Tempting Rowan(13)

I bent down and scanned the lowest shelf. “Aha,” I mumbled under my breath when I found what I wanted.

“I never knew bread was so interesting.”

The hairs on my spine stood on end.

No. Freaking. Way.

I stood slowly, the plastic bag that held the bread was clasped tightly in my hand. I turned, shaking slightly, and my eyes connected with Trent’s.

“Evening, Row,” he smiled cockily, tilting his head. He was dressed casually in jeans and a black leather jacket with a baseball cap perched on his head.

“What are you doing here?”

Shit. I’d said the exact same thing when he’d shown up at the library. I really needed to stop talking around him.

“Getting bread, obviously.” Looking at me, he reached out and grabbed a random bag of bread. Several other loaves tumbled to the floor, but neither of us moved to pick them up.

“Obviously,” I whispered, at a loss for words. I looked behind me, hoping for a means of escape, but running away—again—would have been childish.

“Mind if I walk with you?” He asked, smiling crookedly.

My stomach did a somersault. Why did he have to affect me like this even after all these years?

“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Why not?” He stepped closer to me, so close that I could clearly smell his cologne.

“Because…” I faltered.

Using my hesitation to his advantage, he moved around me and began pushing the shopping cart.

“Hey!” I called after him. He totally just stole my shopping cart, where my purse currently resided, like it was no big deal. Ugh. I wanted to punch the little cart caper.

“Come on, Row,” his lips quirked. “What do you need next?” He nodded at my list.

“Pasta noodles,” I found myself saying as I trailed behind him.

Trenton smiled and turned down the correct aisle.

I should’ve taken the cart from him and told him to get lost, but I couldn’t make myself do it or form the words. Instead, I walked beside him, gripping the shopping list so tightly in my hand that it began to tear.

“How’ve you been, Row?” He asked stopping in the middle of the pasta aisle—not caring that he was blocking people.

I swallowed thickly. “Is that what you tracked me down to ask me?” I countered.

“Tracked you down?” He chuckled, gazing down at me with those blue eyes that sent warmth flooding through my body. “That implies I wanted to find you.”

I turned my face in the opposite direction so he couldn’t see the heat infusing my cheeks.

“Hey,” Trent stopped and grabbed my arm. “I was kidding, Row. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“You didn’t,” I said too quickly.

“Liar,” he eyed me, his jaw set.

“What are you even doing here?” I asked, trying to deflect the conversation from myself. “Aren’t you off at UVA?”

“It’s Thanksgiving break,” he smirked.

“Oh.” How had I been completely oblivious to the fact that Thanksgiving was this week? I had no idea what I was going to do for the kids…I needed to do something. Surely I could find a cheap turkey? Or maybe Mary would help me out? She loved the kids, and while she didn’t know the details of my home life, she knew it wasn’t the greatest.

“Row? Rowan?”

“What?” I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

“Where’d you go?” He asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You were completely lost in your thoughts. You couldn’t even hear me,” he frowned.

“I have a lot to think about,” I crossed my arms over my chest and stared down at my worn shoes.

Trent shook his head and pushed the shopping cart forward. “What kind of pasta do you need?” He asked, changing the subject, and I was incredibly thankful. Trent was good like that. He pushed me more than I liked, but he always knew when to back off. Maybe that’s what scared me the most about Trenton. He knew me better than I knew myself.

“Whatever is cheapest,” I muttered under my breath. I knew Trent had never had to live on a budget. His family was worth billions—they certainly didn’t act like uppity rich people though so you had to give them credit there. In fact, they were the nicest people I’d ever met—even if I’d only met them briefly years ago. Years. Funny, it felt like a lifetime.

Trenton surprised me by reaching for the Wal-Mart brand spaghetti noodles and placing it in the cart.

We continued through the store, shopping for groceries together. I’d read something off the list and Trent would twist the cart in whatever direction we needed to go. I hated to admit it, but despite the fact that we barely spoke, I was really enjoying his company.