Status: Complete
Just a Feeling
15
“Now that that’s over and done with, would you mind explaining how you got out of that building?” Evan asked.
Everyone watched Rowan expectantly, so she explained how she’d simply crawled to the back door and fought to get it open.
“And what, exactly, were you planning on doing once you got out of the building?” Evan asked.
Rowan frowned. “I was still working on that part.” Evan shook his head.
“That’s not going to happen, Princess. I won’t let it,” he vowed.
“Well, now, that’s a nice thought, but why? I mean, you and Luke, you were assigned to… what, babysit me?”
“We’re your guards,” Evan explained. “It’s our job to make sure nothing like this happens to you.” Evan shot a dirty glare at Luke.
“Hey, now, don’t go blaming him just because he convinced you a couple of weeks ago to let me have a little time on my own. After all, I basically ordered you to leave me. What were you going to do, refuse me? If I’m royalty, don’t you have to listen to what I say? So blame me,” Rowan said heatedly. She’d long since noticed that Luke was being quieter than usual.
He was… withdrawn. He wasn’t saying a word unless he was brought into the conversation by someone else, wasn’t eating a bite. He didn’t laugh and his eyes weren’t glinting like they normally did. Rowan was worried about him.
He looked up at her, and Rowan hesitated before meeting his eyes. He needed to know that she was serious, and that she was concerned about him. He didn’t perk up like she’d been hoping, though. Instead, he said dejectedly, “I should resign. I failed you, no matter what you think.”
“You’re a fool, Lucas Sinclair,” Rowan declared. “And I’m not letting you resign.”
“This royalty thing is going to your head, Rowan,” Edwin said, only half joking.
“No, it’s not. But he needs to see that this is not his fault. Besides, I was just getting used to him. I don’t do well with new people. I don’t want a new guard.”
“I think,” Ash said, pausing until everyone was looking at him, “that Luke should stay. He won’t let this happen again. He’s going to be more careful than he’s ever been in his life. We need someone who will do that. Besides, now that Rowan knows, she’ll be more cooperative.” Ash looked down at Rowan, daring her to deny it.
Luke slowly nodded. “Alright. But if I fail her again, I want you to send me to the lowest, scummiest shack in America.”
“Deal,” Ash said. Rowan choked back a laugh when they both actually shook hands.
“Ash and I are going now. See you all later,” Rowan announced, tugging at Ash’s hand. “I mean, unless you don’t want to,” Rowan said uncertainly.
“Ash grinned at her, and his eyes were kind. “Of course I do. Do you know how long I thought you were dead?”
They had started walking toward the exit to the cafeteria, but Rowan stopped. “What?”
“They didn’t explain this part, did they? Mom and Dad were… they died, and left you at Aunt Grace’s house. I was with a friend that day- I’ve felt so guilty all these years, not being there with you. But when news hit that our parents were dead and people were sent to collect you, you were gone. Aunt Grace said they’d kidnapped you, too. When we didn’t get a ransom note or any threats, they assumed you were dead. They looked, for years they looked. They never stopped looking. But you were nowhere to be found. Do you remember what happened?”
Rowan nodded. “I was playing with Suzy, my doll, and Uncle Matt was there. Aunt Gracie walked into the room, and he felt this repulsion to her. He hated her. I told Aunt Gracie, and she started shrieking at him. She ran to her room, crying, after she was done throwing things, leaving me alone with him. He… started telling me that what I did was bad. I shouldn’t feel what others feel, it’s an invasion of privacy. I shouldn’t tell anyone about it. I should have it beaten out of me.
“I really thought he was going to kill me. He hit me so hard, and he didn’t stop. But then the phone rang, and he answered it. This coolness came over him. ‘Your parents are dead. We’re going on a car ride,’ he said. He dragged me into the car, threw me in the back seat, and dumped me in an orphanage.”
Ash was pale, and he gripped Rowan’s hand tighter. “That bastard. He told Aunt Grace that people came and took you away. He said he tried to stop them, but that there were too many. He even had knuckles cut up, as evidence of fighting.” He shuddered.
Rowan didn’t say anything. She’d lived her life out hating herself because of how she always invaded privacy, because of how Uncle Matt had shown her in the most brutal way possible what the consequences were.
Could it be that it was him who had been wrong?
Everyone watched Rowan expectantly, so she explained how she’d simply crawled to the back door and fought to get it open.
“And what, exactly, were you planning on doing once you got out of the building?” Evan asked.
Rowan frowned. “I was still working on that part.” Evan shook his head.
“That’s not going to happen, Princess. I won’t let it,” he vowed.
“Well, now, that’s a nice thought, but why? I mean, you and Luke, you were assigned to… what, babysit me?”
“We’re your guards,” Evan explained. “It’s our job to make sure nothing like this happens to you.” Evan shot a dirty glare at Luke.
“Hey, now, don’t go blaming him just because he convinced you a couple of weeks ago to let me have a little time on my own. After all, I basically ordered you to leave me. What were you going to do, refuse me? If I’m royalty, don’t you have to listen to what I say? So blame me,” Rowan said heatedly. She’d long since noticed that Luke was being quieter than usual.
He was… withdrawn. He wasn’t saying a word unless he was brought into the conversation by someone else, wasn’t eating a bite. He didn’t laugh and his eyes weren’t glinting like they normally did. Rowan was worried about him.
He looked up at her, and Rowan hesitated before meeting his eyes. He needed to know that she was serious, and that she was concerned about him. He didn’t perk up like she’d been hoping, though. Instead, he said dejectedly, “I should resign. I failed you, no matter what you think.”
“You’re a fool, Lucas Sinclair,” Rowan declared. “And I’m not letting you resign.”
“This royalty thing is going to your head, Rowan,” Edwin said, only half joking.
“No, it’s not. But he needs to see that this is not his fault. Besides, I was just getting used to him. I don’t do well with new people. I don’t want a new guard.”
“I think,” Ash said, pausing until everyone was looking at him, “that Luke should stay. He won’t let this happen again. He’s going to be more careful than he’s ever been in his life. We need someone who will do that. Besides, now that Rowan knows, she’ll be more cooperative.” Ash looked down at Rowan, daring her to deny it.
Luke slowly nodded. “Alright. But if I fail her again, I want you to send me to the lowest, scummiest shack in America.”
“Deal,” Ash said. Rowan choked back a laugh when they both actually shook hands.
“Ash and I are going now. See you all later,” Rowan announced, tugging at Ash’s hand. “I mean, unless you don’t want to,” Rowan said uncertainly.
“Ash grinned at her, and his eyes were kind. “Of course I do. Do you know how long I thought you were dead?”
They had started walking toward the exit to the cafeteria, but Rowan stopped. “What?”
“They didn’t explain this part, did they? Mom and Dad were… they died, and left you at Aunt Grace’s house. I was with a friend that day- I’ve felt so guilty all these years, not being there with you. But when news hit that our parents were dead and people were sent to collect you, you were gone. Aunt Grace said they’d kidnapped you, too. When we didn’t get a ransom note or any threats, they assumed you were dead. They looked, for years they looked. They never stopped looking. But you were nowhere to be found. Do you remember what happened?”
Rowan nodded. “I was playing with Suzy, my doll, and Uncle Matt was there. Aunt Gracie walked into the room, and he felt this repulsion to her. He hated her. I told Aunt Gracie, and she started shrieking at him. She ran to her room, crying, after she was done throwing things, leaving me alone with him. He… started telling me that what I did was bad. I shouldn’t feel what others feel, it’s an invasion of privacy. I shouldn’t tell anyone about it. I should have it beaten out of me.
“I really thought he was going to kill me. He hit me so hard, and he didn’t stop. But then the phone rang, and he answered it. This coolness came over him. ‘Your parents are dead. We’re going on a car ride,’ he said. He dragged me into the car, threw me in the back seat, and dumped me in an orphanage.”
Ash was pale, and he gripped Rowan’s hand tighter. “That bastard. He told Aunt Grace that people came and took you away. He said he tried to stop them, but that there were too many. He even had knuckles cut up, as evidence of fighting.” He shuddered.
Rowan didn’t say anything. She’d lived her life out hating herself because of how she always invaded privacy, because of how Uncle Matt had shown her in the most brutal way possible what the consequences were.
Could it be that it was him who had been wrong?