He Left Me Broken Now He Wants Me Back Chapter 40
By the time the awards ceremony and after-party were over, it was nearly midnight.
I walked out into the lobby, clutching the heavy award.
A familiar car was parked at the curb.
Rowan was still in his scrubs, a coat hastily thrown over them. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were shadowed with exhaustion.
“How did you get here?”
“Surgery’s over.”
“How’s the patient?”
“Vitals are stable.”
He looked at the trophy in my arms and smiled.
“I knew it.”
I shoved it into his hands.
“It’s heavy. Hold it for me.”
He cradled it against his chest as if it were made of spun glass.
“Is this you asking for my help?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m happy to provide it.”
We walked slowly along the icy sidewalk.
A small restaurant still had its lights on, the owner getting ready to close. He recognized me from a local news segment and insisted on giving us the last table.
There were no flowers, no reservation made ten days in advance.
Rowan pushed the menu toward me.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Tell me what you want first.”
He studied the menu with comical seriousness.
“A breakfast burrito, hold the cilantro.”
I burst out laughing.
“They don’t have breakfast burritos, Rowan.”
“Then you choose. I’ll have what you’re having.”
“No. Pick for yourself.”
In the end, he ordered soup.
I ordered a steak.
We ate completely different meals, and neither of us chose for the other.
Snow began to drift down again outside the window.
Rowan suddenly pulled a key from his pocket.
“What’s that?”
“It’s not a ring.”
“I can see that.”
“There are too many bad memories in the old apartment. I found a new place, but I haven’t signed the lease yet.”
He set the key on the table between us.
“If you want, we can go look at it together. If you don’t like it, we’ll find somewhere else.”
“And what if I don’t want to move at all?”
“Then we won’t,” he answered immediately.
I picked up the key.
“We’ll go look tomorrow afternoon.”
His eyes, when he looked at me, slowly brightened.
“Okay.”