Beating Hearts [Knight's Rest #1]

30

Saying the dinner was awkward was a complete understatement. It had been nice, comfortable even when it was just the three of them, a happy couple having a quiet dinner with her dad. But with the addition of an old family friend, Will, who clearly wished he was much more than that, things had taken a turn for the worse.

Elijah was oblivious to what was going on between the three young adults, more than happy to enjoy his double cheese burger and fries as he chimed in his input here and there.

It was unfortunate that Will was sat across from Darcy and took every opportunity to scrutinise her with his pervasive stare, but it would have been worse if he was sat next to her.

"It's nice to finally meet you Thelonious. I've heard a lot about you from Darcy." Will chuckled, not once glancing at the man in question. His eyes were too busy trained on Darcy, a slow smirking creeping up onto his face as she scowled at him, refusing to break the eye contact first. A man like Will revelled in all things intrusive. "I was starting to think you weren't real."

"Well, I'm definitely real." Thelonious chuckled, though the sound was far from heavy.

Will hummed and continued eating his food.

Elijah smiled a genuine smile, unaware of the tension around the table. "Will's family and ours go way back. Darcy and Will went to school with each other."

"Will was a couple of years ahead." Darcy denied. "I spent more time with the twins and Naomi."

"True, but we always got together at events and our yearly get together." Her father added, his intentions completely innocent, not realising that his input was aggravating the situation even more.

"We always had so much fun together." Will agreed. "The best. I've had to miss the last few to become a qualified doctor." He smirked, his eyes trailing over to send Thelonious a pointed look, a loop of triumph on his face. "What do you do for a living, Thelonious?"

Regardless of what he said, a man like Will would never believe anyone to possess a better or superior profession than his. "I own and manage a hotel in London."

"Knight's Rest," Darcy chimed in. "Perhaps you've heard of it."

He shook his head. "I can't say I have."

Thelonious clenched his jaw but didn't comment on the matter. He wasn't looking to start something with Will right now, especially not with Elijah at the table. Before Will had shown up, he was actually enjoying getting to know Elijah but now with the added company, he was being overshadowed and there wasn't really much he could do about it without coming out of it looking like the bad guy.

"But the name does sound familiar." He mused aloud before turning to Elijah. "Weren't you talking about it the other week? With my parents?"

Elijah swallowed his mouthful, choking slightly. He sipped at some water to clear his throat. "I had recommended it to your parents. They were talking about spending a weekend away."

Darcy frowned, her eyes fleeting between her father and Will, her suspicions rising. The guiltier her father looked, the surer she was. "They knew about Stacey? Will knew about Stacey?"

Elijah nodded; the movement slow and unsure. "I had mentioned it to Will's parents." He turned to his left. "I'm assuming they told you?"

Will nodded in confirmation.

Thelonious glanced at Darcy. It was clear that she was upset. Even though they had discussed it and worked through their problems, that didn't mean that they had just magically disappeared and pain wasn't still there. Before, it had just been the case that her father had kept his girlfriend of 3 years a secret, but now, it appeared that he had told everyone but her. it was understandable why she wasn't happy with this newfound information.