The eye of the storm. That’s how it feels to be in his arms. Like the chaos around has no bearing on us. Like the messy, cruel life doesn’t swirl around in the dark clouds, just waiting to pour down it’s proverbial blessings over our heads.
“I wasn’t kidding.”
“About what?”
“About being Emett’s dad.” He clears his throat. “I’d like that to be true. Very much so. One of these days…” I suck in a sharp breath.
“Sava…it’s—it’s a big step. A commitment. Once you make it, there’s no going back.”
“I’m not in the habit of changing my mind, Lychik. Actually, once I make it up, it’s quite final. Does it scare you?” Severin adds after a few beats of my pregnant silence.
“Yes,” I finally admit on a whisper.
“It’s okay, you can be scared a little while longer, until you realize I’m not going anywhere.”
His words both make my soul sing and shiver. Because I so desperately want them to be true.
“Why me? Why us?” I lift my head, watching him.
“Because there was never anyone else, Aurora. Never.”
“Are you guys going to kiss?” Emett’s skeptical voice pulls me out of the dreamland, and I jump up too fast, making Sava wince.
“Crap,” I curse. “Did you finish your tour?” I quickly change the subject, but Emett frowns and I ask, “What?”
“Mommy, you need to kiss all of Mr. Brick’s boo-boos away,” my almost five-year-old son says, his tone dripping accusation.
There is a beat of stunned silence, and then Severin breaks out in a fit of laugher. “You heard the little man, Lychik. Those boo-boos won’t go away by themselves.” I shoot him a glare that holds no heat, making him laugh even harder. “Don’t worry, buddy, your mommy is taking real good care of me.” He ruffles Emett’s hair as soon as he climbs onto the couch next to him and lays his head on Sava’s chest, making whatever was left of my heart melt completely.
“I knew she would. My mommy is the bestest ever. Did you know that she protected me from the storm? It wanted to take me away, but Mommy fought it off!”
Those golden eyes shoot up to mine, and I clear my throat. “Okay, how about we call it a day and head to bed?”
“Nooo, please, Mom just a little bit more,” Emett pouts, clutching to Sava like his saving grace.
Rolling my eyes playfully, I say, “Fine, you can stay here with Sava a little longer while I make your bath, deal?”
“Deal!”
It takes me a minute to figure out how everything works in this huge bathroom but when I walk out to call Emett, all air gets trapped in my lungs as I stop short at the picture in front of me.
Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows a darkened sky casts a shadow over the whole town as million lights flutter across the evening Boston and in front of those windows, on that huge couch, Sava and Emett are curled up together with Emett’s little foot thrown over Severin’s much bigger leg while he holds my son protectively, warding all nightmares away from his peaceful rest.
“Shh, Lychik,” Sava whispers, holding his finger to his lips. “Our boy is out,” he adds with a warm smile that does me in far more than any flirting ever could.
My shoulders sag with contention, and I pad across the dark wood to kneel in front of the couch, gently pushing Emett’s dark strands off his forehead. “He’s had one over-the-top emotional day.”
“He fell asleep mid-word as he was explaining to me how he’d score all the goals a million times faster than the Outlaws did today.” Sava’s chest shakes with a silent chuckle. “I think Coach’s job is in jeopardy. Maybe Anze’s too. Definitely Zlatan’s. My boy here can take that fool’s spot any day.”
“Oh, he’d teach you all, all right.” I shake my head with a smile and start to slide my arms underneath his sleeping body.
“What are you doing?” Severin asks with a touch of confusion.
“I was going to move him to the guest room.” A lick of flame hits my cheeks from embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I should’ve asked first if that was all right for us to sleep there tonight. The couch is more than perfect.” I clear my throat and quickly withdraw my arms from underneath Emett.
“Aurora.” Even whispered, his voice holds so much power, and this time also anger.
My eyes snap up to find his cloaked in that familiar storm but before he says anything else, Sava closes his eyes and takes a deep, steadying breath. “Aurora, I asked what you were doing, thinking you could carry Emett by yourself to the room, not accusing you…” He stops again, his gaze hardening.
