CHAPTER 196: UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN BROTHERS

Evaline:

I stood there like I was frozen, still by the door of his quarters as the warm scent of burning wood and hot cocoa wrapped around me like an invisible blanket. I should have moved. I should have said something. But I didn’t need to.

Oscar came to me.

Without a word, he stepped close, slid his arms around my waist, and pulled me into his chest. And just like that, everything else faded.

The moment my body met his, our mate bond lit up like a warm ember in my soul. It pulsed gently, calmly, as if sighing in relief at finally having us close again. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and melted into his arms. With my cheek pressed against the soft fabric of his shirt, I could hear his heartbeat - slow and steady.

I tilted my chin up and looked at him.

His emerald eyes met mine, gentle and full of that quiet affection that always took me by surprise.

"I... I have to be somewhere in a while," I whispered reluctantly.

One of his eyebrows rose. "Where to?"

"I was planning to grab a bite from the dining hall, study a bit... just till seven... and then head to Professor Kieran’s office."

His expression didn’t shift the way I was expecting it to. No flicker of confusion. No questions about why I was meeting his brother. Instead, he just asked-

"Are you hungry?"

I blinked at him. "I mean... yeah. A bit."

A soft smile curved on his lips. He reached up, cupped my face in both hands like I was something precious, and pressed a warm kiss on my forehead. "Then text Kieran. Tell him you’ll meet him after dinner."

I opened my mouth to protest. "Oscar-"

"No," he interrupted gently, placing a finger against my lips. "I haven’t had time to be with you in days. I want to feed you. Talk to you. Be with you. Just for a while. Is that too much?"

His words were quiet. Sincere. And something in my chest clenched in response.

How could I say no to him when he was being like this?

I sighed and pulled my phone from my pocket. Quickly, I typed a message to Kieran.

Professor, I’m feeling a little tired after the long day at work. Would it be okay if I meet you after dinner instead?

His reply came almost instantly.

Kieran:Okay. Rest well.

I locked the phone, slipping it back into my pocket.

Oscar smiled again, clearly pleased. "Good. Now come."

He led me to the couch and helped me settle down. The cushions were thick and soft, and the throw blanket was warm against the chill. I tucked my legs up on the seat as Oscar walked over to the open kitchen.

"I’ll make you something," he said, rolling up the sleeves of his dark olive shirt. "Something easy, but healthy. You are eating for two now."

My heart gave a tiny flutter at his words.

I didn’t say anything. Just watched him.

The firelight played across his face as he moved. He opened the mini fridge and started pulling things out. One by one, he held them up for my approval.

"Carrot sticks?"

I nodded.

"Hummus or Greek yogurt dip?"

"Greek yogurt."

"Sliced apples with peanut butter?"

"Yes, please."

"Cheese cubes?"

"Only the soft ones."

He nodded, tossing the harder cheeses back into the fridge.

"Whole grain toast or rice cakes?"

"Rice cakes."

He nodded again.

"I won’t be able to eat all that," I said when he showed me two boxes with strawberries in one and blueberries in the other.

He smiled. "I know. I just want to know your preferences."

Then he opened a cupboard and took out a small sealed glass container. "These are homemade pumpkin oat cookies. Kieran made them. Want one?"

"If Professor Kieran made them, then yes."

It only took him a few minutes to put together a beautifully arranged plate - sliced fruit, a small bowl of dip, some rice cakes topped with almond butter, a few cookies, and a handful of roasted almonds.

He brought it over and sat beside me, placing the plate on the coffee table before settling in with our knees touching.

I stared at the food, then at him.

"You didn’t have to do all this."

He leaned his head against the backrest and looked at me sideways. "I wanted to. I always want to do things for you, Little trouble."

I swallowed, my heart doing something wild in my chest again.

His gaze lowered to my belly, then back to my face. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Dizziness?"

"No," I whispered. "Just tired. Today was a long day."

He nodded. "Good. Eat now."

So I did. He even fed me a bite or two with his fingers when he thought I was being too slow. He made me felt... taken care of.

And safe.

Right then, my phone buzzed with an incoming message. As I unlocked the phone and took a look, I realized it was from Draven.

"Have a great time with Oscar today. I’ll be looking forward to spend time with you tomorrow evening. Your mate!"

I arched my eyebrows and turned my questioning gaze to the man sitting next to me. I showed him the text and asked, "Don’t tell me you two have planned about who’s going to spend which day with me."

In response, he gave me an innocent smile that screamed he was guilty. But instead of getting mad, I smiled at him. To know that my mates were having such kind of understanding, where they could discuss such things without any jealousy or awkwardness, made me feel relieved.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Oscar suddenly asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Confused, I asked, "Like what?"

He inched closer, his warm breath fanning my face. He stared right into my eyes as he spoke, "Like you are falling in love with me all over again."