people can change

chapter twenty-four

Sage's POV

The agonizing wait is over, we finally pulled up to the house, there were some new cars here. They are all nice, but these were family dinners only fam- Emilio "OMG" Marco eyes jumped "Fuck" I didn't know what else to say. "What?" I burst out laughing "My brother" my luck "He is here" Marco looked out and struggled "Well at least I can meet all of them at the same time" he got out and opened my door. "Stop laughing, I don't get what is so funny amore" he just looks at me like a weirdo "We are screwed, have fun, my brother well is something else my love" I grabbed his hand and headed in.

I knocked on the door, my arm was hooked with Marcos. She finally opened the door, except it was Nic. "Sage, finally the guys were about to eat everything" I smiled. He looked over, Marco was taller than Nic by a lot of inches "And who is our guest of honor, I assumed you would bring one of your college friends" I just plastered another smile on.

"Marco, Sage's boyfriend sir" he held his hand so Nic could shake it and he did. "Nice to meet you, Marco, come in both of you" he opened the door. We set our coats aside and headed to the kitchen, it smelled so good. My stomach started to growl. Marco let out a chuckle, I hit him on the side.

"Mija you are here" she gave me a big, tight hug I tried to not wince, the last thing I need is for her to go crazy on me. "You must be our special guest" Marco smiled "Yes ma'am, Thank you for inviting me" she nodded and gave him a hug, you could tell he was used to them from Alice. 

"Marco A qué se dedica?" ( What do you do for a living?) Marco smiled "Negocio" (Business) she smiled of course she would give him a little test, here comes all the questions. I never need a cigarette more in my life.

"That really nice, how is that going" We were all sitting in the living room.

"Very nice I presume" she nodded

"Is it a start up or something you have been working on" Marco gave a smug look, oh no

"No, it's been up and running for quite some time"

"And you live comfortably?"

"Mama, calm down"

"I do live very 'comfortably' ma'am"

"What do your parents do?" He smiled thinking of them

"My mom and dad are retired, they both live with me along with my sisters and brother, You should come to visit sometime" She nodded. It sounds like a lot of people in the house but they have a castle as their house so it is not that weird to think.

"Mom that 's enough, you're going to scare off the guest" And he walks out, along with Luke, oh god please tell me Oliver is not coming. I was the quickest to stand up, I ran over to Emilio and hugged him he then picked me up and swung me around, that shit hurt. 

"Hey, you little shit I missed you" I laughed "Who wouldn't" Luke walked overcoming in for a hug, I turned around ignoring him. "Sage what the heck, I thought you would have missed me too" I turned around "Your brother is a piece of shit" I walked over to Marco who was standing up and wrapped his arm around my waist. "What the hell happened while we were gone, you and Oli aren't friends, you have a boyfriend, and"

The doorbell rang "Good to see you back" then he walked in the menace himself. "Oli we have missed you" All I could do was scold him "Out" all I said, they all look at me confused "Get Out" Emilio nodded "Maybe you should leave" Oliver stood there, Marco tensed up his hands were clenched "You heard her leave. Now" Oliver just shrugged "Or what you are going to beat me like you did Deacon" Everyone's eyes were on Marco "You did WHAT" Luke was now enraged, they all started bickering, Marco was so close to releasing the fucking Hulk. "Everyone outside" woah mom never yells "If you want to argue and fight like dogs then do it outside" So here we were outside, in the cold.

"Explain" was all Emilio said, Deacon was close to all of them "Want the long or short version" Emilio shrugged "Short it is, we were both drunk and Oliver-" that's all it took Emilio punched Oliver

"You didn't even hear they story dude" Luke spoke "If he touched you I swear- No" Oh god does Marco know how to shut it "If he did, he would be dead" All seriousness was on his face 

"LOOK, Oliver said somethings about dad, that he was a no show, he was a druggie and oh my favorite he drank his liver away" Oliver stood there waiting for Emilio to punch him "Don't I already handled it" Luke walked up to Oliver and punched him hard, and again. "Stop, that's enough" God what a night so much for, peaceful. "Luke come on I am hungry" Luke turned around 

"Being drunk doesn't give you a right to disrespect Silas, he was a good man with a background" The truth was our dad was like Luke's dad, Oliver and Luke were related but half-siblings, his dad died and my dad would help him anytime he acted out. When he died Luke was devastated like all of us. "Can I talk to you" I looked at Oliver, he was beaten alright, he didn't sleep you could tell. Marco stood there "Alone" I nodded at Marco "It's okay I will be okay" I reassured him, he went in with everyone else.

"Sage" I walked over "You look like shit" he laughed "Just let me say my peace" I waited for him to go on "Look. What I said about Sil- your dad wasn't right. I was mad and drunk which still doesn't give me a right. I am sorry, so fucking sorry. Sage, I love you as a friend and more, I see you happy with him even though he is a dushface. I know me and you will never be a thing, I am trying to move on but I want us to be friends. Deacon said those things to hurt you, to make you feel like shit because of what you did to me but he didn't mean it." I nodded

"Oli what you said was fucked up, I trusted you with things I never told anyone, only our family knew and you used them against me that night, I forgive you but I won't forget. We can be acquaintances but that's all, you have lost my trust and respect." I walked away, it hurt, he was my closest person, was I wrong over some words? 

"I just don't get it Sage" Oliver was walking to me "You dropped our friendship for him, it won't last he will break your heart. He isn't good for you" I just stood there "Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but I am willing to risk it because he makes me feel something that has been dead for so long, he makes me want to be alive, stay alive" I walked away "You can stay Oli, you are still Luke's brother, his family" he just walked away "Yea but I will never be apart of yours" 

He left. Gone.

I wanted to cry, he was someone close and now we go back to strangers. There he was Marco "It's okay Sage, you did what you had to do" I nodded, my head was on his chest. "We can go" I shook my head "We all lose people, it's the life you know" he hugged me tighter "You will never lose me Sage" I just smiled at his words. "Are you guys coming or not" We both smiled, and we did. 

I don't want to lose him. He is mine, I am his. 

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-s