“I-I don’t know what to say,” I admit because there are no words. I can’t believe it.
“I’m asking you to marry me, but I know we’ve got a long way to go before I can convince you to trust me again, to love me again after hurting you.”
“I never stopped loving you,” I admit.
“I never stopped loving you either,” he says with a grin as he offers me the ring box.
I take it with a shaking hand; and while I’m stunned, Sage grabs my face with both hands, and then his mouth is on me, hot and possessive. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Epilogue
Sage
“We’ll come visit you every weekend!” Eden tells Tal as she wraps him in a crushing hug. “I’m really proud of you for deciding to do this,” she adds as she steps back, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
I pop the trunk and Tal lifts out his two bags before we start heading for the front of the building. The glass double doors don’t open when I tug at them, and Eden points to, and then rings, a buzzer at the side of the doors.
“Pinehurst Rehabilitation,” a voice crackling with static answers almost immediately. “Are you checking in today?”
“Yes,” Tal replies shortly.
With a buzz, the lock clicks, and I hold the door open for my brother and Eden to go on in.
“I’m really glad you’re doing this too,” I tell Tal as he walks by me.
“Hey, you’re finally getting your life in order,” Tal says with a grin. “Time for me to do the same. I need to quit being a miserable son-of-a-bitch, and this looks like it’s going to be the first step.” He looks pale and sickly today, though I’m sure it’s not from a hangover. In fact, he tried to quit drinking cold last week, but he got so sick, itching all over and shaking, that we decided together a rehab program might be his best bet.
“Six weeks to a brand new you,” I joke with him as he steps up to the counter and introduces himself to the receptionist.
“We’ve already got everything prepared for you, sir,” the receptionist tells Tal after looking him up in their system. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to have anyone come visit the first two weeks, so let me know when you’ve said your goodbyes, and we’ll show you to your room.”
I hug my brother one more time before stepping back and throwing an arm around Eden. “Get better soon, bro, and get home to us,” I say, my voice almost breaking.
“We haven’t been apart this long since I went to college,” Tal quips. “You sure you’re going to make it?”
“I’ll watch out for Sage,” Eden reassures him. “You get yourself straightened out and come home to us, okay? We’re going to miss you like crazy!”
“I’ll miss you guys too,” Tal says. “But I have to do this. Sage may not be interested in getting back at that dude Cyrus for what happened, but I’ll never let that shit go. Just because things worked out well for you two doesn’t mean I’m going to forgive him for how he acted during the fight. I’m going to get healthy, get back in the gym, and settle accounts with that piece of shit, just you wait and see.”
“It will take a lot of work to earn a shot at a fighter like Cyrus,” I warn Tal, who has been out of the league for almost ten years.
“Good. That goal will keep my mind occupied while I’m recovering here,” Tal says with a nod to me. “You just keep focusing on getting yourself better and keeping her happy,” he adds with a nod to Eden. “I love you guys,” he finishes before picking his bags back up and turning to walk back to the receptionist.
“We love you, too,” Eden and I tell him at the same time.
As we go back out without him, I expect to feel a pang of homesickness, loss, or maybe even loneliness at my brother’s absence. Instead, though, I feel hopeful as we step back out into the sunlight. For the first time in years, I feel like I’m not just stuck in a rut, spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere. The entire world feels like it’s holding its breath with anticipation, ready to break into a cheer at any moment now that Eden and I are back together.
“It’s going to be weird not having him rumbling around the house for the next few weeks,” Eden sighs as we get back in my car. “I guess I’ll have to stay with you at night so you don’t get lonely,” she adds suggestively.
“I think that’s a good idea,” I grin at her. “Let’s go use the quiet time to catch up on any other things I might have forgotten over the years, or any of the things I’ve been missing out on.”
“Oh, Sage, baby, baby, baby,” Eden sighs. “It’s going to take me so much longer than six weeks to do to you all the things you’ve missed.”
“Good thing we’ve got a lifetime,” I tell her as I start the car, eager to get back home with the love of my life, my soulmate, and the only person besides Tal who truly feels like a part of me.
The End
Afterword
Thank you so much for reading Sage!
I plan to continue the Cocky Cage Fighter Legacy Series with Tal’s book one day, so sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know about all of my new releases!
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Until then, have you read the Savage Kings MC yet?
https://www.lanehartbooks.com/savagekingsmc.html
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lane Hart was born and raised in North Carolina. She still live in the south with her husband, author D.B. West, and their two daughters. Lane enjoys spending the summers on the beach and watching football in the fall.
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