Page 42 of The Rebel

And those fucking lips—I had so many plans for them.

As she stepped toward the front of the aisles, she finally looked up.

Our eyes slowly connected.

And I gradually witnessed the recognition pass through her as she saw me standing here, the shock as she realized it was me, and the layers of emotion that moved through her.

Eventually, she said into the phone, “Sky, I-I have to go,” and tossed her cell into her purse.

She stopped only a few feet from me, her eyes widening even more as she took in my face. Her lips flexing, like she was breathing heavy. Her cheeks fully flushed.

“Cooper … hi.”

I nodded. “Rowan …”

“It’s nice to see you.” She smiled.

I knew that was the appropriate response, but that didn’t mean I was going to let her get away with it.

I was going to call her ass out, and I gave zero fucks about it.

My brows furrowed; my lips pulled wide. I let the silence eat at her until I replied, “Is it really nice to see me?”

She laughed. I could tell it was out of nerves. “Why would you say that?”

I could beat around the bush, dragging this out, possibly never getting a real answer.

Or I could be honest.

I shifted my stance, adjusting the bottles under my arm, and decided on the latter. “It’s just an interesting comment, given that I haven’t heard from you. If things had been so nice, why did you ghost me?”

Her chest rose, staying high as she replied, “Ghost? No, that’s not it.”

“Then, what is it?”

She finally let out the air she had been holding in, her chest deflating. “I just …” She turned quiet. “I didn’t know …” She took a breath. “I don’t know.”

She was flustered.

I’d solve that.

“Listen, I’m not the kind of guy who needs to hear an excuse. I understand how this works. Fuck, I’m one of the inventors of it.” I turned, giving her my profile, disappointed that we were here when I’d had a gut feeling that we’d be more. And, hell, I really did want more. “We had a good time, Rowan. But it wasn’t good enough for you to reach out. No more needs to be said.”

I was out of words.

Looking at her, for even a second longer, would only make my dick harder, so I went to take a step toward the cashier.

But out of nowhere, her fingers clamped my forearm, stopping me from moving.

“Cooper, that’s not it.” Her nails dug in, in a way that I remembered well. “That’s not even close to being it.” She waited, and when I said nothing, she added, “It’s not that I don’t want you. I do. God, I really do. It’s that … I shouldn’t want you.” She paused again. “And that’s what I’ve been fighting with.”

I wasn’t facing her anymore.

So, I turned my head, first to look at her hand and then her eyes.

They had changed since I’d last gazed at them.

The emotion was thicker.

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