The Found One

Chapter 12

Izzy POV

She had been hiding for the last twenty minutes. Sitting on the toilet weighing her options. She was too big a coward to open the door and face Rowan.

The soft knock startled her.

"You going to stay in there all night now?"

She had considered it.

Sighing she stood, moving to the door, she mustered her courage. At least he doesn't sound like he wants to rip out my throat.

"I can smell your fear; how many times do I have to tell you Izzy – I'm not going to hurt you."

"You can say it a million times, doesn't mean I'm gonna believe you." She shouted back through the door.

"So mistrustful." Rowan said from the other side of the plain wood door, "Who broke you so badly cupcake? Want me to beat them up?" There was a murmur of teasing to his words, but Izzy didn't catch it. Her heart instead catching as he spoke, her chest squeezing painfully. How did he know?

But then her brain restarted and she realized he had only been teasing her, he didn't know, he hadn't guessed, he didn't actually know how very true his words actually were. For half a second she considered telling him, taking him up on his offer, but them she pushed it away. It's not like he actually cares; he'd probably enjoy knowing what had been done to her. Or use it against her. He's the enemy. A monster. It wasn't comforting that she had to keep reminding herself of that fact.

Opening the door, she was met with Rowan's blank face, the only emotions shining from the swirling depths of grey and silver in his eyes.

"We should stop meeting like this." Rowan said, his tone flat and cold. If Izzy hadn't seen the amusement flickering in his eyes she might have been scared.

Instead she grinned, the response was unexpected, Rowan's calm mask slipped, his lips twitching up into a smile, showing off his teeth.

"You should smile more." The words were out before she could consider them.

Rowan's face froze, hardening as the words slapped him, Izzy watched as he stiffened, the mask sliding back into place as his eyes went back to their usual clouded grey. She could read nothing from him anymore.

"I don't have much to smile about." His voice was void of anything, Izzy shivered as it crawled over her like ice.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as he turned, striding towards the bed, his hand raised brushing away her words; her apology.

"Go to bed, Izzy."

Not knowing what to say, or what she had done that was so wrong, she quietly made her way to the bed, slipping beneath the cool sheets. Rowan clicked off the lights, she felt the dip of the bed as he sat beside her, the papers rustling as he picked them up.

Her back was facing him, her face buried in her pillow, muffling her words, but she knew he'd hear her anyway. "Goodnight Rowan, sweet dreams."

.

.

She bolted awake, her heart racing. The curtains hadn't been pulled shut last night, so morning light spilled into the room allowing her take in her surroundings, she was thankful. Looking around the bare room, she anchored herself to the real world, shaking the last tendrils of the nightmares from her skin. She shuddered.

"Whose Tony?"

She jumped, yelping, her heart leaping into her throat as she spun to look at Rowan.