33. Victoria
33
VICTORIA
I watched Sarah's face light up as she saw the soft glow of the green tiles. She gawked at each wall for a good minute.
There was still a lot to be done in the bathroom, plants to hang and prints to find but the whole place felt calming and luxurious.
"It's perfect." Sarah covered her mouth.
I smiled at her. "I couldn't agree more. You picked the perfect tile."
Shaking her head, she walked up to me and leaned against me. She rested her hand on my chest and looked up at me. Maybe I was losing my mind, but I smelled something unfamiliar in her hair. My throat tightened at the thought.
Of course I knew she was seeing other people, but it was a strange thing to be confronted by. I tried to shake the feeling, clenching my jaw.
"Sorry I haven't been over in a minute. I had the kids last week and they would have gotten in Robin's way." She smiled up at me and then tapped my chest with her fingers. "But I did find some really great fabrics for the curtains that I want your thoughts on."
I nodded. "I'll happily look at anything you have to show me. But you don't need to apologize for taking care of your family."
Biting her lip, Sarah narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you sure?"
"Positive." I laughed, lowering my head to hers and meeting her lips. They were soft and warm. My entire being melted into her. "Something about New Winford has me living a little slower."
Sarah clicked her tongue and winked. "It does that. But I don't want the project to slip through the cracks. The party is coming up."
Trying to help her relax, I held her face in my hands. "It'll get done. Everything is on track."
"But…"
As she went to argue with me, I interrupted her with a gentle kiss. She was cute when she was stressed. But even then, it would rip her apart if she wasn't careful.
Once her shoulders relaxed, she remembered something and pulled away. "I got your gift, buy the way."
I smirked at her. "I was going to ask about that."
"It was sweet of you to send." She bit her lip as she looked up at me with her blue eyes. I felt like I could drown in them.
Shrugging, my eyes flicked to her lips. "I'm just trying to replace what I took."
I watched as Sarah's chest rose with a big inhale. "Have those been helpful?"
Pulling her closer, I nodded and brought my lips just a few inches from hers. "Very. I've been missing you a lot. It's cruel of you to be this incredible."
Sarah giggled, a slight moan in the back of her throat as she closed the distance between us. Teasing me, she bit my lip between kisses.
Just as our lips parted, a vibration came from Sarah's pocket.
"Sorry." She reached inside and grabbed her phone. Her forehead wrinkled as she read Jason's name on the home screen. "I have to take this."
Turning away from me, she looked out of the bathroom window and answered the call. "Hey, everything okay?"
There was a pause as she listened to her ex. My nerves grew by the second, my throat growing tight.
"Right. No, that's okay. That's not your fault." She nodded along to his explanations.
My finger tapped against the skin of my forearm.
With a sigh, Sarah looked up at the painted, white ceiling. "I can be there in like twenty? Stop apologizing, Jay. It's okay. Alright, bye." She hung up the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket.
Crossing the room, she rested her head on my chest and let out a loud groan. "I have to go."
I rubbed her arms. "That's okay. Is everything alright?"
Sarah grumbled into my chest, "Yeah. Leila doesn't feel good and is insisting she needs me."
"Duty calls." Looking down at her, I lifted her chin to look at me. "I'll catch up with you later."
"Are you sure?" She looked up at me, guilt all over her face.
Laughing, I nodded. "Of course. That's more important. Besides, you've made all of us so prepared that we don't even need you here."
It wasn't even a lie, the house was coming along smoothly. All we really needed was a little more artwork. But I had a plan for that.
"But I should be here." Sarah bit the inside of her cheek.
Shaking my head, I started to guide her out of the bathroom. "Life doesn't stop for work. Take care of your kids. And then I'd like to take care of you."
She tilted her head, her brow furrowing as she tried to decipher my meaning.
"I want to take you out again. Someone needs to spoil you. Just let me know when a good time is for you and I'll handle the rest." I narrowed my eyes at her, daring Sarah to challenge me.
But instead, she sighed and nodded. "Okay. But it might be a week or so?"
Satisfied, we started walking to the staircase. "Absolutely, just say the word."
We stopped at the landing at the top of the stairs. I didn't want to hold her up, instead planting a kiss on her cheek and rubbing her soft arms.
"Thank you, Vic." Sarah brought her lips to mine, our mouths clicking together before she took off down the stairs.
All I wanted was more time with her. But I knew how busy she was and I wasn't going to stand in her way. Instead, I'd wait here for her – ready to take care of her whenever she was ready.
The house settled into the churn of the housework. Robin finished up the kitchen, installing the countertops and making sure the rest of the house was on track.
Checking my email, I realized just how many people had RSVP'd "yes" to the party. It was a big deal. Ever since Pop blew up, every event I hosted was like one big networking thing. I wanted it to be perfect.
But I had closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath. I trusted Sarah and knew she wouldn't let any of this go south.