Perfectly Imperfect Lives

California Cornflakes

Missy's POV   

            His lips are set in a relaxed line, revealing no emotion as I look into his blank eyes. His expression is plain, like his appearance always has been. Not to say that he is not hot because he is... He just has an emotionless face most of the time. But believe me; he is hot, like model worthy. He is almost as good-looking as Ian Harding (the sexy English teacher, from Pretty Little Liars), or maybe Ashton Kutcher (That 70s show--- drool-worthy hottie).

            Sage is the kind of guy that almost never shows his feelings on the outside: just on the inside. I run into his arms and bury my head in his chest.  His muscles contract, rising and falling as he breathes, and he pulls me closer to him. I start to sob; it's been so long since I've seen him. It seems like it was forever ago that I was this close to him, close enough to smell the minty gum in his mouth, the Aeropostale cologne gently spritzed over his soft skin, the bacon grease he spilled on his shirt. Sage runs his hands through my hair, just like he always used to. I can't believe I am back; it feels good to be in Tennessee, holding onto him. It is where I belong.

            I never should have left him for Damien. I was young and stupid, drugged and wasted. That is how most of my life was spent back then, and it led to me leaving Sage. I got drunk one night and cheated on him. It would have been fine, except I couldn't lie about what I had done, since I had gotten myself pregnant. Pregnant with Rosalie and Blaire. So in his frustration, he kicked me out of his house. Of course, I only had one other place to go: to the guy that got me pregnant.

If only Sage had known just how bad the guy who knocked me up was, he never would have kicked me out on my own. Sage would have found it in him to forgive me because anything was better than the despair that Damien caused. Sage regretted that every single day and never let me forget it. He also never lets me forget the mistake I made in not getting away from Damien and the effect it had on my two little girls, the ones that could have been our little girls.

           

A tear rolls down my face as I remember my mistake. The mistake that broke both our hearts. As I hold onto Sage, I realize that this is my second chance. Things might just go back to the way they used to be. Or close to how they were. Only now we have Blaire to worry about.

            Sage pulls away a little and looks at Blaire. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she's looking up at the ceiling, pretending not to notice us.

            "Thank you," he tells her gratefully.

            She smiles when he glances at her again and lifts his lips a little. Sage directs his eyes to the both of us. "You'll be safe from Damien here."

            For a while nobody says a word; all I can hear is Sage's rhythmic breathing as I lay my head back down on his abs. I feel safe now, knowing that the man who wants to kill me and my daughter cannot get to me.

             I start to doze off, with Sage's warmth on my face, when I begin to shake. I have to go, now. I carefully separate myself from Sage and gaze sadly at his face.

             His thick eyelashes lay across his cheeks in wisps of black. They fall perfectly from his sparkling blue eyes, which glow in the dim light. His pale pink lips are sketched delicately into his flawless face. I run a hand through his extremely soft golden hair, which is colored like graham crackers by the dazzlingly bright Oklahoma sun. He used to live there. I wish I can be stronger for him, but the idea seems unpromising as I lustfully take in every inch of his beautiful face.

            I wipe away the few tears that slipped from the corners of my reddening eyes and sneak out of the implicit house. I quickly dart to my car and rip the trunk open. The handle stings my hands with heat, and I swear I heard a sizzle as the burn sliced through my palms. My bag is right on the edge of the tailgate, so I immediately begin shifting through its contents until I find a mentos container. Hastily, I tear off the cap.