Page 221 of What We Bury

I look at Eli. He’s standing in the middle of the club, hands on his hips and looking at the five of us like he’s trying to figure out how his life arrived at this exact moment.

He looks at Sage, and for half a second, the only thing in the world is the two of them. Whatever just happened between those four walls was nothing compared to the gravity in this look. It’s a promise, a threat, and an apology rolled into one—and I know,I know, if anyone ever tried to take her from us, there’d be a body count that started small and went up real fucking fast.

I refill my whiskey and raise it in a salute. “To us,” I say. “To team cohesion, sexual liberation, and the ongoing eradication of predatory douchebags the world over.”

“May we never get caught,” Micah adds.

We drink to that.

SIXTY

KNOX

Iget to the diner ten minutes early and take my usual seat at the counter.

Sage is in the middle of marrying ketchup bottles. Her hair is pulled back, her apron looks like it has been through it, and there is a sheen on her skin that tells me it has been a long, busy day. Still, she looks settled. Comfortable. Like she belongs in her skin in a way she didn’t a few weeks ago, when every movement was tight and every swing of the door made her flinch.

She doesn’t flinch anymore.

“Hey, big guy.” She smiles when she sees me. She hustles behind the counter and slides a root beer to me without being asked. “You’re early.”

I shrug like it’s no big deal, and she bites her lip to keep the grin from spreading. But it spreads anyway. It’s in this moment I know for sure what I’ve known for a while now—I’m head over heels for this girl. As strange as this arrangement is, the sharing and the being okay seeing her being intimate with the otherguys, I know in my heart that I’d never ask her to ever stop being exactly who she is.

Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.

The thought of her controlled and compliant breaks me. She’s the best thing I’ve got. I’d die to keep her safe, and I’d die to keep her smiling.

She goes back to the ketchup bottles, and I drink my root beer and watch.

Three stools down, a guy is looking between us with open, unashamed interest, a forkful of meatloaf suspended halfway to his mouth.

I’ve seen him a few times now. Jamie, I think. He’s a weird guy, but Sage likes him and he makes her laugh so he’s all right in my book.

Jamie’s eyes ping-pong between us. “This is tonight’s date?”

Sage shoots him a look. “Jamie.”

“What? I’m making an observation. A very large, very handsome man sat down and you lit up like a Christmas tree.” He gestures at me with his fork. “Hi. I’m Jamie.”

“Knox.”

“Knox. Great name. Very action hero.” He leans toward Sage and drops his voice to a stage whisper that I can hear perfectly well. “This one is my favorite.”

“Please stop talking,” Sage says, but she’s laughing.

“I will not. This is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me all week and I’m including the day I found twenty dollars in my coat pocket.” He takes a bite and chews thoughtfully, looking me over. “So, Knox. What are your intentions with my bestie tonight?”

“Dinner,” I say.

“Dinner! See? Simple. Romantic. I approve.” He points his fork at Sage. “You should get out of here. Danny, tell her!”

Danny, the cook, pokes his head out of the kitchen. “Scram.”

“See? Now, I’ll finish my meal in peace. You can tell me everything tomorrow.”

“What if there’s nothing to tell?” Sage teases, waggling her eyebrows.

“There will be. Go.” He waves her off. “And for god’s sake, take the apron off first.”