Sage Rose Parker, a seventeen almost eighteen year old girl getting ready for college with her two friends.
Having the world on her shoulders and her past in her mind she's down to break.
An alcoholic as a mother and an abusive father in jail didn'...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Silent Battles ================================== I stand on the edge, a quiet storm,
no one feels the tremors beneath my skin.
Eyes see only what I let them,
but inside— there's a battle I can't win.
Trust is a fragile thing, too easily broken, too easily stolen. And here I am,
caught between the past and the unknown, unsure who holds the knife, and who might help me heal. ~~~~~~~~~
My heart was still racing from Owen's words as I stood there, phone back in my hand, watching him disappear into the crowd. His smirk lingered in my mind like a thorn. Was this really happening? Did he really just ask for my number?
The buzz of the party seemed far away, drowned out by the sound of my heartbeat in my ears.
I stood frozen for a moment, staring at my phone screen, his name saved there, as if it somehow confirmed the surreal moment. I should've felt excited, but instead, there was a strange knot in my stomach.
"Sage."
The deep voice snapped me out of my thoughts, sending a jolt of shock through me. I spin around, heart thudding against my chest.
Ezra.
He stands there, tall and brooding, his dark presence unmistakable even under the dim lighting. His sharp features were harder now, his jaw clenched, the years of distance written all over his face. His eyes—those familiar, stormy eyes—were locked on me with a fierce intensity that sent shivers down my spine. I hadn't seen him in what felt like forever. The boy I once knew was gone, replaced by this hardened version of him. The weight of our past pressed between us, heavy and suffocating.
"We need to talk," He says, voice low and firm. There was no question, no room for me to say no.
I crossed my arms, trying to shield myself from the wave of emotions crashing over me. "Now?"
His jaw tightens as he takes a step closer, the tension between us thick in the air. "Yeah, now." I glance around the crowded room, my eyes darting toward the door, silently wishing Jade would get her ass back here and save me from this. But there was no escape. Just me, Ezra, and the ghosts of everything we had left unsaid.
"What could you possibly have to say to me after all this time?" I mutter, my words laced with bitterness. I didn't know whether I wanted to run away from him or demand answers to the questions that had haunted me since the day he left.
Ezra's gaze drops to my hand, still clutching my phone, Owen's name lighting up the screen. His eyes darken, his expression tightening as he took it all in. "Who was that?" He asks, though the clipped edge to his voice made it clear he already knew.
I blinked, thrown off by the question. "What?"
"The guy you were talking to." His voice was tight, the jealousy unmistakable now. "Owen."
I tense. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be jealous, why would he even be jealous?
"What's it to you?" I challenge, my arms tightening around myself. "Since when do you care who I talk to? I mean you left and never got in contact with me."
His expression didn't falter, but I could feel the weight of his gaze pressing down on me. He took another step closer, closing the space between us until I could practically feel the heat radiating off him. "Don't talk to him again," He says, his voice low and commanding. There was no softness in his words, no room for argument.
I blink, taken aback. "Excuse me?"
"Owen. Stay away from him, Sage."
I stare at him, disbelief washing over me. "And why exactly should I listen to you? You've been gone for years, Ezra. You don't get to come back and tell me what to do."
His eyes flashes with something — anger, jealousy, or maybe something else entirely. "You don't know him like I do. He's dangerous."
"Dangerous?" I echo, the word sounding ridiculous as it left my mouth. "He seems perfectly normal to me."
"That's the problem," Ezra snaps, his voice rising slightly. "He seems normal. That's how he gets people to trust him."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Why do you even care?" I shoot back, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "You walked away, remember? You disappeared without a word, and now you suddenly care about who I talk to?"
For the first time, his mask slips, just for a second. Something flickered in his eyes — regret, guilt, maybe something more — but it was gone almost as quickly as it came, replaced by the same cold exterior.
"I care because I know what's out there," He says, his voice quieter now, but still intense. "There's a lot you don't understand, Sage."
I laugh, the sound bitter even to my own ears. "Oh, is that it? You're here to protect me now? After everything? After you left me behind?" My voice cracks on the last word, and I hate myself for it, hate that he still had this power over me after all these years.
Ezra's jaw tightens, but he didn't say anything. He just stands there, his gaze hard, unwavering.
"Why him, Ezra?" I press, unable to let it go. "Why do you care so much about Owen? What aren't you telling me?"
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply as if trying to find the right words, but when he spoke, his voice was rough, edged with something darker. "Owen isn't who you think he is. He's... involved in things. Things you don't want to be a part of."
My heart skips a beat. There it was again — that cryptic warning, the way he always danced around the truth without ever giving me real answers. "What things?" I demand, stepping closer now, my anger boiling over. "You can't just show up after all this time and throw vague threats at me. If you know something, tell me."
Ezra hesitates, his eyes searching mine, and for a moment, I thought he might actually open up, might actually tell me the truth. But then he shook his head, his jaw clenching again. "I can't," he mutters, almost to himself.
I let out an incredulous laugh. "Of course you can't. You never can. You always leave me in the dark."
He flinches, just slightly, and I saw the guilt flash across his face again, but he quickly shoved it down, locking it away. "I'm trying to protect you."
"Well, maybe I don't need your protection anymore," I say coldly, taking a step back, putting space between us. "Maybe I'm fine without you."
His eyes darken, and for a moment, I thought he might argue, might tell me I was wrong. But instead, he just stands there, his hands clenching into fists at his sides, as if he was fighting some internal battle. "You don't know what you're getting into, Sage," he says finally, his voice quiet but intense. "Just... stay away from him."
Before I could respond, before I could demand more answers, Ezra turns and disappears into the crowd, leaving me standing there, heart racing, with more questions than I'd started with.
What the fuck just happened? ==================================== END OF CHAPTER
We are not gonna talk about how many times I hve deleted this and rewrote it 😁
Ahh this chapter was so fun to write and I hope you guys enjoyed itttt
I love you guys so much and I'll see you next chapterrr
