Page 47 of Seven of Hearts

“I’m fine,” I said, though I didn’t believe it. I was a mess inside.

“I’m gonna go back over to the house and grab my keys, and follow you to your place.”

Before I could argue, he turned his back and walked across the grass.

The short drive back to my apartment was a blur. It was the kind of twilight zone when you realized that you couldn’t remember the last two miles. Had I run red lights? Did I hit someone? I had no idea.

Logan’s headlights snapped me out of the haze as I parked in front of my building. Before I knew it, he was opening my door, shouldering my bag, and taking my hand. We walked in silence, as every unsaid thing danced between us.

I unlocked the door and slipped inside without a word. All I wanted was to get out of my clothes and put something soft on. My jeans didn’t fit anymore, which left me wearing leggings most days. I was tired of clothes being tight on my skin. I closed my bedroom door and rummaged around for my pajamas.

By the time I changed into a baggy pair of flannel shorts and a loose t-shirt, Logan was knocking on the door.

Why hadn’t he left yet? I made it home just fine.

“Come in.”

The door creaked as Logan slipped in, holding a bowl. “Are you an ‘eat in bed’ or a ‘food nowhere but the table’ type?”

“I’m convinced that only serial killers are opposed to eating in bed.”

Logan cocked his head, silently ordering me to get under the covers.

“I’m really not hungry,” I argued, though I did climb into bed willingly. I just wanted to sleep. I was worn out, but I wasn’t tired. I just didn’t want to be awake anymore.

“You need to eat something,” he said as he sat on the edge of the bed and slid a bowl of buttered pasta into my hands. “And considering my culinary prowess is limited to turkey sandwiches, and you’re not supposed to have those, pasta it is. Besides, everyone likes buttered noodles.”

I stared at the pasta he had pilfered from my cabinets and cooked just for me. “How do you know I’m not supposed to have deli meat?”

His eyes were kind as he looked down at me and plucked a fork from behind his ear. “I haven’t been sleeping well. I started reading all these medical journals about pregnancy instead of staring at the ceiling.”

“Why are you still here?” I asked, ignoring the pang in my heart as I took the fork from him and managed a small bite. “Shouldn’t you be back at work?”

Logan toed off his shoes and swung his long legs onto the bed, easing against the headboard to sit beside me. He was quiet for a while. I ate while he thought about his answer.

“I need to be here right now,” he said finally. “I can work remotely for the time being.”

“I’m fine, Logan. I can handle it. You know, my parents know, my bosses know, Kylie knows, Will knows?—”

“Kristin knows,” he interjected. “She wanted me to pass on her congratulations and told me to tell you to call her if you need anything.”

My appetite vanished completely. I set the mostly empty bowl on the bedside table and wiggled down under the covers, turning onto my side to face away from him. “Like I said. Everyone knows. Everyone’s had their reactions. Life can move on now. I’ll be okay.”

But rather than agreeing with me, Logan stole the other pillow, wedged it under his head, and lay on his side behind me. He wrapped a strong arm around my waist and slipped his hand under my shirt.

I tensed, unfamiliar with such a brash, tender moment. Sure, we’d had sex. We had been together in one of the most vulnerable ways two people could be. But this was intimate on a whole other level.

Logan gently smoothed his hand across my belly, back and forth, over and over again. Tears pricked at my eyes, but they didn’t fall. Instead, the rush of emotion urged me deeper into his arms. I wiggled backward as Logan pulled me closer and tightened his hold on me, keeping me close, safe, and secure.

“What I should have said was that Iwantto be here right now.”

And I wanted that too.

14

LOGAN

“Iknow you’re not asleep,” I mumbled into Leah’s hair as morning light bathed us in a bluish glow from the teal curtains covering her bedroom windows.

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