Page 53 of The Lost and the Found

Hayden

If I hadany wine in my mouth, I would have spit it out, and I would have made damn sure I aimed it in Gage’s general direction.

The way his eyes moved over to Logan didn’t leave any doubt in my mind which of his “mates” he was talking about. And I didn’t know what his purpose was for divulging this kind of information to me, but I wasn’t going to let him see me rattled.

He underestimated me if he thought it would be that simple. I shot him an easy smile, and his grin widened.

“Is that so? You’re a good friend then.”

“Thank you.”

I turned back to the stage, feigning interest, though if you asked me what happened after that, I couldn’t tell the difference between Christopher’s ass and any one of the ladies up there. I was far too out of it. Logan was Clarissa’s ex-boyfriend. She had him. A piece of him. So even though I was on his arms tonight, he wasn’t mine.

I didn’t understand why Logan would go from dating her to me. What did he see in me, if Clarissa was his type?

I knew I wasn’t ugly. But I wasn’t as pretty as half the women here, despite what Logan said at my apartment earlier. And I couldn’t wait for this night to end. I just wanted to go home and be alone with my thoughts.

What must everyone have been thinking, seeing me in his arms, when, without a doubt, they knew Clarissa was there before me. My face heated.

I let out a silent groan when I remembered I had agreed to spend the night with Logan. I didn’t know what he had in mind when he asked me, but the thought of taking my clothes off in front of him now held no appeal.

I knew what I looked like naked. I knew all of my imperfections. From the stretch marks on my ass that didn’t look like they’d be going away any time soon, to my lanky limbs and small shoulders. My figure didn’t match with my breast, which were on the average size, but the slightness of my body made them stand out more than they really should, and there was just something raunchy about it all that made me want to hide my shape with baggy clothes.

Poverty had affected the tone of my natural skin, losing a lot of that healthy glow most people had, and I hadn’t been able to get it back without the help of concealer.

I was skinny, too. I knew that. Too skinny to be considered healthy. I hadn’t been able to get back to a normal weight in a long while, and I was convinced I would never weigh as much as I did when I was sixteen. I was nothing like Clarissa.

I was a fucking mess.

I clapped my hands along with the crowd, my eyes losing focus from all the glamor and lights up on the stage.

What the hell was I doing here in the first place?

* * *

Like Logan had said,after the auction ended, dancing was next. A small space was made in front of the stage. There was a live band, too, and I would have been content sitting there listening to them, but Logan pulled me from my chair and to the dance floor.

I resisted at first. “I mean it, Logan. I really can’t dance. I have never danced in front of anyone.”

He cupped my chin until I looked up and met his eyes. “I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. Do I look like the kind of man who would ever go back on my promise?”

I shook my head, my eyes watering a little. No, he wasn’t that kind of man. He was perfect. Perfect for me. But I might not be perfect for him, and that was heartbreaking.

I let him lead me to the dance floor. We stayed near the edge, almost hidden in the shadow, where I was most comfortable. No doubt Logan did that on purpose.

I held out my hand, waiting for him to take them and lead me, but he did something unexpected. He kneeled in front of me.

And a giant man in an expensive suit on his knees drew a lot of attention. Everyone nearby was looking at us.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “Get up.”

He looked up and winked, his smile as mischievous as the day I met him. He grabbed my hands and placed them on his shoulders. “Hold on, baby. I don’t want you to fall.” And then he proceeded to take off my heels. Too stunned to do anything, I let him.

And then I stood there on that dance floor in my barefoot, with everyone looking curiously at me. My cheeks flamed and I would have looked around for a hole to bury myself in, but then Logan stood up, my heels hooked on one finger.

“Step on my foot,” he said.

“What?” I must not have heard him right.

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