Page 43 of Designing Love
Sage gives me a playful nudge before lacing her fingers through mine, her smile is enough to chase away the last of my nerves.
“I just hope you’re doing this because it’s truly what you think is right — not because Daniel’s backed you into a corner,” she says, lifting an eyebrow in mock sternness.
The tease earns a laugh from me, and the knot in my throat eases. Her confidence is contagious, and suddenly the whole situation feels a shade less daunting.
“I wish I could say I’m sure,” I finally admit, my voice barely audible. “But right now, it’s the only way I can see forward without dragging Ethan into more trouble.”
Sage squeezes my hand reassuringly, though her eyes remain worried. We both fall silent, watching the peaceful waves crashing gently against the sand below.
“No time to lose. I’ve got to go pack.”
“Wait, WHAT?”
I jump, startled by the man’s voice. Ethan’s voice.
19
WALK ON THE BEACH
Ethan
“I'll leave you two to talk,” Sage says, her voice gentle, but there’s a spark of something knowing in her eyes. She squeezes Sophia’s hand as she stands, then pats my arm as she brushes past me on her way into the house.
I linger. Sophia’s eyes flick to me, surprise softening into something unreadable. Maybe a little of both.
“Hey, I would have gotten here earlier if I’d known you needed a caffeine fix before making big decisions, like going to Vancouver.”
She gives me a tired smile, but it’s real. “Your timing is good. It’s something I’ve got to do.”
She takes one of the cups and nods toward the back porch. We don’t speak as we’re following the familiar path down toward the beach, side by side, the wind tugging at our sleeves like it knows we both need something to shake loose.
The silence between us stretches — I don’t want to pry, but I can’t just let her leave like that. The sun’s dipping lower now, casting the sky in soft blush and amber tones, the kind of light that makes everything look like it belongs in a photograph. Or a memory.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” I say eventually. “I was just dropping by. Thought you might want coffee.”
Sophia tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes still on the path ahead. “Honestly, I’m glad you did.”
I nod. “You’re going back?”
She stops walking. I do too. Her gaze is out over the horizon, somewhere between the line of the water and whatever’s still unfinished in her past.
“I have to. Just for a little while. There’s still stuff to close out at the firm. People I need to speak with in person. Contracts, assets, all the things that come with walking away from something you built. I don’t want to leave anything hanging.”
I swallow and take a deep breath while squeezing my coffee cup tighter. “That makes sense.”
She turns then, really looks at me. Her expression isn’t torn — it’s resolved. “But I’m not going back to stay. That life... it’s over. I just need to end it on my terms.”
The tightness in my chest releases a little. “You’re sure?”
She nods.
I reach for her hand. Hesitant. Like checking that the space between us means the same thing to her that it does to me. She meets me halfway.
“I’ve never been more sure. I need to deal with it. Deal with him and his shenanigans. And then I’m coming back. No Daniel. No business strings. No Vancouver. Just... me.”
The simplicity of it hits harder than anything else.Just her.
I reach out and squeeze her hand gently. “I’ve gotten used to having you here.”
