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Chapter 3
Grace
After pacing on Rowan’sporch for an hour, my anger dissipated. I showed up temper hot and rearing to go, but now I’m more defeated than furious. I sit on the top step, elbows on my knees, staring into space.
I don’t even move when his car turns into the driveway. He steps out and makes his way toward me, his eyes fixed on me as mine are on him. His steps falter. I even see the way he inhales deeply. Is he reluctant to face me because of his guilt?
I glare at him, but at this point, it’s hard to muster my earlier wrath. The energy just isn’t there. He stops at the bottom of the steps.
“Grace, what are you doing here?”
My lips twist wryly. “You don’t sound happy to see me, Rowan. I wonder why that is.”
His eyebrows furrow. “Are you alright? Did something happen—”
“Just stop,” I tell him as I stand up. “You don’t have to pretend to care about me anymore. I got your message loud and clear.”
Rowan rubs the back of his neck and blows out a long breath. “Look, Grace, I know it looks bad that I didn’t call—”
“So, if you didn’t send your lawyer to do your dirty work, you would have tried to get rid of me over a phone call instead? You wouldn’t have had the decency to tell me to my face? I really thought you were better than that.”
He takes a step back. “What are you talking about? What does Devlin have to do with any of this?”
My dwindled fury is back on the rise. Fists balled at my sides, I stare at him in disbelief. He has the nerve to look at me as if I’m crazy, and that infuriates me more. “All my life I’ve never encountered a better actor than you, Rowan.”
His eyebrows almost touch his hairline. “Excuse me?”
“You ride in on your white horse and pretend to care. Tell me how much you want to help me because I’mspecial. What was the entire show for, huh? To convince me to trust you so you could get what you wanted and then discard me once you got bored?”
His eyes go wide.
“What, did you think I’d get too attached because we slept together, so you have to get rid of me? Get over yourself, Rowan!”
He blinks. “Grace. I don’t—”
“You don’t have to pay me off to get me out of your life, you ass. If you want me to leave your apartment and get out of your hair, all you have to do is say so.”
He takes the steps two at a time until he towers over me. “Grace!”
My mouth snaps shut.
“What thefuckare you talking about?”
I gaze at him for a moment, then my derisive snort fills the silence. Reaching into my back pocket, I take out the folded check and hold it out to him. The recognition I expect to see on his face isn’t there. Instead, he frowns and hesitantly takes the piece of paper.
Rowan glances at me, then studies the check. Arms folded, I watch him.
