Loving Logan

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Ashley and I sit and talk over coffee and doughnuts at the small table in the corner of her bakery. I've never been to Sugar Baby's Sweets before, but now that I'm here, I can't believe I've never heard of this place. The smell alone is enough to make me come back again and again.

It's been nice having someone to talk to after everything that's happened to me. While I haven't exactly gone into detail, it feels as if Ashley already knows. The funny thing is, there's something comforting about it. She doesn't ask me if I'm okay or what I'm going to do like everyone else has. She's simply being here for me and she has no idea how much it means. She didn't push for me to talk about anything I didn't want to, but she did warn me that I'd need to do it sooner rather than later.

"Your dad is probably home now. Why don't you take another doughnut to go and I'll give you a ride home," Ashley says, standing and pushing her chair underneath the table.

"Thank you," I reply, gladly accepting her offer and wasting no time heading for the doughnuts.

She goes into the kitchen at the back of the shop while I grab a box and look over the tray of freshly baked doughnuts, trying to pick the perfect one.

"Katie? What are you doing?" A familiar voice asks.

I pop up from behind the counter and smile at Logan awkwardly. "I'm not stealing, I promise."

He chuckles and my eyes widen in surprise. I've never heard Logan laugh before and even though this isn't exactly what I'd call a laugh, it's close enough.

"Your mom said I could have one," I say nervously, looking anywhere but at him.

"What happened to you today? Where did you go? And how on earth did you end up here?" he asks.

Before I can answer him, Ashley comes through the kitchen door with her purse slung over her shoulder. "I brought her here. Now stop being so damn nosy."

Logan only looks slightly embarrassed. I cover my mouth with my hand to hold in my laughter.

"Anyway, I'm gonna take Katie home. Do you think you can handle things until I get back?" she asks.

"Why don't I just take her home? I mean, if that's okay with her," he says, looking over at me.

I gulp. There's something about being alone with Logan that makes my heart thump rapidly. Finally, I force myself to nod.

Ashley looks between us with a knowing smirk. "Okay. Hey, Katie if you don't have plans for Friday night, why don't you come over for dinner? I was thinking I'd make some taco soup and we always have plenty left over."

My eyes flicker to Logan and when he grins, so do I. "That sounds great."

The drive home starts out in awkward silence. I want to say something, but I don't have a clue what to say. Just when Logan and I were starting to get somewhere, Josh came along and ruined everything. Now I don't even know how to react in front of him or what he thinks of me.

"You should've told me you were leaving. I would've left too," he finally says.

"You would've?" I ask, raising a brow.

He glances over at me and nods. "I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to deal with all this. I know you have Casey and your other friends, but I want you to know...you have me too."

His words cause me to choke up. It's unexpected coming from him, but still so heartwarming.

"Thank you, Logan." I feel like this would be the perfect opportunity to ask him what happened to turn him into the soulless monster everyone thinks he is. He's always been pretty quiet and a little strange, but he never projected the kind of anger he does now. Whatever happened to him, it messed him up pretty badly. "The same goes for you too, you know."

His face hardens and he looks straight ahead at the road before us. I squeeze my eyes shut, hating myself for talking too much again. I shouldn't expect him to open up to me just because we might have a crush on each other.

The awkward silence returns and continues until he pulls into my driveway. I grab my backpack and open the door, glancing back at Logan. "Thanks for the ride."

He doesn't say anything, only nods. I start for the door, but before I make it to the front porch, he calls out my name. I stop and turn around while he closes the space between us.

"I wanted to ask you something," he says, stopping in front of me and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Okay," I say, brushing my wind-blown hair out of my face. "What's up?"

"I know the homecoming dance is coming up and I wasn't sure if you wanted to go or not, but if you wanted to...I was thinking maybe we could go together?"

He's so adorably nervous. It's good to know I get to him as much as he gets to me.

Despite the fact that I'd love nothing more than to go to the dance with Logan, I'm not sure I want to go at all. After what happened at school today, I don't think I want to be around people any more than I have to be.

"I would love to go with you, but I...I don't think I'm going. Not after..."

He nods, letting me know he understands. "Thank God," he mumbles.

"What?" I ask, a smile sweeping across my face.

He scratches the back of his neck and laughs awkwardly. "I didn't really want to go. Not unless you went, anyway."

My cheeks turn pink, but his eyes trap me in their intense gaze and I'm unable to look away. I want to say something, I should say something, but words elude me.

"So, um...I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" he asks.

All I can think about is kissing those perfect lips of his again, but I'm way too much of a chicken to make the first move. "Yeah. Thanks again for the ride."

I watch him as he leaves, my heart still pounding away. It takes me a few seconds for my brain to register what just happened.

He asked me to homecoming. Logan Malone, the hottest and most feared guy in school, asked me to homecoming.

I run up the stairs to my room and fling myself face first into my bed. I want to scream, cry, laugh and sing all at the same time. Logan freaking Malone asked me to homecoming. I can't even wrap my head around it.

And while I should be excited, while I should be calling up Casey to tell her the good news, while I should be fretting over the perfect dress, I'm just going to be sitting here brooding that I'm not going. That I'm missing out on an important high school experience because of Josh.

I can already feel everyone's eyes on me. I can already hear their whispers and snickers. They all look at me like the hopeless slut that thought she had a chance with Josh Matthews until he got what he wanted and left me.

And then there's Josh. I don't know if he'll be healed up enough to go to the dance, but the thought of seeing him there makes me want to vomit.

-

"I think you should go," Casey says for the tenth time since we sat down at our lunch table five minutes ago. I've just filled her in on Logan's homecoming proposal, if you could even call it that, and she's been insisting that I take him up on his offer. "Malone will be by your side the whole time, you'll have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried about anything happening, Case. I just don't want to go. It's bad enough that I have to deal with people staring at me in school all day."

Evan and Bryant sit down next to us and appear to be in some kind of debate of their own.

"You should just ask her, man. What's the worst that can happen?" Evan asks.

Bryant gives him a bored look. "She'll say no."

"Who?" Casey and I ask in unison.

Evan shrugs and Bryant starts digging in his backpack, ignoring us. I'm just about to ask them again when someone takes the seat beside me. I look over expecting to see Logan, but instead, it's Taylor Brooks, the social empress of Summerdale.

I give her an annoyed look. "What?"

She smirks at me. "I know the rumors aren't true, so don't worry. I'll set everyone straight."

At first, I'm wondering if she might be sincere. Taylor and I have never been friends, but we've never been enemies either. She hangs out with her friends and I hang out with mine. Since the seventh grade, we've co-existed with no issues.

Of course, Josh is her ex, so all of this seems a little fishy to me. I look at Casey and she's staring at Taylor much the same way I was, like she's trying to figure out what her angle is here.

"O-kay," I say slowly, looking back at Taylor.

She laughs. "I can't believe anyone would actually think you and Josh hooked up. I mean, it's crazy, right?! There are some real idiots in this school."

"Hooked up?!" Casey asks incredulously, standing from her seat. "Is that what you think happened?!"

I give her a look, silently begging her to please shut up. She slowly sits back down. She props her chin up on her hand and stabs her fork through her chicken repeatedly, never taking her eyes off Taylor.

I decide to take a more peaceful approach. Besides, if Taylor wants to tell everyone the rumors about Josh and I swirling around the school aren't true, why would I stop her? "I didn't hook up with Josh, so I really appreciate that at least some people out there believe me."

She looks relieved. She shouldn't be. She'd never believe me if I told her what really happened, and I have a feeling that she'd make my life a living hell with that kind of information anyway.

"You're in my seat," I deep voice booms from behind us.

I look up and see Logan towering over Taylor. Her eyes widen in fear and she jumps to her feet, not daring to speak another word. She scurries away like a squirrel trying to outrun a car.

Logan sits down next to me as if nothing ever happened, leaving the four of us staring at him in disbelief. Maybe going to homecoming wouldn't be so bad with Logan around. Judging by Taylor's reaction, no one would dare say anything about me or even look my way with my new bodyguard next to me.

-

After school, I catch up to Logan as he's walking to his car. He looks as angry and stoic as always, that is, until he sees me coming. His face softens and a faint smile appears on his face.

"Need a ride?" he asks.

I look around for Casey, but she hasn't made it out into the parking lot yet. "Well, Casey usually takes me home. But..."

"So why don't you drive? You're sixteen, right?"

I nod, still looking around for Casey. "Um, well, I...I'm not so great at driving. Actually," I start, looking up to meet his amused eyes. "I failed my driving test three times already."

The biggest smile I've ever seen on him takes over his face and his eyes light up. Even though he's laughing at me, I can't help but notice how incredibly beautiful he is when he smiles.

"Tell Casey you're coming with me," he says, snaking an arm around my waist and leading me to his car. "I'm about to teach you how to drive."