Page 25 of Heal Me, Love Me
He climbed off his bike and stood in front of me. “That’s why I said we needed to talk.”
“Then start talking.”
He scratched at the side of his jaw. “What I saw last night …” he said slowly. “Was that your way of getting back at me?”
I stared at him, still trying to piece everything together. “Getting back at you for what?”
“You didn’t think I’d make that connection?”
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
“I walked in and saw Devon kissing you. What was I supposed to think?”
“You—what?” I stammered.
“I saw you and Devon kissing after your fight.”
“You saw that?”
Rowan’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I saw it.”
Suddenly everything fell into place—why he’d left, why he hadn’t answered, and why his room was empty.
“That’s what this is about?” I asked. “You think I planned that?”
“What else was I supposed to think?” he shot back.
“Not that.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “Did you even consider that maybe I didn’t want him to?”
He didn’t respond, just watched me as if he were trying to decide whether that was really a possibility.
“He kissedme,” I forced out, slower this time. “I didn’t expect it. I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t want it! He caught me off guard.”
Rowan’s shoulders dropped slightly. “How long?”
“What?” I blinked.
“How long before you stopped it?”
“It was a second. Maybe two. Then I shoved him off me.”
He nodded, then exhaled. “Why would he kiss you?”
Shit. I’d wanted to tell him about Devon. I’d known I needed to, if only to avoid exactly what was happening. But when Rowan had told me he’d never been with anyone else, a voice in my head wondered whether he’d judge me for having a previous relationship.
Turned out, avoiding that conversation was going to make my explanation sound a hundred times worse.
“Because we have history,” I replied in barely a whisper.
Judging by how Rowan went still, he’d heard me. “What kind of history?”
I hesitated. “We used to hook up. Or date, I guess.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You didn’t think I should know that?”
“It was before you,” I explained.
“That’s not the point.”
