Page 16 of That Rush

“That has been bothering me for years.”

She smiles, and I smile back. We’d had a few conversations that lasted longer than they needed to, a few looks that held. That was as far as it ever went.

Rowan traces a line through the condensation on her cup. “We should probably talk about it once so your family stops waiting for one of us to make it strange.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“Neither was I, but the Slades prefer their emotional business conducted publicly and with refreshments.”

“I believe that’s in the family bylaws.”

A small smile touches her lips before her expression settles. “There was a point when I thought we might go somewhere.”

“I did too.”

The words hang in the air between us, a fact we both already understood.

Then Krista died, and my world shrank to Josie. Rowan was kind through all of it—a text asking if we needed milk, an offer with no strings. By the time I could see past getting Josie to bed each night, the moment was gone.

“I don’t think we missed anything,” I say.

“No.” She looks toward the counter, where Poppy is trying to convince Sadie that the sticker-covered cup needs glitter. “I think the timing passed because it was supposed to.”

“You don’t believe in fate.”

“I don’t. I believe we were mildly attracted to each other and never curious enough to do anything about it.”

A laugh leaves me. “That’s brutally romantic.”

“You’ll survive.” She lifts her drink. “I like you, Aiden. I also like where you fit in my life now.”

“Friend?”

“Axel’s irritating brother.”

“I’m his better-looking brother.”

“You’re identical triplets.”

“That doesn’t disprove my point.”

She laughs, a real laugh with no tension beneath it. I lean back, the air between us cleared.

“Friends.”

“Friends.”

“Good. Now Axel can find a new hobby.”

“He won’t.”

“No, but I can threaten him with decaf.”

I take another bite of my sandwich, then remember the title Josie gave me this morning. “Do you know anything about hungry bunny hordes?”

Rowan lowers her cup. “Are you having another ranch problem?”

“It’s a library book. Something about a princess and monsters.”