Page 50 of Rook

“Tessa,” Rook called as I started to make my way toward the bedroom.

“Yeah?” I asked, turning back but focusing my gaze on his chin rather than his eyes.

“Are we good?”

“Yeah, of course.” Then, knowing I wasn’t being very convincing, I added, “I’m just tired tonight.”

“Okay,” he said, watching me, likely seeing a little too much.

But I turned away and walked back to the bedroom.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, pinching my contacts out of my eyes and storing them in my spare case on the nightstand, since I was constantly guilty of forgetting to take them out in the bathroom.

Then I climbed under the covers, curled up on my side, and tried to think of anything other than Rook.

I failed.

Miserably.

But, eventually, I passed out anyway.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Rook

I had no idea what changed, but Tessa had been off since the engagement.

Sure, after she slept, she was a little less short with me. But she was still very—I don’t know—distant. When she was even around. It seemed like she started taking shopping gigs the moment the store opened in the morning and went until it closed at night.

And the weirdest part?

I missed her.

I’d been excited to have an excuse to call her when I saw Nancy’s car pull down the road, to know she would come and be around me for a few minutes.

“Oh, shit. Okay. I’m just on the way back from the apartments. I’ll be there in less than ten.”

“You have your ring on, right?”

“Always.”

The rap on the door had me wincing.

“Even her knock sounds snotty.”

“I know, right? See you in a few.”

“What took so long?” Nancy asked the second I slid the lock. “Were you hiding something?” she asked, shoving past me and rushing toward the bathroom, listening. Like I’d been flushing drugs or some shit. Even though I literally had no history with them.

“I was on the phone with Tessa,” I told her. I couldn’t lie. If she checked my phone, she would see that.

“Why? Is she not living here any longer?” Nancy asked, sounding pleased by the prospect.

“She is. Actually, we have some big news,” I said, waving toward the framed photograph sitting on one of the bookshelves.

Nancy moved closer, nose in the air. And she literally sniffed as she saw what I was showing her, her lip curling.

“You’re engaged?”

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