Hidden Layers 2
I raised an eyebrow, glancing toward Claire, who was laughing with a few of her friends. She was radiating joy, completely unaware of the odd look Charles had just given. I turned back to see Rowan watching Charles with an unreadable expression.
Charles cleared his throat, stepping back. “Well, I’ll let you two catch up. I’ll be around if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Charles,” Rowan replied, watching him closely as he moved away.
I took a long sip of my champagne, feeling the weight of the moment. Rowan’s eyes were still fixed on Charles’s retreating figure, a flicker of something I couldn’t quite place in his gaze.
“So,” I said, breaking the silence. “You and Charles go way back, huh?”
Rowan leaned back in his chair, his eyes still on Charles across the room. “We do. He was always... let’s say, complex.”
“Complex?” I arched an eyebrow, intrigued by his choice of words. “Doesn’t seem that way from the outside.”
Rowan looked at me, his expression shifting to something almost cautious. “People aren’t always what they seem, Remi.”
“Is that so?” I replied, arching an eyebrow, matching his guarded tone.
He took another sip of his whiskey, looking thoughtful. “Let’s just say, Charles isn’t always what people expect. He’s got… hidden layers.”
I glanced over at Charles, who was now standing with the man he’d been eyeing before, their conversation looking a bit more animated than I’d expected. The man’s hand brushed against Charles’s arm, a small, familiar gesture that made something click in my mind. I looked back at Rowan, who was watching me closely, as if he knew what I was thinking.
“So, hidden layers,” I said slowly, keeping my voice low.
Rowan raised an eyebrow, his lips curling in a faint smirk. “Let’s just say that you might be surprised by some of the people you meet.”
I studied him, sensing there was more he wasn’t saying. “And you, Rowan? Do you have hidden layers?”
He chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. “More than you could handle, I assure you.”
I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. “Well, good thing I’m not interested.”
“Oh?” he said, his smirk widening. “That’s not what I remember from last night. You clearly wanted to get underneath my skin.”
I rolled my eyes, trying to keep my composure. “Let’s drop that topic, shall we?”
“Touchy subject?” he teased.
“Not at all,” I shot back, my voice tight. “I just don’t feel like discussing a one-time... mistake.”
Rowan leaned forward, his voice dropping to a murmur. “Funny thing about mistakes, Remi. They have a way of coming back around.”
I swallowed, feeling a strange, unsettling thrill from his words. “And why would this one come back around?”
“Maybe because it’s not as easily forgotten as you think,” he replied, his gaze piercing.
Before I could respond, a loud bark echoed from somewhere near the entrance, followed by a yelp from Laura, who immediately ran toward Rowan, clutching his leg.
“Big Uncle! The doggie’s back!” she cried, her voice high with panic.
Rowan looked down, startled, but knelt to reassure her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Laura. No doggie’s going to bother you here.”
Guests nearby chuckled, the murmurs starting up again as they watched Rowan comforting Laura with an ease that surprised even me. The sight stirred a strange feeling in my chest, watching them, an odd sense of familiarity that felt… almost natural.
“Big Uncle?” Charles said, walking back over, his eyebrow raised as he looked between Rowan and Laura with amusement.
Rowan straightened, a little awkward, clearing his throat. “Seems I’ve been… promoted.”
Charles laughed, patting Rowan on the back. “Look at you, Mr. Vaughn, already winning over the next generation.”
Laura grinned up at Rowan, clinging to his hand as if he were her personal hero. “Big Uncle saved me from the scary doggie!” she announced proudly.
The guests nearby let out a few chuckles, clearly amused by the scene. Rowan gave a faint, slightly uncomfortable smile, glancing at me with a look that said he was still very confused by the whole thing.
Charles looked down at Laura, smiling. “You’ve got quite the protector here, Laura. Not everyone gets to have Mr. Vaughn as their... Big Uncle.”
Rowan shot Charles a dry look, clearly a bit out of his element. “Glad to be of service,” he muttered, though his tone was light.
Laura clung to his hand a bit longer before letting go, finally turning her attention to the cake being brought out to the center of the room. I exhaled, hoping the little scene might die down, but the guests around us kept whispering, their curious glances making my skin crawl.
Charles leaned in, his voice low. “Seems like you’re making waves, Rowan. Never thought I’d see you here, playing the family man.”
Rowan rolled his eyes, his smirk returning. “Not by choice.”
“Or maybe fate,” Charles teased, winking at me.
I tried to laugh it off, but my cheeks burned. Rowan, sensing my discomfort, changed the subject. “Charles, have you seen Claire? She might be wondering where you are.”
Charles’s expression flickered for a moment, and his gaze drifted across the room to where Claire was laughing with her friends. “Of course,” he said smoothly, though his eyes held a strange distance. “I’ll catch up with her in a minute.”
Rowan watched him for a second, his expression unreadable. “Right. Don’t keep her waiting too long.”
Charles gave a small, knowing smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
As he walked off, I felt Rowan’s gaze return to me, his expression softer, though a glint of curiosity remained.
“You’re full of surprises, Remi,” he murmured.
I met his gaze, unsure of what to say, and for a second, I felt my walls slipping.
But then I remember those same dark eyes.
That looked at me with hatred. That same lips that said words that ruined my self esteem.
“What about Gigi, it's a shame that you cheated on her with me.”
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