Right after thecondom 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.
Chapter 43
The mood changed as the easy banter evaporated. David looked uneasy, pushing his crusts around his plate while trying to navigate this new situation where his dad and his mom's new boyfriend were in the same room.
Ronin broke it by turning to him. "So, how's it going? You're starting Year 11 next month. Got your English assignment done?"
David shrugged, then grinned nervously. "Yeah. Just making the presentation. I'm a bit nervous, but at least my grades were decent last year."
