“Did something happen?”
Lyall drops his hands down to my waist, squeezing. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Oh shit.
Taking my hand, Lyall guides me back to the bench and sits beside me. “Everything okay?” I can barely get the words out. Shit. This is it. He’s going to break up with me. I can’t even blame him, not really. He’s risking so much by being with me. But it’s happening much sooner than I thought it would. Fuck. This is going to devastate me.
“I feared my brothers were starting to suspect I was seeing you.”
Okay, no breakup yet. I exhale slowly. “Okay…”
Lyall frowns down at his lap. “So I lied to them and said I was seeing someone else. Last night I brought him over for dinner.”
My stomach churns. “And? Did they believe you?”
“Aye.”
That’s all? Was he worried I’d be upset? I’m just relieved we’re not breaking up.
“So? That’s a good thing, right?”
Lyall’s jaw bunches. “Aren’t you angry?”
“About?”
Lyall heaves a frustrated sigh. “I brought another man to meet my family. I pretended we were together. The whole ordeal felt wrong down to my very bones. I wanted it to be you so badly, but it wasn’t.”
“Did you kiss him?”
He makes a face. “No.”
“Then I’m not upset. Besides, we never really talked about being exclusive.” I wonder if it’s too early to have that conversation with him.
“Aren’t we?” He arches a brow. He makes it sound like it’s a given that we’re together. That makes sense considering he knows so much of our history.
“Do you… want to be?”
Lyall takes my hand and squeezes. “Of course I do. If that’s what you want too.”
His sincerity makes me smile. It wasn’t long ago I was swearing off relationships. I’ve been burned so many times. There’s something about Lyall that makes me want to swan dive into love with him. “I don’t know.” I shrug. “Kiss me again and maybe I’ll make up my mind.”
He leans in with a quiet laugh and does just that. When we finally come up for air, my lips tingle and there’s the beginning of beard burn on the corner of my mouth, but fuck it. This sweet, gentle, patient man is worth risking my heart for. “That was pretty good. Your application for boyfriend has been accepted.”
At his confused look, I chuckle. Right. I’ve probably used a ton of words he’s not familiar with.
“That means yes, Lyall.”
He grins. “Oh. Good.” The relief in his voice only endears him to me more. “Just to be clear, you’re truly not upset?”
“Not at you,” I clarify. I can’t deny that knowing someone else got to meet Lyall’s family hurts, even though I understand why I can’t see them.
Lyall sighs softly and nuzzles his forehead against mine, his breath warm on my lips when he says, “I wish more than anything it could have been you, love.”
“I get it. Anders told me about Gunnar, how he could go berserk if he knew. Why? Did I do something to him in the past?”
Lyall shakes his head. “It wasn’t you.”
Realization makes me feel sick. “My father.”
