Page 113 of Catching Feelings

?CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

MILES

When Rowan texted the other day asking me to meet her for dinner, I nearly passed out. I’d just gotten out of the shower and was changing in front of my locker when my phone lit up with her gorgeous face.

Because, yeah, even though we haven’t been a thing for two months, I still have a picture of us as my home screen and a picture of her smiling in my bed as her contact photo. I don’t even try to hide it from the guys anymore. Sinatra already fessed up to asking Rowan to the fundraiser only to get a rise out of me, which holy fuck did he ever.

Totally worth it though to see her dolled up in that dress. Holy shit, I almost keeled over from the rush of blood that went every-fucking-where. The rush filled my head, then dropped to my heart, making me think I was having a heart attack, then made my dick swell. It was too much, too fast, but holy fuck was it worth it.

Tonight we’re going casual. She picked her fancy pizza place and asked me to meet her there instead of picking her up. I’m trying not to look into that too much. Picking her up would make this a date. Meeting her there is dinner with a friend.

But it’s progress. Better than her ghosting me for two months. I won’t ask her about it. I get that she needed her time. I’m only happy that she’s smiling again. That she’s in the stands again. That she’s talking to me again.

I arrive at the restaurant ten minutes early and get a table for us near the back. I sit facing the door so I can see her when she comes through the door, but I’ll move so my back is to the restaurant to hopefully avoid being recognized.

A few minutes later, Rowan walks through. Even bundled in a winter coat and hat, I can still recognize her. It’s those beautiful brown eyes and those pink lips that call to me.

I stand and hold out the chair I was sitting in for her. “Hey.” I brush a quick, friendly kiss across her cheek and offer to take her coat. While she gets settled in, I add her coat to mine on the seat next to me.

A waitress comes over to take our drink order, and when she leaves, I brace my elbows on the table. “Tell me the truth. It was seeing me in a tux that made you ask me out to dinner, wasn’t it?”

She curls her bottom lip between her teeth and grins. “Maybe.”

“I knew it. I’ve heard I’m irresistible in a monkey suit.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhm. Aunt Lynn told me that on prom night, and she’d never lie to me.”

“Prom night, huh? You haven’t been in a tux since?”

“Maybe a time or two and hated every minute of it. Usually, I go for a suit and tie, but Brock told me he was wearing a tux, and since I knew I’d look better...” I lift my shoulder in a shrug as the waitress comes over to deliver our drinks.

“About the fundraiser,” Rowan starts, and glides her finger through the condensation of her iced tea. “Brock and I are just friends.”

“Oh, I know.” I laugh.

“You do?”

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