Page 64 of Riding the Sugar High

Figuring my safest bet here is silence, I turn to Sadie and offer her another piece of pita bread.

“Yes. We’re two lovebirds,” Logan says.

I wish he would make more of an effort to sound like he gives a shit.

“So how did you meet?” Josie asks, ignoring Logan’s obvious bad mood. “I know you met in Roseberg, and that you were there for work, but how exactly did it happen?” She elbows Aaron as if to invite him to join the conversation, and with a long sigh, he sips whatever hard liquor is in his glass.

I share a look with Logan, then bring the fork to my lips.

She’sjustasking to make conversation, I’m sure. She’s desperately trying to fill the awkward silence or learn about her brother-in-law’s life. Plus, we’ve prepared a meet-cute story about the two of us reaching for the same book at the library. My idea, of course.

But sweat forms on my lower back, and I remain silent, too scared to utter a word.

“She tried to kill me.” My eyes nearly pop out as I turn to Logan. “Accidentally, or so she says. That’s how we met. Right, snickerdoodle?”

My lips part. Is he serious right now? This isnotthe time to kid around.

“Kill you?” Josie’s eyes narrow on me, a cautious smile taking over her lips. “How so?”

“It was a very windy day, and an orchid vase fell off the bannister of my hotel window,” I blurt before he can say anything about the accident. He must have lost his mind, because Josie would definitely connect the dots between my rental and his bike. “I, uh...I noticed that it had almost hit Logan, so I”—I glare at him as he chuckles under his breath—“I ran downstairs to apologize.”

“Apologize?” His face scrunches. “More like, scream at me.”

Eyes widening slightly, I purse my lips.

Why is he making me sound like a lunatic?

“Well, to be fair,” I hiss, “Youdidthrow the vase at me.”

A playful twinkle brightens up his eyes. “I was having a terrible day.”

“Yes, you mentioned something about being headed for the strip club.” With a wiggle of my brows, I purr, “Didn’t you?”

“Uh-huh.” He faces Josie, holding both hands over Sadie’s ears. “Imagine my shock when she offered to give me a lap dance herself.”

He didnot.

God, I’m going to kill him.

“Imagineminewhen he just burst out crying while I was—” I gesture at Logan to cover Sadie’s ears, and once he does, I hiss, “grinding on his lap.” With a satisfied jerk of my chin, I give him a pointed look. “Right, Bun-bun?”

Logan’s lips are curled up, his eyes stuck to the table as if he knows the moment he looks at me, laughter will burst out of his lips. Josie and Aaron, instead, don’t seem to be all too amused as they watch each other with horror and confusion.

“Then I kissed her,” Logan offers. His voice has taken a softer edge now, and the amusement on his face has vanished in favor of a nostalgic sort of look. “It was the worst moment of my life, and I needed a...” His eyes search my face, and it occurs to me that he might no longer be joking, but actually talking about our firstrealencounter.

“An anchor?” I ask. We never talked about that kiss—not besides a joke here and there—and though I’m surprised he’d bring it up right now, I also want to know his thoughts.

“Yeah. I felt this overwhelming need to escape, to run away from it all. Then you took my hand. You were there, looking at me with these big, beautiful eyes filled with concern and guilt.”

I remember, and I fight hard the urge to entangle my fingers with his right now.

He huffs out a laugh. “I don't know what came over me,” he says, the words spilling out like a confession. “My heart was racing and my mind spinning, and all I could see was you. It just felt natural to kiss you.”

The memory washes over me, vivid and raw. I can taste his lips on mine, feel the rush of emotion that followed.

“It wasn't about trying to escape the panic, you know?” he continues, his voice charged with emotion. “It was about finding something real, something to hold onto. And kissing you...it felt like coming up for air after being underwater for too long.”

I swallow, blinking fast, and I forget all about Josie and Aaron and Sadie. I forget about our alibi, about Marisol, about Derek. For a moment, Logan is all I can bring myself to care about, and it’s such a sudden, terrifying realization. That Icareabout him. That I hardly know him, but after six days, he matters to me in a way a few people in my life do.

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