Sage’s muscles burned as she slammed her fists into the training pads Laura held, but her rhythm was off. Each punch landed with less precision than the last, her form unraveling no matter how many times she tried to correct it.
The gym echoed with the thud of her gloves, but her focus wasn’t here. It was somewhere else–circling, restless, gnawing at her mind.
Laura lowered the pads with a sigh, her brows drawing together. “Alright, stop.” She shook her head, letting her arms drop to her sides. “What’s your problem today? You’re not even here.”
Sage exhaled, wiping a strand of damp hair off her forehead. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
Her tone was too quick, too defensive, and Laura caught it immediately. She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t give me that. You’re fighting like your head’s on another planet. If this was a real spar, you’d be flat on the ground already.”
Sage forced a smirk, trying to brush it off. “Maybe you’re just exaggerating…or you’re just looking for an excuse.”
But even she didn’t sound convincing.
Laura crossed her arms, watching her with suspicion. “Exaggerating? Sage, you’re barely landing clean hits. Something’s obviously wrong. What is it?”
Sage bent down to adjust the strap on her glove, buying herself time. She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t look Laura in the eye and confess the thought that had been eating at her…because if she did, Laura would only raise that smug eyebrow, tilt her head in that infuriating way, and say: I told you so.
And Sage wasn’t even sure she was right.
Maybe Jason wasn’t cheating. Maybe she was overthinking everything. But the image of Alice slipping out of his chambers at dawn wouldn’t leave her head. It kept replaying, taunting her with possibilities she didn’t want to face.
“I said it’s nothing,” Sage repeated, louder this time.
Laura’s frown deepened.
They resumed, but it didn’t last long. The next drill should have been effortless, one Sage could do in her sleep. But when Laura tossed the target pad toward her, Sage misjudged the angle and swung too late, missing completely.
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< Chapter 58
The sound of her own failure echoed louder than it should have.
+25 Points
Laura lowered the pads again, exasperated now. “Seriously?” She stepped back, putting her hands on her hips. “Okay, that wasn’t just a slip. Talk. What’s going on with you?…don’t make me beat it out of you,” she said, dramatically.
Sage yanked off one glove and dropped it on the bench with a frustrated sigh. “Nothing!” she snapped, though her voice cracked with the weight of a lie. She turned away, hoping Laura would drop it, but her friend wasn’t that type.
Laura followed, planting herself stubbornly in front of her. “Don’t even start. You’ve been spaced out all day, and now you’re dragging it into training. If you don’t want to tell me, fine,
but don’t act like I can’t see it.”
Sage’s jaw clenched. Her wolf, Kira, stirred uneasily in her mind, whispering caution, urging her to stay calm. But Sage was tired–tired of feeling like her head was full of smoke, tired of second–guessing every little thing Jason did. And tired of Laura standing there, waiting for
her to admit it.
Finally, she let out a low breath and muttered, “It’s your fault, you know.”
Laura blinked, caught off guard. “My fault? Excuse me?…what did I do?”
Sage grabbed her water bottle from the bench and sat down, unscrewing the cap with sharper movements than necessary. She took a long sip, letting the cool liquid calm the dryness in her throat before answering.
“Yes. Ever since you put that stupid thought in my head, I haven’t been able to think straight.” She rested her elbows on her knees, the bottle dangling between her hands. Her gaze fixed on the floor. “I’m always…watching…wondering. I’m paranoid about everything, and it’s because of you.”
Laura tilted her head, confusion written all over her face. “What are you even talking about? How is any of this on me?”
Sage glanced up at her, eyes flashing with frustration. “Because you’re the one who suggested it. That maybe Jason-” She stopped, unable to push the word out. Saying it aloud would make it too real. She shook her head instead. “You planted the idea, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.”
For a moment, Laura just stared at her, then let out a short laugh. Not mocking, but disbelieving. “Oh my goddess, Sage. You can’t be serious right now.”
Sage stiffened. “Do I look like I’m joking? I’m serious as hell.”
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< Chapter 58
+25 Points
Laura set the pads down on the floor with a thud, then crossed her arms again. “Sage, listen to yourself. You’re accusing me of making you insecure because of something I never even
1 said…that’s crazy.” She laughed again.
Sage frowned. “Yes, you said so. You-”
“No,” Laura interrupted firmly. “What I said was that giving Jason the kind of space you were planning to? Just to make him miss you, and know your worth? That it might not be the smartest idea… especially considering the kind of man we both know he is. That’s all. I never once said he was cheating.” She rolled her eyes.
Her words hit Sage like a splash of cold water. She wanted to argue, to cling to her version of the memory, but Laura’s certainty didn’t leave much room.
“And even if I had said anything like that,” Laura continued, “you were so confident he’d never do that to you, right? So, your trust in him shouldn’t be so fragile that one comment from me can send you spiraling. If you’re feeling paranoid, don’t you dare pin that on me.”
Sage looked away, her throat tight. The weight of the bottle in her hand felt heavier than
before.
Kira murmured in her head, She’s right. You know she is.
But Sage wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.
Laura watched her for a beat longer, then let out a frustrated sigh. “Unbelievable.” She turned back toward the training mats and picked up her gloves. “You know what? Forget it. Sit there and mope if you want. I’ll finish on my own.”
Sage stayed on the bench, silent, her chest rising and falling slowly. She watched as Laura slipped easily back into her routine. “Seriously? You’re just going to walk away.”
Laura smirked without saying another word.
Sage sighed and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know how we’re even friends,”
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