Chapter 15
1529 Words
_Aria's POV_
The first time it happened, I barely noticed.
Rowan left breakfast early.
At the time, I didn't think much about it. Running an estate this large couldn't be easy. People constantly came to him with problems and questions. It wasn't unusual for him to disappear halfway through a meal.
The second time, I noticed. The third time, I started paying attention. By the end of the week, I couldn't ignore it anymore.
Rowan was avoiding me.
Every morning seemed to follow the same pattern. If I arrived first, he suddenly remembered somewhere else he needed to be. If he arrived first, he was already halfway out the dining room by the time I walked through the door.
At first, I told myself that I was imagining things. Then I told myself that I didn't care. Unfortunately, neither explanation lasted very long. Because I did care....far more than I wanted to admit. The realization annoyed me.
Rowan was free to spend his time however he wanted. We weren't family. We weren't even particularly close. He didn't owe me his attention.
So why did I keep noticing his empty chair? Why did I keep looking for him every time I entered a room? Why did it bother me every time he left?
The questions followed me everywhere. A few days after the horse riding lesson, I entered the dining room one morning and immediately spotted Rowan sitting at his usual place.
I felt relieved but before I had even reached the table, he stood up.
"Leaving already?" Clara asked.
"I have work."
His answer came too quickly. Then his gaze briefly landed on me....only for a second. After that, he turned around and walked out of the room.
I stopped walking. The empty chair seemed to mock me. For some reason, disappointment settled heavily inside my chest. I hated it. The feeling made no sense.
Slowly, I sat down. The conversation around me continued normally but I found myself staring at Rowan's abandoned seat.
Eventually Clara cleared her throat. "You keep looking at that chair."
I nearly choked on my drink. "No, I don't."
"You do."
"I really don't."
Clara smiled. Unfortunately, it was the kind of smile that usually meant trouble.
"Aria."
"What?"
"You're terrible at lying."
I sighed heavily. The worst part was that she wasn't wrong. My gaze drifted toward the chair again. Immediately Clara noticed. Her smile widened.
"I knew it."
"You knew what?"
"That you're wondering about Rowan."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not wondering about Rowan."
"You absolutely are."
I opened my mouth to argue. Then immediately closed it again. Because once again, she wasn't entirely wrong. Something strange had definitely changed. The easy conversations between us had disappeared. The teasing had disappeared. Even the casual smiles had become rare.
For some reason, Rowan seemed determined to keep his distance. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I had done something wrong. Maybe it happened during the horse riding lesson. Maybe I had embarrassed myself or I had annoyed him....or he regretted spending so much time helping me. The thought made my stomach twist unpleasantly.
Later that afternoon, Daniel found me helping Clara organize supplies. The moment he saw me, he frowned.
"Why do you look sad?"
I immediately looked offended. "I don't look sad."
"You do."
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"Maybe because it's true."
I groaned. Daniel leaned casually against a nearby shelf. "Did somebody upset you?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Then realization appeared. "Oh."
I immediately became nervous. "What?"
Daniel grinned. "Oh."
"What?"
"It's Rowan."
I nearly dropped the basket I was holding. "It is not Rowan."
The grin somehow became even larger. "It is definitely Rowan."
I looked toward Clara. Unfortunately, she was trying very hard not to laugh. She was a traitor.
"You're both ridiculous."
Daniel crossed his arms. "Then explain why you keep staring at doors every time they open."
I froze. Apparently, I had been doing that. Before I could defend myself, Clara suddenly interrupted.
"Daniel."
"Yes?"
"I need you outside."
His expression filled with suspicion. "Why?"
"Because I said so."
Daniel immediately looked worried. "That sounds dangerous."
Clara smiled sweetly. "Very."
A few moments later, Daniel wisely retreated. The second he disappeared, Clara turned toward me. The smile on her face instantly made me nervous. "What?"
"I need a favor."
"No."
"I haven't even asked yet."
"You look far too happy."
Clara ignored me completely. Instead, she walked toward a nearby table and picked up a silver tray. A tall glass filled with fresh fruit juice rested on top. I stared at it then at her. What did she want me to do?
Slowly, understanding dawned.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
I pointed at the tray. "Take it yourself."
"I would."
"Then do it."
Clara's smile became innocent....far too innocent. "Unfortunately, I'm busy."
I looked around the room. She was standing there doing absolutely nothing. "Busy with what?"
"Important things."
"You are literally talking to me."
"Extremely important things."
I narrowed my eyes. "This is a trap."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
That was the biggest lie I had heard all week. Unfortunately, Clara refused to surrender. For the next five minutes, she argued relentlessly. Every excuse I offered was dismissed immediately. Every attempt to escape failed. Eventually, I realized that I had no chance. With a dramatic sigh, I grabbed the tray.
"I hate you."
"No, you don't."
"At this moment, I do."
Clara looked entirely too pleased with herself. Ten minutes later, I found myself standing outside Rowan's office. The tray suddenly felt much heavier than it should have. This was ridiculous. I wasn't nervous. There was no reason to be nervous. I was simply delivering juice. People delivered drinks all the time. Normal people managed it without having emotional breakdowns in hallways.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked. Nothing happened. I waited. There was complete silence. I knocked once again but there was still nothing. Maybe he wasn't there. The thought immediately improved my mood.
Perfect.
I could leave the tray and escape. Carefully, I tested the handle. To my surprise, the door opened. The office was empty. I quickly stepped inside and crossed the room. I then placed the tray on his desk. Then I immediately turned toward the door.
Unfortunately, fate clearly hated me. At that exact moment, another door opened. I froze. The door connected to Rowan's private rooms. And standing there was Rowan....fresh from the shower.
For several seconds, my brain completely stopped functioning. Apparently Rowan's did too. His dark hair was damp and slightly messy. Small droplets of water slid down his neck and disappeared across his skin. The only thing he wore was a white towel wrapped securely around his waist. My entire body instantly forgot how to behave normally.
Heat rushed into my face. I looked away. Then accidentally looked back. That was a mistake....a very big mistake. Rowan was unfairly attractive. There was really no other way to describe it. The man looked like he spent every waking moment training. He had strong shoulders and muscular arms. A chest that looked like it had been carved from stone.
My heart immediately started misbehaving.
"Aria?"
His voice sounded rougher than usual.
I swallowed. "I brought juice."
Brilliant....absolutely brilliant. Of all the possible things I could have said, that was apparently what my brain chose.
Rowan's gaze shifted toward the desk. Then back toward me. One corner of his mouth lifted. "I can see that."
The amusement in his voice made everything worse. I wanted the ground to open beneath me.
"Clara sent me."
A laugh escaped him. "Of course she did."
For a brief moment, silence settled between us. Neither of us seemed entirely comfortable. Then something caught my eye. My gaze drifted toward his chest.
At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing. Then my breath caught. The strange pentagon-shaped scar. The same scar I had noticed during training. Only now it looked completely different.
My heart skipped.
The symbol wasn't pale anymore. It wasn't faded. Instead, it was glowing. A bright crimson light pulsed beneath his skin.
I stared in disbelief.
The red glow seemed alive and moving. The light spread across the lines of the symbol and illuminated every edge of the strange mark.
A chill ran down my spine. That wasn't normal. Scars didn't glow. Tattoos didn't glow. Nothing about it made sense. Slowly, my gaze lifted toward Rowan.
The moment our eyes met, I knew he had realized what I saw. Every trace of amusement vanished from his face.
The room suddenly felt colder and more dangerous. For several seconds, neither of us spoke. The symbol pulsed again, brighter this time.
My heart started pounding harder. "Rowan..."
The word barely left my mouth. His entire body went still. And for the first time since meeting him, I saw something I had never seen before.
Fear.
Real fear.
Not for himself.
But fear that I had seen something I was never supposed to see. The glowing red symbol flashed once more. And this time, it was brighter than ever.
- Writer
