Dusk Snow Hides All Return (Rowan and Adrienne) novel Chapter 8

"What do you mean, no need?" Adrienne's temper flared at his attitude. She forced it back down. "I'm your fiancée! Whatever you're going through, you can tell me! Are you still mad about... about last time? That time, I... I lost my head. I shouldn't have done that... But you really shouldn't have gone after Desmond like that either..."

"Adrienne," Rowan cut her off. His eyes opened, landing on her flat and calm. "You done? If you're done, I want to rest. Thanks for helping me up."

He lightly pushed her hand away from where it was tucking in his blanket, rolled over, and turned his back to her.

Adrienne stared at his back. That same familiar, overwhelming wave of irritation and unease crashed over her all over again.

She opened her mouth. Nothing came out.

Right then, her phone rang with a call from Desmond: "Addie, where'd you go? My wound's hurting again..."

Adrienne glanced at Rowan's back. He looked like he was already asleep. Finally, she stood up, quietly said, "Get some rest. I'll come back later," and hurried out of the ward.

The next few days, Adrienne really did come by every day. She'd stay for hours, fumbling her way through taking care of him, trying to make conversation. She even offered to take him up to see the northern lights in Scandinavia once he got discharged—someplace he'd mentioned wanting to go before. Or to spend some time in one of those old European towns he liked.

Every time, Rowan just shut her down, flat. "No thanks." "Not interested." "Go do your own thing."

His attitude never changed: calm, distant, as if he were dealing with a stranger who didn't matter.

Finally, after she suggested taking him to France to get away, and he turned her down with a simple "I'm tired," she lost it.

"Rowan!" She shot to her feet, standing over him, anger and confusion barely contained behind her eyes. "What the hell do you want from me? I apologized. I made it up to you. I'm here every single day! What else do you want me to do? Just say it!"

The ward went dead quiet. Just the sound of her breathing.

Rowan slowly lifted his eyes, looking at her sharp, gorgeous face twisted with anger, and watched her for a long, long time.

Then, quietly and very clearly, he said a single sentence.

"I want you gone."

Adrienne froze, like she hadn't heard him right. "...What?"

"I said," Rowan spoke slowly, his voice calm but razor-sharp, "I want you to leave this ward. Leave my sight. And from now on, don't show your face in front of me ever again."

Adrienne stood there like she'd been struck by lightning, staring at him in disbelief. Her chest heaved. The color drained from her face.

"Rowan! Do you even know what you're saying?!"

Even Adrienne was floored. Her head snapped toward Mr. Ashford Sr. "Mr. Ashford! Rowan just had surgery! A few days ago he was... he was seriously hurt!"

Desmond, though—Desmond latched onto it like a lifeline. He rushed to Adrienne's side, grabbed at her sleeve, begging. "Addie... please, I'm begging you... I'm so scared... Rowan... Rowan won't mind, right? Rowan, help me out, just this once, please..."

Adrienne looked at Desmond's terrified, helpless face, then looked at Rowan, who lay silent on the bed with his eyes closed, and felt everything inside her at war.

On one side was the person she loved, begging her as if his life depended on it, and on the other was that voice in her gut getting louder—the unease, the pull back.

Right then, there was a knock at the door. Two uniformed officers walked in and flashed their badges. "Which one of you is Desmond Ashford? We need you to come back to the station with us for questioning."

Desmond panicked completely. He latched onto Adrienne and wouldn't let go.

His parents lost it too, pleading with the officers, shooting desperate looks at Adrienne and Rowan.

A vein pulsed at Adrienne's temple. Caught between Desmond's pleading face and his parents' begging eyes, she finally... with great difficulty, very slowly... she nodded.

She turned to the officers and slowly pointed at Rowan.

"That's Desmond Ashford."