It's Lust, Not Love

Part 20

Ana’s POV

Mmmm… Peaceful sleep, something I hadn’t had in what felt like weeks, but it was interrupted by my phone ringing. Just my luck. Stupid technology.

“ ‘ello?”

“Ana! Did I wake you?”

“Mhmm. Who is this?” I slurred my words. It sounded like I was drunk. I was SO not a morning person!

“It’s Rowland!” Huh? Why was he calling me?

“Wha—?”

“Me, Rowland! Listen, I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out later. I have nothing to do and I was hoping we could become better friends so…. How ‘bout it?”

“Uh, sure.” What’s the worst that could happen, anyway?

“Great!” He really sounded excited. “I’ll pick you up, say, in an hour?”

“Sure.”

“See you soon!” He sounded like an excited little kid. What was up with that? Maybe I should let Lewis know where I’m going…. But I decided against it. He’d just worry unnecessarily after all.

“So where are we going?” I sat uncomfortably in the passenger’s seat of Rowland’s car. It wasn’t that his car was uncomfortable, quite the opposite actually, but I had a strange feeling of guilt about being alone with Rowland, especially because I hadn’t told Lewis. But I had nothing to feel guilt for, right? I was just hanging out with a friend. Sure, he was a friend who had tricked me into doing some… inappropriate things with him, but that was in the past. I shook off my guilty conscience; I loved Lewis and that was that, Rowland couldn’t change that no matter what, so I could see him without any worries.

“Um, I hadn’t really thought about that, actually.”

“So you’re just driving without a destination? Smart.” I joked sarcastically.

“That’s me! Sharp as a button.” He drove in silence for a minute before speaking again.

“Why don’t we go roller skating?” He suggested, and I tried to hide my giggle. “What’s so funny?” He glanced at me with questioning eyes.

“Nothing!” I laughed. “It’s just; I never imagined a tough guy like you would roller skate!”

He grinned. “You think I’m a tough guy?”

“Well, yeah, I mean you just have that tough-guy attitude and you obviously body-build…” I bit my lip, realizing what I had said.

“Someone’s been checking me out!” He laughed heartily and I brushed it off as a joke. Maybe hanging out with Rowland would be sort of fun.

“Wasn’t that the roller rink?” I pointed to a building we had just passed. He looked over where my finger pointed.

“Woops!”

“Size 12 and…”

“Size 6!” We received our skates and started walking towards the rink.

“Jeeze, you have tiny feet! How do you stand up on those things? No wonder you have such bad balance!” Rowland teased me, gently pushing me and making me trip as a demonstration.

 “Big foot!” I growled at him.

“At least I’m not constantly falling all over the place!” I stuck my foot out and tripped him.

“That wasn’t fair!” He protested. “Two can play at that game!” I slipped my skates on and quickly skated onto the rink, Rowland chasing after me. Of course, I hadn’t considered the fact that the last time I had roller skated was when I was 8, and I had broken my wrist doing it. I didn’t get very far before I tripped and almost fell on my butt, but someone caught me from behind and helped me up.

“No need to thank me!” Rowland grinned after I was on my own two feet again.

“Oh, thank you! I thought for sure I was going to fall!”

“Well, call me your knight in shining armor, always there to save a damsel in distress.”

“I wouldn’t quite say I was in distress…” He chuckled. A little family of 3, a mom, dad, and daughter skated past us. The mother glanced our way, and gave us a smile. Did she think we were a couple? I wondered. Nope, we were friends, nothing more.

“Need some help getting started?” Rowland held out his hand to me, and I took it with only the slightest hesitation.

Just friends. I glanced at Rowland for a second, and saw a small smile playing on his lips.