Page 49 of Logan
And then he walks away.
I follow him with my eyes as he browses the store, looking for a book while I remain in my spot, curious to see what he’ll bring me. Then he returns, carrying a business book.
I exhale loudly.Seriously?“No, no, no.” I shake my head. “You’re not getting off that easy. Fiction. Now. And not something obvious, likeHarry Potter.”
“I likeHarry Potter.”
“Who doesn’t? But seriously, a book you love.”
“I admit, I haven’t read any non-business books lately.”
“I didn’t say it had to be a new book. I’m sure there’s a book you loved at some point in your life. When you were a child, maybe? Anything.”
He nods and sets off again.
The fiction category sprawls across most of the store. Instead of searching, Logan walks straight up to one employee and speaks to him. I just follow them with my eyes and wait, wondering what he’ll choose. He returns a few minutes later, holding a book.
“Jane Eyre?” I stare at the title. “In a special edition?”
“Not a good choice?”
“An excellent choice. I just didn’t expect that’s what you’d pick.”
“What did you expect?”
“Horror, thriller. A current bestseller. Why this book in particular?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “It was one of my mother’s favorite books. In the period after her accident, I would sit by her side and read it to her in the hospital.”
I bite my lip and place a hand on his arm. “Your mother was in an accident? What happened?” There was no article about any accident in what Emery sent. I read she passed away, but it didn’t say what caused her passing.
Logan looks away, his jaw tightening. “Car accident. She died not long after. I’d rather not talk about it.”
I suppose that’s fair. Just like I didn’t want to talk about Johnny. I’ll have to search later to see if they wrote anything about the accident. Maybe something will turn up.
Chapter Fifteen
LOGAN
We ride back to the apartment in silence, Sloane clutching the bag with her book and another romance novel she picked out for herself and also insisted on paying for since we agreed I would buy her one book.
Damn it, how did the accident slip out like that? The last thing I wanted was to open up the subject with a strange woman.
Only she dropped the subject the moment I asked.
Since when do I speak without thinking? The accident itself isn’t a secret, it was reported on the news. However, Dad asked us not to talk about it, and the details were quickly hushed up.
I’m not even sure why it was so important to him that we didn’t discuss what happened. For a while, I thought maybeshe had been driving drunk, and he didn’t want us to find out, but I peeked at the police report, and her blood alcohol level was within the limit.
I guess talking about the way she died just hurts him too much.
I sneak a glance at Sloane out of the corner of my eye. This whole day has surprised me.
Out of all the things in the world, she asked me to buy her a book, and one that I chose at that, and then she wanted to eat ice cream.
I gave her free access to my credit card, and she spent less than fifty pounds.
I can’t help but wonder if it’s all an act. If her entire behavior is designed just to make me fall into a trap. But if that’s her intention, she’s missed her window. I’ve already fallen once, and I learned my lesson. I’ll never trust a woman again.
