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Bryce
It’s around six in the morning when Rowan finally stirs again. I haven’t been asleep yet, but Dereck and Matt are snoring in their designated seats across from Rowan. They, too, had been awake until just a few hours ago, all of us watching over Rowan to make sure nightmares didn’t plague her dreams.
“Bryce?” says Rowan in a hushed whisper, and I hand her the glass of water that’s been waiting for her. She takes a sip and lifts herself onto the back of her elbows, looking around. “Did all three of you stay there all night?” she asks me. I nod.
“We just wanted to make sure you were okay. Last night sucked, you know?”
“I know.” Rowan sits up stiffly, tossing the blanket off her legs to swivel around and place her bare feet on the floor beneath her. The sound wakes Dereck, and then Matt.
“Take it easy,” Dereck says. “Those drugs could still be in your system.”
I take one of Rowan’s hands and Dereck takes the other, and we help Rowan up from the couch. She’s shaky still, but much more stable than she had been last night, and that puts my mind at ease.
“Come to the kitchen and I’ll whip up some breakfast,” Matt says, and Dereck and I exchange a grimace. Cooking had never been Matt’s strong suit.
“I don’t want to impose longer than necessary,” Rowan says quietly. “I already owe you guys, well, everything.”
“You owe us nothing,” I insist, and the other two nod in agreement, hands supporting Rowan as she walks to the kitchen at Matt’s insistence. We help her sit down at the table and then get to work. I reach for the coffee to brew a fresh pot and Dereck goes to the cupboard to find some aspirin. Matt is already pulling on what technically belongs to me, a black and red apron with the words, “I rub my meat before I stick it in” plastered across the front. It’s something I now realize is funnier when there’s not a woman in the house.
“Nice, man,” Matt says sarcastically, glaring down at the words on the apron. “Inappropriate, much?”
“Yeah, dude,” adds Dereck, glancing at Rowan. “What a jerk you must be.”
“Yeah. You assholes got me that for Christmas last year,” I remind them, and Rowan laughs, which puts us all at ease. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time a girl has set us all on edge like this. And it’s not in a bad way, not at all. It’s that we don’t want to look like idiots … we want her validation.
And I think we’re all okay with that.
Matt cooks everyone a breakfast of burnt toast, runny eggs, and sausage that could be raw in the middle, but no one complains. Rowan is looking better as the minutes tick by. The color is returning to her cheeks and the smile she has on her face is not forced. This is the first time we’ve all really been together; no sneaking around, going behind each other’s backs, and harboring secrets, and we’re all pleasantly surprised that no one has sucker punched anyone else yet. Despite the testosterone between the three of us, things seem to be okay. No, better than okay. Perfect.
“I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve been around you guys without wanting to bolt and never look back,” Rowan says, reaching for a second slice of toast. “And I appreciate that. Really.” She swallows and looks down at the table, like she’s just thought of something unpleasant. “I don’t have a lot of friends here,” she murmurs. “You know, just Jamie. Maybe Carly, if she ever forgives me.” She takes a bite of her toast and chews slowly, pensive. “I never thought that the three people I hated most in high school would become, well, my friends.”
Matt, Dereck, and I exchange a glance over Rowan’s head, and I know we’re all thinking the same thing … who knew that we would be friends with Rowan Bates, either? Who knew that years of bullying an innocent girl would someday turn into a vast respect and appreciation for that person? And in the look that the three of us exchange, there’s something more there, and it’s something we all know but don’t know how to say out loud …
We each love Rowan, as more than just a friend. And we want to be with her.
But how?
