Page 84 of Your Sharpest Edge
“I should be fine here.” I smiled down at Damien, who was staring at me as if somehow trying to place me.
“Oh, hey, Stass?” her roommate called out right as she opened the door.
“Yeah?”
“You’re right. He has very f-able lips.” Then she closed the door as resounding laughter could be heard from the hallway.
I slowly turned toward Anastasia, whose cheeks had flushed the most beautiful crimson color.
“Ignore her.”
“F-able lips, eh?” I smirked.
The thermometer beeped. “Ah, look, it’s normal.”
“Mommy, am I going to hang out with the hockey guy from camp?”
“Yeah, baby. Mommy has to go to work, but I can stay here if you’re not comfortable.”
I didn’t say anything, just waited and then winked at Damien.
“No. He was so much fun.”
She glanced at me, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and worry. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course,” I replied. “You know I’m always here for you.”
Anastasia nodded, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You don’t have to do it alone,” I said gently. “Go on, get to work. I’ll take care of everything here.”
She hesitated for a moment, then leaned in to give Damien a kiss on the forehead. “Mommy will be back soon, okay? Alex is going to take care of you.”
“Okay. I think I’ll have fun today.” The little boy reached up and grabbed my hand, and my heart lurched from my chest.
“We definitely will,” I managed to say right as Anastasia looked at us.
Whatever emotion I was desperately trying to push down into my chest was radiating off Anastasia too.
“I’ll see you guys at four thirty.”
I turned to the little guy. “Hey, do you think we could watch your favorite movie in a little bit?” He nodded. “Can you show me where the remote is?”
He went to his room, and I looked at Anastasia, who was close to the door. “Hey,” I called out.
She turned around, her beautiful blue eyes boring into mine.
“I know it’ll be hard coming to the rink, so I can meet you outside or have Dirks?—”
“No. You did this for me. I can meet you inside.” She looked down at her toes. “It’s the least I can do,” she said and lifted her eyes back toward mine.
“If you aren’t ready?—”
“Stop.” She took a deep breath. “You’re doing this for me, so I’m going to do something for you.” She closed the gap between us. “Thank you.”
I looked down at her plush red lips, which were shiny with gloss, and I wanted to throw her against the nearest wall. Fuck. Stop. Ugh.
“So my lips are pretty fuckable?” I whispered, making sure Damien couldn’t hear us from his room.
