Page 79 of Sticks & Serpents

He reached out then, brushing his thumb over my knuckles gently enough to make my heart race despite myself.

“Jesus, Holly. I’ve been trying to reach you.”

My pulse skipped at the urgency in Logan’s voice.

“Logan—”

He shook his head, cutting me off before I could say anything more. “Are you okay?”

I blinked, thrown off by the concern etched on his face. “I—yeah, of course I am. You’re the one who was in the hospital.”

Logan exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair, revealing the tension coiling around him like a storm ready to break. “I know. And I know why.”

My stomach tightened at the unspoken words hanging in the air between us. Damien. I didn’t need to hear it for it to resonate deep within me.

Hi’s eyes darkened, worry seeping into every corner of his expression. “I stayed away because I didn’t want him to hurt you. But, Holly—people are talking.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry as the implications sank in. What had they said? What rumors were swirling around campus? My heart raced at the thought of what might be getting back to Logan, and more importantly, how much he already knew.

“What do you mean?” I managed to ask, though my voice felt shaky and uncertain.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice as if he were afraid someone else might overhear us. “They think Damien is dangerous. They think he’s unpredictable—and they’re not wrong.”

A flash of anger sparked inside me at his words; I wanted to defend Damien, but that only fueled my internal conflict even more. The way Damien had kissed me surged back into my mind—fierce and wild—and it twisted my emotions into knots.

“I can handle myself,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Logan’s brow furrowed deeper as he studied me closely. “Holly... It’s not just about you anymore.”

A shiver ran down my spine as realization dawned on me—the gravity of what Logan was saying sank in with suffocating weight.

“You don’t understand,” I replied, frustration boiling over in my voice despite my best efforts to remain calm. “It’s complicated.”

“I get that,” he insisted, stepping even closer now so that we were almost toe-to-toe. His gaze held mine fiercely as if trying to penetrate through my defenses and reach whatever turmoil lurked beneath the surface.

“He’s losing it. He’s snapping at practice, he’s getting into fights. And after what he did to me—”Logan stopped, shaking his head. “I’m worried about you.”

My breath shuddered at his words. The weight of his concern pressed against my chest, tightening around my heart like a vice. It felt surreal to hear someone voice what I had been trying to ignore for so long.

I swallowed hard, forcing calm into my voice. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine.”

He stared at me, disbelief etched across his features. His expression was intense, as if he could see through the layers I’d built around myself. “Are you?”

Exhaling slowly, I chose my words carefully. I needed to navigate this conversation with precision. “Look, Logan. I’m really glad you’re out of the hospital. And I’m sorry about what happened. But Damien isn’t?—”

Logan cut me off, his voice sharp and insistent. “He isn’t what, Holly? Dangerous? Unstable? Obsessed with you?”

My stomach twisted painfully at the truth in his words. Everything Logan was saying? It wasn’t wrong.

I glanced away, unable to hold his gaze any longer as a flood of memories rushed back—the intensity of Damien's touch, the possessiveness in his eyes that made me feel both alive and terrified all at once. How could I explain this turmoil that churned inside me?

“I know how it looks,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Logan leaned closer, urgency pouring from him like a tidal wave ready to crash over everything in its path. “You can’t let him drag you down with him.”

A lump formed in my throat as anxiety clawed its way back up; I felt trapped between two worlds—one where Damien’s fire drew me in and another where Logan’s genuine care offered safety.

What if Logan was right? What if Damien really was losing it?

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