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Rowan felt fragile and faded, like a scrap of paper with the writing erased away too many times. “He didn’t let me say goodbye.”
“Honey, it sounds like you did.”
The sympathy in her eyes made Rowan want to scream and claw the pillow to shreds. From her vantage on the floor, she saw a lone bunched-up sock under the bed. A choked sob wracked her throat.
Beside her, she felt Temperance’s shoulders shake.
She waslaughing.
“Is something funny?” Rowan said through her tears.
A snort, then a giggle. “You’re both assholes. Oblivious assholes,” Temperance said.
Rowan was speechless for the second time that day.
Temperance took off her glasses and dabbed her eyes. “Iknewyou were going to do this. Both of you.”
“I really don’t think this is the time for ‘I told you so’s,’” Rowan sniffed.
“Oh, it’s definitely the time. I only wish Frankie were here, too.”
Rowan tossed away the pillow and stared down at her hands. “Damn it, Temperance.”
“I’m sorry. I knew this would happen. Ask Frankie. We made a Cheesesteak Friday bet.”
“Youwhat?”
“Been a while since I’ve won, though. She rarely makes bets she thinks she might lose.”
“Frankie has a betting problem.” Rowan dropped her head into her hands. “She had one going with me, too. Said I’d fall in love with him.”
“Well.” Temperance slid her glasses back on. “Did she win?”
Rowan didn’t answer. “Tell me about your bet with her.”
“God, I just don’t understand how someone could want to eat cheesesteak for an entire month—twomonths—”
“Temperance.”
“Sorry.” A long beat of silence passed before Temperance replied, “Frankie said you’d be engaged by summer. I said you two would get all tangled with each other, then mutually screw it up. Honestly, I hate that I was right.”
“Nice, Temperance. Real nice.”
“Listen.” She held up her hands, innocent. “It was a jerk thing for me to say. But I know you both. Harry is a walking bundle of raw nerves, and he was halfway in love with you within hours of arriving here. But you’re still letting that shitbird Noah Tully and your terrible mother dictate what you do with your heart. I didn’t make any wildly unrealistic assumptions.”
“This is making me feel so much better, T.J.”
Temperance rested a hand on Rowan’s knee. “I know you don’t want to hear logic right now. But it’s a language you and I mutually understand, so I’m saying it anyway. People in professions like Harry’s and mine—people who see the kinds of things we do, the frailty and fragility of it all—we realize how transitory life is. We’re so—impermanent. Time becomes something we don’t really feel like we can afford to waste. Something made him realize that, and he took his shot with you. Someone like Harry wants forever.”
“He could’ve given me some warning,” Rowan grumbled.
Temperance turned serious. “Surely you’ve known for longer than a week that he’s in love with you.” There was plain admonishment in her voice. “I think you had plenty of warning.”
Rowan stared at her hands. “I’m as shallow as a teaspoon.”
“You’re not.” Temperance stroked a hand up and down her back. “But I’m not going to pretend my loyalty isn’t dividedhere. Now that this is all out in the open, if you two decide to draw battle lines, I’m going to stand right in the center of them and be a massive, unrelenting monster until you both stop being so clueless.”
“There’s no battle to be had. It’s done.”
