here’s your chance to make it up to me. You being such a stand up guy and all.”
Sage took a long look at her. She came across as softer than before; even a little vulnerable beneath all those hard edges. Kind of like Serenity, he thought. Always quick to strike to keep from being struck. He almost felt sorry for her, but he was careful not to reflect that in his eyes.
“Alright. Enough. Let's go,” he said.
Raven gestured for him to lead the way. He hesitated for a beat too long, so she yanked on his arm and hauled him to the parking lot.
Raven barreled through the doors at the mall like she was bursting through the Pearly Gates to heaven, while Sage inched along easily a foot behind her.
“Food court first. I'm starving,” she chirped.
“Uh-uh. I'm not trying to be here all day, Raven.” Truthfully? He didn’t have the nerve to tell her he only had twenty bucks to spend.
“Shut up, boy. Come on.”
Raven linked arms with him and started walking. This time he didn’t resist her touch.
The food court was buzzing. It was a barrage of noise. A parade of anonymous shoppers queued up to the various eateries, and a string of unsmiling workers corralled behind laminate-topped counters were taking customers’ orders with minimal enthusiasm.
Raven wrinkled her nose at the smell of the greasy food being prepared. The pep in her step was a thing of the past. She gagged. She covered her mouth with a shaky hand and plopped into the first empty chair she came across.
“You okay?” asked Sage.
“Yeah. But this place stinks. My stomach—“
Sage shrugged, “Smells like the food court to me. What do you want?”
“Give me a minute,” said Raven, gagging again.
She let her head rest on the table. Seconds later she hopped up and raced toward the restroom, cupping her mouth with both hands.
“Hey! What's wrong?” called Sage. He sprinted after her.
When he got to the restroom he slowed to a stop. He wanted to poke his head in, then figured he’d better not. Instead he leaned against the wall outside, tapping the sole of his shoe against it while he waited for Raven to appear.
Back in Sage’s truck, Raven rested with a wad of wet paper towels pressed to her mouth. Sage handed her a plastic bag from the food court.
“If you're going to be sick again, please do it in this,” Sage begged. Raven rolled her eyes and flipped him off.
“I'm just saying...these are leather seats, Raven.”
“Whatever. Just take me home.” She put her head back and shut her eyes. Sage glanced at her worriedly while putting the truck in drive. His gaze broke after a few long seconds. He roared off.
When they got to Raven’s driveway, Sage rushed from the truck and helped her out. She crouched next to the SUV and threw up again. Most of it splashed on Sage’s shoes. Finally the heaves stopped. Raven wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Sage scrunched his face up at the sight and smell of his soiled Jordans.
“Dang, girl...your aim,” Sage whined.
“Sorry. Help me inside. I feel kind of dizzy.”
Sage’s face and shoulders drooped from embarrassment. Dread, too. He swung into action moving beside her and gingerly gripping her arm.
“Take it easy. I got you.”
Sage led her to the door. Raven thrust her purse at him.
He gave her a blank stare.
“Get my house key out.”
Sage poked around in the bag as if it were booby-trapped with explosives. He retrieved the key, holding it high above his head like a trophy.
Chapter 8
Raven and Sage sat on the couch in her living room. They were surprisingly close to each other considering their brief, but volatile history. Raven sipped from a glass. Sage alternated between bouncing his knee and jiggling the keys in his pocket.
His glass sat on the table, untouched.
“Would you please be
Sage took a long look at her. She came across as softer than before; even a little vulnerable beneath all those hard edges. Kind of like Serenity, he thought. Always quick to strike to keep from being struck. He almost felt sorry for her, but he was careful not to reflect that in his eyes.
“Alright. Enough. Let's go,” he said.
Raven gestured for him to lead the way. He hesitated for a beat too long, so she yanked on his arm and hauled him to the parking lot.
Raven barreled through the doors at the mall like she was bursting through the Pearly Gates to heaven, while Sage inched along easily a foot behind her.
“Food court first. I'm starving,” she chirped.
“Uh-uh. I'm not trying to be here all day, Raven.” Truthfully? He didn’t have the nerve to tell her he only had twenty bucks to spend.
“Shut up, boy. Come on.”
Raven linked arms with him and started walking. This time he didn’t resist her touch.
The food court was buzzing. It was a barrage of noise. A parade of anonymous shoppers queued up to the various eateries, and a string of unsmiling workers corralled behind laminate-topped counters were taking customers’ orders with minimal enthusiasm.
Raven wrinkled her nose at the smell of the greasy food being prepared. The pep in her step was a thing of the past. She gagged. She covered her mouth with a shaky hand and plopped into the first empty chair she came across.
“You okay?” asked Sage.
“Yeah. But this place stinks. My stomach—“
Sage shrugged, “Smells like the food court to me. What do you want?”
“Give me a minute,” said Raven, gagging again.
She let her head rest on the table. Seconds later she hopped up and raced toward the restroom, cupping her mouth with both hands.
“Hey! What's wrong?” called Sage. He sprinted after her.
When he got to the restroom he slowed to a stop. He wanted to poke his head in, then figured he’d better not. Instead he leaned against the wall outside, tapping the sole of his shoe against it while he waited for Raven to appear.
Back in Sage’s truck, Raven rested with a wad of wet paper towels pressed to her mouth. Sage handed her a plastic bag from the food court.
“If you're going to be sick again, please do it in this,” Sage begged. Raven rolled her eyes and flipped him off.
“I'm just saying...these are leather seats, Raven.”
“Whatever. Just take me home.” She put her head back and shut her eyes. Sage glanced at her worriedly while putting the truck in drive. His gaze broke after a few long seconds. He roared off.
When they got to Raven’s driveway, Sage rushed from the truck and helped her out. She crouched next to the SUV and threw up again. Most of it splashed on Sage’s shoes. Finally the heaves stopped. Raven wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Sage scrunched his face up at the sight and smell of his soiled Jordans.
“Dang, girl...your aim,” Sage whined.
“Sorry. Help me inside. I feel kind of dizzy.”
Sage’s face and shoulders drooped from embarrassment. Dread, too. He swung into action moving beside her and gingerly gripping her arm.
“Take it easy. I got you.”
Sage led her to the door. Raven thrust her purse at him.
He gave her a blank stare.
“Get my house key out.”
Sage poked around in the bag as if it were booby-trapped with explosives. He retrieved the key, holding it high above his head like a trophy.
Chapter 8
Raven and Sage sat on the couch in her living room. They were surprisingly close to each other considering their brief, but volatile history. Raven sipped from a glass. Sage alternated between bouncing his knee and jiggling the keys in his pocket.
His glass sat on the table, untouched.
“Would you please be
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