Atlas.
Sage nudges my shoulder and leans closer to me, "Do you know him?" she says in a whisper, not knowing that Antonio can hear her. My gaze focusing on Antonio's expressions as an irritated look pops upon his face; his lips pressed together into a straight line and he rolls his eyes. I know he's irritated because I should stay away from any distractions, but I can't stay away.
Who can?
I shoot Antonio a 'play along' face as I proceed to tell Sage a made-up story.
"Yeah, he's a friend of Tate's father," I reply to Sage with confidence, disguising the bullshit that I just told. My gaze now targeting Tate, urging her to confirm my lie.
"What?" Tate uttered.
"Va avec, âne." [Go with it, donkey.] I rush Tate to give a convincing answer to my sentence.
"Oooh yes. Mr Antonio here is very good friends with my father. They always have a drink together every Sunday. It's sometimes very funny when Atlas and I join them, Blaise doesn't know how to hold his alcohol." She says with a snicker.
Sage's face falls in annoyance and lets my arm go after hearing Tate using my middle name as a nickname. Was she jealous? Sage always made it 'her thing' to be the only one allowed to call me by my middle name; Blaise. I guess she's jealous at the fact that Tate calls me that sometimes too. Unknowingly, a grin forms on my face.
Sage might be jealous.
I glance back up at Antonio only to see that he, too, has a grin on his face. The fucker has something planned.
This isn't going to end well.
"Funny story actually," Antonio says turning his attention to Sage.
"Atlas was only around 17 or 18 when he had explosive diarrhoea. He was with Tate at the time and the closest house was mine. That was my first encounter with this little guy over here" He emphasises 'little guy' and a chuckle comes out of his lips as he pats my head like I was the puppy now. Funny how he calls Tate and Dominic my 'lost puppies' but he's the one treating me like a puppy.
I look at Sage searching for any kind of emotion towards the story. There had to be some type of laugh or smile on her face, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. The only thing noticeable was the slight flush of pink on her cheeks left from previous moments. But in return to the story, a hush of silence brushes over us.
Sage clears her throat, breaking the silence, "Comical story, but I have to get going now. Excuse me" she says in a firm voice. A small smile on her face, not at all like the smiles I loved so dearly. A forced smile. A smile you would put up just to please people.
She takes a step to the left; trying to avoid Antonio's large figure in front of her but before she knew it, her arm was grabbed by Antonio, stopping her right in her tracks. Her eyes narrow and she raises her eyebrows while looking back at him, waiting for him to give the reason why he stopped her. The same questioning look appears on my face.
"May I have the next dance, sweetheart?" Antonio asks with an invitingly smile on his face.
"Come find me later" She replies as she removes Antonio's secure hold on her arm. Now actually taking the step and walking right past me as if nothing happened.
-------------
Sage.
Suspicion.
The only word I can use to describe the moment I just had. This guy, a friend of Tate's-
YOU ARE READING
Growing Fires with Old Ashes
Romance''While I was beating myself up over you. You were giving someone the butterflies that were meant for me.'' ----------- After years of being abandoned, drugs and alcohol, Atlas Bressett ends up becoming the new heir of the Usoro Mafia. He turned int...
