Page 23 of Stripping Little Seraphina
“A mistake?” She shook her head, firm. “No. I think you’re brave for admitting it out loud. I think you’re stronger than you realize. And I think you deserve every bit of care you’ve been too scared to ask for.”
Her words sank into me like sunlight through the cracks of old shutters, warming places I hadn’t let anyone touch. I letmyself lean into her, not just with my body but with the truth I’d been hiding for years. And instead of recoiling, she held me closer.
If she’s not mine to keep, dear God, please help me.
Chapter Nine
Vasiah
Sera’s sobs had softened to hiccups, her body curled against me, trembling less with every passing minute. I didn’t move, didn’t rush her. Instead, I shifted, tugged a blanket over her, and gently coaxed her head into my lap.
“There,” I murmured, stroking her thick dark brown hair, letting my fingers trace soothing circles across her scalp. Her hair was silky soft, I could play in it all day. “Rest, little one. I’ve got you.”
She fought it at first, stubborn even in exhaustion, but soon her lashes fluttered shut. Calmness settled over her and exhaustion won its hand. Within minutes, her breaths deepened, her cheek warm against my thigh. I kept up the rhythm—slow strokes, steady presence—until I was sure she’d drifted fully to sleep. I moved a little to remove my suit jacket, and toed off my shoes, but then I settled again.
The quiet pressed in, but my mind didn’t rest. I reached for my phone. Emerson. I hadn’t checked in properly, not in a way that mattered. Not in a way that showed him I was actually here.
Me:
Hey, kiddo. You awake?
The three dots blinked, disappeared. Blinked again.
Emerson:
Yeah. What do you want?
I sighed. Rigid. Guarded. I’d earned that wall. Time to chip at it the right way.
Me:
Just to talk. No lectures. Promise.
Emerson:
Uh-huh.
Me:
You remember when I first started working in the dental office?
Emerson:
Vaguely. You were gone a lot.
Me:
Yeah. And I messed up. Bad. Our office manager quit, and I had to step in. I scheduled twenty people for the same day. All overlapping.
Emerson:
That’s… dumb.
Me:
It was. Completely. Some were willing to reschedule, but most weren’t. I thought I’d ruined everything.
Emerson:
