Logan
When my alarm went off this morning, I almost hit snooze. It felt like I had just closed my eyes, only to open them again minutes later. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable to settle. My body was exhausted, but my mind hadn’t shut off until sleep finally dragged me under.
Still, I wasn’t the type to ignore an alarm. So I was up, barefoot in the kitchen, getting breakfast started before Ellie woke up.
I had it all planned: eggs, bacon, pancakes, and fruit. If I had more, I’d have made it. Honestly, I was throwing everything I had in the fridge at breakfast, hoping it’d be enough. A single guy doesn’t usually stock enough food for two, but I was making it work.
The bacon crackled in the oven, which freed up the stovetop for eggs and pancakes. I whisked the batter and poured the first pancake into the pan, keeping the heat low. That was the trick to getting them golden brown, cook them slow and steady.
Breakfast was my favorite meal of the day. No matter what kind of chaos the day promised, I liked starting it with something solid.
As the first pancake finished, I set it aside and kept going—flipping, stirring, multitasking like hell.
Then I heard the creak of the spare bedroom door, followed by soft footfalls padding down the hall. My heart stuttered at the sound.
Ellie appeared a moment later, eyes puffy with sleep, her hair a beautiful mess. She was rubbing her eyes with both fists, wearing one of my old T-shirts and the pair of boxers I’d left folded on the dresser for her last night.
Something about seeing her like that—in my clothes, safe, here—stirred something low and hot in my gut as the comfort set in and I smiled.
“Morning. How’re you feeling?”
She let out a grunt and nodded, barely awake. Ellie has never been much of a morning person. Honestly, I was surprised she was up at all.
Growing up, she was always the last one to wake, and the first one to crash for the night. Some things never change.
She shuffled up to the counter beside me, leaning on it as she yawned. I already had her fuel ready—cracking open a can of Dr Pepper and setting it down in front of her.
Ellie giggled softly and smiled. “You know me too well.”
Of course I do.
I always paid attention to her.
“I’ve got pancakes, bacon, eggs. There’s fruit in the fridge,” I said, pointing toward it with the end of my spatula.
“Damn,” she replied with another yawn, heading to the fridge and pulling out the container of fruit. She popped the lid, grabbed a strawberry, and hopped up onto the counter.
Silence filled the kitchen, which was rare when Ellie was around. Usually, she’d be tossing out random questions or talking a mile a minute. But now, she was quiet, her eyes vacant as she chewed, her mind clearly elsewhere.
I let her be.
When the food was ready, I piled everything onto plates and handed her one along with a fork. She took it with a small, appreciative smile. I leaned against the counter beside her, digging in.
Then I glanced over and said softly, “Talk to me.”
I needed to get inside her head, to know exactly what she went through, and be the place where she placed what she was currently feeling.
I was furious and I wanted to know every damn detail.
With a deep sigh, she paused to gather her thoughts.
“Thank you for last night,” she said, lifting another forkful of food to her lips. “Everything happened so fast, and I didn’t want to be alone. I didn’t know where to go, but… my body told me to come here.”
I nodded in understanding. “You’re always welcome here, Ace. Anytime, no matter what, you know I’ll be there.”
I’d drop everything if she ever needed me. I didn’t know what that said about me, maybe that I was hopelessly in love with my best friend’s little sister, but I’d stopped denying the pull she had on me a long time ago.
“I just can’t believe I was so stupid,” she said with a self-deprecating laugh.
“Why did I even go? All day, my gut told me not to. That it was a bad idea. But I’m too optimistic.
I thought maybe we just got off on the wrong foot.
Funny how I ignored myself then, but when my conscious screamed to come here… I listened.”
“You’re not stupid,” I said, and she shot me a look.
“I mean it,” I added quickly. “You see the good in people. And after everything you’ve been through, it’s a miracle you still do. That’s not stupid, Ellie. That’s… admirable.”
She let out a sharp, humorless laugh and shook her head. “This town is cursed. It doesn’t want me to be happy.”
“You don’t seriously believe that,” I said, trying to keep my voice soft, grounding.
“How can I not?” she asked, putting her plate down and straightening.
“First, I dated a guy for most of my teenage years—then he cheated on me.” One finger.
“And the only reason I found out was because he got someone else pregnant.” Two fingers.
“Then, I come back home and find myself tangled up with another asshole, who I don’t even realize is a total monster until he’s throwing me around his kitchen because I was ‘playing games.’” Three fingers.
Her hand dropped to her lap like the weight of it all had grown too heavy to hold.
“Besides all the troubles I have with my romantic life, I feel like I am lost in this town. I am starting over, working for a flower shop, and I have nothing to show for it, and it’s frustrating. ”
“He threw you?” My voice was tight, my body shaking with contained rage. Miles putting his hands on her was all I could focus on.
“Mm-hmm,” she said quietly. “Like a rag doll. Slammed me into the counter a couple times. He was so mad… spit was flying in my face as he screamed at me.”
Her calm tone was jarring. Like she was reciting someone else’s story. Meanwhile, I was gripping the edge of the counter so tightly my knuckles turned white.
“What a piece of shit,” I muttered, placing my plate down. Suddenly, I had no appetite.
Ellie picked hers back up like she didn’t want to waste the food. But her eyes were distant.
“Maybe it’s a sign I need to leave,” she said softly. “Maybe I’m not meant to be here anymore. I felt better on the road. Free.”
My gut twisted. She couldn’t leave.
“Ellie… leaving for good isn’t the answer.”
“Oh?” she said with a flat laugh. “Do you have a crystal ball hidden somewhere? Know something I don’t?”
“No, wise ass,” I said, giving her a pointed look that finally drew out a real smile. Faint, but there.
“Don’t let some city guy be the reason you give up on Faircloud,” I continued. “There are people here who love you.” Me. “People who want the best for you and would never hurt you.” Also me—but I didn’t say that.
Mac’s voice echoed in my head—the conversation we’d had about telling her how I felt. But I couldn’t, not now. Not after what she’d been through. It appeared timing was never on my side. Still, I’d wait a lifetime if I had to. The way I felt about Ellie, there was no expiration date on that.
She exhaled slowly, her shoulders sinking. “All of this is dragging up the same awful feelings Buck brought out in me. The self-doubt, the shame. And I hate it. I hate that I’m still letting them affect me.”
She pulled up the sleeve of my T-shirt.
“And now… this.”
Her bicep was already bruising in the distinct shape of handprints.
“I can’t wear long sleeves during a Texas summer. How do I explain this to people? What do I say, that I hugged myself too hard?”
She hopped off the counter, turned her back to me, and lifted the shirt higher.
“And what about these?”
Dark splotches scattered across her back, right where he must’ve slammed her into the countertop.
“Ellie…” I growled, the sound barely human.
“Not now,” she said, spinning to face me. Her voice cracked. “I’m not saying you won’t get the revenge you so desperately want… but not now. Please.”
God, I wanted to rip the pain right out of her chest and carry it for her. She didn’t deserve this. She never had. I would’ve given anything to make it all disappear, but I didn’t know how.
“I want a break,” she said quietly. “I want to be able to trust again. To love and just… be okay.” Ellie let out a frustrated grunt and threw her head back against the cabinets, her voice cracking with emotion.
“You will,” I said gently, my voice sure, even if hers wasn’t.
She shook her head. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
And just like that, an idea hit me.
“Let’s leave.”
Her head snapped toward me, brows furrowed. “Leave?” she repeated, incredulous. “Like, your house? Logan, did you not see the bruises I just showed you? How the hell am I supposed to go out in public?”
I stood to my full height, crossing my arms. “No, I mean leave Faircloud. Just for a few days, or even the week.”
Ellie blinked, her expression tight with disbelief. “I already left once. And when I came back, nothing was different. I can’t go again, people are going to talk. They’ll know when I’m not at Petal Pusher working—like when I left the farm stand.”
“That was then. This is now. And let’s be honest,” I added, jaw tightening, “if I stay here and see Miles again anytime soon, I can’t promise I won’t do something I’ll regret.”
She looked at me for a long moment, and I could see the wheels turning in her head. From the outside, maybe it looked like we were running—but to me, it felt more like choosing peace. Time. Space. A breath before the storm of questions and having to face something that won’t be easy.
“We give the bruises time to fade,” I said, softer now. “No explanations. No pressure. Just time. When we come back, you can talk to everyone on your own terms.”
Her fingers tapped against the counter. “What about the flower shop? The ranch? We both have responsibilities. They are going to wonder where we went.”
“If there’s one thing I know about our people,” I said, “it’s that they show up. No questions asked. We’ll say we need time and that’s all they’ll need to hear. Let me handle it.”
Ellie stood with her lips pressed together in thought.
“I know you left once before,” I added, “but this isn’t the same. This time, you’re not leaving alone. You’re going with me. And we’re going to have fun.”
Her eyes finally lifted to meet mine, and for the first time since she walked through my door, there was a flicker of something brighter. Not quite hope, but maybe the possibility of it.
“Where did you have in mind?” she asked.
“My mom’s got a show in Florida,” I said. “We could make it a road trip. Stop along the way, hit the beach for a few days, circle back in time for the rodeo, then come home.”
It wasn’t a perfect plan, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get her out of here—and selfishly, I wanted her to myself for a little while longer.
Ellie’s lips curved slowly, that quiet smile pulling at the corners.
“I’m going to need a bag,” she said. “We can swing by my apartment, grab a few things… and then let’s get the hell out of here.”