Rose's POV

My breath caught. I hesitated for half a second before my feet moved of their own accord, carrying me across the plush carpet until I was standing just a few feet in front of him. Close enough to catch the faint, expensive scent of his cologne — the same one that had clung to my skin for days after that night.

He studied me for a long moment, the silence stretching taut between us. Then, quietly, almost dangerously soft: “Why did you run away from me that morning?”

The question hung in the air like smoke. My cheeks flushed hot. I opened my mouth, searching desperately for words...