29. Ellie
ELLIE
After swimming, and well, kissing, Logan and I decided to dry off and pack it in for the day. He people-watched while I tried to finish the last few pages of my book, both of us silently agreeing not to mention the kiss.
Which, honestly, was perfectly fine with me.
Because right now? I was a full-blown mess inside my own head.
Why the hell had I kissed him?
I didn’t regret it. Not even a little. In fact, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But with everything I was already navigating, did I really need to add this to the mix?
What Logan and I had—our friendship—it worked. It had always worked since we were kids. So why did I suddenly feel the need to tip the balance? Why now, in the middle of my personal chaos, did I risk dragging him into it with me? Though I guess he was already coming along for the ride.
The saddest part was, Logan wouldn’t even hesitate to stand beside me in any storm I created. He always had.
How long had he been waiting to kiss me? And why hadn’t he done it sooner?
Sure, I’d been with Buck. But was it really that long? And if Logan had told me how he felt, if I’d known, would things have played out differently?
That was the question circling in my brain since the moment his lips touched mine in the ocean.
If I’d known Logan wanted me, that he felt something more than friendship, would I have picked him?
The honest answer?
I would’ve picked Logan in every single universe.
He was Logan. My best friend. My anchor. My constant. And these feelings—this storm of emotion—felt like a warning.
We were almost to our room, our room, this time with two beds. Close enough to tempt every thought I was trying to suppress, but still played into the desire I had.
So many questions. No real answers. But as Logan placed the keycard against the lock, the biggest one surfaced again and again:
Did I always love him, but never recognized it because I didn’t know what real love looked like?
Because if just a few days alone with Logan while I was finally, completely single was enough to shake the way I saw him so deeply…
Was it possible I hadn’t ignored the truth, but simply never knew what it meant?
I’d experienced healthy friendships. Even healthy family love. But romantic love? That was the one thing I realized…
I’d maybe never gotten quite right.
We stepped into the hotel room, only to be greeted by the unmistakable sight of one bed centered in the room, flanked by two modest nightstands, and what looked like a single, oversized chair shoved into the far corner.
No sign of a second bed.
Logan and I exchanged a glance. Then we turned our heads slowly back to the room.
“Is that a… pull-out couch?” he asked, squinting. “Is that what they meant by two beds?”
I sighed, stepping inside and dropping my bag by the door. “I guess? Technically?”
“I’ll take the pull-out,” he offered immediately, already moving toward it like it might redeem itself if he stared hard enough.
“There’s no way I’m letting you do that,” I said, kicking off my shoes and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Your shoulders are wider than that whole seat.” I patted the mattress beside me. “We can share. It’s not a big deal.”
“No, it’s—” he started.
“Seriously, Logan. We literally just shared a bed last night. I don’t mind.”
I knew him too well. The wheels were already turning in that thoughtful head of his—probably replaying the kiss, and now trying to figure out how this would complicate things.
Which, to be fair, was exactly where my mind had gone too.
“It’s really okay,” I said again, softer this time.
He hesitated, then nodded, tossing his bag onto the oversized chair that absolutely wasn’t meant for sleeping.
“I need a shower, mind if I go first?” I asked as I rifled through my bag for something to wear tonight.
“Go for it. I’m gonna change out of this bathing suit, though,” he added, already tugging at the hem of his shirt.
I nodded and ducked into the bathroom. The light buzzed overhead as I twisted the faucet, waiting for the water to warm. I laid out everything I’d need on the counter… then froze.
Underwear.
Damn it. I forgot to grab underwear.
Before Logan got too far into his own change, I cracked the door and stepped back into the room, half-running—
Only to skid to a halt.
He was facing me, standing there in nothing but his boxers. He reached for the hem, adjusted the fit, but his hands paused mid-motion.
And that’s when I saw it.
A tattoo.
High on his thigh. One I’d never noticed before.
I wasn’t the only one caught off guard. His head snapped up, eyes locking on mine. But mine were locked on him and on that ink.
Suddenly, the air between us felt tight again, as if the room hadn’t just gotten smaller… but heavier.
“Oh. My…”
My jaw dropped as I stepped closer. Logan didn’t move. He stood there, like he was bracing for impact.
“I can explain,” he said quickly.
But I was already sinking to my knees in front of him, now eye level with the tattoo inked on his upper thigh.
Gently, reverently, I reached out and traced a finger over the ace card etched into his skin.
There was only one reason he’d have that.
I looked up, and he was already watching me—eyes wide, worry stitched into every line of his face.
“This is…” I breathed out, smiling as warmth bloomed in my chest. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “When did you get it?”
“I was going to tell you. Show you. I just… never found the right time.”
“It’s incredible.” I couldn’t stop staring at it—the deep red outline of the card, shadowed and lined with black.
“I got it a few years ago,” he admitted quietly. “It’s our inside joke.”
“It’s also what you call me,” I said softly, lifting my gaze from the tattoo to the man who wore it.
“That too.”
My chest tightened, swelling with so much emotion I didn’t know where to put it—happiness, gratitude, longing.
The unspoken declaration was so loud, yet meant only for him, because I was what mattered to him.
I wondered who else knew.
“No one’s ever gotten a tattoo for me before,” I whispered, still smiling.
“Good,” he replied. “You mean a lot to me, Ace. I got it because I knew, no matter where I went, I’d always have a piece of you with me.”
Swallowing suddenly felt impossible. My heart ached in the most beautiful way. I stood and surged forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face in his chest.
I held him like I never wanted to let go.
Because Logan Walker cared for me in ways I didn’t know I deserved.
His arms closed around me just as tightly, and I felt the long breath he’d been holding finally escape his lungs.
Relief.
“I’m never going to forget this,” I whispered, pulling back just enough to see his face. “This is officially going in my next two truths and a lie.”
Logan laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
I smiled and finally broke away, walking over to dig through my suitcase.
He had chosen to mark his body with something that reminded him of me.
The irony wasn’t lost on me, how the last man I let in left behind red marks, not symbols.
And the one before that declared me as not good enough the minute he brought infidelity and mistrust into the relationship.
It wasn’t anything I did wrong. It wasn’t me in the wrong, because Logan saw the good, and to me, that’s what mattered.
Logan made sure I’d never forget I mattered.
“Oh, El?” he called out behind me.
“Hmm?” I turned, a pair of underwear in hand.
“I planned something for us tonight, so wear something comfortable. We’ve got dinner reservations and a surprise after.”
I bit my bottom lip, smiling so wide it hurt.
My legs had been carrying me back to the bathroom to continue getting ready, but my heart pulled me in another direction.
I took off in a slight jog, running up to Logan and grabbing his face in my hands. On my tippy toes, I closed my eyes and pressed my lips against him. He melted into me as I did him.
Our lips brushed in such a tender, gentle kiss that seared this moment into my brain forever. When we pulled away, Logan’s eyes were still closed, but he carried a hint of a smile.
My heart was so full of love and longing that when I stepped away from him, I didn’t take my gaze off him until I was tucked back into the bathroom.