He Thought I Loved Him, I Only Loved His Face Chapter 16

He Thought I Loved Him, I Only Loved His Face Chapter 16

At the mention of Maya’s name, Rowan’s eyes went dark.

“She’s traveling.”

“Oh, traveling. I thought maybe she…”

Piper stopped herself mid-sentence.

Rowan looked at her. “She what?”

“It’s nothing.” Piper put on a show of hesitation. “I just saw her once. With someone else. Getting pretty close. And now she suddenly went on a trip alone? I thought maybe she went with another man.”

“Another man?”

Piper’s words detonated inside him.

So he was right. Maya must have fallen for someone else. That’s why she suddenly traveled. Why she blocked his number. Why she shut him out completely.

He didn’t want to admit he cared about her.

But the thought of her moving on that fast clawed at him.

It was a raw, ugly possessiveness. He couldn’t even trace where it came from.

Piper watched Rowan’s rage build. Satisfaction curled in her stomach.

She sat beside him. Poured him more wine.

“Rowan, I honestly envy Maya. Having a husband like you and still not appreciating it. She doesn’t know what she has.”

Rowan listened. A part of him kept asking: why didn’t she appreciate him?

But something else nagged at him. A flicker of suspicion.

Piper never used to bring up Maya.

Even when he tried to make it clear he didn’t love Maya, Piper always acted indifferent.

Now suddenly she was saying these things? Something was off.

Rowan decided he would investigate. Thoroughly.

He drained the large glass in front of him.

Piper leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

Somehow, all he could see was Maya’s face.

Piper noticed he was frozen. She took his hand and guided it to her waist.

Rowan pushed her away.

“You’ve had too much to drink.”

Piper thought she misheard.

He had never rejected her. Ever.

“Rowan…”

She let out a weak, trembling whimper.

Rowan looked at her face and felt nothing but irritation.

“Have her taken home.”

“I’m not going.”

Tears laced Piper’s voice.

Rowan heard them. He didn’t comfort her.

“Then sleep here. I’m going out.”

He left before she could respond.

Piper stood there, humiliated. Furious. She swept the glasses off the table with a shriek.

Tears of frustration streamed down her face.

Rowan walked the streets alone for a long time.

He replayed everything.

He always believed he loved Piper.

But Maya’s face kept appearing in his mind.

Her smile.

The slight furrow of her brow when she was wronged.

Her cool lips.

He missed all of it. Desperately.

Rowan realized with a cold shock: he had long since grown accustomed to her presence.

He shook his head. Tried to clear the chaos.

It didn’t work.

The alcohol gnawed at his stomach.

Through the blur, he saw a familiar silhouette.

“Maya!”