Chapter 30
That afternoon, Rune had just eaten dinner and had waddled upstairs to lie down when a knock sounded at the door.
She didn't need to be an oracle to know who it was. Her inner antenna flickered to life, of course, it could only be him. He-who-shall-forever-be-on-Rune's-shit list.
She turned to her side, weariness seeping into her bones. Some things never change, she thought. Like Dorian's complete inability to wait. And awful timing. Now I need to get up!
By the time she reached the hall, her mother was talking far too fast, and her father stood behind her with his arms crossed like he might toss Dorian out.
A little difficult, considering Dorian outweighed him by at least thirty pounds, all of it muscle.
As soon as he heard her footsteps on the stairs, Dorian's curly blond head lifted.
His eyes found her instantly, scanning her from head to toe with an intensity that made her skin prickle.
His gaze usually gave nothing away, dark and expressionless, a black hole that swallowed light and feeling alike.
But not today.
Today, there was something new in them, possessiveness, worry.
.. maybe even awe. His eyes lingered a second too long on her breasts before flicking up again, right in front of her parents.
Rune almost giggled. Her treacherous, pregnant brain chose that moment to conjure an image of him without clothes. She shook it off. No, Rune. Bad Rune.
He cleared his throat, finally realising they were still just standing there staring at each other. "I thought we could... go for a walk?" A walk was better than an audience. Her mum would have her ear pressed to the door, her dad not far behind. Rune quickly grabbed her coat, scarf, and cap.
Outside, the air was cool and damp. "I thought we might get a cup of tea," Dorian said as they reached the car.
The winter months were here and the sun had set hours ago.
"Fine," she muttered. "Let's get this over with."
He said nothing as they drove. She could feel his eyes on her profile more than once, but she kept her gaze fixed on the window.
They ended up at one of The Silvering. Rune knew the place well.
Gareth, the owner, had been a friend of her dad's for years, and his daughter Lowri had gone to school with Rune.
"Look what the cat dragged in," Gareth grinned, giving her a quick hug. Lowri waved from behind the bar, her eyes darting between Rune and Dorian, curiosity sparking. Eli had already provided a full, dramatic report of how the village had ganged up on them for Rune’s entertainment.
They were led to a quiet corner booth.
Gareth flipped open his notepad. "What'll it be, love?"
"Just water for me," Rune said quickly.
"Morning sickness?" Dorian asked, glancing at her.
She shot him a look. "Some of us are growing actual people. And I think ‘morning’ is a deceptive word clumped with the sickness to fool women."
His mouth twitched. "I'll have a pint of the house lager, please" he told Gareth.
"Coming right up," the man said, giving Rune a small wink before heading off.
The silence stretched uncomfortably between them until he broke it . "So... are you keeping the babies?"
Rune blinked, startled, eyes widening. "Why?" Her voice was threaded with hints of Siberian weather. "Do you want me to get an abortion?"
"What? No-no!" Dorian's hands went up in alarm. "It's just... you weren't happy about having one of my babies before. I just thought with two-"
"I'm keeping them," she said flatly.
"Good." His shoulders, which had been taut as wire, eased a fraction.
"Not that your opinion on the subject matters one bit. I want them even if you don't," she added.
"I'm glad," he said softly, "And I want them too."
"Besides," she went on like she didn't hear him, trying to regain control of the conversation, "My parents are Catholic. They'd support me either way, but... I want these babies."
"If they're Catholic," Dorian asked carefully, "How do they feel about you being an unwed mother?"
Rune blinked, speechless at his complete lack of self-preservation.
She vaguely wondered if Lowri would mind if she got blood on her wooden floors.
"So, you'll be needing a husband," he continued, as if that were the most logical conclusion in the world.
Her mouth fell open. Dorian went on, obviously not taking the hint. "I'm willing."
Rune sputtered, choking on her water. "I think I'll have to decline that tempting marriage proposal."
"That's not, I didn't mean-" Dorian raked a hand through his hair. "Rune, I'm sorry for the way I behaved those last few weeks. I panicked. Things were falling apart with Crispin and Aria, and I kept thinking about my parents and how dependent I was becoming on you and—"
"So, the solution was to treat me like dirt?" Rune cut in, voice tight. "Make me feel like I was the lowest of the low? And all before you brought Margo in for part two."
"I was wrong." His hands were clenched together on the table. "Nothing I do or say can change that. But I am so sorry. I want to be part of the twins' lives, that is, if you'll let me. And yours if you allow it."
Rune swallowed hard, then nodded slowly. "I won't keep your children from you if you promise to make them your priority over everything. Even yourself."
"I can do that," he said quietly. "I can commit to that."
"Can you?" she asked.
"Yes," he said firmly. Then, almost too casually, "And so, I bought the house just down the road from your parents."
Rune choked on her water again, spluttering as Dorian leaned forward to pat her back.
"Stop-stop-I am going to pee myself. What did you just say?" she gasped.
"I bought the place down the road. To show I'm committed," he said earnestly. "You'll need somewhere-"
"I can stay with my parents," she interrupted.
"The are both semi-retired and will need their own space. Not that they won’t be there for you. But you'll need your own place," Dorian insisted. "And I want to do this. For you and our babies."
He said Our not your. Rune stared at him, torn between outrage, disbelief, and the smallest, most treacherous flicker of hope.
This U-turn still had her head spinning.
Dorian took in her stupefied face, lips parted mid-splutter, and glanced around as if checking for witnesses. Unfortunately, there was one.
Gareth appeared at their table with uncanny speed, wiping his hands on a towel, wearing the exact expression of a man who'd definitely been listening from behind the decorative screen.
"All right here, love?" he asked Rune, far too casually.
Rune narrowed her eyes. "Peachy."
She knew it would be all over the village by tomorrow.
"Good to hear," Gareth said, grinning. "What can I get you two?"
"I thought we were just having tea, "said Rune with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you feel hungry?" Dorian asked.
Rune did a nausea check while Dorian looked at her expectantly, the faintest twitch of amusement ghosting over his mouth. She then picked up the menu just to have something to hide behind. "The chicken salad, please," she said after a minute. "Dressing on the side."
Dorian handed the menu back to Gareth. "Rib-eye. Medium rare."
"Of course you would," Rune muttered under her breath. “Just keep it far away from me if it starts oozing blood”
“Make that well-done” ,Dorian corrected, handing the menu back to Gareth.
Gareth's grin widened. "Right you are." He shot Dorian a knowing look before retreating, but Rune caught the wink he shot her on the way back to the bar.
She sighed and dropped her menu flat on the table. "You've successfully embarrassed me in my father's favourite hangout. Congratulations. That dismal proposal will be all over the place tomorrow."
Dorian leaned back in the booth, utterly unbothered. "I don't think he heard that. And I didn't realize ordering dinner was a public scandal."
"You buying a house down the road is," she shot back. He smiled faintly, the expression mellowing the sharp contours of his face. "Then maybe it's a good start." Rune rolled her eyes and reached for her water. Lord help me, she thought. I'm trapped with a man with more money than common sense.
They ate mostly in silence. The only sound was the clink of cutlery and the low murmur of the pub around them.
Dorian kept watching her, dark eyes flicking to her face every time she reached for something.
The twins seemed to be tiny carnivores. Rune caught herself staring at his steak as if it were a lifeline.
Dorian noticed. Without a word, he cut off a piece of the ribeye and extended the fork across the table.
Her eyes widened. Dorian didn't share cutlery.
"Are you sure?" she asked softly, looking around to check if anyone was watching.
Dorian had never done anything like this before.
But she realized he always made sure she ate when they were working late. He wasn't a bad boss... until the end.
"I've had my tongue and my…Well, my tongue down your throat," he replied evenly. "This is hardly more intimate."
A startled laugh slipped from her. She leaned forward and delicately bit into the succulent meat before pulling it slowly off his fork while he watched with burning eyes and lips parted just enough to make her pulse jump like a yo-yo.
He was wrong. This felt almost as intimate as a kiss.
He cut another piece and offered it again.
She took it. And again. He kept feeding her until she murmured that she was full.
Rune looked down at her untouched salad with a little sigh.
"Want to eat mine?" she asked, pushing it his way.
"Rabbit food," he muttered, but reached for the bowl anyway. After polishing off the last of his steak, he ate her salad too, unbothered.
Then he ordered vanilla ice cream for her, checking first to see if she could still tolerate it, and a coffee for himself. No milk. No sugar. He stirred it slowly, the spoon clicking against the mug. Then, out of nowhere, he said, "Nothing happened with Margo."
The words came out of nowhere. Rune blinked, thrown by the sudden change of topic.
"I didn’t..." He stopped, jaw while his fingers tightened on the spoon. "I didn't know what I was doing. But again, I'm sorry. I never touched her. I guess I just wanted to make you jealous..."
Rune didn’t know what to say to that.
"It was... temporary insanity," he said quietly.
"I drove you away and then I couldn't bear it when you actually pulled away.
And you seemed fine while I was floundering.
" She stared at him across the small table, ice cream melting into a puddle in the bowl while his black coffee sending up slow spirals of steam.
Rune set her spoon down. "You hurt me," she said quietly. Dorian's throat worked. He nodded once, eyes dark with regret. "I know."