Page 11 of Pure Bred

“You still have this?” he asks, his voice filled with wonder.

I nod, feeling a pleasant blush creep up my cheeks. “I wear it every day.”

And with that, his lips are on mine again.

Later, after Logan drops me off at my parents’ house, I tiptoe through the darkened house, my heart rate still recovering from our little make-out session. I’m almost at the stairs when a voice cuts through the darkness.

“Late night?”

I nearly jump out of my skin. “Jesus, Gabe!” I hiss, clutching my chest. “You scared the crap out of me.”

My brother’s silhouette emerges from the kitchen doorway. “Come here,” he says, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Sighing, I follow him into the kitchen. He flicks on the light, and I blink against the sudden brightness. Gabe leans against the counter, arms crossed, looking way too awake for how late it is.

“It’s not what you think,” I say, but I can hear how unconvincing I sound. “Logan and I were just catching up. I didn’t want to wake anyone up, that’s all.”

Gabe’s eyebrow quirks up. “At two in the morning?”

I feel heat creeping up my neck. “We had to fix a blown tire. It’s not a big deal.”

“Sierra,” Gabe says, his voice softening. “I’m worried about you. Both of you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Logan never got over you, sis.”

I freeze, my mouth suddenly dry. “What are you talking about?”

“He hasn’t been with anyone since you left,” Gabe continues, his eyes locked on mine. “Hasn’t even looked at another girl. I’m pretty sure he’s still in love with you.”

The words hit me with a blow. I sink into a chair, my mind reeling. “But...it’s been years.”

Gabe nods, his expression grim. “Exactly. Which is why I’m worried. I don’t want to see him get his heart broken again.”

I stare at my brother, still struggling to process his words. “I had no idea. But Gabe, I promise, I’m not here to hurt anyone. Especially not Logan.”

“I know you wouldn’t ever do it on purpose, Sierra. Just be careful, okay?”

I nod, stumbling as I head upstairs. My head is spinning as I enter the guest room and collapse onto the bed.

Logan can’t still be in love with me. It’s been over a decade.

But Gabe wouldn’t lie about something like this.

I roll onto my back, staring at the ceiling. Is it really true that Logan hasn’t been with anyone since we were together? The thought makes my stomach flutter in a way I’m not prepared for.

But then a sobering realization hits me: I haven’t been with anyone either. Sure, there have been a few casual dates here and there, carefully orchestrated by my PR team.

But nothing real.

I’ve always told myself that I had to stay single because of my career. That I was too busy, too focused on my music to get distracted by relationships. It was easier that way, wasn’t it? To pour everything into my songs, my performances, my fans.

But now, lying here in the dark, I’m forced to confront a truth I’ve been avoiding for years.

Maybe it wasn’t just about the music.

Maybe I’ve been avoiding relationships because I knew, deep down, that no one would ever measure up to what I had with Logan.

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