Page 95 of Your Side of the Offense

I don't get him. If he's so unhappy, why stay?

"Because I love you." His voice is barely above a whisper, and I feel the raw emotion even without looking at his face. He comes closer and caresses my cheek tenderly with his slightly calloused one and turns my face to look at him. "Because I love you, Summer. Even though you don't share my feelings, even though you've never told me you loved me back, I do. I love you, and it drives me insane. Baby, it drives me insane to be desperate, begging you to see me."

Air leaves my lungs, and I am suspended in space as an eerie quiet fills the room.

I am a dog. I am hurting him. He is in so much pain I feel it stabbing me as I look at him. I can't continue doing this to him.

I know what I need to do.

"Logan, I think we should—"

"Don't say it, I beg you, Summer." He places a finger on my lips. "Don't say it. I love you. And I know in time you will love me back. Just don't do it." He steps back. "Go home and have fun with your family and come and cuddle me when you return. I'll miss you."

He turns on his heel and leaves me gawking behind him.

What. The. Fuck.

28

PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

Summer

To say I am feeling like the shittiest person in the world would actually be an understatement. I feel like the devil herself. I haven't stopped thinking about Logan and everything he said. The pain in his eyes. Love is hurting him. I am hurting him, and I feel like shit. I feel like shit for everything I've done to him.

After the initial shock, what he said sunk in. But I think a part of me never took our relationship that seriously because I thought there was no way he was serious, no way it could get this deep and emotional. I don't know why my ass thought that.

He's just a football player and has pussy by the truckload, so I figured he was just using me as arm candy. Especially with how much space he gave me to just do my own thing. But he was just being a good boyfriend. And I was too hung up on them.

But what he asked for is unfair to him. Why would he say that? Why would he do that to himself? He knows I don't love him, but he is hoping someday I will. What kind of thing is that? This thing with me and him has definitely escalated to a level I never wanted or expected. It was never meant to get here. Where he begs me to see him.

'…it drives me insane to be desperate, begging you to see me …'

'…come and cuddle me when you return. I'll miss you…'

'…Don't say it. I beg you, Summer…'

'…I see how you look different, how you feel different…'

Those are just the highlights for me.

Damn, Logan. Why did you have to tug at my heartstrings like that? And what the fuck am I going to do now? He literally begged me to not leave him. What the fuck am I supposed to do with that?

I wish I could say I think he is manipulating me. I had never wished someone was horrible to me more than I do now. And I wish I could find him at fault so I can justify my actions, but I can't, he is blameless.

Fuck.

I maneuver the crowd at the airport, my three-hour flight feeling like nothing. I don't even know where all the time went. I had been hoping to watch a movie, but I didn't even get to that. I just stared at nothing, thinking about Logan's pained face as he begged. And I hate it for him.

I retrieve my bag and follow the app to my sister and nana’s location, and I grin when I see the big, totally unnecessary sign.

SUMMER BAILEY PRODIGAL GRANDDAUGHTER.

People laugh at the sign, and I almost turn back. But because my sister and nana are an unstoppable chaos, they shout when they spot me. Totally unnecessary.

"Why?" I point at the sign as I go to my nana's open arms, and she squeezes me.

"If we don't embarrass you, sister, who will?" my smart-mouthed sister says, and I hug her next. Then I step back to look at her. Well, she definitely is not in middle school anymore. She is even spotting two small lumps on her chest.

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