Chapter 42
The three of them sat cross-legged on the living room floor, pizza boxes spread open like treasure chests.
The smell of melted cheese and garlic butter thickened the air.
David immediately staked his claim on the chicken and mushroom with jalapenos, Euan piled his plate with a monstrous slice that had everything on it, and Sage scavenged a little from both, enjoying the freedom of picking without choosing.
Conversation began, of course, with the latest Elden Ring patch notes.
"This update's a joke," David said seriously, waving a slice of pizza for emphasis. "They've nerfed Rivers of Blood again. Totally unplayable now."
"They had tae," Euan countered, chewing around a mouthful of everything-on-it pizza. "Folk were runnin' through bosses like it was nothin'. No balance at all."
Sage raised a brow, glancing between them. "You two sound like you're discussing a will and testament, not a video game."
"It is life and death," David shot back, then reached for another slice.
From there, the conversation spiralled into football.
"Everton's finally turning it around," David declared, chest puffed up with loyalty.
"Everton?" Euan groaned. "Nae chance. Arsenal's got the form this season. Ye cannae even argue it."
David leaned in, chin set stubbornly. "Want to bet?"
Euan smirked, setting his pizza down so he could gesture properly. "Tell ye what, lad, forget the Premier League. Ye want tae see real football? Highland League. Brora Rangers, Fraserburgh—proper grit, nae preening."
Sage laughed into her drink as David blinked at him. "Highland League?"
"Aye," Euan said with the gravity of a prophet. "Best football ye'll ever watch. Tell ye what, we'll go. I'll take ye both north. Make a trip of it."
David nodded slowly, caught up despite himself. "Alright. Sounds epic."
Sage shook her head at the pair of them, indulgence softening her smile. "And am I involved in any of these life decisions."
Both looked shamefaced for a second.
Sage never expected them to get along—truthfully, she had been dreading broaching the subject of Euan to David.
But apparently, all you needed was an internet connection and an Xbox to bridge the gap.
Her cheeks carried a new, permanent brightness, enough that David had teased her about it earlier.
She felt ten pounds lighter somehow, her thighs sticking together or her love handles no longer an issue.
It was as though the hunger in Euan's eyes just made her feel more beautiful.
Even her hair, streaked with silver because she refused to colour, felt silkier.
She tugged it out of its messy bun, letting it fall over her shoulder.
Euan's attention derailed instantly, eyes caught on her like a moth to a flame.
David had to snap his fingers in front of him and change the subject to the latest Fortnite update just to pull him back into the conversation. Sage bit back a laugh, a secret smile playing at the corner of her lips as she remembered their conversation earlier.
Right after the condom incident, they'd sat cross-legged on the bed, both of them chewing over what to do. Emergency contraception had come up—Euan even offered, without hesitation, to run out and fetch it. But the look on his face, crestfallen at the idea, had her shaking her head.
"The pills make me feel awful. My GP told me to avoid them if I can. Maybe...just get the right size this time."
Her smirk had softened the tension in his eyes.
"So, I can come back, then?" he'd asked, testing.
"I do miss sex," she'd teased.
He'd given her a theatrical sulk. "So you're only usin' me for my body. "
And before she could answer, he'd dragged her into his arms, smacked her backside, and growled, "That's for objectifyin' me."
"Big words," she'd whispered against his mouth, "from the man whose vocabulary consisted entirely of four-letter ones not half an hour ago."
He'd kissed her again just to shut her up—at least that was his excuse.
As she drifted off to sleep, the last things he muttered in her ear was, “Does that mean we can skip the condom until we find out?”
They were still bent over the pizza boxes, David arguing passionately about Arsenal's midfield, when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Sage said, pushing herself up. Her face was still glowing, hair loose around her shoulders. She pulled the door open and froze.
"Ronin." Her voice caught on his name. "When did you get back from your trip?"
He didn't answer for a moment, only stood there with a white paper bag in his hand, his eyes fixed on her like he was trying to understand something that confused him. Then he swallowed, his throat working. "I brought donuts," he said at last, his voice somehow rougher than usual.
"Oh." She blinked, thrown by the simplicity of it as she put her hair back up. "Great. Um...there's someone I want you to meet. Come on in." She stepped back, gesturing into the warm light of the living room. "This is Euan. Euan, this is Ronin."
Euan gave an easy nod, leaning back on one hand, the other resting casually on his pizza box. "Alright."
The two men reached across the boxes for a handshake.
Their grips tightened, knuckles whitening, neither willing to let go.
"Ronin," Euan said evenly, his jaw working.
"Euan," Ronin grunted in a clipped undertone.
Sage cleared her throat and slid her hand between theirs, prying them apart with a glare that was half amusement, half warning.
Her stomach fluttered with nerves as she took the donuts from Ronin's hand. "We've got plenty of pizza. Stay and join us?"
Ronin's gaze flicked between her and Euan, lingering too long. The intensity in it made her shift her weight from one foot to the other, heat prickling under her skin. Was she missing something?
Why am I feeling guilty?
Euan reached for another slice, calm as you please. "Plenty tae go round," he said, voice light, though he moved closer to Sage.
The silence that followed stretched taut, like a string pulled to it's snapping point.