AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Logan laughs. “Trust me, I need something like this in my life right now. I want details.”
Summer grins in a “told you so” manner, and Cory rolls her eyes. “Fine. We’re going to Vegas.”
Logan’s eyes widen, his expression doing nothing to hide where his mind just went, his words confirming my thoughts. “Vegas, baby! Yes. Please, tell me we can convince you to make this a group thing and not just you and Nate?”
Cory cringes. “Sorry, it’s just going to be me and—”
“Nope, we’re coming,” Summer interjects.
“We’re going in April, so it’s a busy time and it will be hard to get accommodation. Plus, Lucy—”
“It’s a group thing,” Summer says, ignoring Cory’s response, and I almost feel bad for her until her smile widens. “Okay, we’d love to have our friends there.”
“Yes! Count me in. I’ll even get ordained if you need me to.” Wrapping an arm around Summer’s shoulder, Logan rests his head on hers and sighs, causing a pang of unwanted and unnecessary jealousy to run through me. “Our little girl’s growing up,” he says, making Summer laugh out loud.
“Ha ha,” Cory deadpans. “You’re about to be uninvited.”
“Come on, let me have a little fun today. Please.”
He bats his eyelashes in a joking manner, but I can tell he really needs this. He needs his friends to be normal today. To discuss their lives. To be happy.
A soft smile plays on Cory’s lips, and I know she’s seen what I have. “Yeah, I guess you can have today. But getting ordained is not necessary. If we’re going to Vegas, we’re getting Elvis.”
“Good choice,” Summer says as Nate walks over with a goofy smile on his face.
“Bet it’s been hard to hold that back,” Logan says, pointing to Nate’s grin. And I laugh along with the group as they all make plans. Plans that don’t involve me. Plans that I shouldn’t care about. But of course, I do.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Logan
Mostofmyprofessorsgrant me extra consideration for assignments due in the week of Dad's funeral, but I don’t take advantage of it. In fact, other than the day itself, I haven’t missed any classes at all this week, preferring to have the distractions.
But, after meeting a few of my documentary classmates to discuss a group project Wednesday night, I drag my feet as I walk back to the parking lot, tired from the crazy week I’ve had.
I still don’t think I’ve completely processed everything that life’s thrown my way in the past ten days, and if I’m honest, I’m not sure I ever will.
But what I do know is that I need to slow down. Life’s too short to be wishing it away, and I shouldn’t be taking anything for granted.
Like Dani, who at this very moment not only pops into my head but also appears in my line of sight, walking toward the arts building, earbuds in, completely lost in her own world.
I stop and watch her, taking note of everything I see. The way she pushes her glasses up her nose before she changes a song. The way she occasionally mouths along with the words or nods her head to the beat. The way her eyes flit shut or a soft smile appears when something affects her. I want to learn everything about her. She’s etched her name into my skin, as permanent as one of my tattoos, and she doesn’t even realize it.
When she disappears through an open door, I make chase. By the time I find her, in one of the many rooms, she’s set herself in front of an easel with her paintbrush in hand.
It’s almost nine p.m., and other than the two of us, this space is deserted. Something Dani must realize, because she pulls the earbuds out of her phone and lets the music spill into the air.
She’s listening to “Against All Odds,” by Phil Collins, and it hits me square in the chest. Because for some fucking reason, even though I sometimes feel like I barely know her, if she walked away right now, I’d be that empty space he’s singing about. And there’s this voice in the back of my mind screaming at me to stop that from happening.
I move toward her without meaning to. She has this hold on me that I can’t explain, but it’s like she’s wrapped an invisible string around my waist and occasionally gives it a firm tug. She’s doing it right now. She doesn’t even know I’m here, and yet, she’s pulling me toward her.
“What is it about you that makes it impossible for me to walk away, even though I know you’re bad for me?” I ask, causing Dani to jump.
Her wide eyes flash to mine as her hand goes to her heart.
“Logan? You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
After what we’ve both been through, that's not something to joke about. Not now. Not ever. But I let it slide.
