Rules 27 - Months Later
Added 2025-02-27 13:37:12 +0000 UTCSage sat in her office, staring blankly at a screen that carried little meaning anymore. She could hear cheering outside her office door, perhaps someone's birthday. It didn't matter. Her smart watch buzzed. Sage eagerly checked it, her heart sinking when she found it was junk mail. She wondered how Jeremy was doing since they last talked. Sage was grateful for that phone call, even if it was only for a moment.
"Are we over?" She had asked him.
"I just need some time," Was his reply. Sage knew she couldn't ask for much else, not after what she had done. So she left it.
"Are you safe?" She asked.
"I'm in Maine with a friend. I'm fine." He said. Relief swelled over Sage. That meant he was with Ryan. Good. He needed a friend right now.
"I miss you," She said.
"I'll talk to you later."
That was it. Their last conversation was only a few sentences and it was months ago. Sage didn't know if Jeremy had moved on or not. She didn't know if he still thought of her the way she thought of him. She didn't know if he checked his phone like she checked hers. Waiting for him to reply, waiting for him to say he was ready to see her again.
Waiting. Endless waiting.
Another buzz on her wrist. Sage looked down and sighed with frustration. It was David, always David. He had become relentless ever since she kicked him out of the house and ended things with him the night Jeremy left. She didn't bother checking the message, she already knew it would be like the countless others he had sent. Telling her how much he missed her, that he deserved a second chance, that Sage needed him. But Sage only felt bitterness towards David. Bitterness that bled together with memories she couldn't forget.
Of being handled, of being used, of being filled.
Sage bit her lip and shook her head in shame. She was turning over a new leaf; what had happened between them was far in the past, and she would make certain it would stay there. She opened her inbox and attempted to get some work done. The emails piled in, and her office phone began to ring. She shut it off with a long sigh, then quickly threw her laptop into her bag and left her office.
That cursed office.
She couldn't even look at her desk without remembering how David had ravaged her. Even the front door held memories she wanted to forget. Memories she was all too eager to recall. Her face flushed as she remembered David bending her over... she needed to request an office change. Sage made her way out of the building and into the parking lot. As she unlocked her car door, she looked up and saw Theo parking next to her.
"Can I not get a break…" She muttered under her breath. Theo exited his Porsche and adjusted his suit, Sage did her best to avoid eye contact as she walked past him.
"Hey," He said.
"Hey," Sage replied softly, unlocking her SUV and tossing her bag into the passenger seat. Sage could feel Theo's eyes boring into the back of her skull. She turned and looked at him.
"What?" She asked.
"I don't know, you tell me. I haven't heard from you in months. Plus you look exhausted all the time."
"I'm not exhausted." Sage snapped back. Theo looked down at Sage's disheveled outfit.
"You could have fooled me."
Instinctively. Sage began to adjust her blouse. Theo stared at her for a moment.
"So I take it things aren't going well with Jeremy?" He asked.
"Did David tell you that?" Sage could feel venom welling in her words, but it didn't phase Theo.
"I just told you I haven't heard from him in months." He replied cooly.
Sage scoffed and fixed her hair. "Goodnight Theo."
"While you might not believe it, I'm worried about you. Both of you. David hasn't been himself either. Kind of became a shut-in after you kicked him out."
"So he told you about that?"
"It was the last thing he told me," Theo confirmed.
"We all have our trials to face," Sage said bitterly. Theo nodded and stepped towards her.
"Well, I'm sorry things got weird between you three. You might want to consider doing something to get out of your head. Going straight home won't do you any good. Maybe get a drink every now and then. Helped me when you and I broke up." Theo's calm demeanor was surprising, it piqued Sage's interest.
"We didn't break up. We weren't even a thing," Sage replied, prodding to see if she could get under his skin. Theo simply laughed.
"Call it whatever you like, it doesn't really matter to me. The truth is it hurt a lot when it ended. Plain and simple, and I needed to learn to move on. The best thing that helped me was keeping busy and doing things outside of work. For me, that was going to a lot of bars." The two went silent for a moment, and when it was clear Sage wasn't going to speak up, Theo adjusted his suit jacket and nodded. "It's just a friendly suggestion. I hope things work out for you, and I'm sorry you're going through it." Theo began walking towards the office building. Sage stared at him for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Wait," She said. Theo stopped in his tracks and turned.
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing tonight?" Sage asked.
"What?" Theo's voice raised an octave. Sage shifted uncomfortably.
"I asked what you are doing tonight?"
"Why are you asking me?" Theo said, his confidence beginning to waver. Sage shook her head and laughed under her breath.
"Because maybe I want to take you up on your suggestion and try to keep busy."
–
The bar Theo had picked was far from pleasant. But then again, Sage wasn't sure if she had ever been to a pleasant bar in the suburbs. In fact, nothing seemed that pleasant these days. She swirled the beer in her hand, sitting silently across from Theo who did the same.
"So, things really did go south with Jeremy then."
"Don't rub it in my face," Sage said shortly.
"I'm not. Though I can't say I'm complaining either."
"God, Theo." Sage looked at him with disgust, but her contempt quickly melted when she saw a playful smile form across his face.
"I'm joking, relax," He said, taking a swig of his beer.
"I'm sure you are," Sage shot back.
"I'm serious! Obviously I don't want you two to be miserable. I don't want anyone to be miserable. And despite what you might think, I really do care about you."
Sage felt her heart flutter. She fixed her hair and looked down at her watery beer.
"I feel so guilty," Sage admitted. Theo nodded slowly.
"About what exactly?"
"About how it all ended, about how I hurt Jeremy."
"That tracks. Still, I'm surprised. I thought you and Jeremy were on the same page."
"You were there, you know it was more complicated than that. Plus I… I feel bad for how I treated you. How I treated everyone honestly." Sage shrunk into her seat, glancing up at Theo nervously. He stared with gentle eyes.
"Even David?" Theo asked.
"Well, David can go fuck himself," Sage shot back. They both laughed for a moment. Theo looked up at the game playing behind Sage.
"Was any of it real?" He asked. Sage glanced at him, he was authentic and vulnerable in that moment. It made answering all the more difficult.
"If you mean the chemistry we had in the bedroom, yes, that was real."
"That's not what I'm asking," Theo said. Sage shook her head.
"The talks we had, that was just for fun…"
"So none of what you said was real?" He asked.
"No, none of it."
"Oh," Theo sat back in his chair, downing the rest of his beer in silence. Sage bit her lip.
"I'm so sorry Theo," Sage said softly. Theo sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's alright. It's not like I couldn't tell. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that it was all part of the game. But I got lost in it, the fantasy I mean. What I felt for you was unlike anything I've experienced before. I really wanted there to be something more between us."
"I know, and I'm sorry. I got carried away with it myself."
"I really do like you."
"I know."
"But you don't like me?" Theo caught Sage's gaze. They stared deeply into one another's eyes.
"I love Jeremy," Sage said.
"And you don't like me, at least not like that," Theo spoke more to himself than Sage. She paused, her heart racing as she spoke.
"It's not like there isn't anything there, Theo. But you need to know that I love Jeremy."
Theo nodded. "That's fair." He gave Sage a gentle smile. "So where does that leave us?"
Sage shrugged. "Wherever you want it to be left, I guess. We can leave it here and never talk again, or we can continue to be friends." Theo tapped his fingers against his empty glass. Sage already knew what he would ask before he asked it.
"Is there a third option?"
They stared at one another, tension swelling between them. Theo had always been handsome, but this newfound gentle and confident persona made him irresistible.
"There won't be any games this time," Sage said softly.
"I'm a fan of that. No lies either?"
"No lies, and that starts with me saying this will only be casual. It will only be temporary. We won't fall in love, we won't become a couple. And when… if Jeremy comes back, this would end."
Theo sighed and sat back. He looked away from Sage, his eyes straining for a moment before he rubbed his hand over his face and shook his head.
"Fine. Everything you're saying makes sense. Now it's my turn to be honest. I like you, I always will. These feelings will never go away, and if we keep seeing each other I want to enjoy these feelings for as long as I can."
"I don't want you to get hurt again Theo," Sage countered.
"I will. We both know that. But I'll take the hurt if it means I get time with you. If we do see each other, I want it to be in a fuller capacity. I want to take you on dates, I want to make memories together."
"Theo…"
"And when it's done," Theo continued, "It's done. I'll cry my brains out, I'll go on a long vacation. But I'll have my memories with you. We'll both move on, and that will be that." Theo's calm demeanor never left him. Sage squirmed in her chair for a moment.
"I'm thinking," She said.
"You don't believe me?" Theo asked. Sage shook her head.
"No, I believe you. I just need to decide if that's something I can handle," Sage admitted.
"Fair enough."
"I'm going to trust your decision, but let's take it slow on the dating front. Small things like this, nothing too extravagant, and if it starts to overwhelm me, we stop them. Deal?"
"I think I can handle that, as long as it means I get you for a little while longer." Theo reached for Sage's hand and squeezed it. Sage squeezed back and smiled.
"Are you sure?" She asked him.
"I'm sure. This could be good for both of us."
"I think so, too." Sage smiled and interlocked her fingers with his. It had been so long since she felt the touch of another. "Do you want to head back to my place?"
"Yeah, sure."
Comments
"I think so, too." Sage smiled and interlocked her fingers with his. It had been so long since she felt the touch of another. "Do you want to head back to my place?" Serious error here on Sage's part. She should definitely not be fucking Theo at her and Jeremy's house if she hopes for a reconciliation. That's an insult to the injury. Especially after David kicked Jeremy out of the house and moved in, and especially after the 'love nest' scene that Jeremy walked into. Actually having a sexual relationship in her and Jeremy's bed, in their house, with a man that Jeremy has a mixture of contempt and loathing for is just... a really bad fucking idea. I can't believe she's thought it through, or even given any thought to how Jeremy would take it. If she had, for a moment, she wouldn't. She has to understand, given Jeremy's emotions and level of hurt, that this is the exact thing that will hurt him most. Another man, Theo, in his house, in his bed, behind his back. I think if she fucked Theo at his place, out of hurt and loneliness, he could understand that. But to do it in their place - the place where the two of them have their life and marriage together, their sacred joint space, still sacred even if profaned by David. To do it in the place he belongs... I can't see how he wouldn't be hurt, or take it as a deliberate gesture of contempt and disrespect. Sure, she's had Theo in her bed in the house before, but that was arranged, and very different circumstances. And I think it was pushing Jeremy then. This is after a lot of horrible water under the bridge. I can't imagine him handling it. She has to know this, she has to understand this. Even thinking about it a quarter second, she'd know. I assume she's going on grief and loneliness and need, and wanting comfort in the place she feels safest. But fucking hell. She keeps driving these stakes through her relationship and then being devastated when the result comes through. I can blame a lot of what goes on with Sage on David and his asshole antics. But stuff like this is on Sage and if feels so inexcusable.
Darrow
2025-03-05 00:14:42 +0000 UTCTheo is lying. He said he hasn't seen David in months. And then he says David's been a shut in since Sage kicked him out. Also, interesting choice of words "Sage kicked him out." That tells us that Theo knows that Sage and David shacked up, first at his house for a week, and then at Jeremy's house. Now how would he know that? And how did he know she kicked him out? As opposed to Jeremy pulling something or David walking on his own. How would he know that David's been a shut in since then. If he hasn't been in touch all this time. He asks about Jeremy. But no matter what scenario, even if David revealed all and shut down in a black hole, he already knows the answer. If someone like Jeremy disappears for a couple of months, that will end up in gossip. He pulls back, after he's given himself way "David told me just before." But he's clearly covering. Standard trope - liar realizes there's holes in his story, he starts pre-emptively explaining them. So Theo is lying to Sage. He knows a lot more about Jeremy's absence. He is in some kind of ongoing contact with David. He's already got his lines ready for Sage. Here's something interesting: ""Well, David can go fuck himself," Sage shot back. They both laughed for a moment. Theo looked up at the game playing behind Sage. " Was there something or someone else behind Sage, out of her sight or vision? Probably not. But I'm suspicious. Even if there's no one there, it's significant that Theo avoids eye contact when David's name comes up negatively. He's hiding something from her. He's talking to David, and their relationship is positive enough that Sage's hostility made him a little uncomfortable. Also note this part: ""There won't be any games this time," Sage said softly. "I'm a fan of that. No lies either?" Theo said." So he's being pre-emptive again - reminding or calling her the liar in the relationship. She never lied to Theo, or to David. The only lies she told were to Jeremy, and she was trapped in them. But she internalized the guilt. By establishing that she's the liar trying to come clean, Theo is posturing that he's the innocent/truthful party. But we already know he's lying. So all this stuff is just manipulation on his part. All that about being concerned with her, and then offering up that he will manfully fuck her and put his heart in a jar that she'll smash when Jeremy shows up, and cry some manly tears... That's all manipulation. He's playing her. Straight out of the grieving widow / bro playbook. And she's falling for it. Maybe it's genuine. Players can have genuine feelings. But he's definitely lying to her and he's definitely playing. So it's a question of how much is genuine behind the lies and the playing. We can be pretty sure he's intent on fucking her, and fucking her as much as possible. He may even be sympathetic to her. Maybe there's genuine affection. Maybe he's completely honest about his feelings and his interest in her, that he's really just a friend with benefits? ON the other hand, this is a woman that used him as an emotional and sexual chew toy, relegated him to third place after Jeremy and David, cast him off, and fucked strangers in a restaurant. Most guys, if they get fucked around like that, make tracks and stay away. No one likes scar tissue. So maybe he's looking for payback - emotionally immunized and inoculated against her. He figures he'll recover from his emasculation by boning the silly bitch while she's vulnerable? If so, what's the end game? Just fuck her for as long as it lasts? Or until he's ready to move on? Or fuck her and record to lower the boom with a bunch of videos and a giant "screw you" to her and Jeremy when Jeremy shows up - that will fuck any hope of marital reconciliation. And what role does David play, apart from being in continuing contact? Theo's got 'bro playbook.' David's not going to mentor him on that. But I can see a conversation where David gives Theo hunting rights on the territory he got kicked out of. I can see David, in a self serving way, persuading Theo to a certain point of view or interpretation of Sage - that she's a hot fuck, but also a manipulative, self serving bitch who likes to fuck with emotions, so Theo should be wary or armoured. Theo's well aware of the games she played on him, and witness to the games and fallout on both David and Jeremy, and if he's been in contact with David, there's a good chance he knows about the adventure in the restaurant. It wouldn't take much for David to convince Theo she's fuckable, and vulnerable, but bad news to get involved in. So as long as Theo uses her like a fuckmop but doesn't fall in love or anything stupid, David's happy. Hell, he may see advantages - it drives Jeremy further away, and if Theo ultimately fucks over Sage in an emotionally vulnerable state, he may be able to move in again. Even if Sage isn't emotionally fucked over, he may consider his chances better. And in pointing Theo at Sage, and trying to set terms, he may feel he's in control of the situation, even if he doesn't have much of a plan. Of course, this interpretation is based on Theo being a lot more predatory - a 'fuckboy' than he mostly comes across. But early on, Sage pegged him as being a 'fuckboy' a hustler and a player. Maybe her first impressions were right. *** On the subject of David, I'm not sure he's as down and out as Theo says. He's a manipulator, literally sociopathic. He'll say whatever he needs to to get what he wants. Right now, with Sage, all he's got really is begging and pushing. If he ever gets a wedge back into her life, he'll revert very damned quickly to bullying, domination and blackmail. After all it worked very well for him the first time around. Sage can't control her submissiveness once he's in a position to be applying pressure. Going back to the very first chapter, it seems that this whole thing apparently started when he accidentally (?) saw Sage naked in her picture window. From that point, he started aggressively flirting and putting himself in her way, until she wore down, and decided to try the cuckold thing. Well... he figures if he can come from zero to almost total control, he probably figures that he can take her back if he's just persistent enough. Just wear her down again, get his big cock and dominant manner going, and she'll eventually slowly melt into his sex toy again. He may not be wrong. He feels no guilt whatsoever over the big meltdowns with Jeremy. As far as he's concerned, Sage did it to herself, or did it to Jeremy. He's just an innocent bystander. He takes no responsibility. He's well aware he pushed it to crisis, broke every rule, subverted every limit, and escalated... he's aware he wants to destroy the marriage, dispose of Jeremy and turn Sage into property. But he feels no responsibility for what happens. Hell, he blames Sage and Jeremy. He can't punish Sage, he wants back in with her, and he'll keep scratching at the door. But if he can punish Jeremy he will. If he can fuck the marriage so Jeremy never comes back, then he's got a chance to take Sage, or so he figures. Certainly, if Jeremy gets back, all his chances are gone. We know from the videos he's sending, he was trying to convince Jeremy that he still fucking Sage, that he still got her. But who says he left off the game. He had more than a few videos. So he might still be playing that game for weeks on end. Maybe even now. Maybe that's one of the reasons that Jeremy hasn't called. Because videos show up once in a while. I don't know how many videos and pictures he's got socked away, or how he'll deploy. I suspect he's not a deep thinker and probably ran out in the first month. But I'd bet there There are regular "the bitch can't get enough of me, no one misses you" texts to Jeremy. The absence of videos or pictures is being explained as punishment. Maybe that's also why he's giving Theo hunting rights? I wouldn't put it past him to encourage Theo's pursuit, and then if and when it happens, to eventually blow the whistle to Jeremy. Hell, if sufficiently devious, he could make it work well. For instance, suppose he knows that Sage and Theo are doing it. He starts texting Jeremy that he's loaning her out to other men, particularly Theo. He hammers on giving Sage to Theo, bragging about how she now does exactly what she's told. Jeremy finally gets upset enough to call Sage, and asks the question: "Are you fucking Theo?" There's no way out - if she admits it, then she's verified David and David's control over her, and she'll compound it by trying to explain and 'lying' (in his eyes) that she's not with David any more. Between her infidelity and self serving lies, Jeremy is done with her. Or she can lie and claim not to be fucking Theo. A lie that David, or even some of Jeremy's friends or associates can explode easily. Zap, there goes her credibility. Made worse for her by the fact that she's genuinely lying. If David has sufficient influence over Theo, either friendship, debt, obligation, coercion, or some mutual desire to fuck over Jeremy, or put Sage in her place, then Theo might get Sage to pose for pictures or act in videos, which he supplies to David, who doles them out carefully to Jeremy with lots of lies and demeaning comments. Neither of these tactics, green lighting Theo with Sage, or blowing Theo's cover to Jeremy, would get him Sage. But they'd be calculated to get rid of Jeremy. And with Jeremy out of the way... He might feel confident enough in his abilities to take her from Theo. Or pick her up after Theo discards her. Just some random thoughts.
Darrow
2025-02-28 00:05:26 +0000 UTC
