ROWAN
My eyes just moved on their own. I followed Tessa’s figure as she sat right next to Arden—the woman I swore I was interested in the moment I met her.
How could I not? Arden was headstrong and didn’t take any bullshit from anyone. She reminded me a bit of Ellana. But now, she didn’t even enter my vision.
My focus was entirely on Tessa.
She looked a little different now. She wasn’t the fragile girl I first met. That girl had hollow cheeks, sharp edges where flesh should’ve been.
This one—f**k.
Her cheeks had filled, soft and warm, plump in a way that made her look alive. Her eyes, though, hadn’t changed. Still wide and curious.
The worst part was that they still had that way of looking like they were staring into your goddamn soul.
And the dress.
Fuck me, the dress.
A
