Page 79 of The Truth of Us

Rowan stared at me. Like he was trying to determine whether I had suffered some kind of traumatic brain injury. Then he took a sip of his drink.

"No."

My jaw clenched. "Fucking hell, Rowan."

"No."

"Where is she?"

His eyes narrowed. "You know what?" he said quietly. "I have enough shit on my plate right now; I don’t have time to clean up your messes."

The words carried enough weight that I should have backed off. I didn't.

"What does that even mean?"

Rowan barked out a humorless laugh. "It means I'm not wasting my time helping you stalk the woman you cheated on."

My temper exploded immediately. "I DIDN'T CHEAT."

Several heads turned, but I didn't care.

Rowan looked completely unimpressed. "You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

"The fact that you need to repeat it every five minutes should tell you something."

I stepped closer. "What has you so busy, anyway?"

Bad idea. I knew it the second the words left my mouth, but I was already angry, spiralling, and looking for somewhere to put it.

"What?"

"What is so important?" I snapped, thinking back on what Harper had said about Rowan. "Your assistant?"

Rowan went completely still. "Careful."

I should have stopped; instead, I doubled down. "Sofia isn't here tonight."

The silence between us sharpened.

"I wonder," I continued. "If that is because you were parading another one of your carbon-copy women around here earlier."

Rowan's stare could have frozen lava; then he leaned in slightly. "Grow the fuck up."

That was it; then he walked away.

The party continued around me. Theo was currently attempting to corrupt Emily Bennett.

"You need water." Caleb said as he handed Emily a bottle.

Emily looked offended. "I'm fine."

"You've had four champagne cocktails in one hour."

“I've had three and I feel fine.”

Theo stood up, grabbing Emily’s hand and saying, “Let’s make it four.”