Sage's Point Of View
Midnight Confessions Pt 2
Ash turned to face me fully, his expression serious. "Yeah, you did. And that sucks, man. But here's the thing – you came back. That's got to count for something, right?"
I shook my head. "I don't think it's enough. Not this time."
"Maybe not," Ash conceded. "But maybe it's a start. Look, Sage, I've known you and Alyssa since we were kids. What you two had... that doesn't just go away. It might be buried under a whole lot of hurt and anger right now, but it's still there."
I wanted to believe him. God, how I wanted to believe him. But the memory of Alyssa's face as she pushed me away, the pain in her eyes... it was hard to see past that.
"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, hating how lost I sounded. "How do I fix this?"
Ash smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Well, for starters, you could try actually talking to her. You know, without the grand gestures or the surprise kisses. Just... talk. Like you used to."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's your big advice? Talk to her?"
"Hey, sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones," Ash shrugged. "Besides, when was the last time you two actually had a conversation that wasn't about bakeries or the past?"
He had a point. Ever since I'd come back to Maple Grove, all of my interactions with Alyssa had been charged with tension, weighted down by our shared history and current rivalry.
Maybe what we needed was a clean slate. A chance to remember why we fell in love in the first place.
"You're right," I said, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time all night. "I need to talk to her. Really talk to her."
Ash grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. "There you go. Now you're thinking straight."
Just then, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen and groaned. "Shit. The conference call. I completely forgot."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Important?"
I hesitated. A week ago, I would have said yes without hesitation. This call could make or break our expansion plans, setting the stage for Sugar Rush to become a nationwide brand.
It was everything I'd been working towards for the past four years.
But now, sitting in my car outside The Rusty Nail, with the taste of Alyssa's kiss still on my lips and the weight of unspoken words heavy on my chest, none of that seemed to matter.
"No," I said finally, surprising myself with the certainty in my voice. "No, it's not important. Not compared to this."
Ash's grin widened. "Now that's the Sage I remember. So, what's the plan?"
I took a deep breath, my mind already racing with possibilities. "I need to see her. Tonight. Before I lose my nerve."
Ash nodded, already reaching for the ignition. "Alright then. Let's go get your girl."
As we pulled out of the parking lot, I felt a mix of excitement and terror swirling in my gut. I had no idea what I was going to say to Alyssa, how I could possibly begin to make things right between us. But I knew I had to try.
Because Ash was right – what Alyssa and I had, it didn't just go away. It was worth fighting for. And this time, I was determined not to let her go without a fight.
As we drove through the quiet streets of Maple Grove, the town I'd once called home looking both familiar and strange in the moonlight, I found myself thinking about the first time I met Alyssa.
We were just kids then, barely teenagers, but even then, there was something special about her. The way her eyes lit up when she laughed, the fierce determination she brought to everything she did, whether it was acing a test or perfecting a new cookie recipe.
I remembered the day we decided to open a bakery together. We were in high school, full of dreams and ambition, sketching out plans on napkins in the back booth of the diner.
Alyssa had been so passionate, her green eyes sparkling as she talked about all the delicious treats we'd make, how we'd become famous for our pastries and cakes.
And then I remembered the day I left. The hurt in her eyes, the tremor in her voice as she begged me to stay.
The way my heart felt like it was being torn in two as I walked away, telling myself it was for the best, that I needed to make something of myself before I could be worthy of her.
God, I'd been such a fool.
"Hey," Ash's voice broke through my reverie. "We're here."
I looked up, startled to realize we were parked outside Alyssa's apartment building. It was a small, two-story structure painted a cheerful yellow, with window boxes full of flowers on every sill.
It was so quintessentially Alyssa that it made my heart ache.
"You ready for this?" Ash asked, his voice gentle.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. "As I'll ever be."
Ash gave me an encouraging smile. "You've got this, man. Just... be honest with her. That's all anyone can ask."
I nodded, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Ash. For everything."
"Anytime," he said, giving me a playful shove. "Now go get her, Romeo."
With one last deep breath, I got out of the car and walked towards the building. Each step felt both too fast and too slow, my mind a whirlwind of things I wanted to say, apologies I needed to make.
As I reached the front door, I hesitated. What if she didn't want to see me? What if I was too late?
But then I remembered the look in her eyes right before our kiss at The Rusty Nail. For just a moment, I'd seen a flicker of the old Alyssa, the one who used to look at me like I hung the moon and stars. That had to mean something, right?
Before I could talk myself out of it, I pressed the buzzer for her apartment.
For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. My heart sank. Maybe she wasn't home. Maybe this was all a mistake.
Then, just as I was about to turn away, her voice crackled through the intercom.
"Hello?"
My breath caught in my throat. Even distorted by the cheap speaker, her voice sent a shiver down my spine.
"Alyssa," I said, my voice hoarse with emotion. "It's me. Sage. Can we... can we talk? Please?"
Another long pause. I held my breath, my entire future hanging on her next words.
Finally, just when I thought I couldn't take the suspense anymore, I heard the soft click of the door unlocking.
"Come up," Alyssa said, her voice unreadable.
As I pushed open the door and started up the stairs, my heart hammering in rhythm with my footsteps, I knew that the next moment would change everything. For better or worse, this was my chance to make things right.
I just hoped I wasn't too late.