35. Toss It Back

The following week, Sage was upstairs working when Violet came in carrying a big arrangement.

"What's that?" she asked.

"It just came for you," Violet said, lifting her eyebrow. "I thought maybe it was from Knox and since you're my family I won bringing it up to you."

"Yay me," she said. "I love these things."

It was an edible arrangement of fruits. Some were dipped in chocolate.

"Me too," Violet said. "You're going to share with your pregnant sister-in-law first, right?"

"Always," she said. Violet set it on her desk and Sage reached for the card and pulled it off. "I don't know what the reason would be, but I find it sweet."

When she pulled the card out though her smile dropped.

"What is it?" Violet asked. "Or who is it from?"

"The asshole," she said, tossing it down.

Violet picked up the card and read it. "Sage, I'm really sorry about everything that happened. I never meant to hurt you. I hope you can forgive me. It seems you're doing well and I'm glad, Henry. He has some nerve," Violet said.

"I don't want that on my desk or in my office. I'd say to throw it out, but that is just wasteful. You can put it in the breakroom."

"I'm not eating any of it now," Violet said. "No matter how good that chocolate-covered strawberry looks."

She laughed at the way Violet was eying it. "Eat it," she said. "I'll have one too just so you can."

"Phew," Violet said. "I didn't want to be that person that ended up eating it when I shouldn't. Or sneaking it after I said I wouldn't."

"Stop," she said, giggling and grabbed one off for her and one for Violet. "I have no idea why he sent this. It's been over a year. It feels like it's a joke."

"Why a joke?" Violet asked, biting into the strawberry.

"Everything is turning out so well with work here and yet my past just won't stay where it is."

Violet knew about the social media posts being done by Blossoms and Kate. Even Mateo had been doing some from his line and company.

Things were falling into place and yet she was being sucked back to the past by a trap door where she couldn't let go of all the bad shit that happened to her.

"Just because Henry sent you fruit. I mean I find it odd, but you said everything, so something more has to be going on other than him."

She debated for a few seconds and then said, "I've been getting messages from an old coworker."

"Messages like what?" Violet asked.

She explained the two messages from the person who replaced her. "Kate told me that Selena was pretty much out to get me. I didn't know it at the time other than she wanted my job. She started everything and even told everyone about Henry. Now that I'm doing well here, she's got to stick some shit in a bag and put it on my doorstep."

"You don't have to step on the bag though," Violet said. "You can pick it up and toss it back. It's your choice to let it bother you."

"I know," Sage said. "Why is it bothering me so much?"

"I can't answer that for you. You need to get out of your head about your worth. You're allowing something beyond your control from a year ago control you now. Why?"

"It wasn't beyond my control. I could have told Henry no when he approached me. I decided to date a coworker. Someone who was in a higher position than me. That was my choice and I'll be paying for it."

"Stop being the martyr," Violet said, laughing.

"Really?" she asked, shocked that Violet said that and was even thinking it was funny.

"Yes," Violet said. "You're not the only one who has made poor dating decisions. You didn't know. It just sucks it crossed over from your job to your personal life and vice versa. Like a double hit when the truth came out."

"No, I didn't know," she said. "I told Knox about Henry. Everything except why he moved."

"Why not say that?" Violet asked. "It's not like that part was something you had control over."

"Because of his history with his mother. Things are going so well and does it matter at this point?"

"I don't think so," Violet said. "But I'm not you or your relationship. Your brother and I had secrets we kept from each other. Nothing stays secret forever when you love someone. It always comes out. Just keep that in mind."

"I know," she said.

"And we worked it out when it happened. So don't be afraid of it."

"I guess you're right. I think he probably suspects there is more going on. I've told him everything except one little part."

"That one little part played a huge part in everything though," Violet said. "At least in your mind. From how your family reacted too. How you reacted and then the continued or increased treatment from those you worked with."

"So not so little," she agreed.

"I think it's not a big deal with everything added together, but it wasn't my life. It's yours and you seem to be holding onto it. So you're the one that needs to decide what to do with it."

"I guess you're right. Maybe I will let Knox know. I'll deal with the fallout when it happens."

Sage just wasn't prepared for the fallout to happen hours later when Knox was at her place and her phone rang.

She'd left it on the counter closer to where Knox was in the kitchen. He picked it up to bring it to her and then said, "Who is The Prick?"

Her face paled since he'd obviously seen what she labeled her ex as in her comments. "Just let it go," she said.

"Who is it?" he asked again.

"Henry," she said.

"Answer," he said sternly and handed her the phone.

"Why?" The damn thing wouldn't stop ringing.

"Because I'm going to want to know why he is calling and you might not know unless you talk to him."

She could tell by the look in Knox's face that this wasn't going to turn out well, but she did want to know what was going on.

"Hello," she said.

Not a nice warm greeting either. More like a snap strong enough to break steel. What she wanted to do was answer it by asking what the hell he wanted.

"Sage," Henry said. "Did you get my gift today?"

She looked at Knox. "Yes. Why though?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"I don't understand why you're doing it now over a year later. You could have done it any time after you broke up with me for no reason and left town as if someone put a firecracker in your ass and was chasing you with a lighter."

She'd had images of doing just that a time or two.

"It was wrong of me," Henry said. "Everything was. I was greedy."

"That's an understatement," she said, snorting. Greedy, selfish and borderline narcissist. Hope his fiancée was happy or at least had big eyes to watch out for what she was getting herself into.

Henry sighed. "I hear there is quite a stir at our old stomping ground. I'll admit to following you on your social media pages and knew you left. I'm sorry if it had anything to do with me, but you landed on your feet strong."

"It mainly did," she said. "The reason I left. I was a fool and everyone knew it and saw it. You never stood up for me when they started to talk about me only getting the job because of you. Then you just left. Once everyone found out why you did, it was only worse. As if my judgment was called into question on what happened in my personal life. Which should have been separate to people, but no one could see that."

"Blame it on Selena," Henry said.

"Blame what?" she asked.

"She found out why I left. She found out about Katrina. I'm not sure how. I feel she was out to get you and didn't know what she was actually looking for when she was tracking me down."

Sage closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Made more sense. Selena probably just wanted to rub her face in something without realizing that Henry not only had a fiancée he was hiding from everyone but one that was pregnant. Hence the reason for him to quit his job and move so suddenly when he was told the news.

"I'm learning that now. Kate realized Selena was the one who found out we were dating. I'm not sure how she did."

There was silence on the other end. "I told her we were dating," Henry said.

She ground her teeth. None of this made sense, but she wasn't sure why she was surprised after everything else she found out. "Why?" she asked. "We agreed to keep it private."

Her eyes filled with tears over this new information. She wasn't sure why it shocked her though.

Knox was watching her every move, but he couldn't hear what was being said on the other end. She wasn't sure if that was worse or not knowing she'd have to air her humiliation out to him.

"She was coming onto me," Henry said. "I couldn't get her to stop. I said I was seeing someone."

She snorted out a laugh. "Might have been the only truthful thing to come out of your mouth. You should have said there was more than one."

"I deserved that," Henry said.

"And a lot more." Asshole!

"When she found out it was you, that is when everything started," Henry said. "Or at least it felt like it. I'm positive she was stalking my every move to get a hint."

Sage thought back and knew the timing of it was right.

No one said anything about her getting the job until they found out about her relationship with Henry.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "It's in the past. I've moved on in more ways than one."

"Are you saying you're seeing someone?" Henry asked.

"Yes. I am. I'm sitting next to him now. What I've got with him is nothing that I would've ever had with you. Because he doesn't lie and keep things from me. You can't have a relationship based on that. Don't call me again. Don't send me things. Don't reach out to me on social media. Don't even speak my name. I was a game to you."

"You weren't," Henry said. "I really did care for you."

"Whatever," she said. She was crying now and hated herself for that but then hung up and tossed her phone down to look at Knox. "And now you want to know it all, right?"

"That'd be nice," Knox said.