Sage

ITS BEEN FAR TOO LONG SINCE I'VE SEEN THIS OVERPRICED CONDO

"About time." Hudson mutters, standing up from the couch.

I'm back home and I've never been more exhausted in my life. The series of events that happened in a day span has mentally drained me for a lifetime. If there's not one problem, there's another and quite frankly I could use a vacation. Preferably with Greyson because I haven't seen him in what feels like forever.

A much needed shoulder to lean on at such a time, what would he say if he heard the news? I could use some extra affection, maybe even talk to Richard about it and hear one of his famous Papa Blackstone lines towards the situation. Something along the lines of "Just when we thought the highlight of the year was me getting shot in the bloody noggin, your mother has to steal the limelight. How selfish."

The thought made me chuckle as I walk towards Hudson. "Where's Grey?"

"Waiting for you, we're two hours late and have to get you ready."

I sigh. "Ready for what? I don't feel like doing anything and I need to talk to him about something really important."

"Trust me, when we get there you won't care about anything else." He argues. "He's been waiting for you and I don't think you should keep him waiting anymore."

Slumping onto the couch, I run my fingers through my hair. "I do want to see him, even if it means having to leave the comfort of my home."

"Exactly!" Hudson grabs my wrists and pulls me up, causing me to groan in agony.

Why do I have to do so much, I need to recover from hearing everything I heard. A girl can only handle what she can until she can't. And right now I think I keep pushing back a reaction that will lead me into crying in the corner of my closet. Either way, I push myself to go with the flow and grab a healthy distraction from the love of my life, Greyson Blackstone.

****

We arrive in a beautiful piece of land, there was nothing but tree's and flowers surrounding the place. With a few small houses scattered around. What threw me off was the amount of cars parked here despite me seeing no one around. I don't imagine seeing Greyson in such a place for no reason, which leads me to question, what's the reason?

I follow Hudson towards one of the smaller houses, it was the one placed next to a lake.

"You won't be seeing Greyson until you put this bad boy on," Hudson opens the door. "doubt you should be going to your own wedding without it."

My eyes widen.

Tears came shortly after.

"Sage!" Scarlett runs towards me. "I waited forever!"

My body went into a paralysis, it became impossible to breath on my own and I couldn't stop the waterfall coming from the ducts of my eyes. In front of me was a beautiful white gown, placed on a stand in the middle of the room.

Scarlett was wearing a gorgeous grey dress that on made her haunting gaze more prevalent. It suited her as a child though, it was flowy and simple. Yet made her look like a doll, an expensive one at that. Her hair was pulled up into a large bun and she had a small flower crown on her head. Oh my gosh, she's the flower girl.

More tears came.

I can't stop them.

Nora and Evelyn stood there with smiles, among them was also Dawn, who was of course beaming. They all wore the same off the shoulder dresses, in the same blue as the one Scarlett rocked. Their dresses were sophisticated and hugged their curves seamlessly. They all had their makeup and hair done, and I can't even tell if I'm in a dream right now or not.

"It's about time, my daughter was growing impatient." A familiar voice causes me to slide my gaze towards what appears to be the bathroom. Bianca walks out, wearing a dark blue chic dress, that made her look more business than wedding. "And celebrity makeup artists aren't cheap."

Eve and Nora storm towards me, then throw their arms around me excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, Greyson is amazing." Nora states. "He planned this entire thing and even found out how to contact us and have us be a part of planning this." She looks at Hudson and leans into my ear, whispering. "Even his best friend is super hot, I mean he's been giving Dawn over there googly eyes all day but still. He's hot."

"Sage I'm so happy for you, I'm so happy you found a gem like him, please if he has any family send him my way." Eve enters the conversation.

I chuckle, wiping the tears away from my eyes. "Guys, you're all so amazing."

"Well I must go check on the groom, leaving Richard and him alone for too long cannot be a good idea." Hudson grins. "Rich is probably competing to see who the better looking man it."

At that comment Hudson closes the door behind him and leaves. Leaving me with a room full of excited girls and Bianca, shortly after a 'celebrity' makeup artist appears and we begin getting me ready for what would probably be the most memorable day of my life.

What was I stressing about again?

****

Do you know how hard it is to stop yourself from crying, when you have been dolled up by someone who has helped the already magnificent Beyonce look flawless? Yes, I do not lie, my makeup was done by the artist who has touched Beyonce's face. And let's say they didn't hold back their magical fingers.

"Fucking hell." I hear someone say behind me.

I turn around to see Bianca, her eyes wide and lips parted in awe. It was hard to tell but I think her eyes were glassy, like she was fighting back tears. It was strange that the first person to see me like this in full effect was Bianca. Much less it was even more disturbing that it kind of made me happy to see that she wasn't so frustrated about the situation. She was accepting.

"H...How do I look?" I ask, plastering my best smile despite the nerve-wrecking feeling creeping behind me and the reminder that in a short amount of time I'll be married to my dream man.

Bianca fixed her expression, she didn't smile but it her eyes were gentle. "I've got to say, marrying Greyson is a dream for the hundreds of women who've dealt with him. There are a few who could care less, I'm not one of them. I did want to marry this man, I did want to carry his last name, and I did want to be the one to make him happy."

"Bianca—"

"But," She continues. "after seeing you like this I can tell the decisions I made in the past and the heartbreak I gave that man was worth it because in a sense it all led to you."

Again, it's really hard to hold back tears.

Bianca smooths her dress. "So it pains me to be the bad guy once more in his fragile heart."

"Excuse me?"

She lifts her gaze to mine, serious as can be. "I thought I'd come here and be supportive towards what he wants. I've taken a lot from him and started a series of unfortunate outcomes, so it's only right I'd make amends sooner than later."

My chest tightened, the urge to walk away and ignore whatever she had to say was eating at me. Yet, I couldn't move from this spot, I wanted—no needed to hear every word that came out of her mouth.

"But Sage, has anyone asked what you wanted?" Bianca crosses her arms. "I get the infatuation and wanting to be married to a guy like Greyson. I can't shake the nagging sensation that things have been moving so fast for you that you haven't had a moment to understand what is to come."

Why does everyone feel the need to tell me how I should feel towards my situation? What's so bad about what I'm doing? I've been around Greyson and his familial dramas for a long time and I have always faced them.

She continues. "You were a regular girl less than two years ago, living in a single parent home with an absent brother. The biggest thing you were stressing about was your future and from what I can see boys were the last thing on your mind, especially when you were so laser focused on astronomy. Then this manipulative old man with a bitter past comes and dictates every movement you make, like arranging you to marry a man who probably had to take routine STD tests."

I frown. "You have no right—"

"I'm not finished speaking." Bianca stands tall, her brows furrowed. "Andrew Emerson manipulated you and your family into an engagement with a stranger. All because of some old money drama from before your parents were even born. Then you are to marry Greyson for whatever plan of vengeance they take, ignoring the fact that you will be collateral damage."

My eyes flashed to the doorway, I couldn't stand here and listen anymore. I feel like an idiot for feeling pity on such a woman. All she wants is to destroy what I'm going to have, something she wanted and couldn't achieve.

Bianca moved towards in front of my vision. "You're not listening Sage, you've done such a good job ignoring the bad of this family that you don't realize your position. At eighteen you will be married into the Blackstone bloodline and although your intentions are pure, Andrew Emerson has been ready to demolish everything as soon as you say 'I do'."

"I've heard this all before, I won't let that happen." I inform her.

She scoffs. "You won't let it happen? My apologies for second guessing you. When will you sit the fuck down and realize you are noting more than a trump card for him?"

"You're just jealous that I got Greyson and you didn't!" I shout.

Bianca walks up to me. "Remember this Sage Slade, before you hit puberty I was with him. I'm the one who had his child and if I changed any of my decisions we both know Greyson would've stayed with me through the whole ordeal. This isn't envy, this is the truth, I will not sugar coat shit. You're an eighteen year old girl who is about to marry a man ten years older than you, not to mention found out recently he's a father!"

"I don't care that he is!"

Bianca raises her voice. "Shut up! I refuse to believe that in five years you won't wake up one morning and realize you never thought any of this through? Are you ready to get married or are you pressured too? Do you want to help raise the daughter of a despicable woman, always being placed second when you haven't had enough time to know what first feels like? When I am back in that hospital bed you will now share your time with not only Scarlett but his burden of an ex-girlfriend."

"I know what I want." I tell her in all seriousness.

I've always known what I'd be getting into and it was no problem for me. Sure I wish I had a little more time to be in love without the added pressure of a child. Of having everyone constantly tell me the cons of marrying Greyson versus the pros. I know I'm eighteen and life hasn't even really started for me and I don't know where I want to be in five years.

All I do know is that I want nothing more than to have Greyson in it.

"Sage, I'm not saying to not ever marry Greyson, I'm just saying don't let them make another decision for you before you're ready." She explains. "Throughout all of this you've been on the sidelines without having a say. He brings a child home without discussing it with you and plans one of the best days of your life abruptly through all of it, if you don't stand your own ground and set boundaries this family will crush you."

That's when it clicked

Everything has been planned...from my virginity to my wedding. I didn't care because when it happens I'm so overwhelmed in happiness I forget everything else. This year has been filled with a variety of choices, most of them not including my own. How can I possibly grow if I'm unable to chose any of life choices?

"That's what I was afraid of, that hesitation in your eyes." Bianca cuts through my thoughts. "You don't want to marry him, not now. You're barely out of high school and I can't imagine you've been on many dates with him. Sat down and got to really know one another, instead of just dealing with one mishap after another. What will you have to offer Greyson if you're just some quiet little housewife? Anyone can take that role. Only a few can excel as a Blackstone bride."

As angry as I was she was right I didn't want to get married now, I just want to be with Greyson. Does that make me an awful person? Feeling like this right before I walk down the isle to the love of my life? Scarlett is so excited to be a flower girl too I'd be letting her down, or possibly destroying her view on marriage at such a young age.

I can't raise a child now, there's so much I want to do but Greyson will always think about Scarlett first. He'd always have to chose one or the other, for as long as she's alive his every breath will be devoted to her.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask.

Bianca's eyes drop. "I'm concerned for you, but in all truth it's my selfish need to know that my daughter won't ever have to see Greyson turn into the man he was once before. I want you to work out but if you rush these important steps through who knows how you'll be in the future. Your foundation is built on unfortunate events that have played a key role in your relationship. Soon the weight of it all will crush you both, so I urge you to think this through. If not for yourself, for Scarlett, who will lose her only loving parent to another heartbreak he won't be able to handle."

Once she's done speaking the door opens and I see Hudson peak his head inside. He was all smiles until he felt the energy inside of the room. Quickly he storms in and stands in front of Bianca with a scowl on his face.

Bianca was unphased by this and continued to be composed, bracing from what would come next.

"What did you do?" Hudson presses.

Bianca looked up at him. "Something that had to be done."

"Greyson is anxiously waiting for his wife to be and NOW you want to intervene!?" Hudson shouts. "I knew inviting you was a mistake, leave now."

She looked at me. "I will, but so is she."

"What are you talking about, Sage is coming with me." He informs her, then looks at me. "Come on."

I am frozen and suddenly the dress was suffocating me.

Bianca looks to her side and I see my clothes folded on the couch, it was as if she could read my mind. All I wanted to do was run and the flow of emotions throughout these past few months combined, and sunk down to my stomach.

"Sage, come on." Hudson gently grabs my wrist.

I shook my head. "I'm...I'm sorry."

"Sage." His eyes widen. "What are you doing?"

I began to have a panic attack, whispering to myself. "I'm so sorry, please...please don't hate me. I'm so sorry."

"Sage, what's going on?"

Bianca watches me. "She's leaving."