Page 106 of Hypothetical Heart
“That’s it, that’s all we are,” I reaffirm. “Friends.”
Jameson stays silent because he’s caught between a rock and a hard place, siding with his best friend or siding with his girlfriend.
Not that there are sides.
I don’t know if I’m sweating because of the fire or because of the intensity of Logan’s gaze.
“Okay, but we’ve all known that the feelings you both have towards each other are not completely platonic,” Genevieve says like she’s admitting something everyone else is afraid to say.
I’m not even sure what to feel.
“Well, maybe that’s not the case anymore,” I reply, only looking at Logan.
Before he can say anything else, I stand from my chair and run towards the porch steps. Everyone else stays put except Logan.
“Winnie!” He yells as I stomp up the steps and throw open the sliding glass door. “Winnie, wait!”
I don’t want to hear what he has to say. Not at all. Not even a little bit.
Once I make it into the house, through the kitchen, and up the stairs, I stop for a moment, listening for Logan.
Our entire childhood, Logan was known to be the peacekeeper of the friend group. He never wanted anyone to be mad or feel left out. He spent his entire life keeping everyone happy.
For once, I selfishly want him to stop caring about what our friends think, or how things between me and him could affect our friends.
But when I don’t hear any sign of him, I go into my bedroom and lock the door behind me.
Everyone has known all along that for Logan and me to work out, something is going to have to give.
I just don’t know what else there is to give.
Iwake up the next morning to the feeling of a cool, ocean breeze coming through my window and the sound of someone pounding on my door.
“Winnie!” Eloise shouts. “Come on, it’s time to get up!”
“No more moping in your bed!” Genevieve yells, pounding on the door again. “Get up!”
“Okay, okay,” I sigh, just loud enough for them to hear me. “I’m up!” I throw the covers off my legs and stand from my bed.
“We’re going to the beach in an hour,” Eloise says as I open the door. Luke and Logan are standing behind Eloise, and Genevieve and Jameson now are nowhere to be seen.
Eloise and Luke look at each other before they silently head down the stairs, leaving Logan and I alone upstairs.
“Win,” he sighs, stepping forward, making it so he’s within arm’s reach.
“Logan,” my voice echoes through the hall, and I have a good feeling all of our friends are eavesdropping from downstairs. “I think you said everything you needed to last night.”
I try to sidestep him and escape down the stairs, but he catches my arm. “Listen to me,” he demands.
“Is this a game to you?” I pull my arm from his grip. “Have you spent our entire lives baiting me into telling you how I feel about you just so you can laugh in my face? Because that’s whatlast night felt like.”
I expect tears to form, for me to cry in front of Logan the same way I cried alone in my bed last night, but they don’t. I’m more angry at him than I am upset.
“That’s what you think?” He sounds close to laughing. “Winnie, you can’t be serious.”
“You might as well have spit in my face last night, Logan.” I throw my hands up, clearly aggravated. “You sat there and told our friends that you and I are nothing.”
“I didn’t mean it like that?—”
