Sage

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT

I'm not sure why I am so nervous but the thought that Travis and I have reached a year into our relationship throws me off a little. Each day we're together I wait for the other shoe to drop when it's clear as day there won't be one. Yet, I can't shake the feeling it's been going way too smoothly, even when we argue it lasts for two minutes and we move on.

"Your boyfriend is waiting downstairs." Gideon knocks and walks into my room. "Wow, you look amazing."

I smile anxiously, smoothing my dress. "Yes...I mean thank you."

"Why are you so restless?" He chuckles. "Nervous for your date or something?"

Truthfully it didn't make sense but there was this tiny part inside of me that wanted to run. All I could think about was about Greyson, I told everyone I'd come back but the more invested I am in Travis the less likely it looks.

Not to mention I haven't physically seen anyone from both the Emerson and Blackstone families in years. It's like they don't exist anymore, it's like they never existed in the first place. I can't imagine the idea of Greyson moving on but it's selfish since I have.

The scariest part of it all is that I actually have strong feelings for Travis, maybe even love.

So the fact that we've been together for a whole unproblematic year only justifies what I feared the most. That Greyson and I are truly done, it's a terrible thing to think about on a one year anniversary yet I can't help it.

I swallow down my anxiety. "I'm fine, just...wow, a year."

"Wow it's been a year? Look at you guys, maybe he's the one." Gideon wiggles his eyebrows.

Possibly. "Don't go jumping the gun on that."

"You're right, I'd only jinx it." He taps the doorway. "Well Dad and I are going out to the bar to hang out with some of our coworkers. Be safe, alright?"

I nod. "I will."

"And Sage?"

"Yes?"

He smiles. "It's okay to love him."

How unfortunate that my own brother could read my mind to such a degree. Was I this obvious?

"I know."

Travis pulled up in his car, it wasn't an expensive one, just a hand-me-down blue Honda his brother gave him. Though it holds priceless memories like the first time he asked me out after taking me home from our routine study sessions. He told me that it'd be idiotic to waste another moment not being my boyfriend.

When he asked I opened my mouth to say no but opted not to since I can't grow without experience, I mean that was the whole point of Greyson and I breaking up. I didn't know what I wanted and how can I know if I don't go and find it?

Enough about Greyson Sage.

I took a deep breath as I approached the car.

Travis zooms out and gives me the warmest smile. "There she goes."

"Hey." I smiled back, my cheeks a little warm.

His brows raise as he checks me out from head to toe. "I wonder if I was a saint in my past life because there's no way I deserve a girl that looks as beautiful as you do right now, otherwise."

"Shut up." I giggle.

Travis opens the door for me. "After you."

I slide into the leather seated seat and immediately buckle myself in. Travis closes the door and runs to the other side to sit down behind the wheel. He starts the car and begins driving to wherever he secretly planned on taking me this evening.

Travis insisted that I didn't know and how it should be surprised. I've never celebrated any anniversaries and he thought that pressured him into putting on the best on he could conjure up in his head.

"Dammit, Sage." He chuckles. "You don't know how great you look tonight, I'm nervous as hell."

Hearing a guy that looks like Travis say something like that flatters tremendously. He was a super attractive guy, like the kind you see in those teen movies. Travis had short dirty blond hair that reached his shoulders, tonight he had it in a messy yet perfect bun. He had forest green eyes and a smile that makes most woman around me who see him jealous.

This wasn't something I'm not used too but I've got admit it's not always so fun dealing with.

I couldn't fight the goofy smile he was making me have. "You look great too, Trav."

"Well I couldn't look anything less than my best where I'm taking you." He informs me.

I tilt my head. "Can I know where we're going?"

"Oh, yes, so this is going to sound super creepy." He clears his throat, smiling awkwardly. "Remember when I asked you out?"

I nodded. "You're not taking me to the school Library are you?"

"No!" He chuckles, then quickly looks at me. "Well when you agreed...I kind've planned this night from then on. So after the first week when I watched you laugh at all my stupid jokes and then we shared our first kiss at that random park we went too because everything was closed. I knew I was going to do everything in my power to make sure we made it, at least for a year."

My chest tightened.

Travis looks at me again, then focuses back on the road. "Dammit I'm so nervous. Well I reserved our anniversary date to be at some restaurant that has like this crazy waiting list. So I got approved for this date literally four months ago, a few weeks after we told each other we love one another. And that's where we're going. Then I also uh, not trying to get ahead of myself, but I got us this beautiful hotel overlooking the city."

"Travis." My nose started too burn. "You did all of that for me?"

He rubs the back of his neck. "You know how I always joke that I'm in too deep? Well...its not a joke. I'm freaking wild about you Sage Slade."

If the universe could speak this was it yelling at me that I have to be with this man forever. I mean the fact that hes so peaceful and I am nothing but happy, that's more than enough to tell me that we're meant to be.

A part of me felt a pain of knowing that after hearing this that it's clear, I'm not going backwards. I'll move towards the future and Travis has to be the one to take me.

Although it took some time we finally arrived at the restaurant he spoke about. I've heard a lot about this place back when I was associated with the wealthier parts of my life. I remember Hudson talking about how this would be the perfect place for him to take Dawn if they were to ever get together.

We walk inside and I hear the beautiful and romantic sound of a piano playing in the background. With it I hear a woman's voice singing with the melody of the keys.

"Travis Warren." Travis speaks to the host and he observes us both, clearly noting we're not the typical clientele here.

Thankfully he wasn't a jerk about it and welcomes us with a genuine smile. "Right this way."

We both follow him to our table, Travis pulls out my chair and pushes me in. Then he sits across me, fixing himself to try and match the environment. I couldn't help but enjoy his obvious restlessness, it was almost like a hundred years ago when I first entered my first fancy restaurant.

"I feel so out of place." He laughs nervously.

I nod. "That's okay, you don't want to fit in with these kind've people."

"Really? Because that guy is wearing a watch that could pay the rent of my entire building." Travis observes the man near us. "And that lady has a Birkin, I've heard those are not cheap either."

I giggle. "Okay, how does a guy like you know about Birkin bags?"

"My mom is super into bags, when I was little she told me that I need to make enough to buy her one when I get older so she can brag to her friends that her son is successful." He smiles at me. "I'm going to get her that bag one day, even if it means I'm in a ton of debt for the rest of my life."

Whenever he speaks about his family I am comforted in the idea that he has such a good relationship with them.

The waiter comes over to us and we frantically chose items on the menu, there were no prices on the menu so Travis asked a bunch of questions. Although he was embarrassed and wasted the poor servers time, we managed to get a balanced meal for a ridiculous price but one that Travis was comfortable with.

"I want to have enough for dessert, I know how much you love sweets." Travis relaxes. "Next time I'll be more prepared."

I smile. "No need to worry the fact that we're here is more than I can ask for. I would've been happy with water."

"I'm happy to hear that, I know I shouldn't try to spoil you for love but you're a quality girl. Sometimes it just makes me happy to know that at least once in my lifetime I could splurge on a girl like you."

Goodness

This man is so pure.

After a while we managed to forget where we were and talked about all sorts of topics. When the food came we joked about the proportions and how we'd probably end up getting fast food after this for later. Then dessert came and surprisingly it was enough to fill us both up for the moment.

When the bill came I watched as Travis drop his jaw, I offered to split it but he was serious about me not spending a dime for the day. That he needed to set the bar high so he won't ever be replaceable.

I'm sure how he could ever be.

Then we left to the hotel.

We arrived at the hotel, it was a little farther than I thought it would be so I ended up dozing off during the car ride. I didn't have a chance to see where we were since by the time I woke up we had to get out.

There was valet parking here.

Where the hell did he take me?

Travis hands his keys to the gentleman and hands him some cash.

Then he reaches his arm out for me and I wrap mine into it. We both walk in the building and my stomach drops at where we end up. In large silver letters at the entrance-way was written Blackstone.

"You took me too the Blackstone hotel?" I ask, caught off guard.

Travis nods excitedly. "Isn't it awesome? A friend of mine told me this would be the place to take the girl of your dreams. I mean look at this place! It's like a freaking royal castle in here."

"Yeah, it's great." I smile back.

We both approach the front desk, Travis begins to tell the lady standing his details. "Thank you so much, have a great night."

"You too as well, sir." The lady smiles kindly.

I'm not sure why I'm freaking out, I can't expect to bump into anyone I know here. With all the money they have why would they come to this hotel at such an hour? I mean it is a hotel and Greyson was a—forget about him!

I shake the thoughts out of my head as we stop in front of the elevators.

"Sage." Travis turns his head to me. "I love you."

Instantly I felt at ease, just like it was at the restaurant, it was only him and I. "I love-"

The doors open finally but before we walk in I am frozen in place.

"What are you doing? We're going to miss it." Travis chuckles.

For the first second my eyes met with a woman, she had long gorgeous black hair. Wearing a beautiful and chic burgundy dress. Then I slide my gaze towards the man she had her arm around, he was on his phone laser focused on whatever he was doing. His hair was a familiar sexy mess and he wore an expensive suit.

"The elevator stopped, why aren't we..." The man looks up and stares at me in awe.

My heart felt as if someone were grabbing it and slowly squeezing it until the blood no longer pumped through my body.

Travis looked confused. "Sage?"

"Greyson." I breathed out.

A familiar storm colored gaze I couldn't forget even if it would kill me, pierced into my soul. "Sage."

"You've got to fucking be kidding me." Bianca spits out.

Travis looks at them then back at me. "You know these people?"

Greyson and I just stood still, saying nothing, looking at one another.

"Greyson?" Bianca nudges him.

I swallowed down, then plastered on my best expression, ignoring the fact that the man I loved was leaving the hotel with his awful ex girlfriend. The same person who put into my head that I wasn't ready to be with that same man she's with. I'm not sure if I wanted to curse him out for having sex with Bianca or that he broke a promise that I believed he wouldn't.

"Nice to see you both again," I spoke out. "Travis this is Bianca and Greyson. I met them through my grandfather. Greyson and Bianca, this is my boyfriend Travis."

Travis lifts a brow, trying to understand. "Grandfather?"

I've never spoken about my past to Travis, luckily I've been able to cover my tracks because he's not much into the tabloids and what not. So he doesn't know about the engagement or my family. Since I'm also not the same person as I was four years ago I've successfully put it all behind me and became a normal woman.

"Well we must go now, the babysitter has to leave earlier than we appreciated so we must get to our daughter." Bianca smiles passive-aggressively. "Nice to see you again Sage, take care."

Why would Bianca still be so insecure? To throw a comment like that as if I didn't know of their child is ridiculous. Clearly she got what she wanted and it's even more clear as day Greyson doesn't care and has completely moved on.

I nod. "Y-Yeah."

"Well nice to meet you both." Travis waves and we walk onto the elevator.

Greyson and I pass each other, it felt as if a ghost went through me. A chill that made all the blood drain from inside of me. Why did it feel like this? We've went our own ways, we're with other people and things have changed. Yet, something feels unfinished...

Before the door closes, Greyson looks at me once more, there was a mixture of emotions that I'm unable to read. It's been so long since I've looked at him and truly understood him, is it because of our time apart or is this a new expression I've never seen before? I can't tell if he's relieved or sad, maybe both?

The old Greyson would've gotten angry, yet he's calm and quiet.

Bianca drags him away and our gazes disconnect, I didn't realize I was holding my breath until this moment. Tears threatened my eyes but I protest them, settling myself quickly and hoping Travis didn't catch on. I can not ruin something so good because I saw my ex-fiance with his ex-girlfriend, that's not healthy.

Dammit, this is an awful way to end our anniversary date...