CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ROWAN
The party got messier after midnight.
That seemed scientifically unavoidable.
Music louder.
People closer.
The rooftop warmer from too many bodies moving in one space like nobody had classes, responsibilities, or dignity waiting for them tomorrow.
Serena reappeared out of nowhere and immediately grabbed my wrist.
“You vanished.”
“You disappeared first.”
“That’s different.”
“It literally isn’t.”
She ignored me completely.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked past me.
Then she grinned.
“Oh,” she said. “You two fought again.”
“We didn’t fight.”
“That answer means yes.”
I opened my mouth to argue.
Didn’t.
Because Mason was across the rooftop again.
Talking to Jace now.
Drink in his hand.
Expression controlled like always.
But not relaxed.
Not even close.
Serena followed my stare.
“You know,” she said casually, “he looks at you like he’s trying not to.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“Exactly.”
Then she disappeared again before I could answer.
MASON
I shouldn’t have come over earlier.
That was the conclusion I landed on ten minutes too late.
Because now everything felt worse.
Not dramatic.
Just sharper.
Like I’d made the awareness visible instead of contained.
Jace leaned beside me at the railing.
“You’re cooked,” he said.
“I’m fine.”
“You keep saying that like legally someone’s forcing you to.”
I ignored him.
Because Rowan laughed again somewhere behind me.
Not loud.
Still noticed it immediately.
That was the problem now.
Everything involving her cut through noise too easily.
Niko appeared beside us with two girls already hanging off his shoulders.
“Reed,” he said. “You look like someone stole your dog.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“That somehow makes it sadder.”
Jace laughed.
I didn’t.
Because movement across the rooftop caught my attention again.
Luca.
Back near Rowan.
ROWAN
Luca returned with another drink in his hand.
“You survived,” he said.
“Barely.”
“That’s the correct attitude for this place.”
I took the drink carefully this time.
“That one safer?” I asked.
“No,” he replied honestly. “But it tastes safer.”
That made me laugh slightly.
And he noticed immediately.
“There it is,” he said.
“What.”
“You actually relaxing.”
“I am relaxed.”
“That’s a lie.”
I rolled my eyes.
But he wasn’t wrong.
The rooftop still felt strange tonight.
Not because of the crowd.
Because of one person inside it.
Luca leaned against the bar beside me.
Easy.
Comfortable.
No overthinking.
That difference mattered more than I expected.
MASON
I watched Luca lean closer again.
Not aggressively.
Just naturally.
Like space didn’t intimidate him.
That irritated me instantly.
Jace noticed.
“Okay,” he said. “Now you officially look homicidal.”
“I don’t care.”
“Right. And I’m secretly vegan.”
I took another sip from my drink.
Didn’t even taste it.
Because Rowan wasn’t stepping back.
Again.
Not encouraging him either.
Just existing comfortably beside him.
That was somehow worse.
Because it looked easy.
And nothing with her had ever felt easy.
ROWAN
The music changed.
Something louder.
Bass heavier.
People started pushing toward the middle of the rooftop.
Dancing.
Or whatever version of dancing drunk college students believed they were doing.
Luca glanced toward the crowd.
“You dance?”
“No.”
“That answer was way too fast.”
“I don’t.”
“That’s tragic.”
“It’s realistic.”
He laughed again.
Then held his hand out casually.
“Come on.”
I stared at him.
“You’re serious?”
“Unfortunately.”
I should’ve said no immediately.
That would’ve been smarter.
Instead—
I hesitated.
And that was enough.
MASON
She hesitated.
That was the problem.
Not acceptance.
Possibility.
Luca saw it too.
His grin widened slightly before he took her hand.
Not dramatic.
Not possessive.
Just casual contact.
Simple.
Normal.
My jaw tightened instantly.
Jace noticed immediately.
“Oh, this is bad,” he muttered.
“I’m fine.”
“No, seriously. You look like you’re about to commit a felony.”
I ignored him.
Because Rowan let Luca pull her into the crowd.
And suddenly I couldn’t see her clearly anymore.
That hit harder than it should’ve.
ROWAN
The crowd swallowed everything.
Music.
Voices.
Thoughts.
Luca moved easily through people like he belonged in places like this.
I didn’t.
That became obvious immediately.
“You’re stiff,” he shouted over the music.
“I hate this!”
“You’ll survive!”
Easy for him to say.
He laughed again and stepped closer so I could hear him.
One hand briefly touching my waist to keep someone from slamming into me through the crowd.
That contact lasted maybe two seconds.
Still—
I noticed it immediately.
Not because of him.
Because I suddenly became aware of someone else watching.
And when I looked—
Mason was there.
Across the crowd.
Eyes already on us.
MASON
That was mistake number two.
Watching too openly.
Because the second Rowan looked up—
she caught me.
And suddenly the crowd disappeared.
Not literally.
Just mentally.
All I could see was:
Luca’s hand on her waist.
Rowan noticing me noticing.
And neither of us looking away first.
Jace said something beside me.
Didn’t hear it.
Because Rowan stopped moving completely for half a second.
Like the moment hit her too.
Then Luca leaned closer to say something near her ear.
And I looked away first.
That pissed me off immediately.
LUCA
Okay.
Now it made sense.
Not fully.
Enough.
The guy across the rooftop wasn’t just “a guy.”
And Rowan definitely wasn’t unaffected either.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I leaned slightly closer near her ear because the music demanded it.
“You want out?” I asked.
She blinked once like she’d forgotten where she was.
Then:
“Yeah,” she admitted.
Honest.
Good.
I guided her out of the crowd without another word.
ROWAN
The second we stepped away from the music—
everything crashed back properly.
Air.
Noise.
Thoughts.
Mason was still near the railing.
Still pretending he wasn’t watching.
Luca handed me water this time instead of alcohol.
“That looked intense,” he said casually.
“What did.”
He gave me a look.
“You know exactly what.”
I looked down at the bottle in my hand.
Didn’t answer.
Because for the first time tonight—
I wasn’t sure I actually could.