“Stealing me away for a night on the town.” I flicked a hand toward the festival. “I’m having fun, even if it was terrifying at first.”
“I’ll treasure your screeches of terror until my dying day.” The smile in his voice was a good sign. I was worried the run-in with Axel had completely closed him off. “I’m… glad you’re having fun.”
Rowan could seem so cocky one moment, then awkward the next. Which side was the real him? Because of my tendency to overthink literally everything, I dwelled on what he’d said about not staying in one place for too long.
Did he expect to get in my pants and then leave without a trace?
A pressure built in the center of my chest. “I won’t pretend to know what you’re thinking. I’ve always been a bit slow on theuptake when it comes to reading people. But I hope youdostick around after this trip.”
“Why?” Rowan brought his knees up and rested his arms on them, the hood falling lower and hiding more of his face as he angled his head down. That silly hood needed to be destroyed. I wanted to rip it off.
“Because I haven’t been able to get you out of my head either,” I admitted. “Not since the day you jumped from that tree and Evan-napped me.”
He lifted his head and pushed back his hood, finally showing his face. “I can tell you mean that.”
“I do.” I brought my cloak tighter against me as the evening breeze picked up. “As you know, I’m a dreadful liar.”
“You really are,” Rowan said with a short laugh. He scooted closer to me. “We can leave if you’re cold.”
“Nah, I’m okay. It’s a nice night.”
I wasn’t ready for it to end.
Despite the occasional cool breeze, the temperature was comfortable. Probably sixty degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. Sitting so close to him helped too. Warmth poured off him, like he was made of sun-heated sand.
“Are you feeling all right?” he asked, fidgeting with the bag of almonds. “You’d usually be asking a hundred questions by now.”
He didn’t need to specify for me to know what he meant.
“I havesomeself-restraint, you know.” I exaggerated a huff. “I can be quiet when I want to be. Sometimes.”
He softly smiled and reclined back, resting a hand behind me on the rooftop. His arm brushed my side. “I was born in Solynia.”
“Where’s that?”
“South. About as far south as you can go before hitting the sea. The summers are sweltering with humidity that clingsto every part of you. Winters are mild but sometimes get cold enough to see a flurry or two. I always dreaded winter. Even mild ones are rough when you have no roof over your head or a warm bed to crawl into. But it gave a reprieve from the flying, bloodsucking bugs at least.”
“Sounds like we grew up in a similar place,” I said, thinking of my other life in Arkansas. The flying bugs he mentioned had to be mosquitoes. Those little bastards. They were so evil they tormented two different worlds.
“Is that so?” He reached into the bag for an almond and placed it to my lips, smiling when I accepted it. “I thought you were from Bremloc.”
“Nope.” Pangs of sadness hit my heart. “But Bremloc’s my home now. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
When—or if—Rowan chose to stay with me, I’d eventually tell him about my whole “being from another world” thing, but for now, I’d keep it to myself.
“The sunsets in Solynia were so vibrant,” Rowan continued. “I used to climb onto the roof of the tavern and watch them. It was my favorite time of day, when the light faded and welcomed night.”
“Why?”
“The shadows,” he answered. “They were the only family I had. Pathetic, right?”
“No.” I couldn’t fight the urge and curled up to him, resting my head on his shoulder. “It makes me want to hug you though.”
We sat for a while, listening to the distant sounds of the festival. His muscles were tense, but he didn’t pull away as I cuddled against him. Maybe some part of him craved the comfort just as much as I craved giving it to him.
“What of your family?” he then asked.
“I didn’t have one growing up. Never knew my parents.” Though, the closer we got to Exalos, the closer I got to possibly learning more about my mom. It made me excited and nervous.
