Playing with Fire

e p i s o d e | f i v e (pt. 2)

I crane my neck over the many tables set up inside the library, while also trying to be subtle. I don't want to put any attention on myself, but at the same time, I wonder if Rowan's still here from his usual after-school stop. I slide against the walls as I move through the building, my eyes searching the bookshelves. As I peek my head around one of the corners, I suddenly feel the presence of someone behind me.

"Looking for me?"

I swivel around as my stomach drops, and a lightning-fast hand smacks over my mouth. I stare, wide-eyed into Rowan's face, which is a little too close to mine.

"You were going to scream, weren't you?" he growls flatly.

I shake my head.

He hesitantly removes his hand before crossing his arms across his chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I quickly regain my composure, before imitating his pose. "Um, excuse me, but I believe there's nothing weird about me being here, considering that it's a public place."

"Are you mocking me right now?"

I let my impression go and sigh. "Yes. I am. Why did you sneak up on me like that?"

"Maybe because I saw you from across the room, acting like you were casted in the next Mission Impossible film." Rowan scowls at me. "I thought I told you to stop following me. If you're trying to stalk, you're going to have to get in line after all of the other girls."

Ha, ha. So, he does have some kind of sense of humor. "Actually, I was just here for ... research." I grab the nearest book off the shelf and obliviously start flipping through it until I see a rather in-depth scientific portrayal of male genitalia. The book immediately falls out of my hands.

"Anatomy," Rowan says dryly, though there's a hint of amusement in his voice. "Bad choice."

I quickly put the book back on the shelf and glare at him defiantly. "Yeah, I was looking for you. I thought I might as well get to know the friend that I'll be working with for the next few weeks." I force a cheeky smile onto my face, just to see his blue eyes darken irritably even further.

"Friend?" he scoffs. "Don't use that word."

"Friend," I return pointedly. "It's inevitably going to happen. Don't try to avoid it."

Rowan just shakes his head, clearly suppressing a sigh. "I thought I told you not to talk to me," he says, turning his shoulder to lean against the bookshelf. He takes out his phone and nonchalantly starts scrolling through it. I'm not surprised by the rude gesture.

"I don't think I'm obliged to listen to you," I retort, starting to walk towards him.

Of course, with my luck, I nearly trip over my own feet as I take a step. Rowan's hands immediately grab my arms, just as I'm about to catch myself. Now, this is surprising. Not only did he notice that movement while he was on his phone, but he also ... helped?

I sidestep to get away from the awkward millisecond of eye contact that took place when I glanced up at him, and Rowan clears his throat. "I have fast reflexes," he says simply.

I just grin frivolously at his embarrassment and lightly punch him on the arm, earning a deadly glare from him. "You do have morals!" I praise him, unable to keep the delight out of my voice.

"Do you want to die?"

"Aww, you're just a big softie," I continue teasing him. His humiliation is actually quite endearing, considering that the only side of him anyone at Eastbrook has seen is that dark, mysterious side.

"Oh, really?" The light in Rowan's eyes suddenly switches from indifference to darkness. It's crazy how someone can switch the entire mood of their face just by blinking. "Tell me, Anna, does this look like I'm being soft with you?"

He slowly approaches me, and I have nothing to say. That terrifying expression in his eyes is enough to shut me up. He finally stops when his face is just centimeters away from mine, and presses an arm against the bookshelf on one side of me. My gaze flickers towards the other side, glancing around for a way to escape this situation. What's going on? What did I say?

"I have a genuine question for you," Rowan says quietly, his eyes never leaving mine. His face is way too close. I need to move away.

"Yeah, that's great," I laugh nervously, starting to inch away from him. "I'm actually going to head back now, so you can save that question for tomorrow at school, okay?"

Rowan's other arm blocks my path, and I'm trapped in front of him. He allows the silence to draw out for a moment before asking, "Would Kai appreciate you doing this?"

I freeze at his question, and he immediately drops his arms. "I'll let you think about that," he smirks, walking away from me. He disappears around the corner as if nothing had just happened. I'm left staring straight across from me in shock.

Would Kai appreciate you doing this?

No, he wouldn't. Rowan's right. I'd let my curiosity get the better of me. I'd been so enthralled by the prospect of finding someone else who seemed to understand me – to not give a damn about the way they spoke to me – that I'd allowed myself to get carried away. This is Rowan Hawthorne, of all people – not just a "bad boy" or a "misunderstood soul," as most girls would call him ... no, he's Kai's enemy. And my allegiance should be with Kai. He's practically been by my side for my entire life.

The pang of guilt that hits me forces me to take out my phone in preparation to call Kai. Just as I slide the screen open, however, a voice from beside me catches me off-guard.

"Anna?"

Kai stands a couple of feet away, his eyebrows raised worriedly. "What are you doing, standing in the middle of the aisle with no books in your hands? I thought you were here for schoolwork."

Why is he here? I immediately start wondering whether he saw me with Rowan. "Oh, I didn't find anything," I say quickly, forcing a smile. "I was just about to call you."

Kai's eyes delicately search mine. "Are you okay? You look a little freaked out."

"Oh, you know." I wave my hand nonchalantly. "It's a huge public area and all, so I'm kind of ... hiding."

"Are you sure?" He blinks at me. "Nothing happened?"

Now, this is where I'm supposed to tell him the truth – even if I sugarcoat it and say I "ran into" Rowan. But for some reason, I can't bring myself to tell him – though whether it's because of shame or something else, I'm not too sure.

"No," I decide. "Nothing happened."