Chapter Eleven #2
Rowan shifts in his seat uncomfortably, his eyes darting to the girl across the table with long black hair for only a brief second before averting them to someone else at the table. “Been volunteering with the housing project.”
The girl with the raven hair sits forward. I can’t remember her name. Stacy? Sara? Something with an S.
“Really?” she asks, surprised.
“Yeah, that so hard to believe, Stella?” Rowan responds defensively.
She shrinks back in shock, “No, Rowan. Not at all. I was just surprised because you haven’t said anything.” Tension immediately takes up residence around the table. I have no idea why or what’s going on here. All I do know is that Rowan seems very uncomfortable talking about this with Stella.
Rowan softens a little when he sees Stella’s shoulders deflate in defeat. “I’m sorry. I just— “ he closes his eyes and when he opens them again he’s not as defensive. “I really enjoyed it and wanted to help more so I’ve been going on my own.”
Stella’s eyes water as she watches him. “That’s great, Ro. I’m so happy you want to do more.” Stella’s eyes shift towards me questioningly and Rowan seems to know what she’s asking before she even voices it.
The left side of his mouth lifts up as he nods towards her. “That’s how I met Millie.” Suddenly everyone’s eyes shift towards me.
I manage an awkward grin. “He had to show me how to pour paint out of a five-gallon bucket.” I blurt because I don’t know what else to say.
“Oh, those are tricky! Last time I had to tackle one of those I spilled paint all over my parents’ living room!” Tessa, I believe, says. Her smile is kind and wide. She’s pretty, with long wavy red hair and a dusting of freckles across her bare face.
I sag in relief. Maybe I can do this. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to put that little spout thingy on top! Rowan stepped in, just in time.”
“Oh, I hear you, girl. I unfortunately figured that out way too late.” She chuckles to herself, like she’s caught in the memory.
“So, Millie. How did you get involved with the housing project?” Lily asks.
“Oh, I was just looking for something to do and it seemed like a great way to give back to the community.”
Lily sighs as she places her head in her hand and leans on the table. “I admire the work so much. I just wish I had more time to devote to it. Well, that and that I was halfway decent with a hammer.”
I giggle because that’s a skill I’m still trying to master, along with a long list of other things. “Oh, I’m terrible with a hammer as well. They had to put me outside to work on landscaping because I kept banging my hand and not the wood.”
Lily smiles and laughs softly, “How long have you been volunteering?”
Stella is engrossed in our conversation but stays silent.
I purse my lips, trying to think back to when I started. I had to wait until my doctor cleared me, and even then, I still waited a few weeks at my mother’s insistence. “Two months, maybe.”
“That’s so great! How do you find the time? With school and everything else I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day.” She asks, curiously.
“Oh, I go to school online so my schedule is pretty flexible.”
“That’s great! I wish my major offered more classes online. I would be able to get so much more done.”
Luka, her boyfriend chuckles. “You would hate online, Angel. You love school too much to not be sitting front row in every lecture,” he teases.
She bumps her shoulder into his playfully. “You never know, I might love it.”
“Oh, no, I do know. I would bet money on it,” Luka answers.
She giggles, then sighs. “Anyway, that’s beside the point. What’s your major, Millie?”
“Social Work, I’m working on my bachelor’s degree right now. Hopefully, I can go for my master’s after that.” It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.
“That’s amazing. What made you pick that?” Lily asks, curiosity painting her tone.
I shift in my seat and as I do my leg accidentally bumps Rowan’s. I mouth sorry before smirking and turning back to Lily to answer.
Before I can answer Rowan leans forward, his mouth is so close to my ear that it causes a shiver to go up my spine. His voice is a soft caress. “You trying to play footies with me, Daredevil?”
My head turns slightly towards him and I watch as his eyes dance in delight. “Do you want me to?” My whispered question even surprises me.
I watch his mouth curve into the most delicious smile. “I think I might.”
I bite my bottom lip and turn back to Lily. She’s watching us closely, her expression says she is rather entertained. My eyes dart over to Stella’s involuntarily and I find her wearing a similar expression to Lily’s.
I take a deeper breath and smile as I answer, “I was sick as a child, and I had a social worker that really helped me deal with being in the hospital for long periods.”
Carrie was a godsend. Not only for me, but for my parents too.
She helped us for years, stay after stay, Carrie was there, guiding us through the process.
She helped us in so many ways and she was there when we finally got the call that there was a match for my heart.
I want to be what Carrie was to us for other families.
I feel him shift in his seat and his head turn towards me, but I keep my gaze plastered forward. His fingers float across my hand that’s resting in my lap. To my surprise he threads his fingers through mine.
“Are you okay, now?” Stella asks.
I finally look over to Rowan and find him watching me intently. His eyes filled with concern. I feel his hand tighten around mine. I give him a reassuring squeeze back and hold his gaze as I answer. “I’m more than okay.”
I hear a faint, “That’s good,” but I’m too busy watching Rowan’s expression go from worried to relieved, a tentative smile pulls on his lips.
Thankfully any more questions are thwarted when the waitress comes to the table to take all of our orders.
He leans forward, his lips skate across my forehead, causing my core to heat, before his lips reach my ear. “You holding out on me, Daredevil?”
My eyebrows pull together. “It never came up.”
“Later?” he asks, right before the waitress gets to him.
I nod my agreement, knowing from the look in his eyes that he isn’t going to let me get out of telling him everything once we’re alone.
Suddenly my palms grow sweaty again.