Page 190 of Delicate Storm

Easton

TWO YEARS LATER

“Mrs. Wilder, would you stoppacing?” I growl, immediately stopping Paige in her tracks.

She didn’t hear me come in and she’d promised she wasn’t going to stress.

“How long have you been standing there?” she asks, gritting her teeth while she cringes, watching me with wide eyes as I walk over, settling my hands on her shoulders.

“Long enough to see you driving yourself crazy.”

For the first time, Paige is sharing her sketches with the world as part of a charity art auction.

She was reluctant in the beginning, but when Keeley heard they were looking for new, up-and-coming artists, she convinced Paige to submit a piece.

I, too, thought it was a great idea, but I know better than to tell Paige what to do—unless it’s in the bedroom.

Paige sighs, and I understand what she’s feeling because I see it in her expression every time someone mentions her art. She feels like she’s been stripped bare and put on display. But the fact that she said yes speaks volumes.

A lot of her sketches were created when she needed a release—an outlet for her feelings. She’s always been a strong, confident woman, but even the strongest can fall, and sketching was her way of holding it together. A piece of her that she kept to herself.

Because of that, I look at it like a new level of therapy, almost like by putting the pieces on display, she’s releasing those feelings so she can completely move on.

And I, for one, couldn’t be happier for her.

But Paige…

She shakes her body until I let go of her. “I can’t help it, I—”

“You’ve put so much of yourself into these sketches, and you’re terrified for the world to seeyou. Not them…you. But I’m here to tell you that people are going to love them, and I’m so goddamn proud of you.”

For the last two years, the amazing human standing in front of me has all but put her career on hold to look after Isaac. Hell, to look after both of us. And no matter how many times we spoke about it, she always insisted it washerchoice and exactly what she wanted to be doing.

And since she’s Paige, I know that to be true. She’s never held back on telling me what she wants.

And now…Isaac’s in school and it’s her time to follow her dreams. Only she’s still trying to work out what her dream is.

But there’s no rush. We’ve got all the time in the world, and she’s proud to call herself a mom, which she’s been doing often since her adoption of Isaac was finalized last year.

Paige takes a deep breath and does something we usually do with Isaac. She shakes out her sillies. Just like the kids’ song suggests. Starting with her head, she bounces around the room shaking out various parts of her body, working hard to calm herself down. But when she stops, she’s still frowning.

“How about I take your mind off things? Like you do for me when I’m stressed.”

And God, have we had some stress in the past couple of years. On top of Mom’s deteriorating health and the ever present and always changing Storm scandal, we also had to sit back and watch while the Mikklesons almost got away with extortion. At least until they were finally found guilty after Christian’s fiancée, of all people, miraculously “came across” some crucial evidence after hearing rumors that Christian was cheating on her and she went looking for proof.

Orhe had it all along and foolishly shared it with his fiancée then proceeded to fuck around.

Either way, they got what they deserved.

As for Mom, her symptoms haven’t worsened in the past six months, so we’re hopeful they’ve stalled for the time being.

Paige stares at me before crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m listening,” she says, pretending she’s unaffected even though she’s already nibbling the flesh of her bottom lip. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking you need to get naked—now.”

“That’s it?” She raises an eyebrow and mocks offense. “That’s all you’ve got for me?”

I stare at her in challenge before stepping forward and curling my hand into her hair, tugging her into me. “Let’s try that again.How about you run along to our room, strip naked, crawl onto the bed, and bend over with your ass in the air.”

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