Eli 7
Eli
I'd been looking forward to this dinner all week.
After the weirdness at breakfast the other day, it felt like Rowan and I still needed a chance to catch up properly.
Just us, without anything feeling off. I was still getting used to the idea of Marcus being around, but I hoped this would be a good way to shake it off.
We were meeting at a cosy restaurant tucked away on one of the quieter streets in town.
It wasn't fancy, but it had character. Mismatched wooden chairs, a few colourful paintings from local artists on the walls, and the smell of roasted garlic and herbs wafting from the kitchen.
It was the perfect spot for an easy night of conversation and laughs.
When I stepped inside, I scanned the tables for Rowan. The place was comfortably busy, with the low drone of voices and the warm glow of hanging lights making it feel welcoming. It didn't take long to spot him near the back, but as I made my way over, I saw that he wasn't alone.
Marcus sat beside him with his arm casually draped over the back of Rowan's chair. His whole presence looked so relaxed that it almost felt rehearsed. When Rowan saw me approach, he smiled – but there was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. Maybe a hint of uncertainty?
I tried to brush off the unexpected change of plans with a forced smile. I guess I didn't really mind Marcus being here, but this wasn't what I'd pictured.
Rowan stood to give me a quick hug and a warm greeting. "Sorry, hope you don't mind Marcus joining us. It was kind of last-minute."
"Of course not." The lie came out too easily, and I couldn't help glancing at Marcus as I took my seat across from them. "Good to see you both."
Marcus's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Rowan mentioned you were planning this dinner. Thought I'd tag along. You know, get to know you better."
I nodded, but that phrase "tag along" rubbed me the wrong way. I'd come back to town to spend time with Rowan, not some stranger. Still, I tried not to make a big deal about it. The three of us could still have a good time. It was just dinner, after all.
As the evening went on, though, I found myself more on edge than I expected. Marcus was ... charming, in his own way, I supposed. But the longer I listened to him talk, the more I picked up on little things. Offhand comments that left a weird taste in my mouth.
"Rowan's been telling me about some of the stuff he's working on for the school," he said at one point, glancing at Rowan with a grin. "He's always so busy. Sometimes I have to remind him not to take on the whole world by himself."
Rowan gave a small laugh, but I saw the way his fingers tightened a little around his glass. "Yeah, he likes to joke that I take on too much."
Marcus leaned back in his chair with that easy smile. "It's not a bad thing. You just need to remember to ease up."
That exchange sounded harmless. Affectionate, even. But it still made me bristle. Maybe it was just the way he worded it, like Rowan's dedication to his work needed to be managed. I glanced at Rowan, expecting to see a hint of annoyance, but he just nodded as if it made perfect sense.
A faint feeling of unease started to creep in.
This was Rowan we were talking about. He was the most capable person I knew.
He didn't need someone else to manage how he spent his time.
Certainly not when it came to his job. I didn't want to stir up any problems, though, and I could've been overthinking it. So I kept my mouth shut.
The conversation moved in fits and starts after that.
I tried to keep it light and brought up a new exhibit I was working on in London.
Rowan acted interested and asked a few questions, but every time I tried to draw Marcus in, he found a way to steer the topic elsewhere.
His comments kept circling around how Rowan needed to "find a better work-life balance" or "not overdo it. "
By the time the bill came, I was ready for the night to be done. But before I could even reach for it, Marcus snatched it up and slid his card into the folder without hesitation.
"I've got this," he said, his tone easy. "You two don't have to worry about a thing."
I tried to protest, but he waved me off with a smile. "Seriously, I insist. I'll settle up, and you guys can catch up a bit longer."
Rowan didn't argue. He just gave a small appreciative nod. I caught that familiar look of gratitude on his face, but it didn't sit right with me.
Marcus stood and flashed us both a quick grin. "I'll leave you two to it. Rowan, I'll wait in the car."
Rowan managed a more genuine smile. "Sure. Won't be long."
"Good seeing you again, Elias." Marcus gave my shoulder a pat as he passed me on his way to the front to pay the bill. The contact made me want to cringe.
As soon as he was out of sight, the tension in my chest loosened a bit. Now that it was just me and Rowan, I thought the weird feeling might fade, but it didn't. If anything, the questions I'd been holding back all night started to press harder at the front of my mind.
"Hey, Rowan," I started, trying to keep my tone light. "Can I ask you something?"
He glanced at me with a hint of surprise. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"
I hesitated. I didn't want to make a fuss if I was just misreading things. But the way Marcus kept talking like Rowan needed managing, like he couldn't handle his own life without someone guiding him... It bothered me, and I couldn't figure out why it didn't seem to bother Rowan.
"Is everything good with you and Marcus?" I said finally, though I did my best to keep my words neutral. "I just... I noticed he kept stepping in. That doesn't feel off to you?"
He blinked in confusion. "What do you mean, 'stepping in'?"
I fumbled for the right words. "I don't know... Whenever you talked about something, he kind of cut in and redirected everything. Like when you mentioned that project for the start of the school year. It sounded like he was undermining everything you said."
Rowan frowned, but it didn't really look like anger. "He's just trying to help. You know how I can get so caught up in work that I forget to take breaks. He just wants to make sure I don't burn myself out."
I did my best to keep the frustration out of my voice. "I get that. But it kind of feels like he's making decisions for you."
The usual warmth in his expression faded as something more guarded set in. "He's not making decisions for me. He's looking out for me."
"I'm not saying he's doing it on purpose. But I've known you since we were kids, Ro. You've always been able to handle things on your own. But Marcus is always – "
"Always what?" His voice cut in sharper than I remembered ever hearing it before. "Taking care of me? That's what a partner does, Eli. He's not controlling me."
What? I never used the word "controlling," yet Rowan went straight on the defensive. I realised then that pushing this any further would only make it worse.
"I'm just worried about you," I said quietly. "That's all."
His expression softened, but his tone stayed firm. "You don't need to be. I know what I'm doing."
I fought against the urge to argue. The knot in my chest wouldn't ease, but the look on Rowan's face made it clear that this conversation was over.
"Okay. If you're happy, that's what matters."
Though he gave a small nod, the tension didn't really lift. I'd just hit a wall, and I didn't know how to get past it. He didn't intend to hear me out, so I wasn't going to push anymore tonight.
* * *
Back in my hotel room, the quiet felt suffocating. The clock on the nightstand blinked 12:37 am, and I was still wide awake staring at the ceiling.
I'd gone to dinner expecting an easy evening.
Instead, I left feeling unsettled, frustrated, and more confused than I'd been in a long time.
Rowan and I were supposed to laugh, talk about everything and nothing like we always did.
But it didn't happen that way this time.
And Marcus was right at the centre of it.
I turned over and tugged the covers tighter, but sleep still wouldn't come. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those two together. The way Marcus steered the conversation, the way Rowan seemed to shrink.
Rowan wasn't a weak man and never had been. But tonight, I didn't like the way he quietly deferred to Marcus. Seeing him like that felt wrong.
Then again, why should it matter? Rowan was in a relationship and seemed happy. I was probably reading too much into it. It had been years since we'd spent this much time together, and people change. Maybe I was just starting to see that change in him.
Still, the gnawing feeling in my gut wouldn't go away.
I turned over again as my mind drifted back to all the times Rowan had been there for me. Through every mistake, every bad decision, every time I messed things up. But now, Rowan was drifting away, and I didn't even notice until tonight. I'd seen him do it before, and it never ended well.
I lay there in the dark as I tried to make sense of the mess in my head. I knew Rowan better than anyone else. But now that I'd seen how he interacted with Marcus, everything seemed to be slipping out of my control.
I hated that feeling. I hated seeing him fade into the background to let someone else decide what was best for him. That wasn't the Rowan I knew. He was the one who kept things on track, and now he seemed to be getting pulled into someone else's version of his life.
The worst part was that Rowan didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn't care. Maybe he was okay with letting Marcus take the reins. And if that was true, who was I to say otherwise?
I tried to tell myself I was overreacting. Marcus wasn't a bad guy. He hadn't done anything to make me think he was controlling or manipulative. But the way he talked down to Rowan...
I couldn't figure it out. I only knew that tonight didn't feel right. And whether it was just me overthinking or something else, I had to wonder if Marcus was pushing Rowan in a direction he wouldn't have gone on his own.
I rolled onto my back, irritated that I couldn't just let this go. I wanted to trust that Rowan knew what he was doing. But every instinct told me something was wrong.
I'd bring it up to him later. Away from Marcus when things were calmer. For now, though, all I could do was wrestle with the uneasy feeling that I didn't know how to fix whatever had changed.