Still holding his hand, I led him into the hall and down to the dining room. To my surprise, he didn’t pull away.
That was handled well.
15
Kirion
When Tane took my hand, I didn’t pull away. I was still scared. Plus, it felt right. If Tane was touching me, Malin wouldn’t even try.
But it was also more than that. Where he touched my fingers and palm, warmth ran up my arm and into the rest of my body. A flame lit inside me. His scent surrounded me. I wanted to lean into him in order to get more of it.
Going downstairs was like floating.
When we got to the dinner table, it was set so formally I felt naked without my shoes. Tane pulled out my chair for me. When he let me go, I was dizzy for a moment, my mind lost to somewhere unknown.
“Are you sure you're all right?” he asked.
“Just fine. Pretty hungry though.”
“Malin told me you'd run away.”
I glanced up, frowning. “Where would I go?”
“Agreed.” His smile told me he already knew his son had lied. “And in this weather,” he added.
He had a great smile, even the small ones. Even better if they showed when he was talking to me. While he was around, I felt safe, but I wouldn't really feel secure until Malin left.
“You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to. I can guess. I intend to speak with my son later.”
I couldn't hold back my opinion. “Will that even help?”
His smile disappeared. “I don't know.” His voice was almost a whisper.
“I don't mean to be rude about it, but it seems like he's not the listening type.”
“No, you're not rude. You're right. It's complicated.”
Of course, it was complicated. Same with me and my father. I had spent a lot of dark hours hating him. But it wasn't that simple. Maybe he didn't give me hugs and kisses and attention, but I did have ample luxurious food and clothing. He didn't hit me. He didn't verbally assault me. But his demeanor toward me was enough to leave lasting scars. I could appreciate some things and despise others.
“My father isn't the listening type, either,” I said.
“Two peas in a pod." Tane’s voice came out low, soft.
“Him and Malin?”
“No. You and me.”
“I didn't realize... You're right.”
The smile returned. Quickly, he changed the subject. “Dinner looks good tonight.”
I stared as the servers took the shiny covers off the big dishes and began to dole out the food onto our plates. Sizzling sirloins. Puffy mashed potatoes drenched in butter. Crisp green beans. Buttery peppered shrimp. Mushrooms, fresh green salad, sliced oranges. My mouth watered. Eating a good hot meal always made everything better.
Later in the evening, I went back upstairs to find everything in my room had been cleaned up. Tane had mentioned it was ransacked at dinner.
When I said, “Again?” he got a funny look.
He must have called a cleaner in at the last minute when he was texting before we were served.
