Status: Complete
Just a Feeling
16
Rowan looked back to the cafeteria building, where Luke was.
He was a good guy, she thought. He invaded people’s privacy as much as she did, and he had no qualms about it. Sure, he was cautious. Now that Rowan thought about it, he didn’t meet people’s gazes all the time. Sometimes, he would concentrate on the empty space over someone’s shoulder.
He always, always met her gaze.
“What are you thinking about?” Ash asked.
“Luke,” she answered honestly. “I was thinking about his reading thoughts.”
“Oh, right. Well, he doesn’t do it often. He hardly ever looks anyone in the eye.” Ash shrugged, hoping that Rowan wasn’t going to be too disturbed by it.
“What? No, he always looks me in the eye,” Rowan pointed out. Ash frowned for a second, and shrugged again.
“And have you ever noticed how quiet he is around you? He’s not like that around others. I think he’s just trying to figure you out. He… he doesn’t like to open himself up to people until he knows what he’s dealing with.”
“That… makes sense.”
Just then, Rowan and Ash reached the music building. Ash raised one eyebrow, but held the door open for her.
Rowan led him upstairs and to the recording studio. “This is where I was taken from,” she said quietly. Ash went on high alert, visibly tensing and looking around suspiciously.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s perfectly safe now,” Rowan said. She was amused, but didn’t dare laugh. He would be insulted by that, and she didn’t want him upset with her. Her brother.
“I just wanted to ask… I remember Mom singing something, but I don’t remember the words.” Rowan walked over to the piano, stood the stool back up, and sat down. Rowan watched Ash as she played and saw that he did recognize the tune, after all.
He laughed a little as she played through it again, adding a couple of embellishments. “That’s our anthem. Mom used to use it as a lullaby.” He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Rowan got up and tentatively put her arms around him. He hugged her back, then laughed and spun her in circles. “I just can’t believe you’re here. You’re here, and you’re alive.”
Rowan frowned. “Wait… how did the Academy find me?”
Ash cleared his throat, then asked, “Do you remember the night before you came, that fire?”
Rowan nodded. “Which do you mean? The one at the society ball, or the one at my orphanage?”
“Both, really,” Ash answered. “The ball, it was one of our annual events. And we found you because they saw that a fire had happened that night at an orphanage. They didn’t think it was related, but like I said before, they never stopped looking for you. They asked, and found out you were there. If only they’d gone to orphanages before. They didn’t think to, because what kidnapper would take you away from us, just to dump you in one of those places?”
Rowan nodded. “Alright, I understand. I wonder how the people who set the fire found me.” She shuddered.
“This place is giving me the creeps. It’s all over the room, evidence that people came in and took you. Let’s leave.” Rowan nodded and, hand in hand, they went back to her dorm room.
Though things weren’t magically perfect between them, as if they’d never spent years apart, they also weren’t awkward. Rowan had spent years longing for the brother of her dreams, and he’d spent those same years mourning over the little sister he’d thought lost. That made them both accept the other more easily.
Though they’d been expecting more people, only Evan and Delaney were in Rowan’s room.
“Where’s Luke?” Rowan asked. Evan looked startled to see her. He’d been too caught up in his conversation with Lane.
“Luke?” he repeated blankly, then flushed. “Oh! Oh, Luke. He’s on the roof.”
“He’s still pretty upset,” Lane added. Rowan frowned.
“I have to go talk to him,” she said and started walking down the hallway toward the staircase. Ash took her hand and tugged her to a stop.
“What if he just wants to be alone, Rowan?”
“Then I’ll leave.” She shrugged and started walking again. Just before entering the staircase, she turned back around and smiled at her brother. “Thanks for talking with me. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that, she was gone.
He was a good guy, she thought. He invaded people’s privacy as much as she did, and he had no qualms about it. Sure, he was cautious. Now that Rowan thought about it, he didn’t meet people’s gazes all the time. Sometimes, he would concentrate on the empty space over someone’s shoulder.
He always, always met her gaze.
“What are you thinking about?” Ash asked.
“Luke,” she answered honestly. “I was thinking about his reading thoughts.”
“Oh, right. Well, he doesn’t do it often. He hardly ever looks anyone in the eye.” Ash shrugged, hoping that Rowan wasn’t going to be too disturbed by it.
“What? No, he always looks me in the eye,” Rowan pointed out. Ash frowned for a second, and shrugged again.
“And have you ever noticed how quiet he is around you? He’s not like that around others. I think he’s just trying to figure you out. He… he doesn’t like to open himself up to people until he knows what he’s dealing with.”
“That… makes sense.”
Just then, Rowan and Ash reached the music building. Ash raised one eyebrow, but held the door open for her.
Rowan led him upstairs and to the recording studio. “This is where I was taken from,” she said quietly. Ash went on high alert, visibly tensing and looking around suspiciously.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s perfectly safe now,” Rowan said. She was amused, but didn’t dare laugh. He would be insulted by that, and she didn’t want him upset with her. Her brother.
“I just wanted to ask… I remember Mom singing something, but I don’t remember the words.” Rowan walked over to the piano, stood the stool back up, and sat down. Rowan watched Ash as she played and saw that he did recognize the tune, after all.
He laughed a little as she played through it again, adding a couple of embellishments. “That’s our anthem. Mom used to use it as a lullaby.” He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Rowan got up and tentatively put her arms around him. He hugged her back, then laughed and spun her in circles. “I just can’t believe you’re here. You’re here, and you’re alive.”
Rowan frowned. “Wait… how did the Academy find me?”
Ash cleared his throat, then asked, “Do you remember the night before you came, that fire?”
Rowan nodded. “Which do you mean? The one at the society ball, or the one at my orphanage?”
“Both, really,” Ash answered. “The ball, it was one of our annual events. And we found you because they saw that a fire had happened that night at an orphanage. They didn’t think it was related, but like I said before, they never stopped looking for you. They asked, and found out you were there. If only they’d gone to orphanages before. They didn’t think to, because what kidnapper would take you away from us, just to dump you in one of those places?”
Rowan nodded. “Alright, I understand. I wonder how the people who set the fire found me.” She shuddered.
“This place is giving me the creeps. It’s all over the room, evidence that people came in and took you. Let’s leave.” Rowan nodded and, hand in hand, they went back to her dorm room.
Though things weren’t magically perfect between them, as if they’d never spent years apart, they also weren’t awkward. Rowan had spent years longing for the brother of her dreams, and he’d spent those same years mourning over the little sister he’d thought lost. That made them both accept the other more easily.
Though they’d been expecting more people, only Evan and Delaney were in Rowan’s room.
“Where’s Luke?” Rowan asked. Evan looked startled to see her. He’d been too caught up in his conversation with Lane.
“Luke?” he repeated blankly, then flushed. “Oh! Oh, Luke. He’s on the roof.”
“He’s still pretty upset,” Lane added. Rowan frowned.
“I have to go talk to him,” she said and started walking down the hallway toward the staircase. Ash took her hand and tugged her to a stop.
“What if he just wants to be alone, Rowan?”
“Then I’ll leave.” She shrugged and started walking again. Just before entering the staircase, she turned back around and smiled at her brother. “Thanks for talking with me. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” And with that, she was gone.