Chapter 3
Grace
I try not to shovelfood into my mouth like a savage. My appetite has been missing for a few days and it’s back with a vengeance today. I was too anxious to eat anything before my first support meeting this morning, so I’m starving. And the food here is amazing.
The restaurant is small and classy, with simple décor, but the food and drink prices are on the expensive side. That’s why I’ve only ever walked past this place and looked in through the windows with longing. It’s near my university and I’ve heard great things about the pricey menu.
Rowan spending a small fortune on food after everything he’s already done makes me squirm in my chair. I really hate the thought that he pities me and that’s why he’s gone out of his way. If he sees me as a charity case, I’ll be devastated. He might be hard to figure out, but I’m already so into him.
“So, how was your first meeting?”
I look up to find Rowan studying me. Taking another bite from my lobster dish, I contemplate. The fire victim support meeting was supposed to help me cope, but it only conjured memories.
“It was good.” My lips instantly fold, and my teeth sink into the flesh.
Rowan’s eyes drop to my mouth and he lifts one eyebrow. I go still. He’s known me for one week, there’s no way he knows my little t.
“You don’t have to lie, Grace,” he says.
My jaw drops. Holy hell.
“It’s okay to not be okay. You’ve been through a lot.”
“How do you...”
“Know you do that thing with your lips when you fib?” He smirks. “I pay attention.”
Huffing, I grumble, “Alright, fine. The meeting sucked.” I put my fork down and explain, “I’m not saying it won’t be helpful in the long run. It’s just that being there today accomplished nothing but force me to relive everything.” Rubbing my tired eyes, I shrug. “Maybe it’s too soon. I don’t know...”
Rowan’s eyes move over my face. “Everyone handles things differently, relies on different methods to cope. Don’t feel bad about it.”
I blink. “How do you know I feel bad?”
“You have an expressive face.”
Great. He can read me like an open book, and I get absolutely nothing from him. Not fair.
He smiles. “That’s not a bad thing.”
“Okay, please stop reading me.”
He clears his throat lightly and lifts his glass to his lips. It hits me then that I have figured out a thing or two about the mysterious Rowan. Like the way he clears his throat when he’s fighting back laughter. Feeling smug, I dig into lunch, wearing a small smile.
Rowan watches me suspiciously but says nothing.
“So, is your significant other cool with you hanging out with me?” I ask. I’ve checked his ring finger a million times, but the absence of a ring doesn’t mean he isn’t taken.
“There’s nothing wrong with having lunch with a friend.”
I grind my molars in frustration. He always dodges my attempts to get personal information. “I suppose I should be relieved you see me as a friend and not just your charity case,” I say under my breath.
“Grace,” he sighs, “I’m not helping you out of pity.”
“Then why? You weren’t exactly clear about why you’re so set on being my fairy god... firefighter.”
That makes him chuckle.
I love the sound of his laughter, but I’m still frustrated. The last thing I should be doing is acting on my attraction to Rowan. My life is in shambles and an apparently emotionally unavailable man isn’t a good thing to add to the mix. But I’m interested in him as more than my savior and the person helping me out for mysterious reasons.
“Giving you a hand with certain things is the right thing to do. I’d do it for anyone.”
I search his face intently, taking in every perfect angle and line. He really is a masculinely beautiful man. There isn’t the slightest give in his expression to help me gauge what’s under his steely demeanor. Is he really that selfless? Is anyone?
As if seeing my skepticism, he blows out a breath. “Why can’t you just accept my help without overthinking it, Grace?”
“I may be young, but I’m not naïve,” I reply. I’ll overthink everything when it comes to him. He’s reeled me in. I want to see more of him, see the person he’s clearly hiding from the world. Taking on that mission might be a nice distraction while I recuperate from my recent trauma. So, I decide to flirt a little.
“No one dishes out the favors you have without wanting something in return.” I’m not ashamed to admit that if he did ask for something, I’d most likely be willing to give it. In my defense, I’m no floozy—I’ve never even had sex, for goodness’ sake. Rowan just makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.
My attempt to flirt takes a bad turn.
Rowan’s expression darkens, and he leans forward. “I’ve already told you I’m not looking for monetary payback. So, if you’re implying what I think you’re implying, it’s offensive yet laughable. You said it yourself, Grace. You’re young. Too young.” He sits back. “For me.”
Burn. I stare at Rowan’s stony features and embrace my humiliation. I want to run and hide, but I’d die before I prove his point of just how young I am. So, I play it cool and pray that my face stays in the game. “Noted,” I say. “I didn’t mean any offense.”
Shock flickers across his face, but he recovers quickly.
The mood plummets after that and we both stew in awkwardness until he drops me back at my borrowed apartment and hands me the key to the SUV. As usual, he takes off with nothing more than a “Goodbye, Grace.”