"You sure everything's alright?" I asked, quieter now. The teasing edge in my voice had faded.
His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and just for a second, I saw a crack in the mask. A hint of hesitation. He did want to tell me something.
But just as suddenly, that look disappeared. "I'm fine, Eli."
There was that damn word again. Fine. The way he said it made me uneasy. He believed it. Or maybe he needed me to believe it.
I sighed. "Listen, I didn't mean to make things weird about Marcus."
His grip tightened around the glass before it loosened again. "You didn't."
"Doesn't feel that way."
He offered one of those easy smiles of his, the kind designed to smooth things over. "Eli, seriously. It's alright. You were just looking out for me."
That should've been good enough for me to leave it alone. I should've laughed it off and let him change the subject like he clearly wanted to do.
But something still nagged at me. It wasn't just his words. It was how he said them. I could almost argue he'd practised this in his head before I even showed up.
I studied him to look for any sign that I was overthinking this. But Rowan just held my gaze in a way that felt out of character for him.
I dragged a hand through my hair, forcing my tone to stay light. "I don't want to sound like I'm questioning your choices or anything."
His grin faded a bit. "I know. There's nothing to question."
There it was again. A flicker of something too quick and too careful. Most people wouldn't notice. But I knew Rowan.
He wasn't one to lie outright, but I'd seen him bury things before. He'd offer just enough truth for others to let it go, and then he'd push it down until it couldn't be ignored any longer. And I had a bad feeling he was doing that now.
I should've said something about it. But instead, I just nodded. "Alright. As long as we're good."
"We are." After a pause, he casually glanced at his laptop on the table. "I should get back to work. Lesson planning and all that."
I didn't move at first. Because I could tell what this was – a dismissal. Not harsh enough for me to call him out on it. But he somehow managed to wrap things up without making it obvious that's what he was doing.
Against my better judgment, I let it happen.
Finally, I pushed away from the sofa arm. "Yeah, of course. Don't let me keep you." I headed for the door, but before I stepped out into the hallway, I turned back to say, "Just don't disappear on me, yeah?"
Rowan chuckled. This time his smile carried its usual familiar warmth. For just a second, things almost felt normal again. "I won't."
As I pulled the door closed behind me, though, that gnawing feeling wouldn't go away. The same one I'd had at that dinner that refused to let go. Something wasn't right. And I wasstarting to think Rowan knew it, too.
When I made my way outside, the evening air felt crisp compared to the warmth of Rowan's flat. I pulled my hoodie tighter around me and stuffed my hands in my pockets, my steps falling into a steady pace as I started off down the street. My thoughts were still a tangled mess as my mind replayed that conversation.
I'd come over here hoping to get a read on what was really going on with Rowan. But now I was even more confused. Nothing made sense, and I hadn't gotten a single clear answer. Just vague reassurances and that too-easy grin.
I sighed and tried to shove those thoughts aside for now. I didn't know what to do with any of it, anyway. If I pushed too much, he'd just pull away further. But if I let this go, would I be ignoring something I shouldn't be?
I rounded the corner and almost collided with someone. I flinched and took a quick step back, about to apologise – until I saw who it was.
Marcus.
Of fucking course.
That trademark smile slid into place so smoothly that it grated on my nerves. "Elias. Fancy running into you here." His voice was just as even, like we were old friends who just happened to cross paths. Instead of two people who barely knew each other. It set my teeth on edge.
I forced a polite nod. "Yeah. Just catching up with Rowan."
