Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Sage
My brother’s truck roars away down the road.
My heart is pounding so hard I’m worried it might give out, and my breaths saw in and out of my lungs.
Excitement and nerves tingle up and down my arms as I wait, alternating heat and ice sluicing down my spine as adrenaline wreaks havoc on my system.
My eyes dart up and down the road to ensure they aren’t coming back, that they didn’t forget anything or decide not to go to the game after all.
For endless minutes I wait, blood whooshing in my ears.
There’s no sign of them, and I force my staccato breathing to slow. It’s early afternoon and the day has dragged by, but finally, it’s go-time.
I run upstairs and text the group chat, then pack a small bag with the only belongings I care about: my lamb stuffie, a couple cozy t-shirts from my teenage years when things weren’t quite so bad, and the small collection of trinkets and gifts from Brooks and Vee.
Then I realize I’ll need some clothes to wear, so I begrudgingly add a few of the least offensive outfits from my closet.
I’ve given a lot of thought to if I should leave any sort of note for Steve and Josh. In the end, I decide to write a simple message.
I’m leaving. I’m safe, and I don’t want to live with either of you anymore.
Don’t come after me.
- Sage
I grab the phone and shove the charger in my bag, leave the note on my pillow, then jog back down the stairs to wait by the front door.
My heart is pounding and both my legs feel like jelly as I wait. One of my nails starts bleeding and I suck it into my mouth, although I’m not sure if I was biting it or picking at it. Doesn’t really matter, I guess.
Finally, the phone in my hand lights up with a message from Brooks that he’s outside.
I quite literally run to his truck and leap in, immediately looking around to check if anyone is watching.
I don’t see anyone paying attention, but you never know.
I don’t think I’ve blinked in minutes, and my eyes are starting to burn.
“Sage,” Brooks says, drawing my attention. “I’m so proud of you. Is that all you want to bring?”
“Yeah, I don’t have anything else I care about.”
“Okay. Are you ready to get out of here?”
A tremulous smile tilts my lips and I nod rapidly. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Then my eyes widen as I instinctively pull in a slow breath; he’s not using the scent dampeners. Brooks’ calming, earthy scent wraps around me like a warm cocoon. I lean into him and take another deep breath, my nose nearly touching his biceps.
“Come here, Petal.”
Brooks cups a gentle hand around my jaw and angles his body toward mine. I close my eyes, soaking in his safety, and then he scent marks the crown of my head. My eyes prickle and I scrunch them closed, only for him to scent mark my cheek, my jaw, and then my wrist.
He starts to pull back, and an omega snarl rips out of me, taking both of us by surprise. Brooks blinks at me, but freezes.
“What do you need?”
“I…”
I was going to say I don’t know, but my omega wants to mark him back.
I pull his hand to my cheek and scent mark his wrist in return, only for my eyes dart to his jaw.
He smiles, then leans down so I can scent mark him the same way he did to me.
My cheeks heat, but he seems pleased rather than upset, so it must be okay for me to do this back.
I relax back into my seat when my instincts are satisfied, and Brooks places a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. Goosebumps race up my arm as I stare at him, and then we’re driving away.
I watch behind us more than I look out the front, paranoid that somehow they’ll know and start following.
Brooks rests his hand on my thigh, rubbing the skin below the hem of my skirt and sending tingles up and down my leg.
It’s a welcome distraction, and before I know it, we’re pulling up to the lavender farm.
All of a sudden, I’m nervous for an entirely different reason. Am I really doing this? Leaving the only life I’ve known for something that might be even more terrifying? Because what if it’s as good as it seems, and it doesn’t work out? Or what if…
What if it’s as good as it seems… And it does?