Page 50 of Love Legacy

Naomi

There’s been a shift in my relationship with Sage and not the good kind. Ever since Kappa Friendsgiving a few days ago, Sage has been… detached. We’ve been spending our Thanksgiving break together, staying at my apartment and continuing to share a bed, but she hasn’t been very present.

Her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She’s been keeping her hands to herself besides a sweet kiss, a hug, or cuddling at night, which is entirely unlike her. I’ve tried talking to her to find out what’s wrong, but she just tells me everything is fine and not to worry.

It’s just been the two of us in this apartment for the last three days, and I think I might go crazy. We’re supposed to be going to her parents’ house tomorrow for Thanksgiving dinner, but she hasn’t been herself, and I don’t even know how to get her to talk to me and open up. It’s like she’s shut down and closed herself off to me.

I roll over in bed to check the time on my phone. Sage left a while ago to grab us some breakfast, but she still hasn't been back yet. I would call her, but I was staring at her phone on the nightstand next to me. I grabbed hers by mistake and I was staring at her lock screen.

It was the photo Stephanie had taken of the two of us the day I smoked with them. We were both high, but we looked so madly in love in that photo. I had no idea Sage had been looking at that photo this whole time. Maybe I had underestimated how much she really liked me? I’ve been worried this whole time that I was just Sage’s latest flavor of the week, but if she’s been holding onto this photo for this long, maybe she’s in it for the long haul too.

Her phone lights up, buzzing on the nightstand, Gabby’s name rolling across the screen. I answer it since Sage was still at the store, putting it on speaker.

“Hey! How’s it going? Have you had the talk yet?” Gabby asks, her voice echoing. It sounded like she was in a car, a lot of background noises.

“Hey Gabs, it’s me, Naomi. Sage went out to grab us breakfast and left her phone.”

She’s silent on the other line for a little bit. “Oh my bad, just have her call me later when she gets back.”

“Wait! What do you mean ‘the talk’?”

“Naomi…” she starts and I can hear the sympathy in her voice.

My heart begins to race, my chest feeling tight. My mind starts spiraling, worried that my fears were coming true. “Gabby, I justneed to know. What talk were we supposed to be having? Was she going to end things with me?”

“What? No! Why would you think that?”

“Because she’s not a relationship person! She has a reputation for casual hookups and one-night stands, and that’s not me. That’s not what I want.”

“That’s not what she wants either. At least not with you. Sage is so down bad for you, Naomi. She has been since Rush.”

My mind begins reeling at the realization that she’s had feelings for me this whole time. “Really? I had no idea.”

“Yup. I mean, your roommates definitely wanted you to join us. But once Sage made her feelings clear, your membership was never in question. You were the only definite from day one.”

“Then why has she been so distant since Friendsgiving?” I blurt out, so extremely confused.

“That’s something you’re going to have to ask her,” Gabby answers softly.

“Well, I guess we're going to have this conversation today after all.”

I turn to see Sage standing in the doorway, a tray of drinks in one hand.

“And that’s my cue,” Gabby states, ending the call.

There’s thick tension in the room as Sage remains in the doorway, not stepping into the room. I try to form words, but my mouth has gone dry. A few beats of awkward silence pass between us before she speaks up again. “I left my phone behind.”

“I saw,” I say softly, holding up her phone that was in my hand.

“Sorry I took so long. All the places by campus are already closed for the weekend because of the holiday, so I had to drive out of town for food if I wanted something made to order.”

“It’s okay.”

More moments of awkward silence pass. “The food is in the kitchen,” she states plainly before turning and walking away.I take a few calming breaths, pausing for a moment to collect myself before throwing on a pair of sweats and following after Sage. We sit at the counter in the kitchen, eating our food in silence.

“Is that really what you think of me?” Sage says so quietly that I almost missed it.

“What?” I ask, turning to her.

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