Page 69 of Your Sharpest Edge
I glanced down at the trotting little boy. I longed to sweep him into my arms, tell him I loved him, and thank him for taking care of his mom, but none of that was possible. Now that I was here, my only option was to help her. As I paused, watching the little boy bound toward the fruit, my gaze shifted over my shoulder to the woman staring back at me from the other side of the park.
I was never going to leave again.
26
stassi
Once the shock of seeing him passed, I was finally able to get up. I wanted to avoid this situation, but alas, here I was, and now I had to face it head-on.
He looked good. His sharp jawline was somehow thicker and covered in stubble. His hair was cropped shorter, but still long and gelled back. His shoulders were incredibly massive, somehow more so than I remembered, and his forearms flexed as he walked. I couldn’t help but stare at him.
I shook my head, trying to get the picture of him out of my mind. I started to walk back to where Damien was eating his snack, but another big, very tall guy stopped me. I had to crane my neck to see his face. He had a thick black beard and wore the same Chicago Ravens shirt.
“Oh god. Another one?” I accidentally said aloud, and he only laughed. “Sorry,” I said quickly, covering my mouth.
“Mind if I walk with you?” he asked, and I shrugged as I continued walking toward the campers and kids.
“Go out to dinner with him.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, the summer grass crunching beneath my feet. “What?” I balked. “He told you who I was?”
The guy paused. “Sorry, that was rude. My name is Ledger. I’m the captain of the Ravens.” He stuck out his hand, and hesitantly, I took it.
“That didn’t answer my question,” I said, placing my hand on my hip, waiting for his response.
“We’re friends. No, he doesn’t tell everyone, but when he spotted you earlier, he had to leave the auditorium. He was going to leave altogether, but I convinced him to stay,” Ledger explained, shrugging as if what he said was nothing.
But it was far from nothing for me. It was everything. I was terrified of all of it. I had spent so long avoiding him that seeing him in person made me want to run away.
The reality was that I was the one who had sent him away. I told him to leave because I was too much of a coward—and maybe still am—to ask for help. I had pushed him away out of fear and now faced the consequences of my own actions.
As Ledger continued walking, I stood there, wrestling with the flood of emotions. The past was no longer a distant memory; it was right here, demanding to be confronted. I had to decide whether I was going to keep running or if I was finally ready to face the man I had once loved and the future I had pushed away. I ran toward Ledger.
“Wait,” I shouted. “He was scared?”
“Fucking terrified. Can you imagine seeing you in a brand-new city halfway across the country with the kid that he helped raise for months?”
That should’ve hurt me, but it didn’t because it was the truth. “It must’ve been a surprise.”
Ledger huffed out a breath. “Yeah. No shit.”
He stopped walking right before we reached the rest of the group. I halted in front of him and was forced to look upward.
“Listen. I don’t know you, and I certainly don’t know your situation, but he’s messed up about how everything went down. You don’t owe me anything, but sit down with him,” Ledger said, gesturing over to where Dirks and Alex were passing out snacks. “Sit down with both of them, actually, and tell them you’re okay before you decide to move on. The last time they saw you, neither of them thought you’d walk again. And you look good.”
A flush crept onto my cheeks.
Ledger must have noticed because he laughed. “No, not like that. I don’t mess around with girls where my buddy has already laid claim.”
He turned around to join the group, leaving me to process what he’d said. I wasn’t anyone’s to claim, but I did owe Alex an explanation of what happened.
The memories of the day I kicked Alex out came rushing back. I had just woken up and was told that my legs were likely not going to work again. I kicked him out because I thought it was the best thing for him. Looking back, it was abrupt, cruel even. I had been in such a dark place, consumed by fear and pain, that I couldn’t see past my own suffering. Imagining how he must have felt—confused, hurt, abandoned—made my heart ache. I had pushed him away without a second thought, not realizing the impact it would have on both of us.
Decisions weighed on me as I stood there. A part of me was curious if he was okay, if he had managed to move on, or if he still thought about me. Seeing him from a distance brought back a flood of emotions, and I knew I couldn’t avoid this confrontation any longer.
With a deep breath, I made my way over to where Dirks and Alex were standing. Dirks noticed me first, his eyes widening in surprise. Alex turned slowly, and the look in his eyes was a mix of shock and something else—maybe hope.
“Hi,” I said, my voice trembling slightly. “Can we talk?”
