Page 49 of At the Edge with You

I nod eagerly, indicating to where I was just watching them outside of Grandpa’s office. I still haven’t begun to call it mine. “Oh yes. Look, that’s Sneaky Pete,” I say, pointing to the stealthiest-looking raccoon. “And that’s Lady Trashington and her husband Sir Trashington, but Sneaky Pete is trying to steal her away.”

“Naturally,” he agrees, and when I look up, a grin is playing on his face.

I smile more, my stress easing as I point to another one. “That’s Baron Von Dumpster, and I thought he was trying to get a piece of Lady Trashington, but then I saw him making eyes at a possum.”

“What did you name the possum?”

“Captain Rubbish,” I say, as if his name could be anything else.

“Of course,” he says, holding back his laughter. “So, this is what you do instead of working?”

“It’s quality entertainment.”

Now, he’s laughing. But not at me. Jett has never laughed at my expense. “If this is entertainment, princess, I’m failing you.”

My lips quirk up as I lean into him, bouncing off his hard arm. When the door clicks closed, we both look up to notice that Hazel has left without saying goodbye. I pull my gaze from the door to see Jett is watching me. As quickly as Hazel left, so does his lightheartedness. His brows are furrowed, and slowly,he crosses his arms over his chest. He leans into the window, watching me as I do the same. “Enough about the raccoon telenovela—what’s wrong?”

“How do you know something is wrong?” I say, needing more time to work up to admitting what I came to see him for.

“You know how. Now, tell me,” he demands, his voice rough. “Are you okay?”

I shrug. “Fine,” I mutter, threading my fingers together.

He surprises me when he hooks his pointer finger around mine. “Did something happen in your classes?”

I shake my head.

“A parent?”

“No, everything is great.” My classes are growing by the day. Sign-ups are going well, could be better, but the community is being a little standoffish. After Noelle suggested the reason is because I’ll be gone in a year, I have been trying really hard to recruit coaches who will stay. I need the money from the ads to offer signing bonuses. It’s been a process, but I feel after I go to Thistle Prep and Thistlebrook public schools, I’ll bring in more kids. Remembering that I need to do that next week has me remembering that I haven’t seen him at any of my classes this week. I flash him a dark look. “Not that you’ve been checking in.”

“Do you need me to check in?” he asks softly, and I swear I see a bit of hopefulness in his eyes.

“No, but it’s nice to see you outside of the office.”

His lips curve up. “Miss me, princess?”

I roll my eyes. “I miss you fixing my rink, pretty boy.”

Now, he’s grinning, and why does it feel like my world is spinning again? “Tell me what’s wrong.”

I curl my finger around his, squeezing it and then letting it go, only to do it again. “Things have been really tense at home, and I’m worried it’s weighing heavy on Kitty.”

Gone is his grin, replaced by concern. “What happened?”

I shrug. “You know how my parents are. One would think after twenty years of me being gone, they’d learn the error of their ways, but apparently, I’m such a problem.”

He shakes his head, his finger curling with mine. Does he realize he’s doing that? “That’s bullshit, Fable, and you know it. You’ve never been the problem—it’s them.”

I swallow thickly, willing my tears not to fall. “That’s what my therapist said, and I know you two are right. I tried to stick it out for Kitty, but I can’t stay there any longer.”

His eyes search mine, and then he nods. “So, move in here.”

While that’s what I want, I feel like he’s asking me to move in to his apartment. Blinking rapidly, because surely I’m overthinking this, I ask, “In one of the apartments next door?”

He must realize how his offer sounded because he nods, and once again, I’m rewarded with a sweet blush along his chiseled cheeks. “Yeah, of course. I didn’t mean here, here,” he laughs, and I force myself to laugh along. “Not like with me. That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, crazy,” I mutter, but it doesn’t sound that crazy, and his bed looks really comfortable.

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