The Substitute Heiress
No one corrected me when I stayed quiet.
For a while, I forgot I was missing anything.
Rowan’s phone buzzed near the end of the meal. He glanced at it and frowned slightly.
“I need to take this,” he said. “I won’t be long.”
He stepped outside, then returned a few minutes later.
“I have to go,” he said, regret clear in his voice. “But I’ll see you tomorrow I promise,”
He hugged me again before I could respond. The hold lasted longer this time. His hand rested at the small of my back, steady and grounding.