Icouldn’t believe Gage got me a diamond bracelet. It was gorgeous. What had me in tears was the inscription on the inside.

Because Maybe You’re Going To Be The One That Saves Me

I didn’t want to be the one that saved him. I just wanted to be THE one. I was a mess but I was completely in love with him. Pulling the bracelet out of the velvet holder I put it on my wrist. I looked perfect.

When I looked up he was gone. What the hell? Actually the room was quiet. I looked around and saw my face. Well if I had done drugs for twenty five years and was roughly twenty years older. My heart was beating so fast I was waiting for it to jump out of my chest. I tried to talk but my voice left me. I open and shut my mouth over and over. Still no noise was coming.

“Annie?” The blonde that had her arms all over Gage that day in the diner asked from beside my older twin.

“Merry Christmas, Annie.” Gage said from between the two women.

My tears came quick. I didn’t have time to think. I was running. I ran down the hall and into Gage’s office. I slammed the door.

There was a knock on the door before Gage slowly opened it. “Annie, can I come in?”

I couldn’t look at him. “It’s your house.”

He took a few steps in the room and asked, “Did I fuck up by finding your mom and sister? I thought you wanted a family. I wanted to give you that for Christmas.” I looked up. He looked hurt. He wet his lips and took a few steps closer to me. “I wanted our first Christmas together to be special. I had my family and I wanted you to have yours.”

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.” I was honest.

“What if I have them come in here and the three of you can talk alone?” His voice was small. I had crushed his Christmas present. What did he expect me to do? I hadn’t seen my mom or sister in fifteen years. Did he expect me to drop everything and run to them with open arms?

“Okay,” I said quietly. I wanted him to know I appreciated what he did. As he was walking out of the door I said, “Thank you.”

He paused mid step, looking over his shoulder. “Anything for you, Annie.”

I took a few calming breaths as I waited. There was another knock on the door. “Come in,” I spoke softly.

My mom and sister entered hastily. The three of us just looking at each other.

“Annie, I’m so sorry.” My mom was the first to break the silence. “I never meant to hurt you. I hate myself every day for what I put you and Heather through. Gage told us about your past. If I could, I would go back and do so many things differently. I would have been the mom you two girls deserved.”

Maybe it was the Christmas spirit or maybe it was the little bit of hope I had. I looked in her identical blue eyes and said, “I’m beginning to learn that moving on doesn’t mean that you forget about the things that happened. It just means you have to accept what happened and continue living. That’s what I’m choosing to do. I’m choosing to move on.” I held out my hand for her. “My name is Annie, I’m your daughter.”

Her tears were threatening to spill over. “Hello Annie, I’m Vicky, your mom.”

Heather lunged at me. “Hi, Annie. I’m your sister, Heather.”

We spent most of the night holed up in Gage’s office getting to know each other. I wanted to throw myself in Gage’s arms for giving me my family. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted this. But after getting to know them, I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. I had a family.

Then I thought about the lie. He chose to let me hurt instead of telling me the truth. I couldn’t handle hurt. I needed time to sort everything out. I wasn’t sure if my love could survive the hurt. 

25

Gage

I loved New Year’s Eve. It was a fresh start. A new year, a new chance. Everything I needed.

Leigha promised me she would get Annie here tonight. I was counting on it. Annie wanted to play hard to get…I could play right back. I wanted her, she knew it. She wanted me, I knew it. Now, I just had to prove it to her.

Annie

I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to face Gage. I hadn’t seen him since Christmas. I wasn’t ready. Damn Leigha. If it wasn’t for her and my unableness to tell her no I wouldn’t be here. I could be sitting at home snuggled on the couch with Gabe. Instead, here I am. I’m holding some fruity mixed drink and watching people have fun. Well woo fuckin’ hoo!

My drunk best friend grabbed my drink and held it to my mouth. “Drink up, bitch. I just put in a few requests to Jase and the boys. Hope you remember the dance. We about to get crunk up in this motha fucka.”

Letting the alcohol run down my throat, I drained the glass. “Did you just say crunk?”

Leigha giggled. Holding her hands in the air, she shook around. “Sure did, babycakes. Now, let’s go boogie.”

Boogie…crunk. Oh yeah, she was toasted. “Wait. What dance?”

“You’ll see. I only asked Jase to play one song. He insisted on playing another song. He said it’s dedicated to you. Hurry your ass up. Lydia is at the bar waiting on us.”

Drunk Leigha attached herself to my arm and drug us through the packed dance floor, straight to the bar where Lydia was downing a shot. “What are we doing?” I asked Lydia, hoping to get an answer from her.

She handed me a shot glass and said, “You need to loosen up and have fun. Jase, Leigha, and I decided to make that happen.”

Taking the small glass I tipped it back. The tequila burning all the way down. Slamming the glass on the bar I looked from Leigha to Lydia. “Now what?”

The both held up a finger, telling me to wait one minute. Then I heard it. The Devil Went Down to Georgia. “Coyote Ugly?” I laughed

Both girls nodded and climbed onto the bar. It had been years since we did this dance. The guys used to play the song all the time and we took it upon ourselves to learn the dance from the movie Coyote Ugly. What the hell. Why not?

Hopping on the bar with two of my best friends I fell right into the steps they had already started. I still remembered the dance, thank God. It would have been embarrassing as hell to get up here and my mind go derrr. Letting myself go I shimmied, and shook, and popped. I could hear all the cat calls and hollering coming from the crowd. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t care how slutty I looked. I wanted to have fun and forget.

Looking out at the crowd my eyes instantly found Gage’s. He was at a high top table a few feet from the bar with Trent and a few other guys they played football with. Even from here I could see how dark his eyes were. He was watching me like he was a jungle cat that hadn’t ate for months and I was a juicy steak dangling in front of him. He licked his lips. His mouth twitched. A part of me wanted him to grab me off this bar and take me in the back, fucking me senseless. The more coherent, wiser me wanted to jump off this bar and run. Far, far away. He smirked. He knew.

The song ended and Tristan talked into the microphone. “Ladies and Gentlemen. We have three sexy little ladies waiting at the bar. Five dollars plus tips for a body shot. Go get ‘em.” When he stopped talking the band started playing the beginning cords of Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.

I had to laugh. Leigha leaned into me. “Jase said this was his song to you.” Body shots. After the guys had a show they would always do body shots off of us. This brings back a lot of memories. Happy memories.

There was a hand being slammed down on the bar by my foot. “One hundred fuckin’ dollars and I want her.” Gage yelled, pointing up at me.

Shit.

“What’ll it be, sir?” The makeshift bartender asked.

Gage looked me in eye and winked. “Tequila. Make it a double.”

Lydia yanked on my arm. “Lay down for that sexy paying customer. He just paid a hundred fucking dollars to lick alcohol off of you when we all know he could do that for free.”

Glaring at her, I said, “I have to pee.”

“Bullshit. Lie down and let him run his mouth over you.”

I could do this. I could play his little games just as good as he could. Taking a calming breath I sat so my legs were hanging over the edge of the bar, spread just enough for Gage to stand between them. Hooking my finger so he would come closer I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth. I knew exactly what that did to him. I heard him growl as I whispered, “You know what I like. You know how to use that tongue of yours. Make me earn that money, baby.”

I leaned back. His eyes were so dark they looked black. Sexy. His eyes were half lidded. He was turned on.

Gage pushed my shoulders back until I was flat on the bar. He lifted my shirt and watched as the bar tender sprinkled salt up my stomach. He looked at Gage, asking, “Mouth or breasts?”