It's been a few days since Sage and I have spoken. I need her. I've seen her around school but she's been avoiding me, which I don't blame her because I was an ass. Angel's still acting weird, cutting classes, turning up to school hungover and I still don't think he's taking his pills, even after the talk we had. I just don't know how to get through to him. But first things first, I need to tackle one problem at a time. Sage is stood next to the lockers with her friends and she looks adorable as she munchies on her carrot sticks. I find myself just staring and smiling at her and wondering how the fuck I've managed to mess up. I decide to message her.

Can we talk?

I see her dig into her pocket, grab her phone and read the message. Instead of replying, she rolls her eyes and puts the phone in her bag.

'Fuck!' I swear, making the guy next to me jump out of the way. When I look up, I see it's that fucker Finn "fishboy" Bateman. His presence still makes me angry, I wish I'd punched him back when I had the chance. The bell rings and she heads off to class, leaving me stood thinking about how I'm going to make things up to her.

***

School's done and I'm stood next to my car waiting for Sage to come out. She walks out the school doors talking to some guy. Who the fuck is this? I can't see him from this angle. When he turns and walks away from her, I realise it's fishboy again. Will he ever learn, the fucking asshat! I see she's walking to the car on her own and I hesitantly approach her. 'Sage?'

Her head snaps up in my direction. Her face falls and she shakes her head, getting into her car and driving off. What was I expecting, for her to just run into my arms? Shrugging off the disappointment, I wait for Angel to drag himself into my car and head home.

***

Getting home I contemplate texting her again. Clearly she wants me to give her space but I need to explain. Or partly explain the other day.

Can we meet?

I know you don't want to talk to me but I feel like I need to explain

Please!

I see the three bubbles pop up for what seems like hours before she finally replies.

JOYS - 10 mins

I drop my phone on the bed, surprised that she actually agreed to meet me.

I rush downstairs. 'Going out. Try not to fuck anything up while I'm out.' I say to Angel in passing. I swear all he does is sit on the couch, drinking beer. I'll deal with him later. Getting in my car, I speed off to JOYS, getting there in record time, to see Sage sat in a booth. I walk up to her.

'Hey.' She says.

'Hi gorgeous.' I slide in opposite her. 'How've you been?'

'I've had better days to be honest.' She replies. 'So what is it you wanted to talk about?'

'I-'

'Hi, I'm Elizabeth, your server for today. What can I get you?' This Elizabeth tries to flutter her eyelashes at me but I completely ignore her, keeping my focus on Sage.

'An Oreo milkshake to share.' I reply.

'Actually can I have my own? And some fries?' Sage asks.

'Sure, will that be all, sir?'

'Yeah, thanks Eve.' I say, wanting her to go. 'I guess you're still angry with me then.'

'Now why would you think that?' She deadpans.

'Because normally we share our snacks.' I try to make a light-hearted joke. She rolls her eyes at my response. I don't blame her, I sound like a fucking loser.

'So why am I here?' Sage asks. At that point our milkshakes and her fries are placed on the table. 'Thank you.' She smiles at the server, who doesn't give her a second look. Rude!

'I wanted to apologise for the the other day.' I start. 'It was uncalled for and you didn't deserve the way I kicked you out the house.'

'You've been doing a lot of that lately.' I raise my eyebrow, questioning her statement before she carries on. 'Apologising.' She slurps her milkshake.

'I know.' I sift my hand through my hair. 'I just... I've never done this before. Never had to take into consideration somebody else's feelings when dealing with Angel and his problems.

'What problems? Because Kerrys never mentioned that Angel was struggling with anything.' She questions.

'How would she, when she doesn't even know?' I reply.

'You know what? It's not my business and it doesn't even matter because whatever "problems" he has going on, it still doesn't give him the right to treat Kerrys like shit.' She finishes.

'I know, but It's complicated.' I say, avoiding her gaze.

'What? What aren't you telling me?' She demands.

'Nothing. Nothing, can we just talk about something else please, like us?' I change the subject. 'I've missed you.'

She looks down at her fries and whispers. 'I've missed you too.'

I smile at her response. 'Oh, have you now?'

'A little bit.' She shrugs. I laugh at her reply and grab a fry from her plate. 'I never told you about what happened to me at the police station did I?' She perks up.

'No...?' I prompt her and that's how she spends the next ten minutes talking me through what both detectives put her through in that interview room.

'You're serious? He actually accused you of killing Thierry?' She nods at my question. 'What a dick.' I swear. 'He had it in for me in both of my interviews. Luckily my lawyer was there to shut him up both times.'

'Yeah, I had Mrs. Park as both my lawyer and appropriate adult because I didn't give them my parents' actual number.' She relays. 'Speaking of which, who was your appropriate adult?'

'Oh I'm emancipated.' I slurp my milkshake.

She freezes. 'Sorry, what?'

'I have been for the past year.' She continues to look at me confused.

'Well.. why have you never told me this?' She questions.

'Because it's no big deal.' I shrug.

'No big deal?' She inhale. 'Wow. I actually don't know that much about you at all, Kree.'

'What's that supposed to mean?" I ask defensively.

'Well, it's just whenever we're together, we always talk about my life and you never seem to offer anything about your life without me dragging it out of you.' She replies.

'I just don't feel the need to rake up the past. What's done is done.' I say.

She blinks at my nonchalant response. 'Okay, if you say so.' I can see in her face that she wants to ask more.

'I'm going to tell you everything one day. Just not today. Can you live with that?' I ask seriously.

She pouts, which I swear is the cutest thing ever, thinks about my question and then responds. 'No!' I laugh at her response. 'I'm kidding. As long as you promise to tell me one day,' she points at me, 'Then I suppose I can live with that.' She rolls her eyes.

'Trust me, we've got all the time in the world to get to know each other better.' I muse.

'How much time?' She teases.

I look at her seriously and reply 'for as long as you want me.'

***

Kree's just pulled up outside my house and I keep replaying what he said in my head. Does he mean he wants us to be together forever or-

'What are you thinking?' He asks me.

'What? Nothing.' I reply

'You've got your thinking face on.' He says.

'My thinking face? I don't have one. What's one of those?' I ask.

'Yeah you do.' He says lowly. 'Your forehead lines deepen and your nose scrunches up.' I blink in shock. 'Tell me.' He repeats

'I was just thinking about the future.' I say reluctantly, avoiding his gaze.

'You mean ours?' He rattles off quickly. I snap my gaze to his.

'Yeah...' I nod my head slowly.

'What about it?' He questions. My heart palpitates, knowing we're entering into unknown territory but it can't seem to stop itself from bursting out of my chest. 'Babe?' He brings me back into focus. 'What about it?'

'Well what do you think about it?' I ask, skeptically.

'I don't, not really. It's impossible to think that far ahead. Who knows what could happen?' He says, which disappoints me.

'Yeah, I totally agree.' I try to fix my face.

'Sage-'

'I'm going to go now.' I say.

'Sage-'

'Thanks for the lift-'

'Baby.' He exhales.

'What?' I look at him.

He stares into my eyes for what seems like forever. 'You know you're the one right.' He says seriously.

Heart currently failing! 'Ermm, I was aware of it but it's nice to get some solid confirmation-' He cuts me off, enclosing his lips onto mine. At his lips' touch, the butterflies in my stomach flutter out of control, as he is the only guy to have ever made me feel this way. He swipes his tongue against my bottom lip and I grant it permission, his hand pulling me over to his side and I move to straddle him. I run my fingers through his hair as we deepen the kiss. I pull him even closer towards me but the loud horn breaks up our make out fest.

'That was your fault, if only you weren't so curvy.' I giggle at Kree's response, as he bites on my neck, causing me to moan when he swipes his tongue over it to soothe the painful pleasure.

'Sorry.' I whisper, grinding on him.

'Fuck! You should stop that before I take you right here in this car.' He grunts out.

'Payback for Valentine's day, when you left me hanging in the car park.' I place a soft kiss under his ear.

He grunts. 'You're too sexy for your own good.' He muses, making me smile.

'I've really gotta go. You don't want my parents to see us like this do you? They'd probably send me off to boarding school for my final year.' I chuckle.

'Yeah well if they did, I'd find you.' He looks into my eyes. God, I love him.

Kissing him one last sweet time, I hop off his lap and leave the car. 'Bye.'

'Bye baby.' He drives towards his house, leaving me stood on the sidewalk smiling.

***

I decide to head over to Theia's, still with the same big smile on my face. Knocking on the door, I'm greeted by Mrs. Park.

'Sage, darling come in.' She says. 'Theia's not here at the moment but you're more than welcome to wait.'

'Thank you.' I follow her into the kitchen.

'Would you like a drink? Iced Tea perhaps?' She offers

'Yeah that would be great.' I take a seat at the breakfast table.

'So how have you been since, you know, the police station? What did your parents say?' She asks.

'Well they were upset I didn't tell them about it at first but then they were grateful you were there to take such good care of us all.' I reply.

'Oh that's quite alright sweetie. Use are all like daughters to me.' I smile at her response.

'Yeah, it's crazy the police think I had something to do with Thierry's death. He was my friend at one point. Also, Bee and her mom - I didn't know them that well, what reason would I have to kill them? I shake my head.

'Well... they don't actually think it was you.' She says.

'What?' I'm confused.

'I spoke to them briefly afterwards, when you rushed out the room. They just acted like that to get you to talk.' She says.

'What do you mean?' I question.

'Well, they seem to think that the Hasapi brothers, and in particular Kree?' I nod. 'Yeah, they seem to think they killed them.' I stare at her, shocked. 'They wanted any information out of you that could help them nail them.' Not knowing what to say, she carries on. 'Yeah, they gave Kerrys the same treatment as well, as use two are closest to them. Did she not tell you?'

'No... she's been pretty preoccupied with her breakup.' I say into my drink.

'Ahh, Theia told me. Poor girl. I had to change the code to the gun safe because Theia looked like she was going to get that bad boy and geuui gong-eul sswa ' Mrs. Park shakes her head.

'But they didn't do it.' I say confidently, disregarding whatever she just said.

'How can you be so sure? Sage, honey, how well do you know them?' Mrs. Park asks me.

I know him. He wouldn't do it. 'I'm sorry Mrs. Park, but you're wrong. I have no doubt in my mind that Kree didn't do it.' I nod.

'If you say so, sweetie.'

***