𝑺𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑵 𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑼𝑻𝑬𝑺 /𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑦 𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑘/ ✓

15.

MILLIE

The truth is, I have more than grown to like Rowan's family.

I have no idea when they laughed so much as when Camie and Susan showed me childhood pictures of the youngest Queen.

"God, I've been waiting for this" Susan wipes her eyes with tears of joy.

"Me too," laughs Camie. "We've always waited for my brother to bring someone home " she slaps her thighs as hard as her huge belly will allow. Now it's really almost time.

"Camie," her mother chides, then turns to me. "You know, this is exactly the kind of girl I imagined Rowan with."

"Really?"

"Yeah" she nods. "Someone who's not afraid to tell him when he's being an asshole."

"Mom," Camie grins, but she shuts him down.

"Someone who encourages him in his goals, who motivates him, who looks at him like his life has meaning."

"Rowan, is that how he looks at me?"

"Girl, my brother is totally in love with you," Camie laughs up.

"Give him time and he'll say it. I don't think he's ever been in love before, so he's going to have to figure it all out for himself" Susan squeezes my thigh encouragingly.

"I don't know what to say" I whisper. I'm embarrassed, because oh my God, is that really how it would be? Is Rowan Queen, the one I used to pine for, secretly in love with me? If his mother and sister see him that way, there must be something to him, right?

"You're the perfect girl for him. And I'm glad he's with someone close to the world his heart desires. He's surrounded by a lot of athletes he adores, but you probably understand his soul the best."

I think I have a crush on Susan.

"I'll go up and see what's going on with him" I set the coffee mug down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, after all these professions of love, I'm going to go find Jake to..." she stands up with her hands around her waist, but before she can continue, she realises that her mother is very much sitting there. "So I'll tell him I love him" she smiles sweetly and I stifle a laugh. Susan shakes her head resignedly as she packs up the albums.

"Hey," Camie catches my hand on the stairs and smiles encouragingly at me. "Thanks. Thanks for being so good to my brother. You really are a good influence on him. He used to always be so..." she muses. "He hated life, was reckless at times, and angry. Very angry. But now he's more jealous" she bites her lip. " Of his own nephew. I like that."

"I was afraid to come here, but I don't regret it."

"Right, because the family's totally nuts" she snorts. "Wait till you meet our cousins and my Uncle Blake. Then you can take this back."

I am still shaking my head in amusement when I enter Rowan's childhood room.

The whole wall is covered on all sides with posters of bands and hockey stars. It's as if two different worlds meet, and that's what makes it special. His bed is spread with dark sheets and his desk in the corner is covered with books. On the bulletin board hangs a multitude of high school pictures. Exercises, parties, friends, and my boyfriend's hot smile. Biting my lip, I watch as he unpacks from his duffel bag while his back tenses. Is it normal to get excited at the thought of having sex in his childhood bedroom?

A small groan leaves my mouth as he turns around. A slow, wide smile spreads across his face as he sees my flushed cheeks, my lustful gaze. He knows exactly what I'm thinking, because the next moment he drops the sweater he's holding and takes a long step across the distance between us. He smooths his hands over my face.