As a matter of fact, Sage was not a blanket stealer.

It was difficult to thieve a blanket when he inched closer to her in his sleep to the point she woke up with his head on her chest and his arms wrapped around her like a cocoon.

Solace's heart battered against her thoracic cavity, and she wouldn't be surprised if he woke up from the sheer sound of the rapid beating of the organ. His hair was tickling her chin, and his lips grazed the side of her neck. There was metal pressed against her collarbones to what she could only assume was his chain. Her unfaithful arms were snaked around his back, the feel of his muscles against her hands making her feel all sorts of things. The tattoo behind his neck peeked out of his shirt, and she could only make out half a circle and what looked like a fist. No matter how much she wanted to pull down the edge of his shirt, she stopped herself. He respected her boundaries. Solace would do the same.

She wasn't sure how long she was laying there with her eyes wide open. Moving him was not an option. It was physically impossible without shoving him to the cold floor. But he looked so comfortable, and in the silence of the morning, she had to admit she secretly liked the feel of his body flushed against hers. Solace was warm in the winter cold creeping up on them, and he smelled so good. Just like coconut butter. And the weight of him seemed to ebb all her worries and anxieties as if he could magically extract her stresses with his mere touch.

Last night, she tried too hard not to think about him. Solace was failing miserably. She fell asleep with Sage on her mind and woke up with him swimming in her thoughts.

This was one failure she was not exactly upset about.

Her breath hitched when Sage squirmed in her hold, and she swiftly shut her eyes, feigning sleep. All her senses were heightened when he lifted himself off her body. Solace wanted to pull him back down, but she willed her arms to go limp, letting them slip down to her side. She was certain his gaze was on her. It was like an alarm in her brain that went off whenever she felt his eyes seeping into her.

It was becoming more painful to stay still and imitate slumber when what she assumed were Sage's hand cupped her face, his thumb rubbing circles around her cheek. He had to notice how her chest heaved up and down briskly. If that did not give it away, it had to be the measly organ in her chest that she was beginning to despise. His touch was achingly soft, and she could only imagine the look in his eyes at the moment.

Solace wanted to see the glimmer in his eyes. Should she open her eyes? Should she inadvertently tell Sage that she was awake and alert? What would that lead to?

But she couldn't make the decision when a phone rang. It wasn't her ringtone.

Sage cursed under his breath, the bed creaking from the shift of weight. Sounds of rummaging were audible until the ringing came to a halt, and he spoke.

"Can I help you, Kane?" whispered Sage annoyedly. His voice was hoarse and gravelly. She heard him sigh and get to his feet. "You couldn't have told me last night?" There was a long pause. "Yeah, sure. I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."

Meet him where? Her interest was intrigued, and because she was snoopy and what he did was linked back to her, she had to find out. Solace stayed motionless, easing her breathing until she was sure Sage left her room. Giving it another ten seconds, she sprang out of her bed with every intention to follow him. She put on a random pair of trousers and a sweatshirt, gently pulling off her hair bonnet to pause by her door. She could hear the tap of the bathroom running, and her mouth tugged down into a frown when she realized there was no time to brush her teeth. Gum would have to suffice.

By the time she located her pack of gum hidden in her desk drawer, the bathroom door clicked open. A few minutes later, the front door. Quickly, she ran down the hallway, throwing her shoes on at dangerous speed. Ripping her winter coat from the rack, she followed Sage out of the apartment and down onto the streets.

She was careful to leave enough distance between him and hide her face with her large hood. It wasn't hard to spot him, and his tall frame nor her green beanie Solace didn't know he stole it. Reluctant to accept it, but it looked good on him.

Sage walked casually with his hands in his pockets, weaving in and out of pedestrians. He never once slipped from the ice coating the ground. On the other hand, Solace had to split her time from keeping her eyes on her the ground to assure no embarrassing mishaps to the boy she recklessly decided to pursue. This was her second stalking trip this month. A few more times and she would become a professional stalker.

Solace followed him around street corners, past the grocery store they went to that seemed like an eternity to a dance studio that was shut after the instructor broke both her legs. They crossed five lights in total and took two lefts and three rights. The walk must have been at least fifteen minutes long by the time Sage reached his destination, her socks were soaked through, and her nose was sniffling.

But she wouldn't let that distract her because the destination was another apartment complex. However, this complex could have been considered a skyscraper, and it looked like the type that hosted penthouses and extravagant suites. Nothing like her middle-tier apartment.

She slowed down, waiting for him as he typed in the code to the building. Solace watched intently as she swung open the door and entered. Her feet pattered against the ground as she seized the handle of the door just before it shut and followed him inside. A smile crept on her face when she realized she was pretty good at this stalking thing.

It did not last long when she could no longer find the green beanie and his long frame. Where did he go? She whirled her head around the lobby, seeing nothing but the locked mailboxes, intricate silver lighting, and marble floors. Solace walked closer to the couches set by a waxy plant that almost looked fake and the high ceiling windows. She gazed further down the lobby, hoping to see him by the receptionist or by the elevators. But he was nowhere.

With her guard let down and confusion setting in, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the wall. A huff of hair left her at the sudden contact, and all the air left her body when long slender fingers wrapped around her neck. Alarm bells set off in her mind, and she forced her to open her eyes to see the face of the enemy.

Sage. It was Sage. With his body pinning her to the wall and his hand around her throat. This asshole.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, punching him in the chest. "Let go of me, idiot."

Her hood was ripped off, and she was met with his intense eyes. "Solace?" he demanded in shock. He immediately let go of her neck, but he still didn't move away. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Following you," she remarked in a 'duh' voice. "It took you a while to notice." Solace didn't hide the smugness in her tone.

Sage rolled his eyes. "I could have hurt you," he sighed, raising his hands to gently inspect her neck. His fingertips ran from the base of her throat to her collarbones. She didn't dare breathe. He was soft and careful, genuinely concerned he had injured her. When he was satisfied, he took a few inches back. "Why were you following me?"

Solace shrugged. "I was curious as to where you were going." She jutted her chin to the lobby. "What is this place, anyway?"

He didn't answer, but instead began his walk to the elevators. Solace trailed behind him, determined to know why he was here. She stayed quiet as they made their way up to the thirteenth floor. The floor was just as shiny as the one in the lobby, and small delicate lamps lined the walls. Sage stopped at the door at the end of the hallway, pulling out keys from his pocket. She waited with bated breath when the lock clicked open, and she stepped inside with him.

The interior was sleek and pearly white from the leather couches to the granite countertops of the kitchen. All of Boston was visible through the large windows, and it seemed like the perfect place to sit and read when it rained. An electric fireplace was underneath the flatscreen television, adjacent to a hallway that must have led to a bedroom. It was both luxurious and comfortable.

"Whose place is this?" she asked in awe. Her hands skimmed a crystal lamp as she walked over to the windows. Solace felt like she was on top of the world.

"Mine," he grumbled, chucking the keys into a clay bowl by the door.

Solace turned on her heels to face him. Her wide eyes ran over the stainless-steel refrigerator with a touch screen and the small chandelier hanging above the living room. "Then, why have you been staying with me when you had this place?" she demanded in shock.

Sage narrowed his eyes. "If you want me to leave, just say it," he spat out bitterly.

Her attention was drawn to him from the hurt lacing his words. "No, that's not what I meant," she fixed. A few weeks ago, Solace would have jumped at this opportunity. She would have personally packed his bags and thrown them out the window. But now, she didn't want him to leave. "I assumed you didn't have anywhere to go that night. I didn't expect you to have an apartment, much less an apartment that looked like this."

His eyes scanned her face casually. Sage, then tugged off the hat and made his way to her. "I've been staying here for the past few months with the money I earned. When I decided to leave my job, I didn't want to stay here anymore," he said quietly. "It's not that it wasn't safe. I just didn't want to be alone." His confession seemed to take a lot of courage. "I only come to grab some clothes."

"And today? You have a meeting with Kane."

Sage arched a brow curiously, realization dawning on him. "You were awake?" he asked tentatively.

Admitting she was indeed alert and fully awake would embarrass him and his little act when he intimately touched her cheek. How Solace would love to see his face turn red, but it would backfire on her. "Why are you meeting with Kane?" she demanded instead.

He looked relieved. "I don't know. He said he had something to tell me, so I thought I would grab some clothes and meet him here."

Solace nodded slowly. It was beginning to make sense. Sometimes Sage was gone for hours like that one morning when he demanded more pop tarts. She hadn't thought about where he was living for the past six months. A luxurious apartment with a soft bed must have been comforting after his murderous job contract.

"Are you mad?" he asked carefully. He sounded like a child as if he was scared for her answer.

"Yes," she admitted. Sage looked crestfallen. "I should have asked for more money."

A chuckle reverberated in the air. "You really should have," he teased.

"Care to negotiate?"

"Hell no."

Solace kissed her teeth. "Worth the try."

Sage smirked, walking backward to the hallway. "I need to pick up some clothes. Feel free to snoop around."

"I will definitely be snooping," she grinned in return as he disappeared into a room.

Now that she had his permission, Solace began her search for anything and everything. She wanted the inner workings of his mind, to see how he lived when he was alone.

She was drawn to the kitchen, and its bronze cabinet handles. She looked through it to see nothing but snacks. It was like a miniature pantry with its sugary foods from chocolate chip cookies to salty chips to fudge balls. In another cupboard were piles of Wetherbee's lemon delights.

Sage was an elderly woman in an eighteen-year-old boy's body.

No one should have that much sugar and processed food in their kitchen. It defeated the purpose of a kitchen. Solace wouldn't be surprised if he went into a glucose coma. But to her better judgement, she plucked out three bags of the lemon drops and placed them on the counter for Sage to take back to their apartment.

Solace moved onto the high-tech refrigerator. She pressed on random buttons, in awe when music began playing. It beeped loudly as it showed her the contents on the inside through a camera. A fridge should not have been the center of her excitement, and yet it was. There was next to nothing inside except for cream cheese, a box of pizza that had surely gone bad, and half a head of lettuce. It was a pathetic array of food.

Her eye caught on a jug of chocolate milk, and she pulled open the door. Solace carefully checked the expiration date to see it wouldn't go bad until tomorrow. Might as well drink it. She would be helping Sage with clearing his fridge, after all.

Her search for a cup was difficult. In one cabinet, there were two bowls. In another, a comprehensive first aid kit with band-aids, gauze, alcohol wipes, and suture tapes. It made her kit look like a joke. She would have to change that. Finally, after opening a cabinet with plastic utensils, she found one glass cup.

Solace's hand clutched the cup just for it to fall and shatter when a pair of hands wrapped around her body with a wet cloth pressed firmly against her nose. The sweet smell of the chemical reminded her of chloroform. She tried to scream, and her heart raced at the possible kidnapping. But it was impossible from the person's hold around her. But she wouldn't go down so easily.

"What did you break?" called out Sage from down the hall. "It better not have been my lamp."

At his voice, Solace began to struggle, throwing her body around, kicking, and punching at anything. She needed to warn him. She despite everything in her body, needed his help. Her memories sifted through senior year defense class they were forced to take during gym class. One move stuck out in particular.

Solace drove her leg up and swung it back, successfully catching her attacker in the shin. She took a moment to pride herself in her kick when the man swore. His hold loosened just enough for her to yell.

"Sage!" she screamed as loudly as she could. "Sage!"

He must have heard the fear in her voice when footsteps pounded down the hallway.

But it was too late. The intruder had her back in his clutches, squeezing her until her ribs ached. The chloroform was back on her nose, and she felt herself slipping away.

"Don't touch her!" yelled Sage, his words promising violence. Through the fluttering of her eyes, she saw him fighting to get to her, but four arms held him back, pushing him to the ground. "Leave her alone! Just take me!" He looked like a caged animal gone hysterical. He was angrier than she had ever seen. And scared. Really scared. "Let her go!"

The world faded away slowly with nothing but Sage calling out her name.

***

Author's Note:

Hello!

I felt like we needed more drama and suspense, so here it is lol. I hope to start updating twice a week in December since we have about 15ish chapters to go!

Until next time – m.k.t