Blythe had other friends, if not as close to her as Tor and Janne.
Linda's actions hurt, of course they did, but they didn't have the power to destroy Blythe.
Eventually, Blythe found herself in Tor's bedroom, the other couple tucked away in one of the guest rooms.
"It feels weird, doesn't it?"
"What?" he asked, pausing in the act of taking off his trousers.
"You and me sharing a room, with your brother and my BFF just down the hall."
"It's a long hall and each room in my apartment is soundproof."
Blythe laughed. "I wasn't talking about that!" She knew he was referring to sex, but she'd just been talking about being open about their relationship, being able to share the room until morning.
"Anyway, I'm glad they know. I like sleeping in your arms." Blythe shrugged out of her coat and went to climb into the bed with her yoga pants and t-shirt on.
Tor gave her a look, crossed the room, locked the door and then waited in silent expectation.
"I can't sleep naked with them here." He must realize that.
He gave a significant look to the locked door. "You can."
"But Tor what if there's a fire?"
"What if there's an earthquake?" he asked sarcastically.
"That' not as unlikely as you seem to think."
"You know what is unlikely? You keeping your pajamas on until morning."
She gasped. "We can't do that. Not tonight."
"I am not spending the rest of my life celibate when we are staying in the same residence as a member of my family."
"You make it sound like a done deal."
"What?" he asked in a silky tone that implied he knew exactly what she was talking about.
She answered anyway. "The rest of your life part."
"You are the only person who has any doubts on that score. My family knows you are it for me. I know you are it for me. And more importantly, I know that I am it for you."
It was time. Even if he hadn't proposed, he was going to. And he expected her to say yes because he believed she wanted to.
He was right.
She crossed her arms, taking a firm stance. "We need to talk and I'm not doing it naked."
"Right now?" he asked, clearly surprised.
"Why not now? I'm not going back to sleep for a while. Are you?"
"No." He gave her a heated look. "But I had planned to do something else."
"After." If he still wanted her once they'd talked.
"Plan on it," he said like he'd read her mind.