Page 139 of The Rebel

Still, she was handling it all like a boss.

Sure, she was stressed.

I saw it in her face. I felt it every time I touched her body.

But she wasn’t one to complain, and she hadn’t. In fact, she was the most positive woman I knew.

I needed to get to the bottom of whateverehwas.

I grabbed my things from my desk and called down to the valet, letting them know I needed my car. It was already parkedby the door by the time I got downstairs. I tipped the attendant and drove out onto the street.

Eh.

A word I’d never heard Rowan use, and it was fucking eating at me as I drove to her house. I didn’t want her to be upset. I didn’t want her to be angry. Whatever emotions she was feeling, I wanted to take them from her and bury them.

Unless theeh… had to do with me?

I hadn’t even considered that when I got behind the wheel and started heading for her place.

Had I fucked up?

Without even knowing it?

It was possible. This whole relationship thing was new to me, and I was learning as I went.

It was that worry that had me pulling into the high-end market a few blocks from her house, parking in a spot out front, and rushing inside. I didn’t know what I was looking for. I just thought showing up with something would make whateverehwas better.

There were flowers by the entrance. Long stems of colorful petals that were bunched together and wrapped in a cone of plastic. I grabbed one and wandered through the store, looking to see if something else caught my attention.

If she was hungry, I was going to take her out. If she wanted to drink, she had a whole bar at her house.

The flowers were perfect.

I quickly paid for them and got back into my car. As I weaved up her street and turned into her entrance, I slowly pulled up to her gate, pressing the button that would notify her that I was here.

There was a camera staring right at me. She could see my face through an app on her phone and on any of the tabletsin her house. Therefore, she didn’t have to talk through the intercom and ask who I was.

What surprised me was that she didn’t say anything before she opened the gate.

Not even ahiii, which was her typical greeting.

I parked in front of her garage, and as I was walking up to the front, she appeared in the doorway. She crossed both sides of her sweater, hiding her chest, one that she’d put on since she’d gotten home, along with the yoga pants and socks.

“Flowers?” Her voice was soft, almost breathy.

As I got closer, I noticed she’d also washed off her makeup.

A natural look that I fucking loved on her.

But what wasn’t the norm was the color of her cheeks. They were flushed while her forehead and chin were pale, her eyes glossy.

I knew my baby well enough to know she was hurting.

Once she took the stems from my grip, my hands immediately went to her waist. “Theehin your text made me think you needed a smile.” I dipped into her neck, gently kissing it. An unfamiliar sheen of sweat was on her skin. When I moved my face back, I asked, “What’s wrong, Rowan?”

She held my stare for several seconds and brought the flowers up to her nose. “They smell amazing.” She attempted a smile. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“I went to your office to bitch about your brother, and you were gone.”

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