Hiraeth

Chapter Thirty Three

The next morning, Sage wandered aimlessly through the halls, her heart empty.

Kade met her at the entrance, worry etched on his face. "Are you okay?"

"No," Sage admitted, feeling the weight of her heartache. "I don't know if I can forgive him."

Kade nodded, his expression serious. "You need to do what's best for you, Sage. Don't let anyone pressure you into a decision."

Sage's heart was heavy with uncertainty. The distance between her and Beckett felt like an insurmountable chasm, and the pain of betrayal was still fresh. She wanted to believe in his words, in the connection they shared, but doubts clouded her heart.

That evening, Sage sat in her room, staring out the window into the darkening sky. The stars twinkled above, indifferent to her pain, as she struggled to make sense of everything. Thoughts of Beckett mingled with memories of the time they had spent together-the stolen kisses, the laughter, the promises made under the stars.

But now those memories felt like daggers, each one a reminder of the trust that had been shattered. She wanted to reach out, to talk to him, to let him explain, but the fear of being hurt again held her back.

The door creaked open, and Kade stepped inside, concern evident on his face. "You're not alone, you know," he said softly, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "You can talk to me."

"I don't know, Kade. Everything feels broken," Sage continued, her voice trembling. "What if this is it for me? What if I just... leave? Start fresh somewhere far away where no one knows my name, where I can escape all of this?"

Kade's eyes widened in shock. "Sage, don't say that. You can't just run away from your life. There are people here who care about you."

"Like Beckett?" she shot back, her voice edged with pain. "What good does that do if he's the one who hurt me the most? I feel trapped in this place, suffocated by the memories and the betrayal. Maybe leaving is the only way to truly heal."

Kade frowned, leaning closer. "You don't mean that. You're just hurt, and I get that. But running won't solve anything. You'll just be running away from your problems."

"Maybe it will!" Sage snapped, frustration bubbling over. "What if I went to the coast? Or to the mountains? Just somewhere I can breathe, somewhere I can be myself again without all this... drama and heartbreak."

"You really think moving away is going to fix everything?" Kade asked, his voice low. "You'd be abandoning everything you've built here, everyone who loves you. You can't just throw it all away because of one guy."

"Not just one guy," Sage replied, her chest tightening. "It's everything. My duty, the expectations, the constant comparisons. I don't want to live in a world where I feel like I'm always chasing after something I can't have. I need to be free, Kade."

Kade ran a hand through his hair, his expression pained. "Sage, please think about this. You don't really want to go, do you? You're just feeling lost right now. Things can get better."

"Can they?" Sage whispered, looking down at her hands. "Can they really? Because right now, it feels like there's no way forward. I just want to escape this pain. Maybe it's time I find a new life, a new purpose."

Kade sighed, clearly struggling to understand. "I don't want to see you hurt like this. You deserve happiness, and you can find that here. Just... don't make any rash decisions. Let's give it time."

Sage nodded slowly but felt the weight of her thoughts pressing heavily against her chest. "Maybe... maybe you're right. But I can't shake this feeling that it might be the only option left for me."