Sixty two

Silence.

Utter silence as Rowan stared at Emma with shock written on his face. The small shock paled on Emma’s face as she looked at him.

The silence was so deep that everything felt muted as they stared at each other. Emma felt like he couldn’t breathe as the pen she had been holding and notepad fell from her hand, and the notebook made a loud thud that made Emma flinch, as that brought her back to her senses.

Emma willed her body to move as she backed away from him, but Rowan was fast as his hand came to her wrist to hold it. He wasn’t letting her go anytime soon, and she could see the determination, confusion, and wonder in his eyes as he studied her frame.

For years, he hadn’t seen or heard from her, so for sure, it was a huge shock for both of them. But Emma looked more than shocked; she looked like she was being extra careful about something.

But, in fact, she was avoiding him and has been avoiding him. For years, she left, and not only did she do that, but she left him a mess t