Just Like the Movies

Chapter Thirteen

"I can just go home," I volunteered, not missing the subtleness of the fact Theo didn't want me going to his house, and trying to avoid the awkwardness of him stating that out loud. It made sense that he wouldn't want strangers over, anyway.

            "Nah, I don't mind if you know where I live," Rowan said, waving me off, and then taking a sharp left that made me almost smack into the car door. "We can hang out at my place."

            Her response had me reassessing my initial thought that Theo didn't want me at his house—now I believed it was more so that he didn't want me to know where he lived. The thought made me feel a little bit relieved. It wasn't a me thing. I tried to keep my mind from wandering, but I couldn't help but think of the ex that betrayed him. She'd most likely known where Theo lived. Had she given his address out? Was that the betrayal?

            Rowan stopped by the liquor store to buy some alcohol before bringing us to her place in West Hollywood. I didn't know why I expected a house, considering the prices around here, but we pulled up to a condo building in Plaza Towers. After parking in the garage, we passed the security and took an elevator up to her condo. I admired how clean and brightly lit the building was. Mine wasn't quite as nice, but you got what you paid for, and I'd chosen to pay way less. I didn't want to imagine what a condo here cost Rowan.

            We finally made it inside her condo and my mouth nearly fell open at the sweeping view of the cityscape her apartment had. Nearly the entire west-facing wall was made of floor-to-ceiling windows. I slipped off my shoes by the door before wandering over to it, trying to imagine what the daytime view was.

            "I'm going to change," Rowan told us.

            I turned around toinspect the rest of her condo. It was kind of an open concept— I could see herkitchen and living room from where I stood, a little empty, but no so much thatit didn't feel lived in. Simple furniture with some decoration here and there. Rowandisappeared into what I assumed was her bedroom, and I turned to Theo, who twistedRowan's door handle three times, as if making sure it was locked. Then he startedtaking off his suit jacket, hanging it on a coat rack by the door.

            "I might have something here that would fit you if you want to change," he said, taking off his belt next. "Or Rowan might. I'm not sure if either of our clothes would fit you properly."

            Theo kept clothing here? I supposed it made sense. Rowan and he seemed to hang out a lot. Yet my chest tightened. But that aside, wearing their clothes would be too weird. "That's okay," I told him. "I can wear this—"

            "Here, Maisie," Rowan cut me off, throwing a bundle of clothing at my face. "Get comfortable."

            I barely managed to catch it before it smacked into me. Okay. Maybe I was. I separated them to see a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.

            "You prefer hoodies, don't you?" Rowan asked, now wearing a hoodie herself with a pair of matching sweatpants.

            I nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I am going to need some help getting out of the dress though. If that's okay."

            Rowan and Theo exchanged looks before Rowan hooked a thumb in the direction of her bedroom. "I will."

            One day I hoped I would understand the little private conversations they held within a glance, but for now, I'd just hoped they weren't judging me in any way.

            Rowan's bedroom was as simple as the rest of her condo— bare minimum essentials, some tasteful art on the wall, but mostly left alone. She unzipped my dress without saying anything and exited the room once I gave her the okay that I could handle it from there. I quickly swapped the dress for the sweats, relieved to not have something skintight on. There was nothing more comfortable than a hoodie.