Page 9 of Everything Has Changed
“Are they unpacking or are they hosting a WWE match?”
“Unfortunately, it sounds like the latter.” Stacking my precious pages on the nearby table, I pick up my phone and pad toward the front door. “I’m going to go check on them. That last one sounded painful.”
“Have you met the new tenants yet?”
“Not yet. Matt said they were good people, though.” I don’t have to explain to Piper why I was taking my brother’s oldest friend’s word for it. I trusted him as if he were my family, something he would have been by now if it weren’t for his past with my sister.
He had converted the building from an old mill to what it was now—a boutique-style apartment. It’s mostly used as short-term rentals throughout the year for people coming through town during different seasons for various reasons. He gave me a killer deal on rent, though I would still love to live here even if he didn’t. But we don’t say that out loud and take the deals when we can.
“Ooh, what if it’s Logan?”
I snort as I open my door and step into the hallway, padding the few feet down to their door in my novelty pumpkin slippers I pulled out of storage the moment the calendar struck September. A slight chill in the hallway makes me wish I would have tossed on a sweatshirt overmy lounge tank and shorts, but it was too late now as I raised my fist to knock.
“Highly doubtful. He’s probably shacking up with his parents in their mini-mansion until he can build one of his own.”
“Hey, at least that’ll give Matty a little extra business.”
I hear footsteps approach the door. It’s wretched open before I have a chance to give Piper a response.
“Twice in one day. Maybe I should grab a lotto ticket down at the corner store.”
My jaw drops as Logan crosses his arms over his chest, sending his threadbare white tee tighter as he leans against the door frame with that ever-present smirk on his lip. His hair looks as if he’s been running his fingers through it for the last hour. I imagine what it would feel like to have mine do exactly that to him.
“Hello?” I hear a small voice call out from my phone still in my hand. “Please don’t tell me they murdered you.”
Logan’s eyes widen comically. “That would have been awfully fast. I personally like to take my time on such precious things.”
There’s a beat of silence before Piper starts howling with laughter. “You’re joking? It’s actually Logan?! What are the odds?”
“Hey, Pipes.” I finally speak into the phone, my eyes not leaving Logan’s. “I’ll call you back.”
I disconnect the phone in the middle of her protests.
“What are you doing here?”
He looks around for a moment before landing back on me. “I live here. What are you doing here?” I catch his eyes as they travel to my chest, and in that moment I remember exactly how much I’mnotwearing. I groan, crossing my own arms over my chest to mirror him. A bit of blush creeps up his neck as I watch his Adam’s apple bob and his gaze snap up to return to mine.
“I live there.” I point in the general direction of the unit directly beside his. “I came to check on whoever was here because it sounded like a tornado was attempting to take the wall down.”
Logan cringes. Scratching at the back of his head, it takes everything in me not to ogle his bicep as it flexes. “Sorry about that. I was trying to hang some shelving, and it wasn’t exactly working out.” He turns his body so I can glimpse wood boards and his own collection of books scattered on the floor.
Huh,I think to myself. What are the odds?
“Do you mind keeping it down tonight? Maybe do your Bob the Builder act tomorrow while I’m at work.”
“Of course,” he nods.
“Thank you.”
We stare at each other, silence growing in the air as I think of what to say next.
“Anything else, Gwen?”
I shake my head and back away. “Nope, have a good night.”
I’m almost at my door when I hear him say, “See you tomorrow,” with a smile in his voice.
After I get back inside, I lean against the closed door, squeezing my eyes shut to burn the image of Logan Spencer barefoot in gray sweatpants into my mind.
