Sage
“And here we are.” The keys to the street front space clattered onto the windowsill at the front as Dina reached for her phone. “I’ll give you a couple of minutes,” she said like she was doing us a favor when really, she just wanted to take the incoming phone call; she didn’t even step outside before her nasally greeting resonated through the small shop, the hunger in her voice making it obvious she was trading time during our showing for a bigger sale.
I caught Luke’s astonished gaze.
“Don’t even get me started.” I shook my head and walked deeper into the empty space.
With white walls and no furniture, it looked big. Massive. But I reminded myself how quickly the room would fill with all my cases and a desk. And potential buyers.
“You weren’t kidding. This is a great location—right on the main street. Tons of pedestrians and visitors.”
I bit my lip and nodded, reminding myself that was a good thing.
I wandered silently for a few steps until I was in the middle of the floor, my eyes darting wildly around the room, searching for a sign that this was wrong—that it was a mistake. But if there was a sign, I couldn’t focus long enough to find it.
“Sage.”
I gasped, feeling Luke’s big hands grip my shoulders and encase them with warmth.
“I’m fine,” I said automatically.
I knew I was being ridiculous; I knew my independence was marred by my indecisiveness. But screw anyone who thought I was simpering or annoying with my concerns. I overthought big decisions because I shouldered all the responsibility and risk of making the right choice, and if that wasn’t understandable then I didn’t want to be understood.
He spun me to him, the skirt of my dress fluttering around my knees.
“I see you, Sage. I see your worry,” he said in a low voice, his broad body shielding mine from the surrounding waves of worry crashing against me. “Close your eyes.”
“What?” I didn’t understand.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, and I immediately nodded. “Then close your eyes.”
My eyelids obeyed and fluttered shut, dousing my thoughts in darkness.
“Alright, now, we’re standing in the middle of your jewelry store. Everything is all set up and ready to go for the grand opening. What do you see?”
I felt him move behind me, his hands sliding to gently cup my upper arms.
“Start at the front door and tell me what you see.”
I inhaled deeply and then pulled up the image that, without all the other input, was so vivid in my mind.
“I see tons of bright lights shining down on display cases that flank the front door.”
“Describe the cases,” he instructed.
I swallowed. “The base looks like antique furniture, painted white, but the cushions in the glass are all black velvet.”
“Good.” His hands squeezed. “What about the walls? What color are they?”
“White,” I replied without needing to think.
“Really?” He sounded surprised.
“White paisley wallpaper.” I nodded. “I want it to look clean and classy. And I don’t want anything competing with the colors of my jewelry.”
He hummed, understanding.
“Except the back wall,” I went on, turning slightly in the direction of that wall even though my eyes were still shut. “That wall I’ll paint a wine red, and it’ll have a huge white clock hanging on it.”
“Keep going,” he insisted, moving closer until his chest pressed to my back, his hands taking a more intimate stance and a more possessive grip on my waist.
And it fueled me.
I continued to tell him how I envisioned the rest of the space—with the back room split between a workspace and a packaging and shipping section. I told him how I even wanted a small table in the corner where I could discuss custom designs with clients that would be made to order.
And when I was finally done and sufficiently out of breath, his head dipped next to mine and he said quietly in my ear, “Now, open your eyes.”
I obeyed but to my surprise, none of the concerns previously knotting my mind were there any longer; they’d been nothing but shadows he’d chased away with the bright vision of my dream.
And I couldn’t stop the wide smile that split my face wide open, excitement drowning out the risks. I spun slowly, absorbing every angle with the vision I had in its place, and when I finished the circle, Luke stared at me with a look spun of fascination, admiration, and desire.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, half teasing. “What do you see?”
My smile faded under the intensity of his gaze, his eyes like hot coals ready to burst back into flames.
“You.”
My head tipped and with my lips pursed, I couldn’t help but reply, “Maybe because you just started to look.”
His jaw tightened, and I was a breath away from retracting
“No, Sage, I’ve always seen you.” His voice grew hoarse. “I’ve seen you ever since Callan introduced us. I saw you grow—saw you blossom. I saw all your awards and honor roll certificates hung on the fridge. I remember when your Harry Potter obsession began; I remember you yelling at Callan because he said he’d take you to the store to buy the second book, but he couldn’t because I was over.”
I blinked at him, hardly able to pull up that memory myself, but I slowly reeled in the threads; I’d bought The Sorcerer’s Stone the week prior and had devoured the story throughout the week, so I’d asked Callan if he could drive me into town to buy the second book in the series, The Chamber of Secrets, so I could continue reading without having to wait. He said he would, but when he got home, Luke was with him and they locked themselves in Callan’s room all night.
My brother had yelled through the door that they were playing a video game with friends that they couldn’t walk away from.
“I think my book left a permanent dent in his door,” I murmured wryly.
Because I was a young teenager with a temper when it came to my love of reading, I tossed my finished Sorcerer’s Stone at his door and spent the rest of the night in my room.
And because Callan was really a good brother, he took me the very next day and bought me books two and three to make up for it.
A small smile worked its way to Luke’s face, right along with a shadow that felt like there was a piece of the past I was missing. “It definitely left a mark on my memory.”
The funny thing about memories was that they were like Christmas lights, and once one lit up, it led me to the next.
“You know, that copy disappeared after that night…” I said, recalling how I’d made it all the way through the series and went to go back for a reread, only to realize that I couldn’t find book one.
Luke cleared his throat but continued with his original train of thought, “Even after we graduated, I saw your bright sense of self dim… after you started dating Sean.”
I tried to swallow but it felt like I had an apple stuck in the middle of my throat, the sweetness of his words taking my breath away.
Reaching up, he tenderly stroked his knuckles along my cheek. Pink Lady blush. I knew it was there, and if I was being honest, I like his analogy. A lot.
“Even when I shouldn’t have looked, I always saw you, Sage. I knew you as Callan’s sister, but I saw you as more—I saw you as things I didn’t understand and couldn’t describe except that they were things I shouldn’t feel.” His hand dropped. “But by then, I was used to ignoring what I wanted for the sake of expectation.”
Before I could ask him what he meant, Dina reentered the shop with a nasally sounding declaration.
“So sorry about that. So, are we decided then? Can I send over the lease?” She flicked her wrist up to check the time. “Because I’ve got another showing I’ve got to get to—”
“Yes,” I cut her off and took charge, standing a little taller—a little prouder for my small business that was taking a big step forward. “I’ll take it.”
“Perfect.” She smiled like a cat given cream. “Let me just grab some information from you, and we’ll see how fast we can get you keys.”
Keys.
To my own shop.
I gave the skin on the back of my hand a little pinch as I replied, “Sounds great. Thank you.”
Whatever else she said was relegated to background noise as my attention returned to the man next to me.
“Luke—”
I was interrupted by the buzz of his phone, and when he saw who was calling, he gave me an apologetic smile and said, “I have to take this; it’s brewery business.”
“Of course.” I nodded.
“The joys of expansion,” he murmured, winked at me. “I’ll be right back.”
I bit my lip, watching him walk to the front door.
I knew it was real—he was real. Though I might have pinched myself a handful of times over the last day to confirm.
What seemed impossible to believe was that he was both real and magic.