Page 43 of Second Song

Rowan crouches for something, then stands, glancing my way one more time, and the world might as well stop. There’s no escaping that he’s my reason for coming back early, my permission to push my van to the speed limit, my reward for a whole work week without him.

I’m dazzled all over again. So dazzled I’m slow to tune into what Dom tells me.

“Now she wants me to invite him home tonight to have a tea party with her. Think she’d even ditch her boyfriend for him, and she’s been sweet on Tor forever, but apparently Mr. Byrn’s got a magic whistle in his pocket.”

Here comes another nudge.

I dodge it this time.

I can’t dodge what he asks me. “That’s why you’re back so soon, right? You want a second blow on his magic whistle?”

“A second?”

Did someone see us in that garden? We were the only people there, weren’t we?

I don’t want him to regret it.

I also don’t want to cause Rowan any professional worries, but fuck, I’ve spent all week replaying his reaction to me getting on my knees for him. Every jerk of his hips, every stuttered sorry like he had no clue or control—they’ve been much more welcome flashbacks than the usual.

Dom mentions a different evening.

“Local scuttlebutt is that you’re an even faster worker than my Maisie. You can’t pull an all-nighter anywhere in Porthperrin and go unnoticed. Especially not down at the Anchor.” This time, he waggles his eyebrows. “Believe me, I’ve done enough early morning walks of shame through that village to know some nosy fucker will always see me. If you’re planning on blowing his whistle again tonight, you might want to choose somewhere more isolated.”

“I didn’t... I’m not…. I mean, yes.” Fuck sake. “I mean, Row won’t be going out with anyone this evening. He has evening duties.”

That didn’t stop me from putting in the hours to finish up and get back here, did it? Those long days are my only excuse for being tired enough to admit, “I just wanted to see him even if he’s too busy for me.”

Dom reacts by melting, which I guess is better than him teasing, so I’ll take it, especially as Rowan exits the outdoor classroom to join us.

There’s still his box and this new barrier between us. I like that about as much as I like him flashing a signature cautious look Dom’s way, as though he’s worried. “Who’s too busy?” he asks. That wariness swings my way, and I can’t lie—seeing it morph into a smile makes every single inch of my long drive worth it. “And too busy for what?”

Dom swings an arm over my shoulders, and that’s another close-knit crew flashback. I speak before he can fire any whistle-blowing or walk-of-shame missiles. “For me.” I summon a clearer explanation, aware that Dom shakes beside me. At least his laughter is silent. “I mean, that you’re too busy to come out with me tonight. Because you’re on duty, aren’t you?”

The headmaster joins us. “No, Rowan. You?—”

“Aren’t on duty?” Rowan says quickly, then reverts to cautious. Worse than that, he’s panicked. It’s an instant transformation. He pales under smudges of chalk dust and speckles of paint. “I got it wrong?” This next is quieter. “Knew I would.” He lifts a chin streaked with mud, and fuck me, this sounds like such a small misunderstanding, but here he is, throwing himself over an edge he doesn’t need to. “Sorry. I hope I didn’t get any of my other duties wrong. It’s just that there are a lot, and they keep changing. I’ll keep better track.”

Luke Lawson pours oil on his worried waters. “I meant that you aren’t on duty until suppertime, which will be a bit later than usual this evening.” He gestures to the school minibuses parked beside the main building. “We don’t set prep on Fridays, and in good weather we always start the weekend off-site, either on the beach or up on top of High Tor. The sunsets are spectacular from up there. It’s one of my favourite places. But the surf’s up, so I’m pretty sure the boarding students will outvote me.”

Rowan clutches his box tighter. “So I am on the duty rota but you don’t need me?”

“That’s right. Not until we get back. Unless you want to surf with us? You’re welcome to come. The waves should be great.”

He can’t notice Rowan’s flinch. It’s all I can see, and I can guess what prompted it and his next almost-hidden shudder. He saw the same waves I did weeks ago, only from a different, high-up angle, didn’t he? Saw them, and still wouldn’t let that lamb go.

And here’s why I drove back.

I’m not ready to let go of him, either.

17

LIAM

I make do with gripping the barrier while his new boss is still speaking. “I will need you later to keep up the on-site staffing ratio, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out yourself until then.” His gaze shifts my way for a moment before landing back on Rowan. “Because we’ll be keeping you very busy this weekend.”

I’m not sure if that’s a subtle warning. Has he heard the same walk-of-shame gossip as Dom and is letting me know not to mess with his newest staff member?

Maybe not.

---