CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
ROWAN
Mason was still holding me.
Not dramatically.
Not romance-movie style.
Just solid hands on my waist while the entire rooftop kept turning into drunk chaos around us.
Someone yelled near the fight again.
Security shoved through the crowd.
Music still blasted like nobody was getting thrown out in the next ten minutes.
And somehow my full attention was stuck on the fact that Mason’s thumbs moved slightly against my sides before he seemed to realize what he was doing.
His jaw tightened immediately after.
Yep.
He noticed too.
“You good?” he asked.
His voice sounded rougher now.
Not emotional.
Just… lower.
Like he was forcing it steady.
I should step back.
Instead I looked up at him and said, “You ask me that every five minutes.”
“That’s because you keep almost dying at this party.”
“I tripped twice.”
“You walked directly into danger both times.”
“I walked into you both times.”
The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
Not because they sounded flirty.
Because Mason’s grip tightened for like half a second before loosening again.
And damn.
That felt important.
MASON
She looked at me right after saying it too.
Like she heard how it sounded.
Like she was waiting to see if I did too.
Bad idea.
Very bad idea.
Jace appeared beside us again because apparently the universe hated me personally.
“You guys know you’re still touching, right?”
Rowan jerked backward immediately.
I let go too fast again.
For one second, Rowan looked annoyed about it.
Actually annoyed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Tessa pointed between us dramatically. “There it is. Emotional constipation.”
“Please shut up,” Rowan muttered.
“No,” Luca said. “I wanna see where this goes.”
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I told him.
“Brother, this is free entertainment.”
Fair enough.
ROWAN
The rooftop was definitely dying now.
People were leaving in groups, yelling about afterparties and rides and missing jackets.
The fight near the center had mostly broken up, but the mood shifted afterward.
Messier.
More exhausted.
Mason grabbed his keys off the counter near the bar. “I’m leaving.”
Jace blinked. “Already?”
“You say that like we’ve been here twenty minutes.”
“It’s only…” Jace checked his phone. “Holy shit.”
“Exactly.”
Tessa stretched dramatically beside Luca. “Honestly? I’m impressed nobody’s cried yet.”
“That’s because none of us dated Luca,” Mason said.
“Rude,” Luca replied.
“Accurate,” Tessa corrected.
Luca looked offended for about two seconds before shrugging. “Fair.”
I laughed again before I could stop myself.
Mason looked over immediately.
Again.
God, he really did do that constantly now.
MASON
I was absolutely cooked.
There was no other explanation anymore.
Every time Rowan laughed, my attention snapped toward her automatically like some pathetic reflex.
And the worst part?
Everyone noticed.
Including Rowan.
Jace smirked at me. “You’re down bad.”
“I hate that phrase.”
“That’s not a denial.”
I grabbed my jacket off the back of the stool. “I’m leaving before all of you become more annoying.”
“Too late,” Tessa said.
Luca pointed at Rowan. “She leaving too?”
Bad question.
Terrible question.
Because suddenly everyone looked at us again.
Rowan folded her arms. “Why are you all obsessed with us?”
“Because this has more tension than cable television,” Tessa answered immediately.
Jace nodded seriously. “Honestly, if one of you kissed the other right now, I think the whole rooftop would clap.”
Jesus Christ.
ROWAN
“You people are insane,” I said.
“Correct,” Luca replied.
Mason shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “Ignore them.”
Easy for him to say.
He wasn’t the one currently getting stared at by four emotionally intrusive idiots.
Although honestly?
He looked slightly uncomfortable too.
Good.
“You driving?” he asked me.
Simple question.
Still somehow loaded.
“Yeah.”
“You drank.”
“So did you.”
“Less.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to be responsible right now?”
“It’s disgusting, I know.”
Jace gasped dramatically. “He cares if you survive the drive home. We’re progressing.”
“Jace,” Mason warned.
“What? I’m supporting growth.”
I looked between them and shook my head. “Your friend group is exhausting.”
“You fit in great,” Tessa said immediately.
That hit me weirdly hard.
Not because it was deep.
Because I realized I didn’t hate the idea.
Crap.
MASON
Rowan looked surprised by that one.
Tiny reaction.
Still noticeable.
And suddenly I had this weird image in my head of her around us more often.
At games. At parties. Sitting on Jace’s couch rolling her eyes while Luca said dumb shit.
Dangerous thought.
Abort immediately.
“You can take my car,” I said before thinking.
Rowan blinked. “What?”
“I’ll get a ride with Jace.”
“That’s a terrible trade for you.”
“He owes me after tonight.”
“I absolutely do not,” Jace said.
“You told Rowan I texted you about her.”
“You did text me about her.”
“I’m gonna shove you off this rooftop.”
“See?” Jace looked at Rowan. “That’s affection. He usually threatens murder when he’s stressed.”
“That does not help your case,” Rowan told him.
Tessa leaned toward Luca. “I give them two weeks before they either hook up or have a massive emotional breakdown.”
“Probably both,” Luca replied.
Honestly?
They were probably right.
Which was deeply concerning.
ROWAN
I should say no to the car thing.
That would be smart.
Reasonable.
Normal.
Instead I looked at Mason standing there with his hands in his pockets looking tired and annoyed and accidentally sweet underneath it—
and my brain completely betrayed me.
“You sure?” I asked.
Mason nodded once. “Yeah.”
Then, quieter:
“I’d rather know you got home okay.”
Well.
Shit.