Page 138 of Playing Dirty

---

But neither of us moved past that line.

Mason

The room was smaller than it should’ve been.

Or maybe I just noticed it more because she was in it.

Rowan dropped her bag on the closer bed.

Didn’t look at me.

Didn’t need to.

That was the part that kept catching me off guard.

She didn’t react like someone who was trying to prove something.

She reacted like someone who already knew what was happening.

And didn’t like it.

Same as me.

I exhaled slowly.

“Coach said dinner at seven,” I said.

“Mm.”

That was it.

No follow-up.

No conversation.

Just sound filling space without meaning.

I sat on the edge of my bed.

Didn’t turn on the TV.

Didn’t check my phone.

Because I already knew what I’d look for.

Her.

Instead I didn’t move.

Rowan

I unpacked slowly.

Not because I needed to.

Because movement gave me something to do that wasn’t thinking.

Mason wasn’t loud.

---