Page 53 of The Veteran

“Sage?” he demanded, loudly enough to draw attention from passers-by. “Sage Nichols, is that you?”

I wrapped a protective arm around Sage’s shoulder. She’d stiffened and was staring at the blue-haired man with apprehension. Tension seemed to zing back and forth between them and I didn’t like it one bit.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

His eyes flicked to me but didn’t linger.

“Guy.” Sage didn’t sound nearly as pleased to see him as he was to see her.

“Let’s get out of the doorway,” I suggested, steering Sage aside and hoping the other man might leave us alone. No such luck. He followed, keeping pace until we stopped.

“I can’t believe it’s really you.” Guy gestured up and down the length of Sage’s body as though she was some kind of apparition. “Have you been to see Joy?” He waved a hand dismissively. “Never mind, of course you have. I’m surprised you have time for the little people these days. I thought it would all be brunch and spa sessions with other influencers.”

Sage edged closer to me, and I narrowed my eyes at the interloper. It was clear they had some kind of history and I didn’t want to overstep, but I also didn’t like her reaction to him. “It’s not that glamorous,” she said in a tone I’d have called sulky from anyone else, but I’d never heard anything like it from her. “Yoga and social media pay the bills, but I mostly keep to myself. I’m not living the lifestyle of the rich and famous.”

Guy laughed. “Of course not. That’s never been your style.” He shook his head. “You look incredible.”

He reached for one of her hands, but she snatched it away. I frowned. It was unlike Sage to avoid someone like this. Should I step in?

“By the way, I’ve always wanted to tell you how brave I think you were for acting as a witness in court,” Guy said. “That was so strong of you.”

Finally, Sage seemed to find her tongue. She took a step forward, her eyes flashing with a rare moment of temper. “As opposed to you, who bailed as soon as things got hard?”

Guy raised his hands defensively. “It wasn’t like that. I was a kid, and we were probably going to break up when you went to that dramatic arts college anyway. I just sped things along.”

Sage thrust her chin forward. “You abandoned me when my parents died and I needed support. I was a kid, too.”

“But that wasn’t my fault,” he protested. “It’s not like I expected what happened. Your dad was involved in some shady stuff.”

Oh hell, no.

“Get lost,” I growled. If I was reading this right, and this asshole had broken up with Sage right after her parents died, I didn’t want him within ten feet of her. Preferably a hundred.

Guy swallowed and took a nervous step back. “This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

I grabbed Sage’s hand and raised it to my lips, staring him down. “Yes, it does, because I’m the man who takes care of Sage, and unless she tells me otherwise, that means getting her away from a shit like you.”

He lowered his gaze from mine and focused on Sage instead. “I can’t believe you’re with this Neanderthal.”

“He’s a good man.” Her voice, strong and sure, made me want to beat on my chest. “He won’t leave me because of a little inconvenience, and I’m pretty sure he’s serious, so you’d better walk away.”

Guy scowled and stormed away, stomping past the shop without going in.

I pulled Sage into my arms and she sagged against me.

“I shouldn’t have said those things to him,” she sighed. “I’m meant to have forgiven him.”

I kissed the top of her head. It seemed there were a lot of things she was meant to have forgiven, but good intentions could only go so far. Some emotional wounds lingered no matter how much you tried to cover them up.

“He made you angry. You’re only human.”

“I should be better.” She sounded disappointed in herself.

I drew back far enough that I could look down into her face. The happy shine that had been in her eyes during our time in the shop had disappeared, and she was worrying her lower lip with her teeth.

“You are the best person I know,” I told her. “But you’re not a robot. You’re allowed to feel your feelings.”

“I know.” Her expression became wry. “I just thought I was done with that.”