Page 30 of Becoming Selfish

Reaching into my bag, I grab my phone while Ali scolds me on my decision for the night. “What? That’s ridiculous, Logan! It’s Friday night, and this is the first week of classes. I know you don’t have that much studying to do.”

“Thank you, Ali! That’s what I’m saying,” Marc chimes in on the other side of me.

I wanted my friends to be cool with one another, but I didn’t need them to gang up on me.

As I grab my phone, I find three texts from Zac waiting. Ali must notice that I’m facing my screen away from her because she asks, “Is that Zac again?” before rolling her eyes.

“What?” Marc booms. “Why the hell would he be texting you?”

I sigh. “It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in later.”

As the professor finishes setting up his things in the front of the room, I see Marc shaking his head out of the corner of my eye.

I read the last text from Zac to myself.

Z: Logan, please give me another chance.

I take a deep, resigned breath. “Fuck it. Let’s go to the party tonight. I could use a distraction,” I tell my friends, and both of them attempt to suppress their victorious grins.

Chapter 26

Eli

I started drinking at around six o’clock today. That was a little over four hours ago, so you could say that I’ve been feeling the effects for a while now. I had an emotional couple of days, and the alcohol is helping to take the edge off. The house is crowded, unsurprisingly so, but I don’t give a damn about a single person here. I’ve been looking towards the door for the last hour waiting for Marc to come through. I was hoping Logan would’ve come if I invited her, but my plan didn’t seem to work.

“Maddison!” I hear my name in a pitch so loud it could break a glass window.

“Hey, Alyssa,” I say with indifference, keeping my eyes focused on the door.

“What’s wrong?” She sticks her bottom lip out in a pouty way. I can tell by how she’s asking it’s to be seductive, not because she actually cares what’s going on with me right now.

“Nothing.” I pull my arm away from her grasp.

Most of her body is on display, and her heels are so high that she’s added five inches to her short stature. Before last week, I would’ve taken her into a random room and fucked her, seeing her look like this while she hung all over me. I can tell that’s what she wants me to do right now, but ever since I met Logan, I haven’t been able to think of anyone else besides that green-eyed girl.

As the front door opens, someone calls out my brother’s name, and Marc walks into the house with Ali following closely behind. Then, I see her.

As Logan walks in, it’s as if time slows down, and she’s moving in slow motion. My mouth gapes, and I can literally feel the air being taken away from my lungs. She looks insane tonight, in the best way possible. Her hair is down and lightly curled, and I can see the dark red color shining from here. Her skin-tight black shirt accentuates her chest perfectly, and it’s tucked into a pair of black jeans that hug every curve of her body. Her form-fitting all-black outfit is completed with a pair of black boots that make her legs look a mile long. She always looks stunning, but tonight she’s turned up the dial, and I’m finding it difficult not to stare.

Once I do pull my eyes from her, I realize that every guy in here is having the same reaction. It’s annoying that anyone else would be looking at her because they don’t even know her. If I would’ve known that she was coming tonight, I probably wouldn’t have started drinking. She’s all the distraction I need.

“Who is that?” Alyssa asks me in a tone that sounds less than thrilled.

I don’t answer her, but instead, I start making my way towards Logan. Getting stopped by a few people, I quickly brush them off and continue on my path. I know I’m relatively buzzed right now, but the closer I get to her, the further she seems to be. I glance down for a moment, and when I look up again, she’s gone. Marc is missing too, but Ali is still standing by the door.

“Hey, where did my brother and Logan go?” I ask her once I make it to the entryway.

“I think they went to the backyard.” She nods towards the other side of the house.

I turn to head towards the back door, but Ali pulls me back by the arm.

“Oh no, you don’t. They need to have a little best friend heart-to-heart. Just give them a minute.” She pats my shoulder, as if I were a good boy for staying put.

The conversation they’re having outside is making me worry. Is Marc telling her to stay away from me? He knows my reputation, and from his point of view he would just be looking out for her, but I’m different around Logan. I hope he would recognize that. I would never treat her the way I have the random girls from my past.

“What’s going on?” I ask Ali, panic clear in my voice.

“Nothing about you, chill out.” She rolls her eyes in exhaustion.

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