ask.”
“Yeah, she’s been looking at me too.” He nodded.
She fought the urge to smile.
He frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.”
He stared at her, urging her to explain.
“You should probably be careful with that,” she said.
His frown deepened, and Svala arched her brows until his frown morphed into a grimace. “Oh, come on! She recognizes me. Seriously, don’t even go there.” He shuddered.
“I’m just saying. Be careful.” She ran her index finger around the edges of his T-shirt print, avoiding his gaze. “Some of the girls talked about you this morning. They think you’re gorgeous.” She rolled her eyes.
Viggo’s chest moved with a soft chuckle. Svala stopped trailing her fingers over the print and lowered her hand.
“Hey.” He placed two fingers under her chin and forced her to look up. The humor in his voice annoyed her. “Do I detect jealousy?”
“ No .” She evaded his gaze. “I just didn’t like it, that’s all.” Her gaze shifted back to him, her insecurity surprising her. “Is it always like that for you?”
He said nothing. Instead, he held her gaze until she no longer wavered, and then he kissed her. She blushed and answered with more hesitation than before. Her jealousy was childish, but those girls had ogled him like they wanted to tear his clothes off right there in the hallway. Normally, if anyone paid him too much attention, she’d discretely flash her wedding ring, and most women backed away. Most women. This situation rendered her powerless.
Viggo clutched her face in both hands and smoothed her cheekbones with his thumbs. “Don’t worry, honey. I always save myself for you.”
***
Present time
Washington
Svala thought of those words when she studied Viggo across the hallway in her current high school. He caught her staring over the herd of girls surrounding him and Emma. The moment their eyes met, Svala turned. She had to get away from him or she might act on the temptation to walk over and claim him, mark him as hers. The urge to do just that clouded her judgment.
She hurried to class where their teacher, Mr. Weston, pushed the black-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose and scanned the half-empty classroom through a frown. “Is there a flu going around?” he asked.
“No,” Jayden smirked. “Only a storm rising.”
A chuckle spread through the room, and Jen turned to offer Jayden an approving grin. Svala smiled to herself. For years, Alrik and Trym made that pun every time she and Viggo reunited, though with a different subtext. Viggo always hated it.
Mr. Weston gazed out the window and squinted at the sun, raising his eyebrow at the sight of the clear blue sky. He shook his head in confusion, and then returned to his students. “Very well. Let’s get started.”
After class, Svala found Freja waiting outside the principal’s office, alone. The hallway was nearly empty, and Svala’s repeated glances made Freja look up. Her eyes narrowed at first, then she seemed to recognize Svala, and smiled.
Jen and Noah stood by the lockers, arguing over the coming weekend’s activities while waiting for Jayden to return from the restroom. Svala seized the moment, abandoned her friends, and approach her daughter.
Freja eyed her, like she couldn’t quite place her, then lifted a finger when Svala closed in. “You were in my gem store in New York, right?”
“Yeah.” Svala nodded with a smile of relief.
Freja offered another warm smile. “I thought I recognized you. What a wonderful coincidence. Do you go to school here?”
Svala nodded again, unsure of what else to say. She hadn’t thought this through. Freja studied her through a moment of awkward silence. “I see that you’re wearing the necklace you bought. It suits you.” She looked at the amber jewelry resting against Svala’s red shirt.
“Thanks.” Svala fingered the gemstone in a nervous gesture, her hands sweating. “I didn’t mean to disturb, I recognized you, so I
“Yeah, she’s been looking at me too.” He nodded.
She fought the urge to smile.
He frowned. “What?”
“Nothing.”
He stared at her, urging her to explain.
“You should probably be careful with that,” she said.
His frown deepened, and Svala arched her brows until his frown morphed into a grimace. “Oh, come on! She recognizes me. Seriously, don’t even go there.” He shuddered.
“I’m just saying. Be careful.” She ran her index finger around the edges of his T-shirt print, avoiding his gaze. “Some of the girls talked about you this morning. They think you’re gorgeous.” She rolled her eyes.
Viggo’s chest moved with a soft chuckle. Svala stopped trailing her fingers over the print and lowered her hand.
“Hey.” He placed two fingers under her chin and forced her to look up. The humor in his voice annoyed her. “Do I detect jealousy?”
“ No .” She evaded his gaze. “I just didn’t like it, that’s all.” Her gaze shifted back to him, her insecurity surprising her. “Is it always like that for you?”
He said nothing. Instead, he held her gaze until she no longer wavered, and then he kissed her. She blushed and answered with more hesitation than before. Her jealousy was childish, but those girls had ogled him like they wanted to tear his clothes off right there in the hallway. Normally, if anyone paid him too much attention, she’d discretely flash her wedding ring, and most women backed away. Most women. This situation rendered her powerless.
Viggo clutched her face in both hands and smoothed her cheekbones with his thumbs. “Don’t worry, honey. I always save myself for you.”
***
Present time
Washington
Svala thought of those words when she studied Viggo across the hallway in her current high school. He caught her staring over the herd of girls surrounding him and Emma. The moment their eyes met, Svala turned. She had to get away from him or she might act on the temptation to walk over and claim him, mark him as hers. The urge to do just that clouded her judgment.
She hurried to class where their teacher, Mr. Weston, pushed the black-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose and scanned the half-empty classroom through a frown. “Is there a flu going around?” he asked.
“No,” Jayden smirked. “Only a storm rising.”
A chuckle spread through the room, and Jen turned to offer Jayden an approving grin. Svala smiled to herself. For years, Alrik and Trym made that pun every time she and Viggo reunited, though with a different subtext. Viggo always hated it.
Mr. Weston gazed out the window and squinted at the sun, raising his eyebrow at the sight of the clear blue sky. He shook his head in confusion, and then returned to his students. “Very well. Let’s get started.”
After class, Svala found Freja waiting outside the principal’s office, alone. The hallway was nearly empty, and Svala’s repeated glances made Freja look up. Her eyes narrowed at first, then she seemed to recognize Svala, and smiled.
Jen and Noah stood by the lockers, arguing over the coming weekend’s activities while waiting for Jayden to return from the restroom. Svala seized the moment, abandoned her friends, and approach her daughter.
Freja eyed her, like she couldn’t quite place her, then lifted a finger when Svala closed in. “You were in my gem store in New York, right?”
“Yeah.” Svala nodded with a smile of relief.
Freja offered another warm smile. “I thought I recognized you. What a wonderful coincidence. Do you go to school here?”
Svala nodded again, unsure of what else to say. She hadn’t thought this through. Freja studied her through a moment of awkward silence. “I see that you’re wearing the necklace you bought. It suits you.” She looked at the amber jewelry resting against Svala’s red shirt.
“Thanks.” Svala fingered the gemstone in a nervous gesture, her hands sweating. “I didn’t mean to disturb, I recognized you, so I
Similar Books
