24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sage

W hen Sire opens the door, he tells me to keep quiet but then immediately pulls me in for a hug. When we pull away, I look around for what we're being quiet for, but then my eyes land on Vidia on his couch.

I smile at how peaceful she looks compared to how restless she seemed when she was telling me about the break-in yesterday. When I turn back to Sire, his eyes are on her. I study him as he watches her, and maybe I just really want them to get back together, but he watches her like he wants to climb onto the couch next to her and hold her forever.

"How has she been?" It's been a little while since the break-in, but I know she isn't going to get over something like that overnight. Sire lets out a sigh and turns back to me.

"She says she's okay, but-" He sort of shrugs, and I can tell he's hurting.

"How are you ?"

"I'm fine," he answers too quickly, and I give him a knowing look. "I really am, Sage. I've been talking to my sponsor, and Lis has also been checking in."

I give him a soft nod as I continue to study him, and he really does seem better than the last time I came to visit, so I choose to believe him.

I asked Lis to check in, and she said she was already doing that, which made me feel better. I know August, and I always tell Sire that he can talk to us about his addiction, but I also know he would rather talk to Lis about it since she gets it. I'm sure it's completely different talking to another recovering addict rather than me, someone who doesn't even drink and has never used drugs.

Both of those choices are my own, but I'd be lying if I said my siblings didn't play a part in it. Watching Sire and Lis fall into addiction at such a young age… changes the way I see things. They hid it very well for a while, but I found out eventually.

They've both been through so much, and watching them struggle to stay clean is the main reason I chose not to drink, and I'm certainly against all types of substances. It's for them, but also because I genuinely don't like alcohol or the way it makes me feel.

Sire tells me that V has still been struggling to sleep. "She just fell asleep a few hours ago, so I'm letting her rest."

I nod in return as we settle in the kitchen. He glances over at Vidia before his gaze settles on me. "Is Helena still calling you?"

"Yup."

He rolls his eyes as he sinks into his seat. "I know you already told Lis to drop it, but you should let her kick Helena's ass."

I'm already shaking my head at him, knowing he's being serious. "She's not worth the energy, Sire."

"Lis would love the excuse to let out some energy." He puts his hands up in mock surrender when I give him a pointed look.

"Please tell her to back off," I plead, and he simply nods.

"Hey."

I turn at the sound of that quiet voice, and Vidia walks over to me with a smile. I rise from my seat and close the distance before hugging her.

"Did we wake you?" I kiss her cheek gently and squeeze her hand.

"No, you didn't," she reassures me.

"Are you hungry?" Sire is already standing from his seat. "I can warm up some food for you."

I smile over at my brother, and Vidia thanks him before taking his seat.

"How is he?" I whisper to Vidia, finding it hard to believe he's as okay as he says he is after finding her the way he did the night of the break-in.

She pulls in a deep breath before glancing over at my brother and the way she smiles at her ex-boyfriend makes me think they already worked through their issues and got back together.

"He's okay… better, I think."

I nod in response and choose to believe them. My watch buzzes and when I glance at it, it's a message from Liam.

Talk to your brothers.

Please.

I exit his message but don't reply. He knows I was coming to see Sire before heading to work, but I'm not telling him about an eating disorder I don't have.

I feel myself chewing my lip as the thought runs through my mind, and when Vidia gets up to use the bathroom, I do a Google search.

What does an eating disorder look like?

With every scroll that passes, the room seems smaller.

Restrictive eating.

Avoidance of certain foods.

Purging by vomiting.

When I start reading through the scary health consequences, I shut my phone and stand on my feet.

"You okay?" Sire's concerned gaze focuses on me before his eyes dart to my phone. "If she's calling you again—"

"It's not Helena." I grab my bag as I muster up a smile, desperately trying to calm my breathing.

"I need to get to work." I turn to the hall before he can respond. "Later, V!" I call out, and Sire says something, but I rush out before I can hear the end of it. Refusing to be trapped in an elevator right now, I take the stairs, but my stomach turns with every step.

"I don't have an eating disorder. I'm fine." I keep repeating the words in my head, and by the time I get to work, I don't feel as sick, but I'm barely listening to anyone. Everything passes in a blur as I make it to my room and sit to get my makeup done.

"Hello?" Angie waves behind me in the mirror. "It's been five days since you've been offered to be a Moore Girl, and we haven't gotten back to Vincent."

I chew on my lip as I think, but there really isn't anything to think about. I'd be insane not to take his offer.

"Are you really going to leave us?" Lynn asks, and I turn at the heartbreak in her voice.

"No! Of course not." If I sign with Moore, I'm bringing my team with me if they're willing to travel twice as much.

"Sage, you can't turn down being a Moore Girl." Mel keeps her voice low, and I shrug in return.

"I didn't say that either…"

She smiles, and I can feel everyone's excitement buzzing. I turn to Ang, and she looks ready to make phone calls. "Was he serious about me being able to Model for both companies?" I hold my breath the minute the question is out.

Florence told me she thinks Vincent was just saying that to get me to sign with him, but Angie has been going back and forth with him and our lawyers, along with my mom. She's the district attorney but double-checks all of my contracts after my actual lawyer looks at them.

"I told him to put it on paper, and he did. Your lawyers are looking through the final contract." Ang sounds proud of herself, so she must've worked something in our favor with Vincent.

I only nod in response and finish my makeup, but I feel that everyone wants to say something or know what I'm thinking, but I already know what I want. I just need to see it on paper.

"Thank you," I tell Cara and Lynn as they add my setting spray. "I can dress myself today, can I have the room? I'll meet you guys after I take my pictures."

My team walks out, and I decide to call my mom after I'm dressed and the second she answers, both of our smiles grow.

"How's my favorite doing?"

I laugh softly at her. I think August and Sire, mainly August, would pitch a fit if they heard her call me that.

"Sire and Lis are doing fine." I tease and break into a laugh at how she rolls her eyes at me. I kid and say they're the favorites because mom is different with them. She doesn't actually treat any of us differently, but– I don't know. It's the way she looks at them. When we were kids, I'd catch her just watching Sire and Lis like she wanted to cry but, at the same time, was happy to have them under our roof and was willing to do anything for them.

Maybe she looks at all of us like that, and it's just a motherly look, but I can't help but feel like it's because they came from broken homes and made ours complete. She couldn't have kids after August and me, but then Sire and Lis joined us, and even as a kid, I saw how happy she was to have them around.

"So," I set up my phone and apply some lip gloss. I told Cara and Lynn not to add any until I was dressed. "Did you get a chance to look through the contract Ang sent?" She says she did, and as she explains, everything she says sounds really good until she continues.

"I read both contracts side by side, and there's only one problem, and neither Vincent nor Florence wants to adjust it."

"What is it?" I stop chewing my lip and fix my smudged gloss.

"Page seven on Moore's contract,"

I flip through it.

"It says you can't miss any Moore shows for another show. It doesn't say anything about missing other events he sets up if you're booked, but you can't miss a Moore runway show."

"Okay, that sounds fair, what's the issue?"

"Flip to page four on Florence's contract." I do. "She also says you can't miss a Magic Model show for another runway event, but she's fine with you not being able to attend other events she sets up for you if you are booked."

"Right…" I still don't see the problem and my mom notices that I'm lost.

"Sweetheart, if Vincent and Florence have a show on the same day, you can't attend both. You're one person, and even if you can somehow make it to both events, what if Vincent's is in Italy while Florence's is here in LA?"

"Oh…" Okay, this is an issue. "What are the chances they have a runway show for the company on the same day? I mean–"

"Sixty-three percent."

"How did you–"

"It's my job to know these things, sweetie." Right . "You shouldn't take the chance; talk to Florence; you've known her longer, and maybe you can get her to alter the contract."

"Okay." I shrug. "I think I'll be fine though, even if I end up needing to pick between both shows, I doubt the other person will be that upset, right?"

My mom looks confused. "Of course they will, Sage. I know you think these people adore you, and maybe they really do, but this is a business, they'll sue you."

My eyes widen. "What?! Sue me for missing one show? I've walked in shows for Florence with the freaking flu, and I just modeled five pieces for Vincent when I was originally supposed to do two, then modeled for him again with an outfit malfunction!"

"That doesn't matter, sweetie, but you should stop being so damn nice. If it's not in the contract, stop saying ‘it's fine' and bending backward for people." She sounds like Angie. I let out a sigh, but before I could reply, someone is knocking on my door.

"I'll call you later, Mom. Thank you!" I send her an air kiss before hanging up and turning to my door. "Come in!" My door swings open, and giant bouquets come in one at a time. I can't see who's even carrying them as they fill my room with all of the flowers.

"Oh my goodness! These are so pretty." I hop down from my chair and walk over to one of the vases and they're so tall. Different people keep coming into my room and I'm so confused as to why there are so many flowers.

"There's eight more in the van."

" Eight ?"

He turns from his coworker and smiles at me, almost apologetically. "I'm sorry, did we get the order wrong?" He glances down at his clipboard. "It was fifteen vases of peonies, correct?"

"I wouldn't know. Which brand sent these?" I glance over at the flowers, and the vases look like the ones Killian's brand usually sends me, but they've never sent this much, and if this is a mistake, I'm going to be a bit disappointed if I have to give them back.

He hands me a card before walking out for the rest of the flowers. I run my finger over the sealed wax, and before I break it open, I notice it's a kitten paw.

We're not humans. We're a we.

"What?" I laugh softly as I run my finger against the words. The last few vases come in, along with a bag of lunch, and I can't stop smiling. "Thank you!"

They shut my door behind them, and I immediately grab my phone.

"Dory."

I keep my eyes on Liam, and he just watches me like nothing.

"Lee." I wait for him to break and say something, but he only looks around his room, and I think he's nervous .

"Did you get my delivery?"

"Yes!"

He looks back down at the phone, and a smile grows on his face. "Is your answer also yes?"

"It would be if you had asked ." The room fills with my laugh, and when I look back at my phone, he's still watching me, but then Moon pops up behind him.

"I told him to put ‘Will you be mine?' or something cute, but he put that corny poem, which doesn't even make sense!"

"It's not a poem . She knows what it means, now mind your business." He gets up, and I break into a laugh when I notice Moon and Jordan following behind him.

"It was my idea with the flowers!" Jordan starts. "I saw your post, Sunshine. I was the one who told him to make a grand gesture to officially ask you out!"

Liam slams the door on them, and I can't control my laugh.

I reposted a video a girl made about how her boyfriend asked her to be his girlfriend, and it was just a ton of roses on her bed with those big letters spelling out Will you be my girlfriend? but this. I look around the room again.

"It was barely their idea," Liam mumbles, and I smile down at him. "I would've sent them to your house, but I wanted you to be there when they delivered it, and I know you said you won't be home until later tonight, but they don't deliver after six, and I wanted you to get them today."

I laugh at how he rambles, and nervous Liam is my favorite. "Thank you."

His smile is back, but the second I take a picture, it's gone.

"Wait, let me get a better one."

"No."

"Please, come on." I hold the phone up so the flowers are in the frame as I smile. "I'm taking a screenshot. Smile."

He angles the phone up to the ceiling, and I burst into laughter.

"Liam Leslie!"

He mumbles, "Jesus Christ," before getting in the frame.

"Say, Sage Loana Hale is my girlfriend." I give him a bright smile that shows my teeth.

"Sage Loana is mine." He smiles with his teeth, and I know he's only mocking me, but he looks so cute. When I break into another laugh, his smile turns more genuine, and I take another screenshot.

"Did you eat?"

"You already asked me that." I bring my phone closer and open my camera to take a picture of all of the flowers.

"I asked at breakfast. It's lunch—come back to the camera; I'm talking to you."

"Wait, I'm taking a video of the flowers." I'm also thinking of posting the note, but a couple of million people are going to see it, and I, of course, don't mind, but I want that to be ours. When I go back to the call, Liam is still waiting for my answer.

"I just ate right before I did my makeup."

"What'd you have?"

"A taco."

He seems to be waiting for me to add more, but I don't.

"A singular taco?"

I nod, and he doesn't look pleased, but he doesn't comment on it. He keeps doing this. When he's not with me, he'll call and text all day, either reminding me to eat or asking what I had, and it's sweet, so I don't complain, but it's not fun having him watch me so closely.

When he is with me, which is a lot lately, he's feeding me all day. He doesn't force me to eat or finish everything, which is good, I guess, but I feel like I'm eating way too much. I tried to tell him that, but he keeps saying I'm actually still not eating enough, and after reading the articles from earlier… maybe he's right.

"Did you get the food I sent?"

"Yes, Lee."

"Go grab it so we can eat together." He sets his phone against something, and when I see the sandwich in front of him, a smile touches my lips. I grab the bag of food and find a sandwich similar to his, but mine seems to have less stuff in it.

"What is this?" I open it, but he quickly tries to stop me.

"It doesn't matter. Try it before you say you don't like it."

I roll my eyes at him, and he sends me a glare through the phone, which makes me laugh. I bring the sandwich to my nose as he takes a bite of his, and it smells okay, so I take a bite, and it isn't bad at all.

"What else do you have to do today?"

I tell Liam about the rest of my day, and besides my two photo shoots and a few meetings, I don't have much to do. We get lost in another conversation as he tells me about how the cats have been bothering him all day, and I laugh at how annoyed he sounds.

"You like it?" Liam smiles at me through the phone as I eat.

"I do, but I don't want to eat anymore."

"Sage–"

"I'm full!"

"Dory, I'm proud of how much you ate, but you can't be full. Please try one more bite."

I glance back down at it, and when the articles I read fill my head, I force myself to eat more. I blink the stinging in my eyes as I take a bite.

"Good job. If you really don't want any more, then that's okay." Liam tries to reassure me, but I feel my food coming back up, and it feels like acid in my throat. "What's wrong?"

I shake my head in response as I swipe out of the call and force the food back down. I know I shouldn't listen to Google, but reading about possible heart conditions as a result of constantly throwing up my food… I'm finishing this whether I want to or not.

"Is someone calling? Why are you on pause?"

I don't respond to Liam and quickly force the rest of the sandwich down. When I get back to the call, I plaster a smile on my face as I show him my napkin. "See? All done."

He watches me carefully before a crease grows in his brows. "You look sick… Baby, if you were really full, you didn't have to force yourself-"

"I'm okay, Lee."

Someone knocks on my door, and I'm glad for the interruption, so I let them in. Liam tries to get my attention, but I ignore him as Coral and Quinn walk in.

"Holy shit, who's the admirer?" Coral glances around the room.

I smile down at my phone, and Liam very clearly bites back a smile.

"Was this Killian again? Because, at this point, that man is in love with you."

My head snaps up to Quinn, and I try to tell her to stop talking with my smile, but she doesn't take the hint.

"Are you modeling for him today? If he asks you out again, maybe you should just give him a chance and–"

" Killian was your stupid New York date?" Liam grumbles. "When did he send you flowers ?"

I glance down at him, and when I steal a glance at Quinn, she's looking between Coral and me with her brows raised.

"Yes, he was the New York date, and he hasn't sent me flowers in ages," I tell the girls before looking back at my phone. "And he's not in love with me. I also told him I wasn't interested." Both of those things are true, but Liam doesn't look like they make him feel any better. "Thank you for the flowers, babe. I'll see you tonight?"

"Mhm."

I pause with my finger above the hang-up button. "Don't mhm me, mister. I will see you tonight."

"Yes, ma'am."

I give him a smile as I nod before hanging up. I look back over at Quinn, and her eyes slightly widen. "I am so sorry. I didn't know you were on the phone. Is he mad?"

"No, it's fine." My heart aches at how nervous she seems. Quinn doesn't have the best experience with men, and I can see her fear for me growing, so I quickly reassure her.

"He doesn't care, trust me, he's not mad at me." He probably does care, but not as much as Quinn thinks, and she looks like she feels better hearing me say that.

"Who's the he ?"

I look over at Coral, and she smirks at me.

"I'm nosy; you know I was going to ask." She puts her hands up, and the three of us break into a laugh.

"My boyfriend." It feels weird calling him that, but I smile at how it sounds.

" Boyfriend ?" They ask for details, but I don't give them any and walk to the door. "Can we at least get a hint?"

"He plays for the Yankees." I'm not sure why that's the hint I give, but Coral pulls out her phone.

"Fellow celebrity? Okay!" Quinn snaps a few times, and I bite back another laugh as I shake my head at her.

"Shit, these guys are hot. I should start watching baseball." Quinn and I are a mess beside her as Mel walks over.

"What are we looking at?"

"Loana's boyfriend." Coral fills her in.

"Who is he?" Mel peaks over for a better look.

"That's what we're trying to find out."

I'm sure Coral will find out soon enough, and I don't care who knows, but it's funny to watch her spit out names as she goes through the roster.

"That Jordan guy is fine . Wasn't he in your project for the contest?"

I look over at Mel before telling her he was. "I could set you up with him!" They would be so freaking cute, and I think Jordan just broke up with the girl he was seeing. He seemed pretty bummed about it, but Liam said he was just being dramatic.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I'll give him your number today."

The red in her cheeks deepen, and I give her a smile. Coral keeps throwing out names, and when she says Liam's, I look over at them.

"Not that one." Quinn leans forward as she swipes his picture away.

"Why not?" I ask with a soft laugh.

"He looks so mean. Like scary mean, and the guy on the phone said ‘yes, ma'am' when you checked his attitude. Does this guy look like he'll let anyone, let alone his girl, put him in place?"

I bite back a laugh and leave them to guess as I walk over to the photographer.

"Do you think he'll text her?" I turn to Liam after sending Jordan a text about Mel, along with her number.

"Probably." He shrugs.

"Let's take pictures with the babies." I reach for my phone when I see the kittens yawning, but he grabs me, and I burst into a laugh. "How are you carrying me with one hand?"

"It truly offends me that you think I can't lift you." He still has me in his arms, and he carries me a few inches above the ground, and I glance over at him.

"How much do you lift?"

"I can lift you ."

I try to tell him he can't, and he tries to prove that he can. He lays me on the bed and tells me to cross my arms and legs.

"Liam–"

"Just do it."

I let out a sigh and do as he says. Once I do, he grabs my ankles with one hand and my arms with the other. He lifts me from the bed, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Oh my goodness!"

He takes a few steps back before I feel myself going up and down. When I peek at him, he's looking down at me and brings me up to his chest again before kissing my cheek.

"Okay, we get it, you're strong."

A smirk grows on his face as he lifts me a few more times, kissing me between every lift. "I can do this all day." He brings his lips to mine and tosses me back onto his bed.

I can't wipe the smile from my face as I glance over at him, and he steals another kiss before someone calls him. I peek over at his phone, and it's his doorman.

"The food is here." He reaches over me for his phone before answering, and I hear them tell him he has a delivery downstairs. "You can let them up." He hangs up, and I try not to let my face fall. I told him I wasn't hungry, but he ordered takeout anyway, and now I'm stuck having to eat again …

I feel him watching me, but I keep my eyes on my phone.

"Do you want to eat downstairs or up here?"

"Neither."

I hear him let out a sigh before he tilts my chin up to meet his eyes. "You need to have dinner." He keeps his voice soft, but it only makes me feel worse.

"Mhm." I glance back over at my phone, but he turns my face to him again.

"What is it?"

I don't respond as I lay back on his stack of pillows, and he leans down to kiss me.

"Talk to me," he pleads.

I let my eyes meet his, and when I see the worry in his eyes, the words spill past my lips. "I searched up what an eating disorder is, and I'm scared, Lee. I don't want to die from this!"

His brows furrow as he settles on the bed with me. "You're not going to die ." His eyes bore into mine with so much certainty. "Stop believing everything you read, beloved."

I nod slowly, choosing to believe him. "What am I going to do?"

"First," he kisses me gently. "You need to try to eat but not force yourself," he adds firmly. "Whatever that was earlier on the phone can't happen again. Don't eat until you make yourself sick. It's no better, and it's why I don't force you to eat, Sage. I only ask you to try, and if you say you're full, I'll believe you. I'm sorry for before." He tucks a hair behind my ear.

I nod in response, stealing a kiss from him.

He studies me for a beat before leaving for the food.

An unsettling feeling washes over me, but I tell myself that I'll be fine if I eat and that nothing will change after eating this. However, my mind races with every comment I receive under my pictures about my body. Every article about me, picking apart my weight, pound by pound.

When Liam walks back in, the scent of the Jamaican food we got smells amazing, but I don't have an appetite for anything.

Liam doesn't serve anything on a plate and picks from the takeout containers instead, but I don't move to try anything. I know he's waiting for me, but I can't bring myself to do it.

"Try some." He serves some plantains on a plate. I tear off a small piece, and the minute I try it, my mouth waters, but I still don't want to eat.

I eat the rest of the plantains in silence, and Liam places a soft kiss on my cheek. "I have another surprise for my will-you-be-my-girlfriend gesture."

I turn to him with a smile, and he steals a kiss. "What is it?"

"I'm not telling you." He kisses me again, and I shake with a laugh. "Finish eating so I can give it to you." He gestures to the food, and I feel my face fall.

"I get rewarded for eating now?"

" No , I told you. It's a part of my be-my-girlfriend gesture, but I'll give you another reward if you want one for eating."

I muster up the courage and have a spoonful of rice before turning to him. "Give me a hint."

"No."

I bite back a smile as I study him. "There is no other surprise, is there?"

He shrugs, but I see the way he bites his cheek so as not to smile. "Finish eating, and I'll show you."

I can't tell if he's lying or not, and I don't eat much, but I pick a bit at the food.

"How's your mom?" I ask softly before turning to Liam. "Have you gone to visit her recently?"

He's been pretty open about her, but only when I ask. I'm still not sure what she's sick with, and considering it clearly takes a lot for him to open up, I haven't asked.

"She's good." He smiles, and I swear I hold my breath at the sight. "She's been having a lot of good days."

"That's so good to hear!" I smile over at him, and he leans forward to plant a soft kiss on my lips.

He gestures to my food, and I try a little more. He must be satisfied because he only asks me to eat all of the rice he serves me and doesn't tell me to have more when I leave some. Instead, he says, "Good job, baby," and kisses me slowly before pulling away to take the food down.

I'm lying on his stack of pillows when his phone starts ringing, and it's someone named Capri. I walk out of the room with his phone, and just as I round the corner, Liam reaches the top of his steps.

"Do you need something, beloved?"

"Someone's calling you." I hand him his phone, and he rolls his eyes, but when he sees who it is, his brows furrow as he brings it to his ear.

"What's up, Pri?" The furrow in his brows deepens before a panic covers his face. "Okay, slow down."

"Is everything okay?" I whisper, but it sounds like they are yelling on the other end, and he rushes past me before I follow him back into the room.

"I'm on my way." He hangs up before disappearing into his closet.

"What's wrong?" I peek into his closet from the bed as he pulls his hoodie over his head.

"It's my mom."

I sit up at the panic in his voice. "Is she okay?"

He grabs his helmet, and I realize he's taking his bike.

"It's raining. You shouldn't ride your bike." I walk over to him.

"I'll be fine."

"You look scared." I get up and grab his hand, stopping him from searching frantically. "You shouldn't ride your bike in this headspace. Let me drive you there."

"I promise I'm fine, Dory. I need to go." He kisses me gently before heading for the door.

"Please drive safe, Liam."

He rushes out.

"Text me when you get there!"

"I will, beloved." He sounds like he's already downstairs as he races out, and a pit grows in my stomach from how worried he sounds.