While I’m chewing, I run over all the information in my head, obviously deciding to skip the parts about the Hallows Boys, since Juliet hates them.
Why burn the only bridge I have right now?
They’re my secrets, and I get to choose who has access to them, right?
I swallow my food, then lean my forearms on the table to get a bit closer to her. “I found out that my last name hasn’t always been Lindman.”
She stares at me with big, eager eyes, like I’m giving her the juiciest gossip she’ll hear all year.
“My real last name is Blackmore.” I raise my eyebrows.
She sits up straight. “What?!”
A look passes over her features, but it’s gone before I can put my finger on what she’s thinking. She lays her palms flat on the table, leaning back toward me. “As in…Blackmore Blackmore? Like, the town we live in?!”
I nod. “Yup, I guess my ancestors, like, founded the town or something, I don’t know.”
“Wait”—her mouth drops open a little, her eyebrows pulling down—“so you, like, own the town?!”
I laugh, taking a bite of my breakfast. “No. Well, actually…I don’t know.”
She grabs her water, takes a sip, then puts it back down. “So, what does this mean?”
My lips pull down as I shrug. “I don’t know.”
She laughs, picking up her food. “Do you know anything?”
The realization that I really don’t know what any of this means hits me, because I can tell myself that I’m a Blackmore until I’m blue in the face, but what does that even mean at the end of the day?
I need to find out about my family history.
I need to get some answers. Because, is Juliet right?
Does this mean I have some sort of ownership over the town?
Am I responsible for the legacy that’s been left for me, or does this simply mean nothing at all?
Suddenly, I’m not hungry anymore, so I stand up and grab my food to throw it away. “I have a few things I need to do before class. Catch you later?”
Juliet swallows her mouthful of food. “Sure. See you later, Blackmore.”