Then her eyes slide to me. So do everyone else’s.
I fidget in my seat. Something shifts in the room. Like they’re all in on some secret.
Rose’s absence seems louder right now. We’ve been apart for an hour, and all I want is to drag her back to my side. I don’t want Pearl on my chair.
“It’s been a long few days. I need to catch up on some work before tonight, then shower.” I stand, and Pearl’s hand trails down my arm as I move past her.
Griffin swings his legs off the coffee table and gets to his feet, slapping me on the back. “Fine, be boring. But once you’resettled, you’re actually on vacation. I never thought I’d agree with Pearl on anything—but you need to loosen up.”
He grins and makes his way out, Reign on his heels.
Harlow pulls me into a hug. “I have missed you, old friend. I’m so glad you’re here,” she says against my cheek. Her words make me feel guilty. Like it’s a miracle I bothered to come. I need to make time for her, for the others, more often. The only reason I see Pearl as much as I do is because she inserts herself into my life.
Harlow pauses by the door, waiting for Pearl.
Pearl lingers beside me, her hand finding my arm again. “Come on. Let’s just go on that picnic. Sit down together, just the two of us. We haven’t seen each other in weeks.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “No, Pearl,” I say firmly.
She falters for only a moment, and then says brightly, “Okay, grumpy. See you at rehearsal.” She leans up to kiss my cheek before I can stop her, then she and Harlow leave together.
I cross to the balcony and push the doors open. They swing out of my hand, the gust of wind that hits my face immediately. The edges of the hurricane are working the island over, and I stand there and let it punish me. The rain comes sideways, whipping into my skin like little needle pricks.
Rose doesn’t need to know what I did. What Pearl did. The role we played in her career coming down. It will crush her.
I can fix this. I can figure out a way to help her get back on her feet. I have plenty of money. She just needs money. A new investor.
I’m going to make things better for Rose from here on out. I make a decision. I go inside, get dressed, and go find her.
Chapter 14: Rose
Iwake to knocking. Groggy, I push up to a seat and check the clock. Just past three.
After talking to my dad, I’d come back here thinking I’d finally get started on all that hibernating I’ve been fantasizing about.
Another knock. I debate ignoring it. Whoever’s on the other side is persistent, though.
When I swing open the door, my stomach does this complicated twist. Part of me lights up—he came, just like he said he would. The other part of me remembers Pearl’s messages, still splintering beneath my sternum.
I keep the door tight in my palm, squeezing the handle. “Hi.”
His eyes sweep over me. “Hi.”
I hate how put-together he looks. He’s not my usual type—I go for the artists, the creators. Musicians, a filmmaker once, a bartender for almost two years. Men who smelled like sweat and weed. Men whose apartments had broken dishes and no curtains, and always ran out of soap.
Not this. Not whatever Logan has going on, this clean, assembled, just-shaved look. He smells good. I don’t want to think about how good.
“What can I do for you?” I ask, finding something interesting on the floor.
He frowns. I can see it out of the corner of my eye, but I refuse to look up.
Then he just pushes past me.
“Hey!” I stumble back. He puts a hand around me to shut the door, then turns to look around the room. His jaw tightens.
“What the fuck is this?” he says, low.
“What?” I ask in confusion.
