THIRTY EIGHT: SAGE
S A G E
Sage tried to calm his nerves by staring at Irena . Her tear-stained face and red eyes tugged at his heart in a way he had never experienced before. All he wanted to do right now was hug her and comfort her.
But there are a few things that need to be said before he can do that. And they all had to do with the article.
On his way to the press conference, he pulled out the magazine, already hating what Irena had written. After all, he saw the first draft. But the more he advances, the more he realizes that she has changed all that.
“Is that what you mean?” he asked, opening the magazine to his article. “Or are you just trying to sell copies?”
Irena looked down at the page then back at him. She studied his gaze for a moment before nodding.
“Yes,” she whispered.
His heart was beating so hard that it could be heard clearly in his ears.
“Yes, you’re trying to sell magazines, or yes, you mean that” – he bent down to study the words as if he still hadn’t memorized what she had written – ”
“For some, Sage Kennedy is a conceited partygoer without thinking about how the rest of the world lives. It’s the kind of lifestyle that sells stories. But today I am here to expose these ridiculous articles. What I’ve learned from sticking with party animal Kennedy is that there’s a lot more to it.”
She looked down and kept staring at the sidewalk at their feet. When she said nothing, he skimmed down the article to a particularly confusing section.
“What about this part?”
“Without thinking about his life, Sage jumped into the water to save me. I. A reporter prides herself on uncovering the truth, but instead lets her own biases cloud her judgment. In all respects, he should have let me be. But he couldn’t. Kennedy has a sense of duty and pride, a feeling that cannot coexist with someone who feels above the law. From my time with Sage in the desert, I discovered that there was absolutely no way he had anything to do with his late father’s actions.”
Sage looked up and saw Irena staring at him. There was power in her eyes telling her she meant every word. He swallowed as his throat went dry.
“And what about that?” he asked, his voice hoarse from lack of moisture.
“I think the most important thing I discovered while fighting for my life in the Greenlandic wilderness was how much Sage Kennedy and I were alike. We were both orphans. Desperate to find your place in the world and look for the one thing that everyone is looking for for love. The kind that fills your soul and heals the cracks that life has created. And though I was afraid to say it, I found it. In the depths of the desert, I fell in love with the billionaire. Her voice softened as the last word escaped from the tip of her tongue. He paused before looking up at her.”
A tear rolled down his cheek, instinctively reaching up to wipe it away. Her fingers tingled as the sensation of flesh ran down her arm.
“Irena , is this true?” You really need to know the answer.
She bit her lip and nodded slowly. “I mean every word,” she whispered.
That’s exactly what he wanted to hear. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him. He enjoyed the feel of her body next to his. The familiarity of her curves worked against him. Her shoulders shook as small sobs escaped her lips.
“I’m sorry,” he said looking at her. “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you. You don’t deserve it.”
A smile appeared on her lips as she wiped her tears and looked up at him. She was about to speak, but he shook his head. He still hadn’t. done.
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You have taught me to be strong, responsible, and to love more deeply than I ever imagined.” He held her tight as if afraid she would disappear. “Please forgive me. Forgive the fool who was completely covered with his pride for admitting that he too found love in the desert.”
“I can say now. no?”
Sage nodded
“I forgive you,” she said as she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
Heat ran down her body as he pulled her closer to him for the kiss. deeper. His heart sang as he wrapped his healthy arm around her. She ran her fingers through her hair. For a moment, everything blurred. They are no longer journalists and a billionaire, but a guy desperately in love with a girl. And he never wanted this moment to end.
When she pulled away, he groaned. He never wanted her to leave his presence again.
“How’s Titan ?” she breathed as she glanced up at him.
“My dog? You stopped that kiss to talk about my dog?”
She giggled and swiped at his shoulder. “Come on.”
Sage tightened his grip on her, so she laid her head against his chest.
“He misses you,” Sage said.
“He does?”
“Yep.”
Irena giggled. “Good, because I have some news.”
Sage pulled back. “What?”
“You’re never going to guess.”
He narrowed his eyes on her.
“I got a puppy.”
“Really? The girl who was terrified of Titan got a dog?”This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
She nodded. “I guess you’re not the only one who had an effect on me.”
Sage pulled her back and rested his chin on her head. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.”
At that moment, Sage was happy. At that moment, Sage knew that this was all he was ever going to need. He’d found his person and, in her, his home.