Until We Met Again ( Rowan and Johnson )
Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Rowan forcefully pushed open the door and rushed into the room, immediately searching for any sign of Karla.

“What’s up?” Karla, nonchalantly nibbling on a croissant, sauntered out of the kitchen. Rowan dashed over to her, scanning her from head to toe with an anxious expression, “You alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Karla chuckled, bemused. She didn’t exactly look the part of someone in distress, did she?

But Rowan wasn’t in the mood for laughter. His heart had been a wild drumbeat the entire bike ride over, and in his haste, he’d barely managed to prop his bike against the porch before taking the stairs two at a time.

“You’re worried sick, huh? You’re sweating bullets.” Only now did Karla notice the beads of perspiration on his forehead, a clear indicator of his deep concern.

Rowan shook his head, signifying it was nothing.

Karla reassured him, “Seriously, you don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself way better than you think. To me, those thugs are just a bunch of annoying brats compared to the real murderers out there.”

As she spoke, Karla gave his shoulder a playful pat, adding with a grin, “You can always count on me.”

“Murderers? I thought you were a time traveler?” Yet, it was this point that caught Rowan’s focus.

Realizing she might have said too much, Karla quickly backpedaled, “Even time travelers run into bad guys, you know? Where there’s good, there’s evil. It was just a metaphor, not an actual murderer.”

Karla felt a twinge of guilt. One lie always seemed to breed countless others. She didn’t want to deceive him, but* she couldn’t very well spill the beans that he was fated to die at thirty–two, or that she wasn’t some glamorous time traveler but rather a police officer who had stumbled into a temporal mishap, could she? That would be recklessly irresponsible.

One day, Karla would reveal the truth to him. When the right moment came, she would lay it all bare.

Fortunately, Rowan trusted her implicitly, taking her word without question.

“By the way, how did you know there was trouble at home?” Karla finally remembered to ask.

“Somebody mentioned it,” Rowan replied.

Before pressing him on who this person might be, Karla threw out another question, “Who’s Thomas?”

Rowan wasn’t surprised by her inquiry and answered, “A guy from school.”

“You got on his bad side, and he’s been hassling you, hasn’t he?” Karla’s face bore an expression of expected concern, and Rowan nodded.

Karla watched him and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about the trouble?”

“I can handle it myself.” Rowan’s tone wasn’t boastful, but rather composed and matter–of–fact.

Karla peered into his eyes for a long moment before abruptly changing the subject, “You mentioned someone told you about the trouble. Who was it?”

“Teddy.”

“Teddy?” Karla’s curiosity piqued at the mention of an unfamiliar name. “Who is this Teddy?”

Rowan countered, “Didn’t you notice him? He was on the sidewalk, and he saw you through the window.”

“The one with tattoos on his arm, looking all rogue?” Karla’s memory suddenly clicked, and Rowan confirmed with a nod. “What about the other guy with him?”

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Chapter 53

“Yeah, that’s Andres, Teddy’s buddy.”

Karla nodded thoughtfully, piecing together the faces from the photo frame — Polly, Wayne, Teddy, and Andres seemed to complete the set.

“So, what got you on Thomas‘ bad side?” Karla probed further, and Rowan didn’t hold back. “Remember when you asked me about Polly and Wayne? Well, it’s related to them.”

Karla connected the dots. Rowan’s beef with Thomas was linked to the pair. The girl who accidentally bumped into Thomas at the diner was actually Polly. Afterwards, Polly and Wayne tried to show their gratitude to him multiple times, but Rowan never accepted any of it. He remained aloof, keeping his distance from them. Despite that, they persisted, hoping to bridge the gap and form a friendship.

After hearing his story, Karla ventured a guess, “You’re intentionally distancing yourself from them to avoid dragging them into trouble, right?”

“I’ve got no strings attached. With my current capabilities, I can only ensure my own safety, not theirs,” Rowan admitted candidly. He knew getting too close to anyone could make them a target. The best course, it seemed, was to keep them away.

Ironically, the more he tried to push them away, the more they clung to him.

“Are you sure that by being cold to them, you’re really cutting ties?” Karla felt compelled to point out. Rowan looked puzzled, so she explained, “Can you act like you were completely strangers, not saying a word when you encounter them? Otherwise, you’ll still be connected with them. Do you think you’ve managed that?”

Rowan pictured the scenario and realized he fell short.

“Rowan, there’s a lot they might have done for you behind the scenes. But because of your deliberate distance, even if they’ve already gotten into trouble because of you, they wouldn’t tell you,” Karla spoke honestly, with no intention of pressuring him. Ultimately, the decision was his to make.

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