Chapter 24 #3
Noah was leaning against a workshop table with Logan standing in front of him, and they both turned toward my voice, startled. I watched as Logan’s expression went from pinched to white. His eyes widened as he froze, truly looking like a deer in headlights.
He no doubt was mortified by the thought of me overhearing what Noah said. I wanted to grab his hand, to reassure him, but he was too far away. “This is about the dare, isn’t it?” I asked Noah. “You were the one who dared Logan to go to Brentwood’s open house, right?”
Noah didn’t deny it, but his eyes did narrow.
“I already know about it. Logan has already been honest about it all.”
Noah looked at Logan wordlessly, but the quarterback refused to meet his best friend’s eye. Logan wasn’t looking at me, either. Instead, his gaze was on some point on the garage floor, as if too afraid to look anyone straight on. “Honest,” Noah echoed. “Really?”
“Yes.” I took another step toward Logan. “I appreciate you looking out for him, but—”
“But what? But you won’t drop him the second he does something you don’t like? Or the second someone better comes along?”
The venom in his voice was starting to tick me off. “I get that you don’t like me—”
“I don’t.” Noah pushed up from the table he leaned against, rising to his full height. He didn’t stand close enough to be imposing, but his eyes were bright behind his glasses. “You don’t even know what it is about you that I don’t like, do you?”
“That I go to Brentwood,” I said, returning his glare. “Who my friends are. But it’s not fair to judge me just because you don’t like my friends.”
“Isn’t it? You choose to stay with them. That makes you no better.” He turned his head to the side, casting Logan a long, quiet look, before coming back to me. “Maybe you do deserve it all.”
I looked at Logan. His expression was rigid, braced against the moment, tension cinching through him like a rope that wouldn’t let him move.
All at once, the fire and fight went out of me.
The last thing I wanted was to put Logan in a situation like this, where he had to choose between me and his best friend.
I’d butted into a conversation when I had no right to, and I’d only hurt Logan even more.
My cheeks felt warm. “Listen,” I began. “I—”
“Jeez, I’m being deprived of s’mores because you’re throwing a hissy fit?” Danielle came up from behind me, her hand brushing my shoulder. A silent show of solidarity while she focused on her boyfriend. “What, you think just because the party’s at your house, you get to be a crybaby?”
If the situation weren’t so tense, I would’ve smiled at her joke. “Do you even know who she is?” Noah asked her.
“I do know who she is. She’s Logan’s first girlfriend. And if you’re going to act all territorial, I’m going to start getting jealous.”
Noah wasn’t amused. “She’s from Brentwood, Dani.”
Danielle’s gaze immediately flicked to me, as if she’d find confirmation. Her hand slid from my shoulder, and I froze, prepared for her to switch sides.
She looked back to her boyfriend. “That’s why you’re being like this? All because she’s from Brentwood?”
“It’s okay.” Once more, my gaze cut to Logan’s, whose hands were curled into fists at his sides.
I’d never seen him look so… scared. “Really. It’s—I should’ve been more understanding.
” Now, my eyes traveled to Noah’s jean-clad leg.
Even though I couldn’t believe my friends would’ve done such a thing, Noah believed it.
“I know my apology doesn’t really mean much, but I am really sorry… for what happened.”
Danielle looked at her boyfriend, raising an expectant eyebrow.
Noah turned toward Logan again, as if trying one last time to catch his eye, before his gaze fell to Logan’s fists.
Noah’s shoulders dropped ever so slightly, as if the sight disarmed him, too.
He watched his best friend for a long moment before giving his head a slow shake.
“I hope it works out,” he said, whether to me or to Logan.
Instead of going out the side door to return to the bonfire, Noah opened a door that presumedly led into the house and left the garage.
Even in his absence, the space still felt suffocating. Silence hung between the three of us for a long, awkward beat, before Danielle turned to me. “Don’t mind him. Really.” The expression on her face was guilty. “I hope his sour attitude hasn’t turned you off our friend group.”
“Not at all.” I looked off at the now-closed door Noah had walked through. “It makes me want to win him over even more.”
Noah didn’t trust me with Logan’s heart.
His barbs were sharp, but they were only worry in disguise.
And even if I was the one he lashed out at, it was proof Logan had someone who cared fiercely for him.
As prickly as Noah was—and, admittedly, maybe worse than Jade—it wasn’t because he didn’t care. He just cared a lot.
Would Jade do the same for me?
My first thought was that day in the alley, when she’d stepped up to Logan. I thought something about you was off, she’d said. She had stood up for me then. Why did I keep doubting her?
“We’ll probably head out.” Logan’s voice was almost rusty when he spoke, like the whole confrontation had rattled him. He crossed the garage then, slowly, almost hesitantly coming up to my side. “You can tell everyone I’m getting a headache or something.”
“Oh no,” Danielle said. “If he wants to cause a scene, his friends get to know the truth of it.”
I picked up Logan’s hand, but his grip was loose. The touch alone made me feel much better, though, as if it was a physical connection I could ground myself to. Even though it was still dark, Logan didn’t trip this time as we made our way back to my car.
“How much… did you hear?”
The anxiety in his voice was plain as day, and it made my chest ache. “Not that much.”
Really, not much at all. Noah’s animosity had been impossible to miss, though. What you’re doing? It’s really messed up, Logan. It was strange to think of how fiercely Noah opposed our relationship, but then again, the Top Tier would be the same way. In fact, they’d probably be even worse.
“Why was he being so judgmental, though?” I asked Logan, coasting my fingertips across his knuckles. “Was he not the one who dared you to go to Brentwood?”
Logan gave his head a slow shake. “I—I told him about it, though. He… didn’t approve.” He sucked in a sudden, sharp breath, turning to me a few feet before we got to my car. “It was wrong. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s okay.” I made sure to pack my voice with as much meaning as I could, bouncing between Logan’s blue eyes.
“I mean, come on. It worked out, didn’t it?
” My words still couldn’t touch his heart.
I wrapped my arms around him and tucked myself to his chest, pressing my palms into the firm muscles of his back.
I held him tightly, burying my nose into his chest. I could still smell the faint trace of grass on him from tonight’s game. “I’m glad you were dared to meet me.”
Logan raised his arms to wrap around me finally, as if surrendering to something.
He tucked his head against mine, cheek pressing against my crown.
We fit like puzzle pieces—like two people destined to meet each other.
I didn’t care that someone else had scripted our first act.
I was just grateful to be on the stage with him at all.
I wrinkled my nose. “You have me thinking in geek speak metaphors.”
A short, sudden laugh startled out of him, and it vibrated through my chest. “Your daily dose of dweeb is working then,” he murmured.
I lifted head, resting my chin on his chest as I peered up at his jawline. “So.” I blinked my lashes. “I’m your first girlfriend, huh?”
Logan gave another ghostly chuckle again, grip on me loosening as he looked away. “Yeah. Well. I’m your first boyfriend, aren’t I?”
I pinched his side. “And you like me? You really like me?”
“You already knew that,” Logan said, looking at me with a startled expression. “I told you.”
“No, you said you were chalant about me. But actually hearing those words—it’s different.”
The moment seemed to quiet. That was the only way I could describe it.
It was like Logan pressed pause, eyes tracing mine as if searching for something.
Or trying to commit me to memory. Or, maybe, commit this moment to memory.
His arms had yet to fall from around me, the bubble of the moment still ours.
“I like you,” Logan murmured. He removed one hand from my back to reach up and brush back some of my blonde hair. Not in a perfecting way, like Jade always did, but in a tender way of his own. His fingertips trailed delicately along my cheekbone, and I held my breath. “I mean it. I really do.”
A rush of warmth spread through me, its own fingertipped touch on my insides.
I had the strongest, strongest urge to squeal, but forced myself to remain still.
Barely. A faint, almost dream-like thought danced through my mind.
This is what falling in love feels like.
“And I like you,” I said, leaning closer, tilting my face up.
Kiss me, I wanted to say. To beg. Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.
He had to know I wanted it. It had to be obvious, written all over my face the same way it was written all over his.
But suddenly, just like all the other times we’d gotten close, Logan pulled away.
His arms fell from around me, and he easily stepped back out of the embrace.
My shoulders dropped as, yet again, he left the gap uncrossed.
“I’m sorry tonight was such a bust,” he said, reaching for the handle of my car door and popping it open. “Raincheck?”
Why won’t you kiss me? I wanted to demand, and if it hadn’t been for his words moments ago—I like you, I really do—my question might’ve slipped out. Instead, I pinched off a smile. “Raincheck,” I agreed, sliding into the driver’s seat.