Chapter 23

His gaze was cold. This was not the usual gentle Theo. Not the eyes that held her kindly and embraced her.

Rosie felt tears threatening to spill. She bit her lip and turned her head.

“Mom, I’ll be back for a moment.”

Rosie told the Countess and hurried away.

“Huh? Rosie. Hey! Where are you going?”

Knowing eyes followed her, but Rosie didn’t look back. She didn’t want to see Theo with another woman.

Getting farther from him, Rosie slowed her steps. Honestly, she didn’t have the strength to run.

She hadn’t eaten all day, wanting to look pretty for him.

She was hungry, but thinking of Catherine clinging to Theo earlier made even her remaining appetite disappear.

Rosie knew the ducal residence well, having played there with Theo for years.

She trudged over and dropped onto a bench near the pond where she often played. She didn’t care if her dress got wrinkled anymore.

“You should listen to me till the end.”

Rosie muttered as she threw a pebble into the pond. The noise of the lively party reached her even here. She sighed deeply, wishing the ground would swallow her up. She picked up another pebble and threw it into the pond.

“Jerk.”

Changing his mind so quickly—why did he act like it was such a big deal?

“Worse than a reed.”

The more she thought, the angrier she got—at Theo, and at herself.

She always thought Theo would be beside her.

She couldn’t picture herself or Theo starting a family with anyone else, but she’d assumed they’d grow old together, always side by side. It was just how things had always been.

“Stupid, idiot.”

Maybe she’d only ever had Theo, from the very beginning. She just hadn’t realized it because they grew up together. And when she did, it was too late.

Maybe her repeated failed relationships really were because of Theo. Maybe her ex-boyfriends sensed her heart belonged to him.

“Such a narrow mind, but broad shoulders aren’t everything.”

Rosie sighed and reached for another pebble.

“Are you talking about me?”

A low voice came. It was Theo.

She turned and saw him standing with his hands in his pockets.

Dressed up for the Duchess’s birthday, his shiny navy jacket matched his gray eyes well.

The breeze ruffled his black hair, brushing his neat forehead.

‘Too handsome for no reason.’

Rosie frowned and turned her head away. She didn’t want to look at him.

She knew it wasn’t his fault, but seeing him with Catherine clinging to his side made her sulky.

“Why did you come? Go take care of Miss Lance.”

The sound of grass crunching got closer. Theo sat beside her, but Rosie kept her eyes fixed on the pond.

“Why are you here alone?”

“What does it matter?”

Thinking of Catherine on his arm, Rosie couldn’t speak kindly.

“I’m not a reed.”

Rosie looked at Theo with wide eyes. His gray gaze was not cold anymore.

“I don’t think I’m narrow-minded, either.”

Her face flushed bright red, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

“You—how long have you been listening?”

“This time, I won’t leave. Tell me everything.”

Her face burned.

“No! Why didn’t you say something if you were there? Why did you just listen to it all?”

He smiled, his lips curving mischievously. This was the Theo Rosie knew—playful, not cold or distant, not the Theo with Catherine clinging to his arm.

She felt relief, and tears welled up. Theo reached out and hugged her gently.

“Why are you crying?”

His endlessly gentle voice made all her pent-up feelings spill out.

“You left without even looking at me. You told Ruth to drop me off at the Earldom like some luggage.”

“What luggage?”

“You did! You didn’t listen to me, and you brought that awful Catherine. Jerk. And you looked at me so coldly.”

Theo tilted his head for a moment.

“When did I do that?”

“Just now!”

She pulled away and yelled. Theo laughed quietly and wiped her tears.

“I thought you’d come with Calvin.”

“Why would I come with Calvin?”

She continued for him.

“I broke up with Calvin. For real.”

Theo looked at her calmly.

“Really. I ended it cleanly that day.”

After a moment, Theo spoke.

“I heard you didn’t turn him in to the guards. So I thought maybe you two got back together.”

“We broke up! Do you think I’m stupid? Why would I keep seeing someone like that?”

“You didn’t turn him in.”

“That’s because……!”

Rosie frowned, her golden brows drawn tight.

“He said he had someone watching me, so he knew everything about us. I didn’t want to send him to the guards and have our story become gossip.”

“Why?”

He asked Rosie, whose face was buried between her knees.

“Why do you hate that?”

She lifted her head and answered.

“Because I don’t want people to think our relationship is trivial.”

“Not because you like Calvin?”

“No!”

Rosie shouted, hugging her knees.

“I was trying to break up with him for a while. I just couldn’t find the right time.”

Her small, defeated grumble added,

“You left without looking back when I called you.”

Theo sighed and leaned back.

“You said you wouldn’t marry me.”

“Huh?”

Rosie looked up at him.

“That’s why I suggested being partners. I guess I misunderstood. You still don’t want to marry me, right?”

“No, that’s……”

“And you did doubt me, even for a moment.”

“So what I wanted to say was……”

Wait, why did she feel like she was being interrogated?

Rosie frowned. She was the one who was upset today.

“Hold on. Make it clear. What’s going on with Catherine?”

“What were you going to say?”

“I……”

Rosie started to answer but caught herself. He always drew her into conversations this way.

She couldn’t let that happen. She’d seen that girl rubbing her chest on his arm. Rosie moved back and crossed her arms, frowning firmly.

“No, you go first.”

Theo laughed quietly. Seeing his softly folded eyes made Rosie want to let go of her anger, but she needed to know. She couldn’t back down.

“We’re nothing. She just came with me today. I thought you’d come with Calvin. I didn’t want to be alone.”

“If you’re nothing, why did she cling to you?”

“Well, I was surprised by that too.”

Theo reached out and pulled her into his arms. His hand stroked her back gently.

“Were you upset?”

Rosie nodded quickly.

“Me too. I was upset because of you.”

Theo leaned his forehead against her neck and spoke in a quiet voice.

Now Rosie understood how Theo must have felt seeing her with Calvin.

Stupid me.

“I’m sorry.”

Rosie hugged him back.

His arms felt comfortable, as if they’d always belonged around her. She liked the feeling of his strong arms supporting her.

Leaning on him, Rosie began to say what she’d come to say.

“That’s what I came to tell you. Meeting Calvin was just coincidence. Yes, for a moment I thought you might have sent the letters, since they were about things only we knew. But I knew it wasn’t you. I just didn’t give you time to explain.”

“I was hurt too.”

Rosie nodded quietly.

“I’m sorry. Really sorry. I kept hurting you. I decided to break up with Calvin long ago. I just didn’t realize how I felt about you.”

She heard his heartbeat as she spoke.

“We’ve been friends for so long. I was afraid if something went wrong, I’d lose you as a friend too.”

A silence fell between them.

Rosie glanced up at him. Theo looked like he was thinking. Suddenly, Rosie felt embarrassed and fiddled with the collar of his jacket.

‘Should I say it? That I think I like Theo.’

While she hesitated, Theo spoke.

“I’ve liked you for a long time. So long I don’t even know when it started. If I hadn’t, nothing would have happened that night, no matter how much I drank.”

“Really?”

Rosie sat up in surprise.

“Really.”

His gray eyes were full of sincerity.

She tried to hide her smile by biting her lip, but it was useless.

Rosie was never good at hiding her feelings.

“Me too.”

She smiled shyly and answered in a soft voice.

Theo froze for a moment, as if his mind had stopped.