'I should've done this from the start...'
Grabbing onto Riley's cloak and tightening her grip on his collar, Rose locked eyes with him, her gaze burning with intensity.
The realization hit her like a cold wave—she had made a grave mistake by staying in the shadows, allowing others to draw closer to him.
In her effort to respect his space and avoid attracting attention, she had inadvertently given those other women the chance to flutter around him like eager chicks, drawn to his warmth and charm.
Riley was cool, smart, and undeniably handsome. It was inevitable that others would notice these qualities, but Rose should have acted sooner.
She should have asserted her place by his side, rather than letting him interact so freely with others.
She now understood that being sensitive to the feelings of the person you care about was important, but there was a fine line between showing respect and being negligent.
