Page 116 of Under Water

“Leo—”

“Don’t,” he says softly. “I’m not doing anything with it. So keep an eye on our place and maybe think about building something. For all of you, where Elio can live comfortably.”

My heart grows fat and heavy behind my ribs. I know Leo understands what it’s like to need things most people don’t, so I know the offer is genuine. And it’s important. “I’ll talk to Rune.”

“Good. Besides taking North to all the places he’s wanted to see, I can’t think of any other way I want to spend that money. And if I die before it gets used up, it’ll just rot.”

I let out a deep breath. “I’ll see what Rune says. I don’t want to make promises without him.”

“I understand,” Leo says, and then I hear him grunt, and North’s voice comes on the line.

“Have you seen Russell?”

My eyes widen. “Oh, shit. No. Not for a while, but we’ve been pretty distracted.”

He sighs. “He’s been staying gone longer, so I’m not surprised. If he shows up, tell him I love and miss him.”

Like I want to spend my evening telling a crow that my best friend loves and misses him. But I’ll do it because I love North. “Sure thing, bud. Anyway, I gotta run. I’m picking up lunch.”

“Talk soon!”

The line goes dead without a proper goodbye, but that’s very much like the pair of them, and I don’t mind. My steps feel somehow both lighter and heavier when I head into the deli to order for us, and I can’t help but wonder what Rune will say to Leo’s offer.

I have a feeling he’ll protest, but Leo is right. We don’t have family, and his list of friends is small. If he doesn’t spend the money now, god only knows where it’ll end up when he dies. And frankly, if it can help Elio live somewhere comfortable and settled, I might be willing to play a little dirty to get Rune to say yes.

Rune doesn’t say much on the drive back out to North and Leo’s. He takes a call from Daphne and puts Elio on speaker so he can tell us about getting to feed a walrus at the aquarium, and then silence settles between us when the call ends. I don’t push it. I don’t need to.

Rune holds my hand halfway into the drive, and he doesn’t let go until I pull back up to the house.

“Can we stay outside?”

I lift a brow. “Uh…sure?”

“The gazebo?”

It’s an easy ask to say yes to. I gather up the soup and sandwiches, and Rune runs inside to grab drinks, and he meets me out back just as I’m pulling the door open. When it swings shut behind us, he takes me by the chin and lays a very soft but very possessive kiss on my lips.

“I love you.”

My cheeks bloom with heat. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of hearing that.” And I love him too. And it’s time for me to say it. Just, maybe not standing here like a jackass with my arms full of deli food.

He doesn’t look disappointed by my silence, which is saying something. I’d probably be climbing the walls like a rabid demon in a possession movie if I kept telling him I loved him and he kept saying shit like, “Thank you.”

But he’s always been a better man than I am.

Walking to the little cabinet in the corner, Rune pulls out a beach blanket and lays it on the ground in front of the swing. It settles on the grass, and he drops down, looking up at me with the smallest smile.

“You’re gorgeous.”

My cheeks go even redder, and I shove the food at him before I drop onto his lap, straddle him, and kiss the fuck out of him until we’re both breathless. “So are you. And—uhg, hold on. Set that down.”

He lays the bags of food beside him, then curls his arms around my waist, and I rock into him. I’m hard, and so is he, but right now, I don’t feel like we need to take this anywhere.

But I do kiss him again.

“If I could live off this,” he murmurs, “I totally would.”

I laugh and drop my forehead against his. “Yeah. And uh…so. The thing is…”