Page 63 of Wicked Minds
“Alright,” Logan agrees. “Well, whenever you wanna go, just say the word and we will.”
“Thank you.”
We move on to lighter topics of conversation after that, before Royce eventually moves to start the truck and we make our way back to Halston.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” Logan states when Royce pulls to a stop outside my apartment. I arch a brow since my building isright there, but he’s already pushing open the door and climbing out.
Turning away, I meet Royce’s heavy gaze in the rearview mirror, and leaning forward between the two front seats, I press a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Night,” I whisper with a final lingering gaze before sliding out of the back of the truck.
Logan is there to help me down, keeping his hand wrapped around mine while walking me the five steps to my front door. Standing in front of me, he lets go of my hand to slide his around the back of my neck, his fingers tangling around the strands of hair at the base of my scalp as he tilts my head back and lowers his forehead to rest against mine.
His chestnut hues shine with so much emotion.
“Thank you for confiding in me,” he rasps, voice thick. “I know it can’t have been easy, and I’m going to prove that I’m worthy of your trust.”
My fingers dig into his forearms, my hand wrapping around the corded muscle.
“You told me not to shut you out… this is me showing you the real me. I’m trusting you with the most important aspect of my life. Don’t let me down, Logan.”
My heart hammers against my ribs. I don’t regret telling Logan. I felt he deserved to know, and I’m done keeping my daughter a secret. Of shying away from her existence as though I should be ashamed. It’s exposing her to the entire world that terrifies me because it makes her a weapon that can be used against me.
“I won’t. I swear it,” Logan vows ardently. He doesn’t give me time to even suck in a breath before his lips cover mine in a ravenous kiss.
All I can do is cling to him, my nails digging into the skin of his arms as he pours every ounce of earnest gratitude into his kiss, soothing away the ragged edges left from tonight’s conversation and brushing any remnants of worry into the wind like dandelion pappus on a breeze.
His hands frame my face; his lips firmly pressed to mine like I’m the buoy keeping him from drifting out to sea. Or maybe he’s the one preventing me from drifting. Either way, I’ve never felt more reassured. I thought bearing all my secrets to the world would be like stripping away layers of clothing. I expected it to leave me feeling raw and vulnerable. Exposed. Criticized. But in Logan’s arms, and knowing Royce will always be at my back, the last thing I feel is judged.
My heart thumps against my chest, pounding with an acceptance that slides along my nerves until I feel it in the tips of my fingers and toes. My blood warms with it, my mind calming as it wraps around me like the softest of blankets.
Logan’s long, slender fingers trail down the sides of my neck as he slows our kiss, as though he can’t quite bring himself to end it just yet. With a resigned sigh, he finally detaches his lips from mine, and slowly opening my eyes, I find him already watching me, eyes soft and expression tinged with awe.
“I’ll see you bright and early in the morning?”
Huffing out a laugh, I tell him, “You don’t need to keep bringing me coffee every morning, Logan.”
“Oh, but I do. I still have a lot of making up to do, and it’s even more important now that I achieve it.”
My lips quirk up in a smile. “Fine, but no more names on jerseys, yeah?”
His returning smile is devilish as he steps away. “No promises, Shortcake.”
“Logan,” I warn.
“Night, Shortcake.” His voice is laden with emotion, and I find myself dropping the argument.
“Night, Logan.”
He stands and waits as I let myself into my building, only walking back to Royce’s waiting truck when I give him a final finger wave through the pane of glass before heading up the stairs.
I’ve barely gotten my key in the door of my apartment when my phone pings with the first text, more coming through in the time it takes to get into the apartment, pull my phone from the small handbag I brought tonight, and get comfy on the sofa with a blanket over my knees.
Logan
Kissing you outside your apartment tonight: 15/10
Been dreaming about that kiss for weeks, and it was far better than my imagination could ever have conjured.
I grin ridiculously down at the screen, a tightening in my chest as I realize just how much I’ve missed this. Missed Logan’s jokey,easy side. The side of him I was privy to before everything went so horrifically wrong. It doesn’t fix the issues, but no one act will. However, all the little things Logan’s been doing… they do make a difference. And I’m starting to believe that maybe one day they’ll be enough.
