Until We Met Again ( Rowan and Johnson )
Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Rowan furrowed his brow, to which Karla chuckled and said, “Getting a headache, are you? But that’s just how socializing goes – murky, complex, and a hassle. Sometimes being alone feels so much simpler

“But Rowan, I hope you understand that if you want to achieve anything, you inevitably have to deal with all sorts of people. You’ve got to learn how to navigate these personal relationships.”

At 27, Karla had taken her share of knocks and learned the hard lessons life offered. She cared for him and was willing to show him the

ropes.

Rowan took her words to heart. After all, hers were the only ones he was willing to listen to.

Little did Karla know at that moment how much she meant to Rowan, and that she was shaping his life in profound ways.

After mulling over Karla’s advice, Rowan decided it was time to talk things out with Teddy. However, for the next two days, Teddy was nowhere to be seen.

Rowan sensed that something was off, but he didn’t know where Teddy lived or how to contact him. Just as Rowan was trying to figure out how to reach Teddy, one evening when he returned home, the landline rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but Rowan answered and realized it was Andres calling.

Andres sounded very hesitant as he spoke. “Rowan, I know Teddy wouldn’t want me to tell you, but it doesn’t sit right with me. I’ve been thinking it over, and I’ve decided you should know.”

“Just spit it out,” Rowan urged, sensing what was coming.

Andres revealed that for the past couple of days, Teddy had been scrambling to scrape together money for his buddies‘ medical expenses and was at his wit’s end. He asked if Rowan could possibly lend them some money if he had any to spare.

“Which hospital?” Rowan inquired.

“Aphelion, Andres replied.

“Got it,” Rowan said before hanging up. He grabbed a jacket to head out, intending to tell Karla to get some rest while he stepped out, only to replace her already dressed and waiting at the door. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go,” she said.

The ride to Aphelion Hospital was a bit of a trek. Rowan hopped on his bike with Karla taking the rear seat. It was a rarity for someone accustomed to the daily grind of driving to work. It gave her a nostalgic throwback to her student days, but with a twist – she had always been the one pedaling others around, never the passenger.

When she had offered to switch places, Rowan shot her a look as if to say, “Do you really think that’s going to happen?”

So commanding.

After Rowan settled the hospital bill, which was no small sum, Karla asked where the money came from. Rowan simply said, *Scholarship.”

But if his scholarship was going to medical bills, what about tuition? His answer was straightforward: replace more part–time work.

Karla was impressed. “Alright. From tomorrow, I’ll help you with the part–time jobs.”

Rowan initially refused, but Karla’s persistent cajoling wore him down. Hooking her arm around his shoulder like the best of buddies, she kept cheering him up all the way home.

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Unseen by them, a man stood in the shadows, watching their retreating figures. It took a while before he turned away, revealing a prominent scar across his face.

The next morning, a weary Teddy arrived at the hospital, shocked to replace the medical expenses already paid. After confronting Andres, Teddy learned about Andres‘ phone call to Rowan the night before.

Teddy was livid. “You know his situation as well as I do. Where would he get that kind of money? It’s obvious he must’ve used his scholarship. What right do I have to make him pay for me? This has nothing to do with him!”

Andres was at a loss. He had hoped Rowan would lend a bit of money. He would be grateful for even that. But who could have expected that Rowan had already paid for the medical expenses?

I’ve got to replace him!”

Fuming, Teddy slammed down the phone and stormed out of the phone booth, heading straight for St. Rose’s Street. It was just past 7 AM when he arrived, pounding on the door and shouting, “Rowan! Open up!”

The door swung open, revealing not Rowan, but a woman a woman who had clearly been roused from sleep, still in her pajamas, and bleary–eyed.

Yawning, Karla asked, “What’s all this about, waking people up at the crack of dawn?”