Chapter 10 #2
“Yes.” She fidgeted with the straw of her drink.
“And I’m here, because I want to be. If I wanted to see Shelby, I would, but I don’t want to.”
“But, you might change your mind.”
“Like how Justin changed his mind about you?”
Brooke nodded the tiniest amount.
Logan placed a hand over hers and squeezed it. “I won’t change my mind.”
Desperately, she wanted to believe him. To think this time would be different. This time could be the real thing, but her head screamed no way.
“You can’t promise that.”
“Why don’t you give me a chance to show you I mean it?” Logan squeezed her hand again. “Could you do that for me?”
“I’m not sure.” Brooke peeled off the paper of her sandwich and avoided eye contact.
“Please,” he pleaded. “I know you’re scared, because I am too if I’m being honest. But I like you Brooke, and I’d like to date you.” He stared back with such earnestness her heart softened.
“Fine.” Brooke bit into her sandwich and chewed.
He beamed. “Great.” Logan grinned and tossed a chip into his mouth. Then he waved a hand. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, tell me about your day. Anything interesting happen? Weird cases?”
She ate a few chips as she contemplated her dilemma of being cautious or optimistic about her future with Logan. Logan waited. Brooke brushed some loosened strands of hair out of her eyes.
“I had a patient who came into the ER with a pencil struck right dab,” she tapped the middle of her forehead, “in his forehead.”
Logan laughed. “What happened?”
“Apparently, he and a kid had had a fight at school. The kid threw the pencil at him, and it landed in his forehead.”
Her shoulders relaxed. The tension in her neck dissipated. She ate some of her sandwich.
Logan shook his head. “They’re lucky it didn’t take out an eye.”
“Oh, for sure.”
“I’m surprised,” Logan popped a chip into his mouth, “I didn’t hear about it.”
A dab of mayo from her sandwich dribbled onto her chin, she used a napkin to wipe her face. “The plastic surgeon removed it, but luckily the kid only needed a few stitches. How about you? How was your day?”
“Decent.” Logan drank his soda then set it back down. “But it’s much better now.” His shimmery gaze made warmth flood her stomach.
“Mine too,” Brooke smiled then ate another bite of her sandwich.
They finished eating then gathered up their trash and threw it away. When they exited the deli, the brutal icy temperature made her shiver. She dug a scarf out of her purse and wrapped it around her neck.
As they made their way to her apartment, Logan’s pinky finger wrapped around hers. She peered down at their fingers then back up at him. “Thanks for taking me to eat.” Then she squeezed. He shifted his fingers over and fully interlaced his hand through hers.
Her heart stopped.
This felt different.
New.
Real.
Even possible.
Logan brushed some loosened hair off her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “Anytime.” He kissed her on her temple. “I hope you don’t make me wait until Sunday to see you again. My family will be there, and I won’t get to be alone with you.”
“I have a busy week. I’m helping Aubrey with some last-minute things for the wedding in the evenings. I don’t think I’ll have time before then.”
“Are you,” he cast her sideway glance, “playing hard to get?”
Brooke laughed. “I wish I even knew how to do that, but no, it’s the truth.”
“Then, I’ll have to enjoy whatever time I can get with you.”
Her apartment came into view. George wasn’t in his usual post outside the building. She wondered if he’d gone inside to the station behind the lobby desk. They arrived in front of her building. Brooke peered inside the glass door, but George wasn’t inside either. She turned back to face Logan.
He stepped closer to her, placing a hand at the dip in her waist. “Thanks for coming with me to dinner.”
Her breath hitched in her chest. The tangy smell of his aftershave filled her lungs making her head swim.
If she didn’t know better, she’d think Logan might kiss her.
And, she wanted it, bad. Her fear of Shelby and the future dissipated.
She didn’t care, not now, when a kiss might be on her otherwise deserted wasteland of dead relationships horizon.
“Thanks for inviting me.” He moistened his lips.
Neither moved, almost as a dare. The first to move would lose, in this imaginary game she played with herself. Slowly, she placed a hand in the center of his chest, he tightened his hold at her waist.
“I’ll see you Sunday?” Her voice sounded breathless even to herself.
“Yes.” In one swift movement, Logan swirled her around and backed her up to the wall of her apartment building. She obeyed. Her back eventually rested against the smooth brick. “Unless I can manage to sneak in a time to see you before then,” he said.
“Oh,” she found his gaze, “that’s wishful thinking on your part.”
“I have my ways.” His eyes glinted with the light from the streetlamps overhead. “I’ll figure something out.”
Brooke scrunched her nose. “Will you now?” she teased.
He wrapped his arm fully around her back, bringing her closer until their hips touched. Her heart nearly exploded as her pulse thundered behind her ears. His gaze flickered between her lips and eyes then back again. WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
Her mind reeled. Last night, she told him to date Shelby. Then, snap, she could only think about kissing him, even if it made everything muddled and messy.
“What would you do if I kissed you right now?” He brushed some loosened hair over her shoulder, leaving a long trail of heat down it.
A tremor made her knees unsteady. “I’m not sure.” Her voice shook.
“Would you push me away?” He cupped her neck. His fingers glided through her hair.
“I wouldn’t.” She gulped. Take a chance. It’s only a kiss not a proposal, not a promise of anything, it’s just a kiss. “I’d kiss you back,” Brooke finally confessed. Her gaze held his steady.
“Not for fake?” he tilted his head and studied her.
“No.” She shook her head ever so slightly.
Her hands had a mind of their own and found their way to the collar of his shirt and tucked up underneath it.
“Not as friends?” he pushed further.
“Did you want to kiss as friends?” she questioned.
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
“I want to kiss you for real.” He landed one hand flat against the wall by her head. “I want to kiss you now.” His body pinned her in the very best way.
“Great. Then we are in agreement.” Brooke tightened her hold of his collar. “Kissing is good.”
He shifted closer. His breath tickled her neck. Then before his lips touched hers. He whispered, “Perfect.” Then Logan skated his lips across hers.
At first graze, his lips were featherlight, almost undetectable as he tentatively tasted her.
She sighed and relaxed against the strong grip of his arm which supported her.
Thoughts of his reunion with Shelby whizzed through her head, but she pushed the unhelpful idea away.
Logan wanted to kiss her, right? Her fingers grazed his neck as he deepened the kiss. He tasted sweet and tangy.
Cars honked. The L train rolled overhead.
A group of wild teenagers made an annoying ruckus then loud whistles as they trekked on by.
But none of it truly registered, not when his arm held her steady, not when her heartbeat rang in her ears and her chest thundered, not when his lips memorized the curves of her face.
Nah, it was only them. This was a kiss that made one forget.
This was a kiss that made people believe in something bigger than themselves.
This kiss righted the wrongs of the past, and the possibility of a heartbreak in the future.
Her lips parted as his tongue plunged inside. His finger brushed the length of her jaw. The fabric of his collar slipped through her fingers. Brooke retightened her hold.
She wondered why they had waited this long. If they had started here, they never would have pretended anything. No, this, them, wasn’t fake at all. This was the most real thing she had ever experienced.
His signature spicy scent mingled with the cool night air. Though her body shivered, she was warm all over. He deepened their kiss while she memorized the feeling of his body pressed against hers. The train rolled over their heads again, making their bodies vibrate.
Then a loud but familiar boisterous laugh out of nowhere made her tug her lips from his.
In a daze, Brooke peered toward the interrupting sound.
Her gaze landed on George. He smirked and wagged a finger at them.
Logan loosened his grip, straightening himself.
Brooke pushed off the wall of the building.
“Nothing fake about that kiss,” George hollered in their direction with a look of triumph. “I’d say I have a sixth sense for that type of thing.”
“No.” Instead of cowering, Logan’s lips broke out into a wide smile. “You were right. How could we have ever doubted you?”
George waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll let you two love birds get back to it.” He slipped back inside the building.
Brooke watched as the door shut behind him. “I guess there’s no going back now.”
“Nope, only forward.” He wrapped his arms around Brooke, pulling her into a tight all-embracing hug. His breath tickled her neck as he whispered into her hair, “I can’t get enough of my Brookie.”
Brooke loosened their embrace enough for her to gaze up at him. “What have I told you? No nicknames,” she teased.
“Come on, not even for me?” He gave her a puppy dog look.
“Fine, I’ll take it into consideration.”
He kissed her on the temple. “Sounds like a win to me.”
Brooke laughed. “You keep telling yourself that.”
“I will, Brookie.” Logan stole a quick peck. “I will.”