Page 43 of What It Means To Be Found

“Time!” Courtney called, making Taylor collapse on the ground, face-down in irritation. I was laughing, wiping tears from my eyes as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. While everyone laughed at Taylor’s failure and started asking them to explain their drawing, I pulled it out to check the notification.

Logan had texted me. I felt my cheeks warm again, seeing his name at the top of my screen, and held my phone a little closer to my body before glancing around the room. I didn’t want everyone else to see that I was reading a text from him for some reason.

“What the hell is that?” Beck asked, waving her hand towards Taylor’s drawing.

“It’s a penis! It’s just a plain ol’ penis! How did you not get that?”

“Why did you draw it like that?” Courtney cackled.

“Are we supposed to be staring down the barrel of it?” Josh asked, pushing his black-framed glasses higher on his nose and squinting at the drawing. Everyone was distracted, so I tapped on the notification without meeting Logan’s gaze.

Logan: Please tell me I am not the only one suffering tonight.

I felt the corner of my mouth lift as I typed out my reply.

Me: Suffering how? I’m having a wonderful time.

I rested my phone in my lap and glanced around the room again, giggling at Taylor’s disbelief in everyone else. I then let my gaze fall on Logan, who was staring down at his phone which he also held close to his chest to conceal his messages.

Logan: If I didn’t see you smile before you sent that, I would be more worried that you weren’t thinking about our call as much as I was.

He went there. Just like that. In front of everyone, he was bringing up the last time I gave myself an orgasm. In front of him. Kind of. I tugged the collar of my shirt away from my chest as if I was fanning myself from the laughter everyone else was recovering from. Courtney took her place up front, and Taylor took the empty seat next to Josh.

She drew a prompt on a piece of paper and quickly got to work on her drawing.

Me: Are you distracted? Can’t focus on the games tonight?

I pressed my lips together as I rested my phone on my lap and stared at Courtney’s drawing, calling out a random answer I knew would be wrong to look like I was properly participating in the game until I felt my phone vibrate again.

Logan: I have been distracted for a while, Eloise.

My heart thumped in my chest, and before I could think better of it, I glanced to the side to where Logan was still sitting on the floor, his eyes on me for a second before he tore his gaze away and stared up at where Courtney was hopping up and down as she drew.

Holy hell, my lady parts loved reading that message from him.

Me: If only our friends weren’t around.

Logan: Really? What would you do if they weren’t?

I felt my heart take off in my ribs, pressing my lips against each other in anticipation. Were we doing this? In front of everyone?

Then a throw pillow hit me in the face. I pulled my attention away from my phone as Courtney continued to whack me with the pillow for not paying attention to her drawing and letting us fail. I laughed, pocketed my phone, and surrendered my attention to the game. When I stood up to draw, I may have added a little sway in my step. I may have popped my booty a little more than necessary when I bent down to grab a prompt from the bowl.

I could feel the heat of Logan’s gaze on me the entire time, and the adrenaline coursing through my veins was thriving on it.

Eventually, we got bored with Pictionary, so then we started playing Uno around the kitchen island. It got a little aggressive when we played with Courtney and Beck’s house rules and everyone kept stacking draw-fours on each other. Taylor may have thrown their deck down in rage before grabbing the bottle of vodka and taking a direct swig from it to help them cope with the size of their hand doubling.

It was a fun night. Nobody seemed suspicious of the fact that Logan and I were sitting as far away from each other as possible, and hardly glancing at each other when people were paying attention. It felt normal for us, and I was having fun with my friends.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to watch a movie. It was pretty late, and as soon as the two couples in the group snuggled up on the couch and got cozy, Taylor announced that they just matched with a person on their dating app and had better things to do. Everyone let them leave without much complaint.

That left Logan and me.

Beck had collected a number of blankets and pillows for Logan to lay on the ground, which he happily did with his head propped up against the foot of the couch. Courtney and Josh had scooted over to make room for me on the chaise lounge I was sitting on earlier for Pictionary.

We were flipping through Beck and Adam’s movie collection on the TV screen debating options when Logan sparked a familiar rage in me.

“What about this one?” Courtney asked about a newer romantic comedy that I hadn’t seen before but was excited to fill the screen, the trailer for it already playing in the background before anyone pressed play.

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