Page 17 of Beary In Love

Serena pinched the bridge of her nose and pushed her glasses back up. The morning sun beat down on her neck as she stared at Logan's stubborn expression. Some things really hadn't changed - like his inability to share what was actually going on inside his head.

"Complicated?" She let out a short laugh. "That's exactly what you said just before I left town."

"That was different." Logan crossed his arms, his henley stretching across his shoulders.

"How would I know? You won't ever tell me anything!" The words came out sharper than she intended. Her hands trembled slightly as she gathered her potion supplies, more to keep them busy than any real need. "After all these years, don't I at least deserve some honesty?"

"Serena-"

"No, you know what?" She spun around, nearly knocking over a bottle of wolfsbane. "This is exactly why things didn't work between us before. You always had to handle everything yourself, never letting anyone in, never trusting-"

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it?" The old hurt bubbled up, mixing with fresh frustration. "Here we are, years later, and you're still keeping secrets. Still pushing people away when they try to help."

"I'm trying to protect-"

"Just stop." She held up her hand. "Let me help you now." Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd offered.

The sanctuary suddenly felt noticeably quiet. A bird chirped somewhere in the distance. Serena's cheeks burned as she mentally kicked herself. What was she thinking? Her magic was meant for healing animals and brewing potions, not taking on whatever mysterious threat Logan was facing. Besides, they were exes for a reason. This was supposed to be strictly professional - check on the animals, make sure they were recovering, and go home.

She opened her mouth to take it back, but Logan's expression stopped her. He looked... surprised? Hopeful?

Serena watched the internal struggle play across Logan's face. His gold-flecked eyes darted between her and the damaged fence, and she could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"Look, at least let me help with the animals," she said. "They need someone like me. And since I'm currently between jobs..." She shrugged, trying to appear more casual than she felt.

Logan scratched the back of his neck. "Serena, if anything happened to you-"

"I'm a big girl. I can handle myself." She gestured at her potions kit. "Or did you forget the time I turned Brad Thompson into a toad for trying to copy my chemistry homework?"

A reluctant smile tugged at his lips. "That was pretty impressive. Though I'm pretty sure that violated several school policies."

"He deserved it. Besides, the effect only lasted an hour." She crossed her arms. "Stop changing the subject."

Logan sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine. But... you need to be careful, okay? And if anything seems off-"

"You’ll be the first to know." She rolled her eyes. "Though I seem to remember someone climbing a tree to rescue Mrs. Henderson's cat during a thunderstorm."

"That was different."

"Really? How?"

"I can turn into a bear."

"And I can turn people into toads among other things. Your point?"

Logan laughed, the sound warming something in Serena's chest that she thought had frozen over permanently. "I forgot how impossible you are to argue with."

"Not impossible." She smiled, gathering her supplies. "Just usually right."

His expression softened into something that made her heart skip. "Yeah, you usually are."

Serena busied herself with her potions kit, hoping he couldn't see the blush creeping up her neck. She'd forgotten how his smile could make her feel like she was seventeen again, sneaking out to meet him by the old oak tree behind the school.

"So," she said, clearing her throat. "When do I start?"

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