Rowan [NaNoWriMo 2018]

Thirty-Two

"It's life. You can't run to another town, another place, another state. Whatever it is you're running from - it goes with you. It stays with you until you find out how to confront it."- Colleen Hoover

Rowan woke with a start and glanced at the space next to her; it was empty. She sighed and pulled herself into a sitting position and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Rowan stood up and grabbed her robe from the hook on the back of the door and pulled it on. When she opened the bedroom door, she was greeted by the smell of coffee and bacon. When she rounded the corner at the end of the hallway, her heart stopped momentarily. Matthew stood shirtless at the stove.

"Good morning," Rowan managed to croak.

"Good morning, sunshine," Matthew beamed.

Rowan walked into the kitchen. "Whatcha making?"

"Strawberry cream cheese French toast casserole, bacon, the nectar of life- coffee," he replied.

Rowan clutched her chest. "I have died and gone to heaven. Do you always cook shirtless?"

Matthew blushed slightly. "Only when I cook bacon."

Rowan glanced at the clock. "How long until it's ready?"

"About twenty minutes or so."

"Well, I guess I might go start getting ready," Rowan replied.

Matthew closed the space between them and pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I want all of my mornings to start like this."

Rowan stepped back and looked up at him and sighed. "Listen, I want you more than anything in this world, but right now, I'm emotionally unavailable. I am full of guilt and shame over how things ended up with Stephen," Rowan said, her voice cracking. "I need time to process those feelings and heal."

"We're human, Rowan. We make mistakes, and we hurt people. And people hurt us as well. I don't want to rush you into anything, I'll be here when you're ready. Now go get ready, we have a storm to head into."

Rowan looked up at him from tear-soaked eyelashes, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Matthew on his forehead before leaving the room to get ready.

Matthew and Rowan drove separately to the office, leaving fifteen minutes apart. As she drove into work, Rowan practiced in her head what she wanted to ask Ashley about the raid. So, these Eagles that you found, what happened to them? Okay, you irritating, life-ruining bitch, where are my friends? Rowan smiled. I can't say that. Rowan refocused and clenched her jaw, deep in thought. I've got it, she thought as she pulled into the parking lot.

Once inside, she headed up to the administrative floor. The receptionist stopped her as she walked off the elevator. "Miss Wise, Mr. Thomas, has asked that you attend the morning meeting in the senior conference room."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hoover," Rowan.

Rowan took a deep breath as she entered the conference room. Ashley was not in the place yet. She spied Matthew talking to his second in command across the room. Rowan cleared her throat, and Matthew nodded in her direction, not taking his eyes off the other man. Rowan found a place to sit and fidgeted with her bracelet. She felt confident. She was wearing her form-fitting, power suit, complete with heels which made her feel like she could take on the world.

The conference room door flew open, and Ashley Johnson strolled in like she owned the place. Rowan rolled her eyes inwardly. Two Officials trailed behind her.

"Good morning, everyone. Sorry, we're late, we had a long night last night," she ended with a smirk.

"Everyone, let's take our seats," Matthew ordered.