Page 52 of The Wallflower and the Running Back

“What does that mean?” I mumble against his chest, pushing back to look him in the eyes. His expression hasn’t changed much, but his smile has grown a tick.

“You’ll figure it out,” Casey says, pulling his wallet from his back pocket and fishing out forty bucks. He drops it on the table.

“Let Logan know we should do this again sometime,” he says, leaving me with that lingering stare before he takes off through Patty’s doors.

What the hell?

I push my brother’s money toward the center of the table and replay his words. I can tell he liked Logan. I’m sure of it. And if he had any reservations, he would have said something. Casey isn’t usually vague.

A warm palm covers my back, and soon Logan’s lips are on my cheek.

“Your brother take off?” He sounds edgy, probably bummed he didn’t get to say goodbye.

“He had to run,” I say, making up an excuse. He didn’t have anywhere to go. He simply ran.

“Oh. Shit. I hope I did all right. He’s a great guy. I see why you two are so close. Your parents are lucky.” Casey flips open the bill on the table and sees my brother left cash behind. “Damn, I wanted to buy.”

“He’s like that. He remembers living on college money. I’m sure he appreciated your offer, though. That was a good move.” I study Logan’s profile as he gnaws at the inside of his cheek as if he’s still worried he blew it despite my reassurance. He fills out the tab, putting the entire bill on his card and leaving my brother’s cash for a tip, and I think how Casey would like this move, too. Logan is full of a million kind gestures that nobody ever sees. He’s constantly finding ways to shift fortune to others, to share, and to give.

And then it hits me.

I’m in trouble. We’re in love.

I’m so much in love with him it almost suffocates me right here in this seat. And I can’t hold it in any longer.

“I love you,” I blurt out.

Logan’s hand freezes mid-air, his eyes blinking slowly as he stares at the bill he just finished signing and the pen he dropped on the table. His mouth tugs up on the side nearest me as his head shifts to look at me sideways. It’s the elated smile and twinkling eyes of a kid on his face, and he drops his gaze with a faint chuckle before stepping into me, cupping my face and kissing me before I have a chance to breathe.

Our kiss breaks but he holds me close, his gaze roaming my face. When we connect again, I see the sudden peace deep in his eyes. Like his favorite place, and his favorite painting. Still. Quiet. Settled.

“I love you, too, Shortcake.”

18/

logan

Apparently, the first month of Intro to Chemistry is review. What it’s reviewing, since it’s a fucking intro, beats me. But review equals easy. Or easier, at least. But now? Now, this shit is hard.

Rachel’s been drilling me for my test tomorrow morning, but all I want to do is sleep or rip her clothes off. There’s no in-between for me.

I’m exhausted, having gotten up at six this morning to put in tons of rehab and soak in the ice for a while. I’m cleared for the running program. I got the call late last night, so I made a commitment to myself to be cleared for play by Saturday. That means every spare second needs to be spent in preparation. The right food. The right cardio. The right stretching and cool downs. All the ice. The wraps.

And rest.

“Just a short nap. I promise we can set an alarm and I’ll wake up,” I say, my fingertips crawling along her back. She’s lying next to me, propped on her elbows as she grades my latest practice test.

“You can sleep after we go through this one more time,” she says, her serious tone hitting my chest with dread. I failed the practice test again. I can tell.

“Am I getting better?” I roll to my side and rest my head on my palm.

“You’re not getting worse,” she says, holding up the edge of the paper where she’s written a sixty-four. I scored the same the last two times we practiced.

“You seem to be missing the same types of questions, so let me find something we can use to practice that.”

I groan, shoving my face into my mattress. Rachel ruffles my hair, and I roll my head to the side so I don’t accidentally fall asleep.

“Okay, so no nap. Sex?” I quirk a brow.

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