I'd held off long enough. I couldn't wait for Rowan to come to me anymore. I wouldn't make that mistake again.
I spent the morning trying to focus on what I'd promised to do. A local flower shop was putting out some new items and needed a few shots for their social media pages, and the owner wanted to catch up with me a little bit. I hadn't planned to stay in town this long, so I didn't have my usual camera gear, but my phone did the job well enough.
The whole time, my mind kept drifting back to Rowan. I kept hoping a message would come through and interrupt thephotoshoot. It didn't happen, of course.
"Elias, these are great!"
I blinked and looked up when Mrs Caldwell's voice cut through my thoughts. She stood behind the counter, flipping through the shots I'd just finished taking for her. The photos practically took themselves, but the smile on her face made it feel like I'd actually done something useful.
I managed a smile in return as she handed my phone back. "I'm glad you like them. I'll send them over when I get home. Feel free to use them however you want."
She shook her head with a warm smile. "You didn't have to do this for free, you know. You've got bills to pay, too."
"It's no trouble. I'm just happy to help."
She gave me one of those looks. Gentle, but too perceptive for comfort. I saw that same look on her face quite a lot when I was a kid. "You've been in town a while now. I thought you were based in London?"
I forced a smile. "I am. Just needed a change of pace."
Her eyes lingered a moment longer, but she eventually nodded and dropped the matter. "Well, if you bump into Rowan, tell him to come by. I haven't seen him in a long time."
I fought to keep my expression neutral as I turned to leave. "Yeah. I'll let him know."
I stepped out into the street and started walking in the direction of my hotel. The late morning was calm and quiet, and I welcomed the space to think. I planned to go to my room to regroup for a bit and then head back out to look for Rowan.
I couldn't stop replaying every possible version of how the conversation might go. What was I even going to say to him? Especially if Marcus was anywhere nearby. I couldn't keep tiptoeing around this and wait for the perfect moment. If Marcus was always glued to Rowan's side, I was going to have to find a way around him.
Still, I couldn't just show up and demand answers.Rowan had been pulling away for a while, so I needed to be careful how I handled this. And ideally, I needed to catch him when he was alone. Which seemed impossible lately.
But one way or another, I had to figure this out. Today. Before it got worse.
I turned a corner off the main road and stopped short.
Rowan had just stepped out of a small clothing shop across the street, his bag slung over his shoulder. His posture was hunched, his movements slow and tired. He looked drained. But it wasn't just that.
He was wearing a turtleneck.
Rowan hated turtlenecks. He always said he couldn't stand the feeling of anything snug around his neck because it felt like he was being strangled. Yet there he was, tugging at the sleeves on one to pull them as far down as they would go. He didn't look comfortable and lowered his head as he stepped out onto the pavement.
I started toward him before I could think better of it. "Rowan!"
He flinched. Not the kind of startled you get when you're caught off guard. This was sharper. His head snapped up, and he just stared at me. Eyes wide behind his glasses. His whole posture tightened.
It only lasted for a split second before he collected himself. He straightened a little and gave a vague nod, as if he were greeting a stranger on the street. Not his best friend.
Once I was closer, I could really see him. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, the kind of exhaustion that left a person worn to the bone. His usually neat appearance was off, and his hands kept twitching. His posture was all wrong, too. Way too tense and guarded. Through all of it, he was clearly trying to hold himself together.
Something was wrong. Really,deeplywrong.
"Didn't think I'd see you today," I said, softer this time. Itried to keep my tone steady, even though my pulse had kicked up fast.
He blinked, as if his mind was still trying to catch up. "Yeah. Just... I had to get a few things."
His voice made me pause. It sounded tight. Hoarse, even.
His eyes flicked to the ground, then back to me. "I thought you were going back to London."
I watched him carefully. "Still here. I leave tonight."
