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I wrap my arms around myself, pulling my cardigan around my dress.
“Getting soppy on me, Smiles?” Logan bumps shoulders with me.
“I don’t expect a man with the emotional maturity of a rock to understand,” I breathe absentmindedly as I immerse myself in the magic of the moment taking place in front of us.
The wedding party moves up the street together, a ball of happy, buzzing energy, and we trail behind, heading in the same direction. I still can’t take my eyes off the bride and how happy she looks.
“Try me,” Logan says.
I’d rather give my full attention to the wedding group than indulge him in whatever ‘make Maddy look stupid’ game he’s got in mind.
I follow the bride’s movements. She’s laughing, her head tipped back to the evening air as her long hair flows down her back in waves. She’s the epitome of joy right now. Carefree… In the moment… In love.
I blink and wipe under my eyes. “You wouldn’t get it.”
“Probably not. But I’ll try… for you.”
I side-eye him, waiting for the smirk. But it never comes.
“Fine.” I blow out a breath..“It’s love. It’s beautiful and simple all at once. And it gives hope.”
For once, Logan’s quiet and listening with a thoughtful expression instead of a smug one. He nods at me to continue.
I pull my cardigan tighter across my chest. “It’s why I love reading. It’s about escaping somewhere safe, forgetting real life and whatever drama or conflict might be going on in the world. And just… being in a safe place, I guess.”
“I think I understand that.” He frowns as we walk, his eyes on his feet, hands still in his pockets. And he’d probably look adorable to someone else. The tall billionaire, clothed in his designer suit, all powerful, but with an uncharacteristic vulnerability on his face as he tries to see something in a way he never has before.
But I’m not someone else.
“Reading can make a hard day a little easier. It’s powerful. I know lots of people who read to leave their worries behind, even if only while they’re lost between the pages.”
“Maybe I should try it,” Logan says softly.
I turn and study his furrowed brow as he keeps his eyes cast down. His eyelashes fan out around his eyes, dark and thick. This version of Logan—the one with a heart—is not one I’m accustomed to. It’s unnerving enough to make my words dry up.
We walk a little further and the wedding party soon disappears in another direction, leaving us alone. I can’t stop glancing at Logan. He’s deep in thought, his lips in a firm line and creases worrying the edges of his eyes. His hair is swept back from his face and he’s no longer freshly shaven. The early start we had has left a dusting of a shadow on his strong jaw. It stands out against his stark white collar. He swallows, and the motion contracts the muscles in his thick neck, but he remains silent.
“What do you worry about?” The words spill out before I can stop them. I mentally curse myself for sounding like I care and opening myself up to his ridicule.
I learned years ago not to show weakness around Logan. Like when Drew was sent away. Logan following me home from school made me notice Drew’s absence more. And made me hate Logan for the unfairness of it all. Him telling half the school I had crabs was nothing in comparison. He should have been with Drew. They were both as guilty as each other. Drew wouldn’t have been alone if Logan hadn’t squirmed his way out of it.
Some people might argue that Leonard Rich did that, using his money and power, and not Logan. But I still can’t bring myself not to hate Logan for it. He walked free while Drew didn’t. I was the one who lost my brother. Left with a boy who made sure I felt loneliness in a way I would never wish upon anyone.
I doubt Logan worries about the choices he made. Not speaking up. Living under the protection of his dad and the family money. Unless he has a conscience, after all?
I study him as his eyes meet mine, both of us caught in a rare moment of looking at each other. The hairs on the back of my arms prick up as his eyes sweep over my face. There’s a tension in them that makes his green irises burn a darker shade of emerald.
“I worry about disappointing my dad,” he says finally.
I drop my eyes away, disgust washing through me. For a second, I hoped he would say something else. Logan’s always been a daddy’s boy. I bet there’s a long list of times he’s been bailed out by his family fortune.
I increase my pace, eager to get back to the hotel and into my room. Alone. The magic impregnated in the air that the wedding party created is long gone. Now the streets are as empty as the old memories are making me feel. I tug my cardigan tighter around me.
“Here.” Logan unbuttons his jacket.
“I’m not cold. Just… tired,” I say quickly.
I breathe out in relief as he keeps his jacket on. I can’t deal with him being chivalrous. Not when I’m tired and my guard is down. I’m still processing these new facets of him that keep popping through.
