Tough To Love (2 page)

Shawn got up from his seat. “How about we stop talking about my brother? I think you owe me a dance.”

“Not tonight.” Sage shook her head. “I’ve had a long day and I’m going to bed. Since none of these people here are my friends, besides you, not one of them will even notice I’m gone.” She spun on her heel and turned away from Shawn, leaving the room without looking back in Rally’s direction.

****

Out on the dance floor, Rally Teveare only half listened to Vanity as she kept bragging about herself. He brought her to Sage’s party because she was good company most of the time, but she was making him hate the sound of her voice. Why he was still even dating her was a mystery to him, but he just couldn’t find a reason to get rid of her yet.

He did feel a little guilty that he hadn’t danced with or even said more than maybe five words to Sage. He’d noticed her looking in his direction earlier, but she hadn’t made a move to approach him for a dance.

He spun Vanity around just in time to see Sage getting up from the table and hurrying from the room.
What’s that all about?
Where is she going?
He noticed how the waiter who had brought her something to eat earlier couldn’t take his eyes off her. Now, it wasn’t twenty minutes later; Sage was disappearing from the party and he was nowhere in sight. She better not be doing something that would land her ass in a world of trouble.

“Vanity, I’ve got to see about something,” Rally said as he stopped dancing. “I think I see one of your friends over by the band. Could you talk to her for a few minutes? I won’t be gone that long.”

“Sure, but I hope you’ll be back. I want to tell you about the amazing advice my boss gave me yesterday.” Vanity gave him a quick kiss on the mouth and then strolled in the direction of her friend.

Striding away from the dance area, Rally went out the door in search of Sage. He didn’t need her getting into any trouble. It seemed like everywhere that girl went, trouble followed her. Rally caught the shadow of Sage’s body going up the steps as he rounded the corner.

Why is
she going upstairs
?

Following Sage, he watched as she went into her bedroom and closed the door. He paused as anger set inside his body. He warned her before about having guys in her bedroom. He’d better not find the waiter there, because if he did neither one of them would like the consequences. His long strides carried him the remaining distance to Sage’s room. He knocked on the door once and then went in.

“Sage, why in the hell are you up here instead of downstairs at the party? Please tell me you aren’t hiding that damn waiter in your room.” Rally slammed the door closed behind him.

Shrieking, Sage spun away from the closet and gave him a stunned look. “What in the hell are you doing in my bedroom? I never have any privacy in this house. What if I had been getting undressed instead of looking for a change of clothes?”

“You weren’t, and furthermore you’re not going to get it unless you start acting like an adult. Now, is there a guy in here?”

“I don’t answer to you, Rally,” she uttered, crossing her arms under her breasts.

“Answer my question or I’ll search every inch of this room,” Rally snapped back, taking a similar stance as Sage’s. She was pushing his buttons a lot lately and he didn’t understand why it was bothering him more than usual.

“I don’t have to give an answer. It’s none of your damn business what I do up here. Get out of my room.”

Rage simmered as he unfolded his arms and walked across the room until he was standing over Sage’s shorter frame. He knew she hated when he did this, and that’s why he was doing it now.

“You do have to answer me because you’re living under my roof. I paid a lot of money for this party and you’re up here with some waiter instead of downstairs. Now tell me where he is and all of this will be over.”

Rally didn’t know what it was, but ever since Sage turned sixteen she tested him. He thought it would end once she hit her twenties, but she had only gotten worse. She was slowly driving him insane.

Defiance flashed in her gorgeous sienna eyes. He loved how her glasses made her eyes so big and inviting. It was another thing that worried him. Sage was staying in his mind way too much lately.

The sooner he got her out of the house the better off he would be. He was starting to see her in ways that he shouldn’t. His sudden attraction to her could be one of the reasons Vanity was still on his arm. He had to find a way to keep her at arm’s length.

“Don’t test me,” Rally growled before Sage could open her mouth.

“I really hate you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” he tossed back, tired of the game they always played. “Now tell me where this guy is and I’ll leave.”

Throwing her hands up in the air, Sage moved away from the closet into the middle of the room. “I’m the only one up here. I haven’t tried to sneak a guy to my room since I was in high school. I was so embarrassed when you walked in on us that I
never
thought about trying it again.”

Lying wasn’t one of Sage’s best traits, so he knew she was telling the truth. “I’m glad that I did. I wasn’t going to let your first time be in this house with a guy you barely knew. My parents wouldn’t have allowed it and neither was I.”

“Joseph wasn’t a bad guy, but after the lecture you gave him he never looked in my direction again.” She sighed, moving over to the window.

“Good, he proved my point. If he couldn’t wait until you graduated to have sex, then he wasn’t the right guy for you.” Rally joined Sage by the window and glanced down at her bent head. “Now, do you want to tell me why you’re up here and what my brother was talking to you about?”

“Shawn wasn’t talking to me about anything important. He was just being sweet as usual and I came upstairs because I wasn’t enjoying the party. All of those people downstairs were yours and Vanity’s friends, not mine. You tried making it into a party for me, but we know both it wasn’t.”

“How did you find out? Was it Shawn? I told him to keep his mouth shut.”

“No, Shawn didn’t say a word to me. I’ve known all along. I overheard you on the phone talking about Vanity getting promoted to vice president at her company last week. She wanted a party to celebrate and now you’re having one for her, but are trying to pretend it’s for me. You’re in love with her. So, why wouldn’t you give her one?”

Guilt ate at him for lying about the party, but he still thought Sage wouldn’t mind sharing her graduation party with Vanity. “I’m sorry. How about we have another one for you next weekend and you can invite all of your college friends?” He was trying to make amends.

“No…thank you. This was good enough for someone like me.” Sage moved away from him. “If you don’t mind, could you leave? I’m tired and I need to get some sleep.”

Someone like her,
he wondered as he headed back towards the door.
What is she talking about?
“We aren’t finished with this. I want to discuss this some more at breakfast tomorrow.” Rally paused in the doorway and looked back over at Sage standing in the middle of the room.

“Sure…just not tonight.”

He wanted to say something more, but he could tell that Sage wasn’t in the mood to talk with him, but he would get to the bottom of her comment tomorrow. In the last year, Sage had grown a lot more distant and it worried him. She seldom wanted to spend any time around him, so he was really surprised when she accepted his job offer.

“See you tomorrow,” he tossed out before exiting the room.

“’Night, Rally.”

Chapter Two

“Rally was upset that you weren’t at breakfast this morning. He almost went upstairs to get you, but I told him that you needed your beauty sleep.” The cultured voice taunted her as a model perfect body gracefully lowered into the seat at the front of Sage’s desk. “I mean, he almost acted like he missed your company, but that couldn’t possibly be true.”

Sometimes she wanted to tell Vanity to get the hell out of her face, but she wasn’t going to waste her breath on this insecure woman. It would serve Rally right if he got saddled with her for the rest of his life.

“Good morning to you, too, Vanity,” Sage answered, wishing she was anywhere but here at the moment.

“Morning, “Little Spice Girl.”

She held her tongue at the nickname Vanity had placed on her the moment she learned her name. She hated it with a passion and Vanity knew it. “Rally isn’t here. He’s gone to a meeting. Is there something I can help you with?”

Crossing her long legs, Vanity flipped her hair over her thin shoulders. “Not unless it’s a lesson in panting after a man who doesn’t want me or, even worse, doesn’t even know that I’m alive,” Vanity flung back at her.

Sage hated that Vanity caught her staring at Rally once when he didn’t know it. Now Vanity wouldn’t let her live it down and tossed it in her face every chance she got, but today wasn’t the day to mess with her. After dealing with Rally last night, she hadn’t awakened on the right side of the bed.

“I’m tired of telling you that I don’t want him. His family took me in when I needed a home and all I feel for him is gratitude and nothing more. Why can’t you believe that?”

“Because everyone in town knows that you’re in love with Rally. God, the second he enters a room you’re all over him. It turns my stomach to see you fawn all over him, but he is
too
nice to kick you out on the streets.”

“That’s a lie and you know it,” Sage shouted then lowered her voice when Vanity smirked at her. “I only see Rally as a close friend.” She wished that the floor would swallow up Vanity and make her disappear. Rally’s girlfriend had been nothing but a thorn in her side since the day she met her.

“You want Rally so bad that you’d do anything to get his attention.”

Sitting up straighter in the chair, Sage waited for Vanity to continue with her accusations.

“What are you talking about? What have I done to get Rally’s attention recently? He spends his every waking moment dealing with you and your motor mouth.”

Vanity gave her a hot look that could have melted cold butter. “That little show you put on last night. Did you really think that Rally would let you run from the party without checking on you?”

The nerve of her!
Sage bit her tongue to keep from telling Vanity to kiss her ass. She never left the party hoping that Rally would follow her. In fact, she was hoping that he would leave her alone like he had been doing all night.

“You know that isn’t true. I left the party early because I wasn’t feeling well. Not to attract your boyfriend’s attention.”

“No one believes those lies but you.” Vanity snickered. “Just the other day, Rally laughed about the crush you have on him. He had been wondering about it for a while, but Shawn confirmed it.”

Sage swallowed down her hurt. It was hard for her to know that Shawn had betrayed her trust and Rally felt nothing for her, but for Vanity to throw it in her face was the worst blow. She had to get away from these people, and the sooner the better. She was wasting her life staying here. What was wrong with her? No man was worth dealing with Vanity.

“I don’t believe what you said about Shawn. He doesn’t talk about people behind their backs,” she commented. “Besides, do you really think I care about Rally and his opinion of me? He hasn’t been fond of me since his parents took me in when I was a kid. I still don’t know why he didn’t let me leave all those years ago.”

“Rally takes his obligations seriously, and you were tossed at him. So he felt that he had to find you and bring you back here. However, I know you only did it to get some free time with him. You’re so sad and pathetic going after a man who doesn’t want you.” Vanity snickered. “I don’t care how hard you try, Rally is never going to look at you the way you want him to. He doesn’t want someone like you when he has me.”

“Do you really think I have a romantic interest in Rally?” Sage questioned, despite the fact she already knew the answer.

“I don’t have to think, I know that you do, but let me tell you something, Little Spice Girl. I’m not going to let you have him. I’ve worked too hard and far too long on Rally to lose him now.”

Sage was getting tired of this conversation. “Listen, Vanity, because this is the last time I’m telling you this. I only see Rally as a friend. He doesn’t want me and I sure as hell don’t want his arrogant ass. Why are you so concerned about me, anyway? Has Rally given you any reason to doubt his love for you?”

Rising out of her seat, Vanity’s black eyes snapped with unleashed rage as she glared at Sage. “No, he hasn’t, and I’m not telling you again to stay away from him before he does. That helpless act you constantly do isn’t going to wear him down.”

Sage wasn’t going to be a doormat for this bitch any longer. It was way past time that Vanity realized she was an adult. If Vanity was having problems with her relationship with Rally it wasn’t her fault.

“Stop accusing me if there are problems going on between you and Rally. Did you ever think that you could be the reason his attention is wandering?” Sage demanded, rising up from behind her desk. “Why don’t you take a look in the mirror? Maybe after all these years, Rally is finally tired of looking at you. Did that tiny thought ever cross your mind?”

“You little bitch!” Vanity hissed.

“I’m not the bitch,” she hurled back, finally glad to tell Vanity what she thought of her. “Have you ever thought about taking the blame for your failing relationship? You are the one constantly around Rally...not me!”

“You ungrateful little beggar!” Vanity snapped. “How dare you talk to me like that? I can make Rally get rid of you like you were yesterday’s trash. He’ll do anything that I tell him to.”

Did Vanity really think she possessed the ability to make Rally do something that he didn’t want?
“Do you think Rally’s a fool when it comes to you? I know he has more common sense than that. He’ll come to his senses soon enough and kick your greedy ass out of his life.”