Page 27 of A Dash of You

But he jerks away, leaving me with the sight of his rose-colored cheeks.

“Sora,” he says my name with a labored breath.

“Logan.”

His hulking frame stalks off as I sprint up the stairs to Lana’s front door. Only once I am securely behind it, am I able to release the tension in my shoulders.

“Holy fucking crap.” I stay still, breathing in what air I can find. “What just happened?” I place a hand over my thumping heart then chug a glass of water.

I’m on fire.Everywhere.Sizzling. Men don’t do this to me. Well, not the men I’ve been around, and Jason would clock my every move, making sure I didn’t stray off. He could have his side flings, but I was stuck, trapped with his loveless affection.

With Logan I’m turned on, beaming in the brightest fucking setting. But it’s still only a crush. A physical attraction which I believe he would agree.

Jason’s handsome, sure. But he’s also arrogant. Prim. Proper. Boring sophisticated. Where Logan is rugged. Rough. Manly. Panty dripping sexy. Which isn’t my first time thinking that.

I’m intrigued, to say the least, but nothing more.

Lana comes bursting through the front door into the kitchen and I almost drop my cup. Everyone needs to stop coming out of nowhere.

“Heya.” She halts, checking me out. “Why are you soaked?”

“Long story.” I get another round of water, chugging it down. “By the way, I don’t have a damn clue on how to plant flowers.”

She closes the door, softly setting down her purse while never losing eye contact. “Oookayy.”

I shake my head. “Lana. I don’t know how to plant flowers!” I sink into my shoulders as I lean on the counter.

“It’s okay. I’ll show you. It’s easy. All you do is—”

“No. You don’t get it. I can’t do anything. I don’t know how to survive in the real world, Lana. I have zero life skills.” My voice shakes and I know the tears are coming.

For a long time, I’ve maintained composure. I can keep it up. I have to.

“Hey.” She approaches, turning me to face her. “You are smart. Caring. Fucking beautiful. And you’re my best friend. Let’s not forget you bake the best damn desserts I have ever tasted. You’re finding yourself again.”

A hiccup of a sob escapes me. Iamtrying to find myself again. A woman lost in her past. But I don’t want that to define me.

“Sora. Look at me.”

I do as I swipe a tear from my face.

“What happened? Why did you run? Please tell me. I won’t judge. But you gotta let me in.”

I want to tell her. So badly I did. The words are there. Begging to come out. Everything that has happened, but I can’t. I don’t want her to carry the weight of the skeletons in my closet.

“Thank you, and you know I love you. You’ve always been like a sister to me. Even if I’ve been… closed off all these years.” Not sure if closed off is a good way of putting it, but that would have to do for now.

Hurt flashes in her eyes. “I love you too, Sora.”

Disappointing someone so important to me is a knife in the gut.

I leave my best friend to let the warm shower drown away my sorrow. With the odd feeling of someone watching me, I snap the shower curtain open and wipe away the condensation from the small window. As I stare out of it, my body ignites, the water still streaming down my back.

Logan is swimming. In the lake. And now he’s getting out of the lake. Hard muscles flex when he pulls himself up on the pier.

Ugh.

I yank the curtain closed, mentally cursing myself for finding Logan so undeniably sexy. If he wanted to cool off, why doesn’t he just take a cold shower?

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