following morning.
“Sure.” I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table. Armand and Luc were running errands around town, and Kai had already left.
“I like Kai,” Celia began.
“Oh, boy. I’m sensing a but. ”
“Not a but ,” Celia said with a shake of her head.
“You’re worried.”
“Concerned.”
“Same thing in the eyes of a parent.”
“I’m not trying to replace Penny.”
“I know.”
“But, I’ve come to know you, Sage. And not just as my friend’s daughter. I want to look out for you.”
I smiled. “I know.”
“This thing with Kai is happening really fast.”
“It is.”
“You just lost your mother, ended things with a fiancé, and left your entire life behind. Are you ready for this?”
I tapped the rim of my mug. “I’ve felt more alive in two months with Kai than in one year with Connor.” I stood, wanting to put an end to the conversation. I respected Celia, but this was my decision to make. “I know how this looks, but you don’t know what’s between two people unless you’re one of the two. Do you know the things we say to each other late at night? Do you know what it’s like to wake up in the morning and feel like you’ve been given your life back? I do.”
“You’re angry.”
“I’m not,” I said, meaning it. “I appreciate everything you have done for me. Letting me come here, giving me your shoulder. But I love him.”
“Is he a crutch?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Probably. But my heart went to him before I could consciously give it.”
Celia stared at me for a long moment, her eyes full. “Will he hurt you?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
I smiled. “I just do.”
•••
We were lying in bed, the clear night shining through the window when Kai said, “I was thinking…I should move in here.”
I snorted with laughter.
“What?” he demanded. “The idea of living together is funny ?”
I laughed harder and threw a hand in the general direction of the corner. “That’s your mandolin, right? And those are your pants? When was the last time you went to your studio?”
He laughed, too. “I guess you’re right.”
“Might as well move in the rest of your things.”
“There’s not a lot.”
“Makes packing easy.”
“Can we have a party?” Kai asked.
I turned in his arms and pressed a kiss to his collarbone. “Any kind of party you want.”
His lips touched mine. It didn’t seem to matter, day or night, I wanted him. I wondered if it would ever wear off.
I hoped it wouldn’t.
“Tell me—what kind of foods will we have?”
“Sweet things,” he said as he nibbled my shoulder.
“What else,” I demanded.
“Will you let me distract you already?” he pleaded, his voice husky.
Desire fizzed under my skin like a thousand champagne bubbles popping.
Later, when he climbed out of bed and went in search of his clothes, I asked, “Where are you going?”
“To get the rest of my things.”
“Now?”
He grinned. “There isn’t much. I want to live with you, Sage.”
“I’m coming, too.”
When we were strolling hand in hand towards his studio, I took a deep breath and said, “Smell that?”
“What?”
“It will be spring soon.”
“How can you tell?”
I smiled. “I’ve lived in New York my whole life, I know the scent of snow. There’s no bite to the air right now. Spring is close.” I felt joyful, young. But when was the last time Kai had been carefree? His guilt tethered him like a kite.
“I can’t wait to walk around barefoot,” he said. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt the grass between my toes.”
“Wild child,” I teased.
“You never walk around without shoes?”
“In New York? And get hepatitis?”
We laughed, and it warmed the dark corners of my heart. We arrived at his studio a few minutes later and climbed dingy stairs toward the front door. Kai slid a key into the tattered deadbolt, turned it sharply and eased the door open, letting me
“Sure.” I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table. Armand and Luc were running errands around town, and Kai had already left.
“I like Kai,” Celia began.
“Oh, boy. I’m sensing a but. ”
“Not a but ,” Celia said with a shake of her head.
“You’re worried.”
“Concerned.”
“Same thing in the eyes of a parent.”
“I’m not trying to replace Penny.”
“I know.”
“But, I’ve come to know you, Sage. And not just as my friend’s daughter. I want to look out for you.”
I smiled. “I know.”
“This thing with Kai is happening really fast.”
“It is.”
“You just lost your mother, ended things with a fiancé, and left your entire life behind. Are you ready for this?”
I tapped the rim of my mug. “I’ve felt more alive in two months with Kai than in one year with Connor.” I stood, wanting to put an end to the conversation. I respected Celia, but this was my decision to make. “I know how this looks, but you don’t know what’s between two people unless you’re one of the two. Do you know the things we say to each other late at night? Do you know what it’s like to wake up in the morning and feel like you’ve been given your life back? I do.”
“You’re angry.”
“I’m not,” I said, meaning it. “I appreciate everything you have done for me. Letting me come here, giving me your shoulder. But I love him.”
“Is he a crutch?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Probably. But my heart went to him before I could consciously give it.”
Celia stared at me for a long moment, her eyes full. “Will he hurt you?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
I smiled. “I just do.”
•••
We were lying in bed, the clear night shining through the window when Kai said, “I was thinking…I should move in here.”
I snorted with laughter.
“What?” he demanded. “The idea of living together is funny ?”
I laughed harder and threw a hand in the general direction of the corner. “That’s your mandolin, right? And those are your pants? When was the last time you went to your studio?”
He laughed, too. “I guess you’re right.”
“Might as well move in the rest of your things.”
“There’s not a lot.”
“Makes packing easy.”
“Can we have a party?” Kai asked.
I turned in his arms and pressed a kiss to his collarbone. “Any kind of party you want.”
His lips touched mine. It didn’t seem to matter, day or night, I wanted him. I wondered if it would ever wear off.
I hoped it wouldn’t.
“Tell me—what kind of foods will we have?”
“Sweet things,” he said as he nibbled my shoulder.
“What else,” I demanded.
“Will you let me distract you already?” he pleaded, his voice husky.
Desire fizzed under my skin like a thousand champagne bubbles popping.
Later, when he climbed out of bed and went in search of his clothes, I asked, “Where are you going?”
“To get the rest of my things.”
“Now?”
He grinned. “There isn’t much. I want to live with you, Sage.”
“I’m coming, too.”
When we were strolling hand in hand towards his studio, I took a deep breath and said, “Smell that?”
“What?”
“It will be spring soon.”
“How can you tell?”
I smiled. “I’ve lived in New York my whole life, I know the scent of snow. There’s no bite to the air right now. Spring is close.” I felt joyful, young. But when was the last time Kai had been carefree? His guilt tethered him like a kite.
“I can’t wait to walk around barefoot,” he said. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt the grass between my toes.”
“Wild child,” I teased.
“You never walk around without shoes?”
“In New York? And get hepatitis?”
We laughed, and it warmed the dark corners of my heart. We arrived at his studio a few minutes later and climbed dingy stairs toward the front door. Kai slid a key into the tattered deadbolt, turned it sharply and eased the door open, letting me
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