Ellie
We didn’t leave the room all night.
Again and again, Logan brought me to the brink of pleasure and never let up, not until we were both spent and the early morning hours crept in, the clock ticking past three, maybe four.
My body ached in the most delicious way, a way I’d never known before. But more than that, my heart was full.
I felt heavy and light all at once, wrapped in the lingering scent of Logan, buried in his sheets, skin bare beneath the soft cotton. Every breath I took was laced with him, every inch of my body kissed by memory.
This feeling, so warm and consuming, could only be one thing. Love.
I felt loved.
Truly, deeply, wholly.
Last night, Logan made me feel wanted in a way that unraveled something long-hidden inside me. His focus was on me—on my pleasure, my needs. Every brush of his lips, every flick of his fingers, was a worship. And of course, I returned the favor.
I found myself on my knees, his hand cradling the back of my head as he praised me over and over, telling me how beautiful I looked, how good I made him feel until his pleasure poured from him, undone by me.
If this was what it felt like to have someone’s undivided attention, it was healing.
I used to think you couldn’t be healed from heartbreak by something as fickle as new love. But maybe that wasn’t true. Maybe new love wasn’t fickle at all—perhaps it was a second chance.
What was happening between Logan and me… I didn’t know what to call it. And maybe I didn’t need to define it.
Right now, I just felt happy.
Looking at him through this new lens, I realized I’d been blind before. Somewhere along the way, I missed the chance to see the man right in front of me. The man who knew how to touch my body and, more importantly, cradle my soul.
I stretched out in the bed, sprawling like a starfish, expecting to find his leg beside mine. When I didn’t, I blinked my eyes open and turned my head.
His side of the bed was empty.
A soft ache bloomed in my chest, disappointment cutting through the soft haze of contentment.
I wanted to curl up beside him like a koala on a tree, wrap myself around his warm chest, inhale that clean, woodsy scent that lived in the curve of his neck. Maybe run my fingers through that perfect mess of blond curls.
Sitting up, I clutched the comforter to my chest and glanced around. No sign of my clothes, of course. I sighed, about to swing my legs over the side when the bedroom door creaked open.
Logan walked in, back to me, carrying a tray.
“Good morning, Ace,” he said with that gravelly voice that made my stomach flutter.
He turned, and my breath caught.
A tray. With a Diet Coke and what looked like a full breakfast.
“I hope you don’t mind a little breakfast in bed.”
“Sex all night and breakfast? You really know how to treat your guests,” I teased. “Is this your usual post-sex routine?”
Logan laughed, setting the tray down. “I can say with complete confidence, no one else has ever had this luxury.”
He held it out and I took it, the blanket slipping a little as I pulled the tray onto my lap.
Logan had other plans. He reached out and tugged the comforter lower, exposing my bare breasts.
“Perfect,” he said with a wicked wink. “Wait right there.”
He jogged out of the room. I giggled, not bothering to cover myself back up. Clearly, he was a boob guy. And after last night and this breakfast, the least I could do was give the man a view.
He returned a moment later with his own tray, closed the door with his foot, and joined me in bed, sitting cross-legged beside me.
“This looks amazing,” I said, eyeing the perfectly cooked eggs, crispy bacon, and a pile of fresh fruit.
“I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” he replied, picking up his fork.
We each loaded up a bite, then tapped our forks together in a mock toast before diving in.
“Where’s your head at?” Logan asked between bites of his breakfast.
I looked over at him, the morning light catching in his hair.
“That’s a loaded question,” I replied, half-laughing.
“I know things haven’t exactly been easy for you lately,” he said, setting his fork down. “But what I said yesterday, I meant it. I didn’t say it to confuse you or make you feel like you had to say it back.”
I paused, heart thudding. Gently, I moved the tray off my lap and turned to fully face him.
“I know you meant it,” I said softly. “I just… I don’t know what to make of how I feel right now. Or what I should be doing with everything that’s happened over the last few days. I feel a little lost.”
Logan nodded, understanding in his eyes. He took another bite, then a long sip of coffee before speaking.
“We don’t need to do anything with it right now,” he said. “We can just keep being us—Logan and Ellie. Me telling you I love you, and us doing what we did last night… it doesn’t mean we have to define anything. Doesn’t mean we have to change.”
He was right. Deep down, I knew that.
But still, there was this ache in my chest, this quiet yearning that wanted more.
I wanted to tell him I loved him too. But I was scared—scared of what it would mean if I was wrong.
I didn’t want to say those words unless I was absolutely sure. Unless I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this wasn’t just a rebound or a desperate reach for comfort after everything that had been taken from me.
I shook my head and let out a soft laugh, more to myself than anything.
The absurdity of it all. I’d just slept with Logan.
My childhood friend.
“I didn’t know what I said was funny,” Logan said with a smirk, watching me closely.
“It’s not that. You’re right, taking it slow is probably the best thing for me right now,” I said. Then I gave him a sideways grin. “But for the record, I have absolutely no problem doing what we did last night again. And again. And again.”
Logan’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as he bit down on his bottom lip.
I let out another laugh. “I was just thinking… what the hell would Boone say?”
Logan’s eyes widened in mock-terror. “Why would you even tell him?”
“Relax,” I said, giggling. “I’m not telling him now or anytime soon. But still… it’s something to think about. You think he’d be mad?”
Logan ran his fingers along the drawstring of his sweatpants, considering it.
“I’d like to think no. I’d like to believe he’d think I’m good enough for you. But I can’t say for sure.”
I swallowed hard, my heart softening. “Logan… it’s me who wonders if I’m worthy of you, of your attention.”
His eyes sharpened with conviction as he reached out and cupped my cheeks in his hands.
“No,” he said firmly. “Don’t ever think that. Not for a second.” His gaze danced between my eyes, intense and sincere. “Don’t let that doubt in. Not here. This is a new chapter, new beginnings. And we both know we’re worthy of great love. Monumental love.”
He leaned in and kissed me, slow and purposeful, and then pulled away just enough to look me in the eyes again.
“Let’s just live in the moment, Ace.”
I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest. “Does the moment include kisses and sex?”
Logan grinned. “Of course it does.”
“So… are we keeping this to ourselves for now?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended. “Like, are we not going to kiss in public? What are the lines here?”
I didn’t want to assume or set boundaries for us. I wanted to hear it from him, what he wanted.
Logan smiled, easy and sure. “I say we do whatever we want. If I feel like holding your hand, I hope you’d be down for that. And a kiss here and there?” He leaned a little closer, eyes flickering to my lips. “That sounds like heaven to me.”
My stomach flipped. Not from nerves, exactly, but from the thought of being seen. Of whispers circling through town, making their way back to the wrong ears. Judging ears.
But then I breathed in slowly, pushing back the fear and trying—really trying—to focus on what I wanted, not what Faircloud might say.
This town had taken so much from me. If I was going to heal here, I needed to stop letting other people’s opinions run my life.
They didn’t walk in my shoes.
So why was I still walking for them?
“I like that plan,” I said, a smile curling at the corners of my mouth as I leaned in and kissed Logan again. Soft and sure.
When I pulled back, I picked up my tray and dove into my breakfast, heart a little lighter.
For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was choosing myself.