Page 27 of Puck Drop
“It kind of is because of your father,” Logan confirms, his eyes looking for mine. “I worked so hard to play in the pros, Lizzie,” he begs for my understanding. “I don’t want to go back to the minors, then work my way back up. I might not ever get back into the pros.”
A lump forms in the back of my throat. I hate that just being with me caused so much stress in his life.
“I’m so sorry.” My voice cracks when I speak. “I wish…” I pause when my lips become wobbly, and I am having a hard time forming the words without bursting into tears. “I wish we’d done things differently back then.”
Logan moves closer and takes my hands into his. “Based on your father’s reaction to us being a couple, I don’t think there was anything we could’ve done differently, Lizzie.”
I think back to a year ago when we first ran into each other. With a start, I realize that I pursued him then, too. It’s not that Logan wasn’t attracted to me, he obviously was. But he did have second thoughts when he realized who I was. He said from the beginning that it was not a good idea.
Now, here we are, a year almost to the day, and I followed him to Texas, completely oblivious to how he might feel about it. I just assumed that he would be ecstatic to see me again.
“I can go back to New York, Lo,” I whisper, feeling ashamed to look him in the eyes anymore. “I had this idea in my head that we would be free to be together here, but…” I shrug as I make every effort not to cry my heart out.
Logan squeezes my hands in an effort to bring my attention back to him.
“I found out that your employment prohibits you from dating anyone from the office side,” he tells me. “The players are not included.”
I nod in understanding, although, I’m not sure why he’s even telling me that considering he’s not jumping up and down with joy that I am here.
“I think we should start slow,” he continues. “Get to know each other again…”
My brain finally snaps into gear. “What do you mean?”
Logan lets go of my hands and stands up. He starts walking in circles in my small living room while he runs his hands through his hair over and over.
“I think we rushed into it the first time around,” he explains to me. “I don’t want us to make the same mistake again. And I don’t want it to affect my career, or yours for that matter.”
I shrug at that. “It’s not like being a nutritionist was a dream of mine.”
Logan stops walking. “I didn’t think it was,” he admits in a sheepish tone. “But I’m assuming you’d still want to give it your all for the duration of your visit.”
It’s strange the way he worded that, as if I am here on a temporary basis, and he is not expecting much from me. I don’t know if I should be hurt or mad at him.
“I’m not sure what you’re asking of me at this point, Logan,” I say. “You say you’re happy to see me, but then you act like you don’t want to be with me, at least not in public…”
He drops to his knees in front of me. “Lizzie.” He brings his face closer to mine. “My heart stopped in my chest when I saw you at the pub. I never stopped thinking about you in the last six months. I never looked at another woman even though I had no expectation that I’d see you again.”
A quiet sob escapes me. “Logan…”
“I am fucking this up so badly,” he says in a trembling voice. His eyes also look glassy and like he’s holding back tears.
My hands go to his as they rest on my thighs. I stare at him, willing him without words to tell me what I long to hear.
“I want us to start over,” he says. “Rebuild what we had, but at the same time, build something new.”
My lips feel suddenly dry whole my heart is racing. “Does that mean you want me to stay?”
In an instant, Logan’s hands come up to my face. His fingers slide through my hair, and he pulls my head down until our lips are close together. Without another word, he brings me in for a kiss. It is hard but loving, if that makes any sense. His body tenses under my hands, telling me without words that he meant every word of what he just told me.
“Yes, I want you to stay,” he says once your lips separate. “I want us to date, like normal people.” We both chuckle at that. “I want to know that you are mine, and that I am yours.”
I lean forward just a touch to press my lips around his again. “I want that, too.”
Relief and excitement run through my body. “I’m sorry if I came across a bit stalkerish,” I chuckle through the tears of happiness.
“I think that’s incredibly hot,” Logan grins at me. “But only because you’re the stalker in question.”
I slide my arms around his neck, ready to kiss him again. “Do you want to spend the night?”
