He Thought I Loved Him, I Only Loved His Face Chapter 06

He Thought I Loved Him, I Only Loved His Face Chapter 06

Rowan didn’t come home for days after that.

Piper, on the other hand, started sending Maya photos and videos. Constantly.

Rowan cooking in her kitchen, his back to the camera.

Rowan playing piano for her.

Rowan tidying up her apartment.

Piper wasn’t subtle. The message was clear: look how much he loves me. Look how much he spoils me.

Normally, Maya would scroll past without a flicker of emotion.

But today was Caleb’s birthday. She stared at those photos, and grief swallowed her whole.

Caleb used to be tender with her exactly like that.

Since the day he left this world, no one had ever cherished her like that again.

She baked a Black Forest cake and set it on the table. She opened Piper’s photos again.

Her mind kept throwing memories at her. Caleb and her together.

Staring at Rowan’s face—that face that was nearly identical to Caleb’s—the ache cut deeper.

She laid her head on the table and closed her eyes. Let the tears fall.

Rowan walked in and found her there. Phone in her hand. Face wet with tears. Asleep.

He stopped. Then he saw the cake.

She remembered his birthday.

She even knew he loved Black Forest cake.

After Caleb died, Rowan never celebrated a birthday again. It wasn’t that people forgot. He just refused. Every year, that day reminded him of one thing: he was the one who lived. Caleb didn’t.

Did she secretly celebrate his birthday for him every year?

He sat down beside her and accidentally bumped her phone. His peripheral vision caught the screen.

He picked it up. Opened the photo album.

Thousands of photos. All of him.

His back. His profile. Laughing. Thinking with his eyes closed.

He swiped. One after another. All his face. Him frowning in meetings. Him staring out the window with coffee in hand. Countless moments he had never even noticed, collected like gems she had stolen from time.

The light from the screen burned his eyes. Something slammed into his chest, heavy and swollen.

He pulled at his collar. His breathing came uneven. He couldn’t stop himself from scrolling through again, like an addict, greedy and terrified, measuring the weight of this love.

Maya stirred awake.

She saw Rowan holding her phone. Panic flashed across her face. She reached for it.

Rowan mistook her reaction for embarrassment at having her secret exposed. His voice came out gruff.

“Who told you to celebrate my birthday? You know I never celebrate it.”

Maya froze. She realized he’d misunderstood again.

Rowan ignored her expression and pulled the cake toward himself.

“Don’t do this again.”

“Light the candles for me.”

At this point, there was nothing to do but go along with it.

She lit the candles softly. Sang him the birthday song. Sliced the cake.

Her eyes held nothing but adoration.

His face was identical to Caleb’s anyway.

She could pretend she was celebrating Caleb’s birthday.