Chapter Fifteen

 

 

Saffron was sitting on Xander’s lap in the living room staring at Sage and Caden. They were like this for a couple of hours with neither couple talking just looking.

She felt like a lost child, scared. All she wanted to do was run home, but she was home. Being in Xander’s arms was the only thing that made it bearable.

“I’m hungry.” They hadn’t really eaten earlier too much had happened, not just today, but since she had met him. They needed a break, and she didn’t want to cook.

“Me too,” Sage spoke up. “I want…”

“Steak.” They said it at the same time and couldn’t help grinning at each other.

“It kind of feels surreal?”

Saffron nodded. “It feels that way to me as well. It was like all my life, I knew something; someone was missing and then to find you. I also feel betrayed.”

“It feels like you deliberately walked away from me, and I feel so hurt.”

“That’s how I feel too.” Saffron agreed with her. “But we didn’t do that. We were three, neither of us had a role in that decision.”

“You’re right. So, what do we do now?”

“Well, we’re twins with twins.”

“You got to love that.”

“I know right.” They just started laughing.

“Can you imagine us as children?”

Saffron’s eyes sparked. She could imagine them freaking out the straights. She got up.

“Not without me.” Sage pulled at Caden’s arms until he let her down.

“First one,” Saffron called. They ended up in Saffron’s and Xander’s bathroom declaring it was a tie.

They were standing in front of the mirror. All the little things they ignored were suddenly prominent.

“I can see me in you,” Saffron told her.

“We reflect each other like two different sides of the same coin. What do you think of our parents not telling us who was first?”

“I think they are wise beyond their years.”

Sage grinned. “Yeah, they are. Are you ready to eat?”

“Yeah, just let me change my clothes. Come on in.” She put a suitcase on the bed.

“That’s nice.” Sage was looking at a blue blouse that was light and airy.

“If you like that, I bet you’ll love this.” Saffron picked up another suitcase and pulled out a royal blue blouse that was tight around the bust but moved around the waist.

“Oh, that’s beautiful.”

“Put it on I bet it will look great on you. Pair it with some jeans. Hot!”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, I am.”

“Wait, I’ll be right back.”

She ran out the room and was back in a flash.

“Every time I look at this, I think it would look so good on you.” The shirt was a plum, and it highlighted her skin perfectly.

Together they changed clothes talking shop about makeup hair and what to do with their green eyes.

“You know I’m raiding your clothes later,” Saffron told her.

“It’s on you got some seriously cute stuff. Wait until we go shopping together.”

“No, wait until the guys take us shopping together.” Their laughter rang out before them.

When they got to the living room, Xander and Caden were sitting there looking more relaxed.

Xander looked at Saffron taking in the smile on her face.

“Are you ready?”

“I am.”

He stood, “I’ll go get the Jeep.” He walked over to her to give her a kiss before he walked out.

She walked out on the porch and stood with Sage and Caden while she waited for Xander.

“Sage are you mated to Caden?”

That was probably rude, but since they didn’t wear rings, she wasn’t sure how to figure it all out.

“I am.” The smile on her face and the dreamy look in her eyes said it all.

It also made Saffron wonder what she was waiting for. Listening to her parents earlier had unlocked the wall, she kept around her heart. She was beginning to wonder why it had taken her so long to notice all the things she liked about Xander.

Of course, she had seen them; it wasn’t like she stupid. Wait, maybe she was because she took every good thing he had done and always attached a question mark to it. In the end, it wasn’t him; it was her. That sounded ironic, but it was true.

She went down to get in when he pulled up in front of the house.

“You ever feel kind of left out?” She threw the question out for anyone to answer.

“Yes.” Xander gave her a quick look before he turned back to the road.

“Why?”

“Because I can’t touch your mind. You can’t rub against me mentally, and I find myself missing what I don’t have.”

“They say don’t miss what you’ve never had.”

“Only humans believe that. You can miss having a good meal even if you never had one. I can go on. I don’t know what your essence against my mind feels like, but I think it will feel a lot like you. You are soft as silk and hard as steel.”

That was the kind of thing she was saying to herself. He built her up, improved herself imagine without even trying. It was natural to him. Not just because she was alive, but because she was his. Did that mean he was hers?

“We’re here.” Xander was caressing her hand. He pulled into the lot without her realizing it.

She sat and waited for him to come around and open her door while Sage did the same thing. She looked back to see Sage grinning back at her.

“I used to think I can open my own door,” she whispered to Saffron as Caden was opening her door.

“Thank you.” Xander put his hands around her waist and lifted her up.

“You like to touch me.”

“I love to touch you.” He sat her down and took her hand.

Two years ago, she may have been so-so about Xander. She was still young and clueless then. Now she’d been shot twice and left for dead. Her heart stopped two times. Now the little things in life meant something to her.

The okay life that she might have been willing to settle for didn’t appeal to her anymore. It was the life that everyone said you should have, but she knew secretly you wanted something different. They walked into the restaurant and were seated in a booth.

She turned to look at him. There were eyes all over the room appreciating what he looked like, but she appreciated so much more. She knew him from the inside out, how he thought what he believed. That’s when it hit her. She could settle for an ordinary life, or she could embrace an extraordinary life.

“Hi, can I get you something to drink?” She gave the waitress a smile as she asked for a glass of lemonade.

“I’ll be back with your drinks. Take your time looking over the menu.”

“Steak.” Xander drew the word out making her laugh.

“Me too. This looks good.” She leaned over his menu and pointed out the surf and turf combination.

He gave her an exaggerated frown making her laugh again. The weight that was sitting on her shoulders rolled away. This was where she wanted to be, and he was the male she wanted to be with. Her heart beat calmed and slipped back into rhythm when she finally admitted the truth.

The waitress came back and dropped off their drinks before taking their order. Sage picked up her coffee and grimaced.

“This isn’t hot.”

“Let me help.” Saffron took a finger and directed her mental thoughts toward it. A flicker of electricity hit the cup making it hot before she curled her fingers together.

“Nice, I think next time aim just for the liquid.” Sage touched the cup and pulled her hand back.

Caden picked it up a wet napkin and bathed the outside of the cup with it.

Sage picked it up and sipped. “Yep, that’s hot. No more cold coffee for me.”

They laughed.

“What are you going to do? No one will believe you. Oh, and by the way, I cleaned out the bank account. Why should I care how you feed the kids? That’s your job, not mine.” The phone was slammed against the table.

Saffron and Sage were looking at the man two tables down in the middle of the room.

“What are you two bitches looking at? You look like mismatched book ends.”

Saffron was glad she was sitting on the outside. She threw her body over Xander’s keeping him in from getting up.

“I’ve got this, trust me.” He sat back and waited.

“That’s what I thought.” The man’s voice was smug.

“Sage?”

“I’m with you.”

They turned to face the man. Twin beams of electricity flew from their fingers and hit him in the ass.

He screamed drawing, even more, attention to himself. His phone rang, and he picked it up talking to the person on the end like she was no one.

“He doesn’t learn.”

They turned and looked at his phone. When he put it down, they grinned and watched it explode on the table.

“You did that,” he screamed. “I saw you. I’m going to make you pay for that.” He stood up and came toward them.

Xander and Caden were up and standing in front of them; their arms crossed over their chests.

“How did they do that?” Saffron whispered to Sage.

“I’ve no idea.”

“Is there a problem over here?”

“Those women made my phone explode.”

“Excuse me, sir?”

“I watched them. I put my phone on the table, and they smiled then I saw a flash of light before the phone exploded.”

“This light came from the women?”

“You’re not listening to me. They did it. I don’t know how but they were the only ones listening to my conversation.”

“That’s not true.” An older lady stood up. “I kept my mouth shut listening to my son. It was shameful the way you talked to that lady. He also said that he took all her money, and he didn’t care if the kids starved. That wasn’t his concern.”

“Ma’am, would you be willing to give a statement?”

“Yes. Good job young women for seeing evil and wanting to do something about it.” She sat down.

A security guard who approached as the older woman was talking escorted the man out the restaurant.

“We have to eat together more often,” Saffron told her.

“Can you imagine what we could have done as teenagers?”

“I know; it just means we have lots to make up for.”

The guys picked them up and slipped back into the booth.

“Our food should be here soon; I'm going to go to the bathroom first.”

“I’ll come with you,” Sage said grabbing her purse.

Xander caught her hand. She leaned over and kissed him putting all her feelings into it.

“Just going to the bathroom with my sister.” A grin took over her face. “I’ll be right back.”

The walked toward the rest room.

“Sage!”

“Rose!” She fast walked to her table reaching down and hugging her. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been in contact with you.”

“Sage, I’m alive; every day that’s a miracle. I have no reasons to be upset. Let me introduce you to my fiance.”

“Saffron, this is my friend Rose.”

“Nice to meet you. Sage I’m going to go ahead I’ll be in the bathroom.”

“I’m coming.”

“No, talk with your friend. I’ll be fine.” She walked away.