Page 78 of Heal Me, Love Me

“Rowan’s headed back to the hotel, so I should get dressed. We’re supposed to go out.”

Mason snorted. “You talking to me naked, Stafford?”

“I’m wearing shorts. Don’t make things awkward.”

“Too late. It’s part of my charm.”

We said our goodbyes and then hung up, and ten minutes later, Rowan walked in.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted, then came over to give me a kiss.

“Hey. How’d it go?”

“Good.” He dragged a hand through his sweaty hair. “Really good, actually.”

“I’m glad it went well.” That was mostly the truth.

“I got you a gift.” He pulled something from his bag and handed it over. It was a black Atlantic Combat hoodie.

I stared at it. “Absolutely not.”

He grinned. “What? They gave it to me for free.”

“I can’t wear this.” I held it up between us. “I’m loyal to my gym.”

The smile slipped from his face, and I immediately wished I could take the joke back. Titan wasn’t just a gym anymore. It was a place with memories he’d rather forget, and sooner or later, we were going to need to reconcile that since I’d still be training there.

“Forget I said that. Do you have a plan for where you want to go?”

He nodded. “Josh said Clearwater Beach is about thirty minutes away and offered to drive us there.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“He also recommended a crab place for dinner.”

“Even better,” I replied.

An hour later,we stood barefoot on warm white sand as the Gulf stretched out in front of us. Clearwater Beach looked almost fake, with blue water, a bright sky, and tourists everywhere.

Rowan walked beside me along the shoreline, carrying our shoes in one hand as waves rolled over our feet every few seconds. Families moved around us with umbrellas and coolers, seagulls screamed overhead, and kids ran toward the water, shrieking every time the waves chased them back up the sand. Farther down the beach, a couple posed for pictures with the blue swells behind them.

The relaxed beach vibes made everything between Rowan and me feel even more strained. We weren’t there for a vacation. We were walking on a beach pretending it was a regular afternoon while the future of our relationship waited on a decision neither of us was ready for him to make.

Eventually, Rowan bumped his shoulder lightly into mine. “You gonna ask?”

“I figured you’d tell me when you wanted to.”

“I got my ass kicked today.”

That forced a laugh out of me. “By Dante?”

“And everybody else.”

I glanced at him. He looked calmer than he had that morning.

“Everyone knows what they’re doing,” he added.

“Well, that’s good. It would suck if they were shit.”