Page 12 of Best Kept Secret
“Did you get your thesis finished?” Logan asks, and I can’t hide my smile at the thought that he’s actually calling to ask me, because not only does he care, but he listens when we talk.
Logan and I have been talking non-stop since our night together. Late night phone calls, never-ending text message marathons, even the occasional FaceTime. And in the weeks that we’ve been talking, we’ve gotten to know one another. In fact, I think I know Logan better than I know anyone. Logan is nothing like my brother, and even less like Parker. He’s caring and attentive, he listens and doesn’t judge, and no matter what he’s doing, whether it’s cooking dinner or packing for a road trip, when Logan’s on the phone with me, he can hold an actual conversation.I like talking to him. I feel like I can talk to him about anything. I’ve never met a guy like him before, and… if I’m being honest, I really like him. He’s fast becoming my favorite person. Which is terrifying and exciting all at the same time.
“I did.” I beam, heaving a relieved sigh. “Finally.”
“I’m proud of you, babe.”
My body involuntarily shivers at the way he says that.Babe. No one has ever called me babe before Logan. I never thought I’d like it. I always imagined it would sound condescending or misogynistic. But Logan’s low voice calling me babe makes me openly swoon. God, I’m in trouble.
“Only a few more weeks left before I’m done with college.” I look out at the big library complex, taking it all in.
“Texas,” is all he says in response after a long pause, the same hint of consternation in his voice I hear every time we talk about me graduating and moving to Fort Worth.
“Yep…” I sigh, my shoulders sagging beneath the weight of the crushing resignation. It’s not that I was expecting to get the position at Hyde and Mercer. I knew I didn’t stand a chance with the caliber of applicants I was up against. But not hearing back at all sucks.
“How was your game?” I ask, trying to shift the conversation to something a little more upbeat since I know from the running commentary in the Shaw family group chat that the Thunder won their game tonight against Halifax.
“I scored a goal and an assist.”
“Good job.” I smile, although I have no idea what that even means. Hockey is not my strong suit. Football, yes, since I grew up around it. The Texas panhandle is football country; whether you like it or not, you can’t grow up not knowing everything there is to know about the game. Hockey is just some foreign ice sport my brother randomly chose to play after watchingThe Mighty Ducksa few too many times when he was a kid.
“Did you go out after the game?” I ask, trying hard to sound casual, all while holding my breath waiting for his response.
“Nah, it’s way too cold up here,” Logan says. “A few of the guys went down to the bar in the lobby, but me and Hap decided to stay in and playCall of Duty.”
Why is that so adorable? My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard.
“I wanna see you again,” Logan whispers after another pause, shocking me. “I miss you.”
I close my eyes at the sound of his voice, all throaty and gruff and sexy, saying words I never thought I’d hear.
“You do?” I squeak.
“Of course, I do, Red,” he says on a chuckle. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m, like, borderline obsessed with you.”
It takes all I have not to kick my feet.
“Well, I suppose now that I’ve submitted my thesis, maybe I could come out there?”
“For real?” The smile in Logan’s voice is palpable through the phone, and it warms me from the inside, his excitement contagious.
My cheeks flush. “Yeah.”
I hear shuffling through the phone, and I’m imagining him in bed, shirtless, wondering what, if anything, he wears between the sheets, and my thighs press together trying to quell the sudden ache that blooms between them. I’ve never felt this way. I worried after what happened with Parker that I would be averse to all men. But that night with Logan changed everything. I want him. In every way.
“Would you… uh… would you want to—” He pauses to clear his throat. “Would you want to stay at, um, my p-place… or—” Another throat clear. “I can book you a hotel room, if you’d prefer.”
My skin heats, and I bite down hard on my thumb nail. “I think I’d want to stay at your place. I mean, only if that’s okay… with you?”
“Hell yeah!” Logan exclaims. But then he clears his throat yetagain, reigning in his excitement. “I mean… yes. That’smorethan okay with me, Red.”
I cover my flaming face with my hand, overwhelmed with nerves and anticipation and straight-up giddiness because I’m not an idiot. We’ve been flirting constantly since that night. I know what me flying out to see Logan means. And, if I’m being honest, I can’t wait.
L: Have a safe flight babe x
I’m grinning at my phone like an absolute lunatic, but I don’t care. Thebabe. Thekiss. God, I’m so far gone for this boy, I should be ashamed of myself.
L: Text me when you land.
