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Her family’s reaction to him showing was classic. They were falling all over themselves, shocked as hell, but even so, they were welcoming.
Maybe they were a little too obvious with the shock, like Elsa couldn’t score any guy, much less him. But he’d come prepared for them being difficult, so he let it slide.
That said, David didn’t have the same reaction. He didn’t seem surprised Elsa showed with a man, not even Hale. In fact, he didn’t seem to give a shit Hale was there at all. The only thing he cared about at first was giving his daughter a tight hug. He then shook hands with Hale, clapped him on the arm, and welcomed him into his home.
In other words, Hale liked David immediately.
Inger was stunning, if her presence was a little overwhelming, and this had to do with her fawning in a mildly suffocating way over her son, her daughter-in-law, her grandchildren, her youngest’s boyfriend, and also Hale.
Although Oskar and Emilie had inherited their father’s dark hair and eyes, Elsa looked a great deal like her mother, only those two in the family having that ethereal Nordic beauty.
Though, somewhat sickeningly, Anoushka looked like she could be Elsa’s twin, except twenty pounds lighter.
Elsa was gorgeous, but Hale couldn’t imagine finding a woman who looked too much like Chloe or Sasha, even though both of them were gorgeous too. It’d be a total turn off.
When they arrived, Inger and Anoushka were settling Oskar and Anoushka’s very young children for bed, so that hid some of the absolutely diabolical bullshit this family served up to Elsa, and sometimes David.
But once the kids were down and another place setting was laid out, it began.
Inger had things to say about Elsa’s clothes, hair, weight, and even the hue of her foundation, which Inger decided didn’t match Elsa’s skin tone (this was not true, he hadn’t even noticed she was wearing any, for Christ’s sake). She hid this behind motherly concern or advice, but they were digs, no way around it.
Oskar was a conceited asshole who probably spent his downtime trying to figure out how to suck his own dick. However, he’d never manage this feat considering how far up his own ass he was.
Emilie was catty and acted ten years younger than she was. Hale could see this, in a way, considering Scott paid more attention to Elsa’s ass than he did his girlfriend, and Emilie didn’t miss it.
And it was safe to say, Hale sure as fuck didn’t.
David did his best to run interference, and along the road of drinks in the living room to gravitating to the dining room table, Hale’d had several nice conversations with the man. But this effort was doomed, considering how outnumbered they were, and just how ugly it could get.
“I-I…don’t understand,” Inger said. “Is something wrong?”
Elsa gave Hale a pleading look.
He clenched his teeth, picked up his napkin and pushed under the table again.
He then looked to Oskar. “Elsa doesn’t need keto. Unless prescribed by a doctor, no one needs keto. The ketogenic diet is used as a last-ditch effort to manage extreme epilepsy that doesn’t respond to drugs. In other words, it alters your brain chemistry. It’s a fad diet that may have health benefits, but the research isn’t there yet to prove it. And it’s only recommended to be utilized for a short period of time to take off weight, rather than an ongoing way to consume daily calories. Which makes me wonder why you’re on it because you’ve no need to take off weight. But more, Elsa doesn’t need keto because,” he turned his eyes to Emilie, “she has a fabulous figure. Perhaps you’re unaware of the anti-body-shaming movement, but women are no longer expected to be ten pounds underweight to be considered attractive. They’re encouraged to feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter what shape it takes. If you’re thin and happy to be thin, great. If you’re curvy, and happy being curvy, great. However, I don’t remember Elsa bringing the topic of her body up for discussion.”
He felt Elsa’s hand land on his knee, then squeeze, so he shut up.
“We love her. We just want her to be healthy and happy,” Oskar said.
He looked to Elsa. “Am I unaware of health concerns you have, sweetheart?”
She was tucking her lips again, now with blue eyes dancing like she was trying not to laugh, all while she shook her head.
It was nice she found this funny, but he was unamused.
He looked back to Oskar. “Then this isn’t about that. It’s about what’s been happening since we arrived, finding ways to tear her down. And when I’m sitting next to her, I won’t have it. And if she comes home to me, and reports she got it when I wasn’t sitting next to her, I won’t have that either.”
Oskar opened his mouth.
“Son,” David said sternly.
Oskar looked to his father. “This man has sat at our table once, and you’re okay with him speaking this way to me and Emilie?”
“Yes, considering everything he’s said is right. You need to lay off your sister.”
“Dad!” Emilie cried.
