Chapter Six — Rowan
“If this is about Lena, you’ve come to the right place.”
Elaine’s voice rings out the moment I step into Fresh ’n Fluffy, her grin so wide it could be used as advertising. Roxanne lowers her book at the corner table, one perfectly shaped brow lifting like she already knows everything I haven’t said yet.
The smell of coffee and sugar hits me at the same time as the nerves twisting in my gut.
“What gave me away?” I mutter, heading for the counter.
Elaine snorts and grabs a mug. “The tragic, helpless expression of a man in love. Coffee?”
“Yes,” I say immediately. “Make it strong.”
She hands off the counter to another employee and joins Roxanne at the table.
“So,” Elaine says, eyes bright, “what has our favorite matchmaker done now?”
I stare down at my mug for a second longer than necessary.
How do I explain that the woman I’ve loved my entire life wants to set me up with someone else?
How do I say that without admitting how badly that hurts?
“It’s always been her.”
The words fall out before I can stop them.
And just like that, something heavy loosens in my chest.
Elaine freezes. “FINALLY.”
Roxanne’s lips twitch. “Well, look at that. He admits it.”
“You’ve been waiting for this?” I ask dryly.
Elaine laughs. “Rowan, we’ve been watching you two dance around each other since middle school. It’s painful.”
“If denial burned calories, you’d both be models,” Roxanne adds.
I rub the back of my neck. “She doesn’t see it. She keeps calling us best friends.”
“Oh please,” Elaine scoffs. “If that’s friendship, I’ve been doing it wrong my whole life.”
Roxanne leans forward. “She can’t even step foot in your gym without short-circuiting.”
That… tracks.
“So what’s the plan?” Elaine asks.
“I tell her how I feel,” I say. “Break the pact.”
“About time,” Roxanne says calmly.
Elaine claps once. “Wait—did you ever talk to her about the college thing?”
I wince. “I tried. She shut it down. Pretended it never happened.”
Elaine groans. “She totally remembers.”
“Then why won’t she admit it?” I ask.
“Because admitting it means admitting she wanted you,” Roxanne replies. “And that scares her.”
I take a slow breath.
“And now,” I add, “she wants me as a matchmaking client.”
Elaine drops her forehead to the table.
“The irony,” Roxanne murmurs, “is painful.”
“So how do I know she feels the same?” I ask. “What if I’m wrong?”
Roxanne meets my eyes. “Then you’ll find out without detonating the friendship.”
Elaine straightens suddenly. “Agree to it.”
“What?”
“Her matchmaking plan,” Elaine says. “Say yes.”
I nearly choke on my coffee. “How does dating other women help me win her?”
“Jealousy,” Elaine says cheerfully.
“No,” I say instantly. “That’s manipulative.”
“Not if you’re honest,” Roxanne cuts in. “And not if it pushes Lena to stop hiding.”
I think about Lena. About how she carries everyone else’s weight and ignores her own.
“This might be the only way she lets herself feel,” Roxanne adds.
I hate how much sense that makes.
“Fine,” I say slowly. “But I won’t lie to anyone. Ever.”
“Deal,” Elaine grins. “We’ll help.”
Later that evening, my phone buzzes.
ME: What’s your dinner plan?
LENA: Debating between baby carrots and a soup I may have burned last week.
ME: So… flaming soup.
LENA: Don’t judge. I peaked at grilled cheese.
ME: I’m making pesto pasta.
LENA: Really??
ME: Have I ever let you starve?
Her reply is instant.
And warm.
And dangerous.
Collymore Fitness is alive when I walk in—sunlight pouring through the windows, weights clanking, familiar voices echoing.
“Someone looks inspired,” Gavin calls out from the squat racks.
“Or distracted,” Connie adds from her treadmill. “Wet puppies hide it better.”
I groan. “Is everyone in this town invested in my love life?”
“Yes,” Fred says cheerfully. “We vote weekly.”
Gavin elbows me. “So when are we launching the Senior and Adaptive Program?”
I glance around the gym. At Fred. At Connie. At the space Dad built.
“Soon,” I say. “When I’m sure.”
Fred nods. “Henry will be proud.”
That’s the goal.
Not to rush.
Not to ruin.
Not to lose the things that matter.
Lena matters.
The gym matters.
Some risks are worth taking. Others… you prepare for.
As Gavin heads back to work, he claps my shoulder.
“You’re closer than you think, man.”
I hope he’s right.
Because I’m about to agree to be matched with women I don’t want—
to prove to the one woman I do
that I’ve always been hers.
