I don’t want to watch her quietly reassess me.
Adowngrade.
But I don’t dodge it. I give her the truth.
“I had a long deployment, and my wife decided she liked my best friend better.”
Freya’s reaction is sharp. “What a bitch…” She slaps a hand over her mouth. “Sorry. I just…” Her expressive eyes go from sharp to warm in an instant. “I just can’t believe anyone would do that to…toyou.”
The way she saysyou, the knot inside me instantly unravels.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know them but…” She smiles softly. “They obviously didn’t see you the way I see you.”
A fear I didn’t realize I was holding on to collapses.
Fuck me.
I never thought someone’s approval would mean so much to me again.
Heat creeps up my neck, and I turn back to the workbench, grateful for something solid to focus on. I change the subject.
“I know you have to get into town, but I wanted you to come here so I could show you something.”
Her brows lift. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s not.” I inhale. “Just…come here.”
She steps closer, curiosity tilting her head. I unlock my phone. Swipe to the album with my inspiration. “Come…”
She steps into my space, and the air shifts. Freya smells like peaches and fucking vanilla. I focus on my phone. “Here, have a look at these.”
She takes my cell from my hands, and her fingers sweep my skin. My bones light up.
Her eyes flicker over the pictures. She scrolls through them, and the corners of her mouth slowly lift.
“You want to buy a crib already?” she asks gently.
My throat goes dry. “I wanted to build one.”
Her mouth parts, just slightly—the way it does when something catches her off guard. Not in a bad way. More like she wasn’t expecting this from me. And maybe she shouldn’t have. We’ve barely begun figuring out how to live under the same roof without combusting.
She doesn’t say anything right away.
My grip cinches around the edge of the bench.
I might have misread the situation.
I clear my throat. “You don’t have to decide anything. It was just an idea. Lara has three cribs on that list already. If you like one of those…”
She steps closer, holding my phone against her chest.
“Anton,” she says quietly. “I didn’t hesitate because I don’t want it.”
She glances down at the designs again, then back at me.
“I hesitated because it’s…beautiful.”
The heat under my skin shifts.
