Elliot fell silent.
Sage was tired of explaining why what they had done was wrong. She was tired of defending her right to make her own decisions, and she was especially tired of people who hurt her insisting they had done it for her own good.
"Leave me alone, Elliot," she said, turning toward the entrance. "I don't want to hear about my mother, and I don't want another explanation about how you meant well. Whatever you thought we had is over."
She had barely taken a few steps when he reached for her hand.
"Sage, wait. Please, just give me one minute."
His fingers closed around hers, and panic shot through her so quickly that she yanked backward.
"Let go of me!"
Elliot released her immediately, but he still tried to explain himself.
"I really did like you," he said, his voice strai
