“You need anything, call us immediately, okay?” Jules said.
Afterwards, we spent a few minutes catching up. Jules, like me, was still in college, though she was spending her spring break in the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Ben. They’d actually started out as roommates. I’d met Ben a few times, and he wasn’t what I expected. He was shy and nerdy, but he suited Jules perfectly.
Before we ended the call, I assured my sisters that I was perfectly safe and Logan wasn’t a creep. He wouldn’t do anything, I insisted to them, hoping my face didn’t betray the lie.
CHAPTER FIVE
“So my sister can pick me up but not until Monday. Is it alright if I stay until then?”
Logan didn’t respond for a second.
“If not, I can book a hotel,” I added quickly. Sure, a hotel would expensive and wipe out all the money in my bank account, but if Logan didn’t want me here, I couldn’t argue. It was totally understandable if he didn’t want to share his home with a nineteen year old girl who had…kind of acted like a crazy nymphomaniac.
Why had I done that? Why had I acted like that? It had felt so good in the moment, but —
“What are you talking about? Of course, you can stay,” he said, earnest eyes meeting mine.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“I was just about to head out to buy groceries, if you want to come along?” He nodded at the front door.
“Oh. Sure. Let me get my things and I’ll be there in a sec.”
After grabbing my phone and wallet, I got into Logan’s truck. The drive to the nearest supermarket was only five minutes, but neither of us spoke the whole time, so it felt like a century. I rested my head on my palm and looked out at the passing parks and pretty streets. I didn’t mind the city, but when I imagined the kind of place I’d live for the rest of my life…well, it was a small town that looked a lot like this.
At the supermarket, Logan grabbed a trolley and glanced at me. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Do you like pasta?” I asked. “I can cook.”
His brows jumped up. “You don’t have to —”
“Please. It’s the least I can do. So. Pasta?”
“Sure. Pasta’s fine.”
I pressed my lips together. I’d show him a pasta that would be way better thanfine. I dropped cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and chicken into the trolley. We also grabbed some snacks, and Logan picked up another tub of strawberry ice-cream, shooting me a cheeky grin.
Later, after loading the grocery bags into his truck, we were just about to climb into the vehicle when a voice yelled out.
“Logan!” A woman with flowing black hair walked over, the heels of her boots clacking against the pavement. She shifted her designer bag back to rest against her elbow and placed a hand on Logan’s arm. “I haven’t seen you in forever. Howareyou?”
Logan smiled at her, and my stomach dropped.
“Good, thanks,” he replied. “How’s the PTA?”
“Oh, you know.” She waved a hand, then caught sight of me, scanning me from top to bottom. “Who’s this? I didn’t think you were a cradle robber.”
Logan’s cheeks went pink. “No,” he hurried to correct her. “No, it’s not like that. This is Willow. She’s a…a friend of Tim’s.”
The woman’s shoulders relaxed slightly. “I was only teasing,” he said, slapping Logan’s arm. “And how is Tim?”
They spent the next five minutes talking about Tim’s college experience and the woman’s PTA meetings and pilates classes. The woman didn’t ask me a single question, and with every passing second, I disliked her more and more. Not only because she was rude, but because I could see the way she looked at Logan, and…
Part of me felt silly. I barely knew him. I had no right to feel possessive. But I was. I was possessive of his blushes and smiles. I thought they’d been specifically for me, but no. It was clear he gave them away like they were free candy on Halloween.
Finally, the woman walked away with a wink and a wave to Logan.
“That was Sheree,” Logan said after he’d pulled out of the carpark.
