Chapter 168: Suspicious Families

"Why?" Naomi asked.

"I hate that fucking house now."

She burst out laughing.

The townhouse had become a recurring enemy in Dorian’s life despite being an obscenely expensive property most people would happily commit crimes to own.

"It’s grown on me," Naomi admitted.

"We’re not keeping it."

Naomi shook her head as the Range Rover finally stopped.

Dorian unfastened his seat belt and opened his door immediately.

If he waited another five seconds, she would circle the vehicle, and try to help him out. Unfortunately, he didn’t escape the family nursing program anyway.

Dorian barely had one foot on the ground before his brother-in-law reached him. "Would you guys stop already?" he complained. "I am not broken."

"Deal with it." Daniel ignored him completely and took his arm, steadying him as he got down.

Naomi climbed out on the other side laughing.

Dorian noticed Oliver standing nearby.

Ginny’s fiancé had arrived before them.

Once Dorian had straightened to his full height, Oliver approached cautiously.

"I heard what happened. I’m sorry."

"Yeah." Dorian adjusted himself carefully. "You should see the other guys."

Oliver smiled.

It took him a second to realize Dorian had actually made a joke with him. That was a first.

Naomi noticed too and gave Dorian a small approving look.

He had promised to make an effort with Oliver.

They headed inside together.

The moment they entered the living room, Dorian slowed.

Everyone else was already there.

The strange thing was not that they were gathered together. It was how quickly everyone stopped talking when Dorian walked in.

Dorian looked around the room.

They had very obviously been discussing something before he arrived, and judging by the guilty expressions suddenly appearing everywhere, that something probably involved him.

His eyes narrowed. "Everything alright?"

"Yes! Yes!" Eleanor said suspiciously.

Dorian sank into the sofa with a heavy sigh and looked around at his family again.

Something was definitely going on.

Naomi came into the room behind him, and Dorian’s eyes moved from one suspicious face to another. His family had never been particularly gifted at keeping things to themselves. They were loud and generally incapable of allowing a secret to exist peacefully when it could instead become a full family discussion.

Right now, every single one of them looked like they were up to something.

"Mum?"

If anyone was going to crack under pressure and tell him what was going on, it would be Eleanor.

"Hmmm..." She refused to look directly at him.

"El..." Maurice immediately stepped in, clearly recognizing the danger. He knew his wife far too well. "Would you please see if the staff are done with the food? We haven’t eaten all day."

Eleanor looked relieved to be given an escape route. "Yeah, sure." She turned quickly toward Oliver. "Are you staying?"

"Yeah," Oliver nodded.

"Good. I’ll let them know."

And just like that, Eleanor disappeared.

Dorian turned toward the next weakest link. "Ginny?"

Ginny’s eyes widened. "Nope!" She immediately walked away.

Naomi looked between everyone. "What’s going on?"

"They’re all up to something," Dorian said. "Acting all suspicious and shit."

Maurice’s head snapped toward him. "Has everyone gone mad in this house?" He threw his hands up. "No cussing. It’s a simple rule. How can you all not live by it?"

"I didn’t cuss!" Ginny yelled from the corner she had escaped to.

Maurice pointed in her direction without even looking. "Don’t even get me started on you."

Naomi pressed her lips together. She was desperately trying not to laugh.

Dorian rubbed a hand over his face. He was tired and sore. His ribs hurt.

Still, underneath the ridiculousness of it all, Dorian could not shake the feeling that something was happening.

Everyone was acting strange.

Lexie had barely looked at him since they arrived, which automatically made him more suspicious because Lexie usually looked directly at people when she wanted them to know she was judging them.

Dorian intended to get to the bottom of whatever madness they were planning eventually.

Naomi, however, suddenly stopped beside the sofa. She shifted awkwardly, clasped her hands together and started bouncing lightly from her heels to her toes. She cleared her throat. "Can I... can I stay?"

The entire room went quiet.

She knew what she meant.

Now that everyone knew the truth about the contract, some stupid part of her had expected there to be an invisible line somewhere.

Family on one side.

Her on the other.

Maybe she was supposed to leave so they could discuss Dorian privately.

Her fingers tightened together.

Nobody else had followed her logic.

They all looked around at each other, trying to understand it.

"I mean..." Naomi started, suddenly wishing she had kept her mouth shut. "I’d like to stay with Dorian while he’s here, if you’ll allow me. It’s just... I don’t want it to be awkward with everything that..."

"Nonsense," Maurice cut in before she could finish spiraling. "You’re free to stay. In fact, we’re hoping you will stay."

Naomi’s shoulders relaxed. "Thank you."

"But separate rooms."

Dorian’s head snapped toward his father. "Excuse me?"

"Separate bedrooms."

"She is my wife."

"I know that."

"Then why the hell would she sleep in another room?"

"Because Ginny did inform us that you both cannot keep your hands off each other."

Naomi had never wanted the ground to open beneath her more desperately in her life.

Maurice continued as if discussing the weather. "For two people who intend to divorce in a couple of months, I think separate bedrooms are the best contraceptive available, don’t you agree?" He was now discussing pregnancy prevention.

She could die peacefully now. There was nothing left to experience.

"Dad," Dorian said slowly, disbelief coating every word, "are you right now giving me the talk? I’m thirty-eight."

"I don’t care how old you are."

Dorian looked around the room for support.

Nobody volunteered.

Maurice folded his arms. "I do not plan to sit back and watch you make another mess. Aside from monitoring your reproductive organs—"

"Jesus Christ."

"—you are a hell to deal with after divorce."