“Oh, you want to trash talk?” she asked, arching one eyebrow. Her eyes scanned the room before landing on something behind me. “How about we play a game of darts? Whoever wins gets bragging rights.”
I grinned, enjoying this feisty side to Sage. “Let’s do it.”
The food hadn’t come out yet, so we walked over to a tall table near the dart board. Setting down our drinks, we started a game, and I almost immediately realized that I was in trouble. Sage was amazing.
“Did you just make the hardest shot in the game?” I asked incredulously after her very first turn.
Her smile was as bright as the sun. “Did I? Uh, would you look at that?”
“Are you hustling me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
This time she laughed. “We aren’t playing for money. But...I did play darts at a bar near campus almost every weekend during college. I guess you were right about those deeply ingrained skills.”
“You are full of surprises,” I commented as I took my turn. I liked that about her.
We finished the game just as the food arrived. Freya brought it to us, but Sage excused herself to the bathroom before she started eating. I watched her go, shamelessly allowing my eyes to linger on her ass. This woman’s body drove me crazy.
“Have you guys been together for long?” Freya asked, pulling my attention away from Sage. I hadn’t even realized that she was still lingering at my table.
“Oh, uh...no.” I wasn’t even sure if I could say we were together at all, not until we got around to having a serious conversation about it.
“Well, don’t worry about that. I can read auras, and you’re both on the same page.”
“You...read auras?” I repeated, unable to hide the skepticism in my voice.
“Yes,” she replied, completely serious. “And you two are both practically glowing.”
Freya turned away and headed back to the bar before I was able to think of a reply to that. Digging into my food, I kept thinking about her words. I didn’t believe in that sort of thing, but it was still nice to believe that she might be right.
* * *
That night,the rehearsal dinner took place at a restaurant just down the road from the hotel. The food was delicious and filling, and I was glad that I had caught a ride with my friend, Scott, so I didn’t have to worry about leaving my car behind as I decided to walk back to the hotel, working off the heavy meal a bit.
Sage was happy to join me, and as we made our way down the sidewalk, I reached out and took her hand, intertwining our fingers. It was a nice night, with a blanket of bright stars in the dark sky above. It was warm, but not overly so with a gentle breeze coming in from the direction of the water.
“Tell me about your son,” Sage said, and I looked at her in surprise.
I had always assumed that being a single parent would be an obstacle in my relationships. Sam and I were a package deal, and I knew that some women might not like that. It was a big commitment. Any woman that saw me as something potentially serious wasn’t just entering into a relationship with me, she was going to be spending a lot of time with Sam, too.
“He’s a great kid,” I said, thinking about the framed picture he’d given me of the two of us to bring on my trip. He didn’t want me to miss him too much while I was gone. “He’s my little buddy. I’m so proud of him.”
“You said he’s ten, right?”
“Yeah. It’s a hell of an age. I’m watching him grow into this little man, and it’s amazing. You know, I was so excited when I found out I was going to be a dad. My ex and I were happy together at that time. I mean, things are always great in the beginning of any relationship, right? But we were also young, and while Alyssa was pregnant, I was deployed overseas with the Army. I’m not sure how it happened, but during the two years I was gone, she became addicted to heroin. Cheated on me too.”
Sage’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s terrible.”
I nodded in agreement. “You know, I didn’t even realize something was wrong at first. But when I came home, it became obvious that she had a problem. I tried to help her, willing to forgive the cheating and do whatever it took to help her kick the addiction. But she didn’t want the help. She didn’t really want to get clean. In the end, it ruined our relationship.”
Sage was quiet as I talked, and I told myself to stop, that I was rambling on too much about my messy life. But now that I’d started to open up, I couldn’t seem to stop. I wanted Sage to know everything.
“She’s been in and out of rehab ever since. I think that the ending of our relationship made her finally want to get her act together, but she just can’t seem to do it. It’s so frustrating.”
I paused a moment as we quietly walked along, then continued. “You know, a part of me can’t regret my time with Alyssa because she gave me Sam, but I also feel so guilty because my son is stuck with a mother that can’t stay clean, and I honestly believe that she’s heading for an early grave at the rate she’s going. It’s one of the reasons that I want to retain full custody of him…”
I trailed off, and Sage squeezed my hand. It felt good to talk to her, and I just hoped that I wasn’t scaring her off with my drama. The fact was that Sage checked off all my boxes. She was exactly what I wanted in a woman. I had decided from the moment I saw her that I wanted her by my side during this wedding, but I enjoyed being with her so much that I was determined not to go back to the real world without her as my girl.
For me, the fake relationship had become very real.