A chill went down Amara’s spine. She turned around slowly, her heart racing, and saw Rowan standing behind her, looking as handsome as ever. The moonlight cast a soft glow on his features, accentuating his strong jawline and piercing eyes.
“Fuck, Rowan, what are you doing here?” Amara hissed, her annoyance barely masking the hint of fear in her voice.
Rowan stepped closer, his movements smooth and deliberate. He reached out and gently touched her face. “Did I scare you?”
Without hesitation, Amara slapped his hand away. “Obviously.”
Rowan’s expression turned meek, an almost comical contrast to his usual confident demeanor. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”
Amara raised her brows in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest. “What do you want?”
Rowan put a hand on his heart, feigning a look of deep hurt. “You hurt me, Crimson.”
She rolled her eyes. “When did I hurt you?”
Rowan stepped closer, his eyes locking onto hers. “When you asked Harvey not to bring me to dinner.”
Amara snorted. “Can’t you go to a restaurant and buy food for yourself?”
Rowan shook his head, his expression serious despite the absurdity of the situation. “That would be different. It wouldn’t be bought by you.”
She stared at him incredulously. “Don’t you have money?”
He shook his head again, his expression grave. “No.”
Amara let out an exasperated sigh. “If you, Rowan Falcone, don’t have money, I bet no one else would have money at all.”
Rowan’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. “Well, in that case, I guess we’re all doomed.”
Amara couldn’t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. “Why are you really here, Rowan?”
He looked at her, the playful glint in his eyes softening into something more genuine. “I missed you.”
Amara felt a pang of something she couldn’t quite identify. She quickly buried it under her irritation. “You can’t just show up whenever you feel like it.”
Rowan shrugged, his grin not fading. “Why not? I like seeing you.”
She shook her head, exasperated. “This isn’t a game, Rowan.”
“I know,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. “But I care about you, Crimson. And I worry.”
Amara softened slightly, though she still tried to maintain her annoyed facade. “You have a funny way of showing it.”
Rowan stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
“I can take care of myself,” Amara shot back, but her voice lacked the usual conviction.
“I know you can,” Rowan replied, his gaze unwavering. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be there for you.”
Amara looked away, trying to ignore the way his words made her feel. “You’re impossible, Rowan.”
He chuckled softly. “And you love it.”
“Hardly,” she muttered, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Come on,” Rowan said, his tone lighter now.
Amara stayed silent, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched him. Rowan continued, “I want to have dinner with you.”
“I already had dinner,” Amara replied, her voice flat.
Rowan smiled, not deterred by her response. “In that case, you need to invite me to dinner tomorrow.”
“You’re overdemanding,” she shot back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Only because you make it so difficult,” Rowan said, a playful glint in his eyes. “You know, most people would find my company quite charming.”
Amara raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “I’m not most people.”
“That’s what I like about you,” Rowan said, his smile widening. “You’re unique.”
Amara sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and reluctant amusement. “Why are you so insistent on this?”
“Because I enjoy spending time with you,” Rowan replied simply. “And because I think you need a break from all the stress.”
She looked at him, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes. Despite her annoyance, she couldn’t completely ignore the warmth in his gaze. “Fine,” she said after a moment. “But just dinner. Nothing more.”
“Deal,” Rowan agreed, his smile turning into a grin. “You won’t regret it.”
“We’ll see about that,” Amara muttered, though a small part of her was curious about what dinner with Rowan would be like.
At night, Amara lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling as thoughts of her day with Rowan swirled in her mind. How had she ended up agreeing to have dinner with him? The idea now seemed utterly preposterous. She wanted nothing more than to smash her head against the wall in frustration. How had she allowed herself to get caught up in his charm and persistence?
She turned over, burying her face in her pillow, trying to make sense of it all. It had been his persistence, she reasoned. Rowan could be incredibly persuasive when he wanted to be. She had agreed just to brush him off, to get him to leave her alone for a moment. That was all. And yet, here she was, with a dinner date set for the next evening.
The memory of him insisting on dropping her home replayed in her mind. He had been so insistent, and she hadn’t had the energy to argue. The way he had looked at her when he said goodbye, the softness in his eyes-it was disconcerting. She was supposed to be annoyed with him, not thinking about the way his gaze had lingered on her.
Amara sighed, feeling the weight of her confusion settle over her. She would just make some excuse tomorrow. Yes, that was it. She would call him and cancel. Perhaps something urgent would come up, something she couldn’t possibly avoid. With that thought, she finally felt a sense of relief wash over her.
She turned again, this time reaching for her son, Vaughn. His small, warm body was a comfort to her as she wrapped her arms around him, feeling his steady breaths against her chest. Vaughn, with his innocence and purity, was the anchor that kept her grounded in reality. She hugged him tightly, allowing the rhythm of his breathing to calm her racing thoughts.
Gradually, the tumult in her mind began to quiet down. The absurdity of her situation faded into the background, replaced by the simple comfort of holding her son. She kissed the top of his head, feeling his soft hair against her lips, and whispered a silent promise to always protect him, no matter what.
As her eyes grew heavy, Amara’s mind drifted back to Rowan one last time. His persistence, his charm, the way he made her laugh despite herself-it was infuriating and confusing all at once. But for now, she pushed those thoughts away, focusing instead on the warmth of Vaughn in her arms.
Tomorrow, she would figure it out. Tomorrow, she would make her excuse and cancel the dinner. With that resolution, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep, her thoughts finally giving way to the peaceful embrace of slumber.
The next morning, Amara woke up feeling a bit more resolved. She gently disentangled herself from Vaughn’s embrace, careful not to wake him, and got out of bed. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft glow through the curtains. She moved quietly through the house, her mind already working on the perfect excuse to cancel her dinner with Rowan.
After making herself a cup of coffee, she sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts until she found Rowan’s number. Her thumb hovered over the call button, hesitation creeping in. She took a deep breath and pressed it, bringing the phone to her ear.
It rang a few times before Rowan’s voice came through, sounding cheerful and awake. “Good morning, Amara.”
“Morning, Rowan,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. “Listen, about our dinner tonight-”
“Don’t tell me you’re canceling,” he interrupted, his tone playful but with a hint of seriousness. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”
Amara bit her lip, caught off guard by his response. “It’s just that something came up, and I don’t think I’ll be able to make it.”
“It’s okay,” Rowan replied smoothly, “we can have dinner at your home then.”
Amara felt her frustration bubbling over. “What the… don’t you dare, Rowan.”
Rowan chuckled, his voice warm and teasing. “See you at dinner tonight. I’ll send you the address. Oh, right, wear crimson. It suits you.”
Before she could respond, he hung up, leaving Amara staring at her phone in disbelief. How had he managed to turn her attempt to cancel into a dinner date at his place? She sighed, realizing that dealing with Rowan required a different kind of strategy. She was stuck now, and there was no way out of it.