Chapter 19
1433 Words
By the time they pulled up at the hotel, Caleb and Asher climbed out of the cars like men who’d just survived a natural disaster.
Caleb rubbed his temples. “So much talking,” he muttered. “Not one word understood.”
Asher nodded solemnly. “I think I was proposed to. Twice.”
Rowan laughed outright, the sound easy and genuine.
Anna, still wearing her crooked tiara, suddenly threw her arms in the air. “BEST. BACHELORETTE. EVER!” she screamed, then launched herself at Charlie.
Charlie barely had time to brace before Anna wrapped her in a massive hug and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. “You are the best,” Anna declared loudly. “The absolute best human. I love you more than Zach. Don’t tell him.”
Charlie laughed, hugging her back tightly. “Noted. And you’re welcome.”
Mia clapped enthusiastically. Chloe cheered for no clear reason.
Rowan watched the whole thing with a soft smile, shaking his head slightly—amused, fond, and more than a little taken with the woman at the center of it all.
Anna squinted up at Rowan, swaying just slightly, then jabbed a finger at his chest with absolute conviction.
“This,” she announced loudly, pulling Charlie back to her side, “is the best woman in the world.”
Charlie groaned. “Anna—”
“No,” Anna insisted, deadly serious now. “Listen. You take care of her. Or I will fight you.” She paused, frowning. “I mean… I’ll try to fight you.”
Rowan bit back a smile. “Understood.”
Anna nodded, satisfied, then leaned in conspiratorially. “take her home with you. Go for a walk on the beach. Romantic s**t. She deserves it.” She cupped Rowan’s face suddenly, earnest and fierce. “She is my best friend.”
For a moment, the noise faded.
Rowan’s expression shifted—something real settling in his eyes. He looked at Charlie then, really looked at her, like Anna had just handed him something precious.
“I will,” he said quietly. “I promise.”
Charlie’s throat tightened. She laughed it off, brushing Anna’s hair back. “Okay, that’s enough emotional blackmail for one night.”
Anna smiled blissfully. “Good,” she said, already drooping. “Because I’m going to pass out now.”
As Caleb and Asher shepherded the girls toward the elevator, Rowan stayed close to Charlie, his hand warm and steady at her back.
“Beach walk?” he asked softly, a hint of a smile playing at his mouth.
Her heart skipped. She nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
They said their goodbyes in a flurry of hugs, kisses, and slurred declarations of eternal friendship.
Charlie was halfway through hugging Mia when Chloe’s voice rang out behind them. “ASHER,” she announced dramatically, clutching his arm, “I just feel like… when you know, you know. Will you marry me?”
Charlie lost it.
She laughed so hard she snorted, bending forward and clutching her stomach. “Oh my—Chloe—” she wheezed, tears forming in her eyes.
Asher looked skyward like a man praying for strength. “I’m very flattered,” he said gravely, “but I think we should see other people. Like… sobriety.”
Caleb dragged a giggling Chloe toward the elevator while Anna waved enthusiastically from over his shoulder.
Rowan slipped his hand into Charlie’s as the doors finally closed. “Your friends are… memorable.”
Charlie wiped her eyes, still smiling, leaning into him slightly. “You have no idea.”
Outside, the night air was cooler, calmer—just the two of them now, laughter fading into something softer as they headed toward the beach together.
The doors slid shut behind them, muffling the chaos, and suddenly it was quiet.
The night air wrapped around them—cool, salty, calming. Charlie exhaled like she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath, still smiling as Rowan guided her toward the path that led down to the beach. The city lights softened behind them, replaced by the hush of waves and the dark stretch of sand ahead.
“You okay?” Rowan asked, glancing down at her.
She nodded, a little sheepish, a little glowing. “Tipsy. Happy. Slightly emotionally assaulted by my best friend.”
He chuckled. “She’s… intense.”
“She means it,” Charlie said softly.
“I know,” Rowan replied. And he did.
They walked in comfortable silence for a moment, shoes in hand, sand cool beneath their feet. The moonlight caught the edges of the water, turning it silver. Rowan slowed, then stopped, turning to face her fully.
“You deserve someone who looks after you,” he said quietly. “Not just tonight.”
Charlie swayed slightly as they walked, the champagne finally catching up with her. She laughed at herself, then looked up at Rowan with sudden, very serious curiosity.
“Important question,” she said. “Can you do a cartwheel?”
Rowan stopped and blinked. “A… cartwheel.”
“Yes,” she nodded solemnly. “This will tell me a lot about you as a person.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “You’re drunk.”
“Observant,” she said proudly.
He glanced around the empty stretch of beach, then sighed like a man resigning himself to fate. “Stay right there.”
Before she could respond, Rowan kicked off his shoes, rolled his shoulders once—and did a perfectly controlled, annoyingly graceful cartwheel in the sand.
He landed smoothly, barely disturbed a grain.
Charlie stared.
Her mouth fell open. “Holy. Shit.”
He bowed slightly. “Anything else you’d like evaluated?”
She burst out laughing, clapping unsteadily.
Rowan laughed too, reaching for her arm to steady her as she wobbled. “Careful, trouble. Beach cartwheels come with consequences.”
She leaned into him, still giggling. “Worth it.”
They settled onto the sand, side by side, shoes abandoned behind them, the ocean breathing steadily in front of them. Charlie hugged her knees, rocking slightly as she looked out at the water.
After a quiet moment, she glanced at him. “So,” she said casually, like her heart wasn’t doing a small drum solo, “what do you do for work?”
Rowan hesitated—just a fraction—then smiled, easy and practiced. “I manage land. Security, logistics. Bit of leadership.” He shrugged. “Keeps me busy.”
She squinted at him. “That’s very vague.”
“Occupational hazard,” he said lightly.
Charlie laughed, tipping her head back. “Figures. You have mysterious job energy.”
He looked at her then, really looked—sand on her feet, hair a little wild, cheeks flushed from drink and laughter. “And you run a coffee shop,” he said. “Which somehow seems harder.”
Her smile softened. “Some days it is.”
Charlie shifted, brushing sand from her hands. “I should probably get to my room,” she said softly. “Check on the girls.”
Rowan nodded once, like he’d expected that answer.
Then he looked at her—steady, open, no games. “I’d like you to spend the night.”
Not demanding. Not rushed. Just honest
Her breath caught. The ocean hummed behind them, the night suddenly very quiet. She searched his face for pressure and found none—only intent, held carefully in check.
“With me,” he added gently, “not instead of them. Just your company.”
Charlie swallowed, heart racing, warmth blooming in her chest. She smiled, a little nervous, a lot sincere. “Let me check on them first,” she said. “Then… we’ll see.”
Rowan’s mouth curved, slow and patient. “I’ll be here.”
She stood, steadying herself, “I won’t be long,” she said.
As she walked back toward the hotel lights, Rowan watched her go, certain of one thing—
This night still had more to give.
Charlie checked on the girls—Anna sprawled diagonally across the bed, tiara discarded, Chloe half-hanging off the mattress, Mia snoring softly with her makeup still on. All passed out, messy and peaceful. Charlie smiled.
She spotted the bottle of dark liquor on the counter, already opened from earlier. Charlie hesitated only a second—then she was taking a big sip, and another. Her heart raced as the thought settled in: she was going home with Rowan. f**k.
- Writer
