Page 49 of Playing Dirty

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She always noticed.

Her gaze dropped briefly to my hands.

Then back up.

“You do that a lot,” she said.

“What?”

“React first. Think later.”

I leaned back slightly in my chair.

“Is that your diagnosis?”

“No,” she said. “Just observation.”

A beat.

Then she added:

“It’s kind of… honest.”

That word again.

I didn’t like it.

But I didn’t argue.

Outside, rain started easing off.

Inside, nothing really moved.

Except the space between us.

That kept changing without permission.

Rowan reached for her bag.

“Rowan,” I said before I could stop myself.

She paused.

Looked at me.

“What?”

I didn’t know why I stopped her.

Didn’t have a plan.

Just—

“Are you always like this?” I asked.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re waiting for people to disappoint you.”

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