“I will, thank you. If you change your mind, find me. If you went out on a date with me, love, everyone would know we were together.” With that mic drop, he waved goodbye to the table and left.
Needless to say, the jovial atmosphere of pre-Davey never made a second appearance. Her sisters and friends tried their best, but Hugh never spoke another word. Not one.
By the time they got home, he still hadn’t spoken. Grace only went so far. His lethal silence and clenched jaw had pushed her past pissed off.
She wanted to confront his behavior, but honestly, she wasn’t sure she could stay level-headed. The worried looks that her sisters had kept sending her on the drive home only made her more pissed at Hugh. He promised he would try. If this was trying, she’d hate to see what their relationship would look like if he gave up.
Hugh watchedRowan silently walk to the refrigerator and grab a bottle of water. She didn’t turn back around but stayed facing the opposite direction from where he stood. She took a few sips, probably hoping he would leave the room.
He wanted to. He wanted to avoid discussing the evening, but not at the expense of her feelings.
“Rowan.” Her shoulders stiffened. She didn’t acknowledge him or turn around. “Please, talk to me.” She placed the bottle down on the counter before slowly turning. Her eyes were red-rimmed like she was barely keeping herself from crying. He kept hurting her, and it was killing him.
“You managed silence quite well most of the evening. Why break it now?”
“I did try to join in more. I did enjoy tonight.” He sounded pathetic, but he had enjoyed everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. She didn’t say anything else.
“I fucked up by not…from the beginning, I should have…held your hand. Like you asked. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head and sighed. “You didn’t just treat me like a stranger. You were actually unkind to me at the table. If I leaned too far into your personal space, you looked like you wanted to run. I let it go because I said I’d be patient.”
He could only nod. Everything she said was true, except if he’d run, it would have been with her over his shoulder so they could be alone.
“You did start to enjoy yourself, I agree, but after Davey stopped by, you were…horrible, for lack of a better word.”
Even hearing that man’s name again sent sharp jealousy stinging through his chest.
“I explained that I was, in fact, on a date. You should have let it go,” she blew out an exasperated breath.
“Your very young, very attractive tattoo artist that touched yourbareass and thought I was yourdad!” he roared the last. He was livid. Not at Rowan—only at himself.
“The same man who bought me a drink and asked me out because he didn’t have a clue I was on a date. How could he have known? How could anyone have known we were together?” she yelled back. “And you shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks of us being together. You,” she stopped to jab her finger in his direction, “should only care whatIthink about it!”
He leaned on the center island, palms flat on the cool surface, facing Rowan’s disappointment. His goddamned hang-ups were going to lose him everything if he didn’t step up. He started to tell her that he wouldn’t screw up as bad as he had tonight ever again, but she shook her head and raised her hand to stop him.
“I’m sleeping in the guest bedroom. I’m too emotional tonight to be rational, and I’m exhausted. Give me tonight. I want to be rested when I see Nan off in the morning, and I have an early doctor’s appointment. I’ll talk to you tomorrow when we’ve both cooled down.”
He didn’t want to wait. He wanted this resolved. He needed her forgiveness…again, but he also wanted to give her what she needed, so he nodded okay.
She went to their bedroom, grabbed some clothes and toiletries, and walked silently down the hall to the spare room, quietly shutting the door.
It sounded as loud as thunder.
35
“Thank you again for coming,” Rowan sniffled, embracing her sisters in Nan’s old house—their house now after Patrick bought it from their grandma.
“What in the hell is going on, Row? Seriously, your text scared the shit out of me, and I know Pat’s going to skin me alive when I get home,” River grimaced. “I texted him halfway here to tell him the three of us had to run to Boyle today and would explain everything this evening.”
“I told Bran that you needed River and me. I packed clothes and stuffed them into Daniel’s diaper bag before running out the door.” Raven didn’t look any happier about leaving her husband without an explanation. “To say he was pissed when he got my text an hour later saying we had to go to Nan’s is putting it mildly. I did admit that you were upset about something and needed us. He still wasn’t happy, but he understood. River and I both asked Bran and Pat not to tell Hugh for now like you asked us to.” Daniel was still sleeping in his car seat but was starting to stretch and yawn.
Rowan dropped into one of the kitchen chairs surrounding the huge wooden table, placing her forehead on the smooth but scarred surface. “I’m sorry. So, so sorry, guys. I panicked.”
“No shit. Pat just made a big breakfast, and I only got one bite,” River whined. “Eating for two isn’t just a job. It’s a privilege.”
From Rowan’s prone position, she saw River smile from her peripheral. River was trying to lighten the mood. She appreciated the gesture, but Rowan couldn’t think of a single thing that would make her current reality smile-worthy.
“Tell us what’s going on. When you texted us both that you hopped a ride with Nan and Devlen, I knew something had to be seriously wrong,” Raven said, rubbing a hand over her sister’s head, which was still on the table. “While you start, I’m going to heat a bottle up for Daniel.”
