Page 19 of Logan

The California landscaperolled past the window, sunny and bright like it had been snatched right off a postcard. I sat in the passenger seat in the car, pretending to watch the scenery when I was actually using the reflection in the window to study the man in the driver’s seat next to me.

His dark hair was pushed back into a windswept style that probably took a lot more effort to create than it looked. He had a healthy tan complexion that seemed to be a mix of regular sun exposure and natural coloration. Even when his face was neutral, his expression emanated warm friendliness, like he’d never known anything but happiness in his life. This was only emphasized by his light brown eyes that glinted with specks of gold in the sunlight.

He’d introduced himself as Logan Hollingsworth.

It was a mouthful of a name for a seemingly straightforward man. He’d promised to take me to Maryland so I could reunitewith my brother, and that seemed to be exactly what he was doing.

I didn’t trust it.

People didn’t give away so much as five dollars without an ulterior motive. There was no way this man was going to drive me all the way from one side of the country to the other without getting something out of it.

So why had I gone with him so easily?

A few kind words and I’d eagerly piled my entire life into his car. I was usually much more careful, but somehow this man had gotten past my defenses and convinced me to come with him before I even realized what I was agreeing to.

Well, I questioned why I trusted him, but I already knew the answer. I’d come with him because I wanted his promises to be true. I was so homesick and eager to reunite with Jason that I was willing to delude myself into trusting a stranger.

When I ended up murdered and buried in a ditch somewhere, I’d have nothing to blame but my own desperation.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t be that bad. So long as I lived to the end of this road trip and actually got to see my brother again, I’d consider it worthwhile.

“You can put some music on, if you like.” Logan’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

I met his eye in the window’s reflection and found him smiling at me.

Did he realize I’d been watching him the whole time?

“It’s fine. I don’t really care about music.”

Logan didn’t argue. He just shrugged and turned on the radio to some local station playing a mix of different popular genera.

Now that we had music for a distraction, I thought he would fall silent so we could continue ignoring each other, but he was apparently determined to strike up a conversation.

“You know, I grew up in Maryland, too. You’re originally from Kent Island, right? I’m from Saint Michaels.”

I gave him a noncommittal noise to maintain the bare minimum of politeness. “So, you’re from right across the bay.”

“Yep. I haven’t been back to the state in a few years, but I’ve still got some friends there that I keep in contact with. Did you hear about the ship that blew up off the coast of Baltimore not too long ago?”

My eyes flickered over toward him for a moment, but quickly returned to the window. “I didn’t hear about that.”

“Huh, yeah.” His head bobbed as he tapped the steering wheel in time to the music. “The official report was that the ship experienced some sort of malfunction, but there are rumors that there was Mafia activity going on.”

Was that supposed to be a warning, or was this just an attempt at small talk?

The fact that I couldn’t tell the difference probably said more about me than it did about him.

I didn’t respond, and just nodded vaguely to everything that he said. Eventually, he gave up the one-sided conversation and we sat in silence, with only the radio and the sound of the road passing by to fill the air between us.

When Logan had been talking, I’d wanted him to shut up, but now that he had, I realized I actually preferred the sound of his voice. Without his words to distract me, there was too much extra space in my head. My thoughts ran wild with possibilities, showing me images of all the ways this could end badly for me.

I could end up dead in a ditch somewhere.

Or maybe this whole thing had been a lie, and I’d get to Maryland only to find that my brother wanted nothing to do with me after all.

Or maybe, Logan’s “nice guy” persona was just an act meant to lure me in. He was a stranger to me. For all I knew, he could be the same as the people who kidnapped me when I was a kid and he was intending to sell me just like they had.

I’d already left that particular version of hell behind. I would rather die than go back.

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