Page 126 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
Logan’s face fell a little then, and I realized theboyish smile he’d given had been more of a mask, anyway. He released a soft sigh. “I can’t go to your school dance, Madison.”
I didn’t want to step back and let him into the house, as childish as it sounded. “Why not?”
“Well, for one, I didn’t fill out any forms.”
I blinked. “You have to do that?”
“And for two, I know you know how bad of an idea it is.” Even though I didn’t step backward, Logan came forward, crossing the threshold so he could glance his fingertips off my cheek. “I love that you’re standing up for what you think is right. What you did for Maisie last night was amazing.”
I fought the urge to lean into his touch. “But?”
“But let’s not push the envelope all in one weekend.”
He probably had a point. I’d be really tempting fate. “Give me a few minutes, and I can change?—”
“Oh, no. You’re going.” Logan pulled his other hand from his hoodie to salute me. “Chauffeur Castle, at your service.”
“I don’t want to go if you don’t go.”
“If you want us to go to a homecoming dance together, you can come to mine. Less dangerous that way. No rogue cheerleader is going to spill her punch on us.”
“Jade wouldn’t do that,” I grumbled.
“She so would, and you know it.”
Yeah, fine. She would. Or, more likely, she’d have Riley do it. “But?—”
“No buts. Please. Just go, have fun, and I’ll pick you up after.”
It was the almost pleading tone to his voice that had me giving in. “Do you have a curfew?” I asked him. “We could watch a movie after or something.”
“Deal. Where’s your mom?” Logan looked around the house, taking it in for the first time. Our house wasn’t that big—it didn’t need to be, for the two of us—so we ended up in the living room pretty quickly. “I was hoping to meet her.”
“At the dance already. She was on setup duty. I told her she’d meet you at the dance, and now…” I gave a theatrical shrug. “She’ll be bummed she missed you.”
Logan abruptly stopped in the middle of the living room, turning to me. “I didn’t get the chance to properly tell you,” he began, blinking fast. “I should’ve done it the second you opened the door. I mean, with my track record, who’s surprised?—”
“Who’s the rambler now?”
Logan let out a short breath through his nose before something in him softened. “You look beautiful.” His gaze was jerky as it dropped from my eyes to my dress, bouncing over the sequins, before coming back up. “Last night, I thought my heart was going to stop.”
Now it was my turn to scrunch my nose, but I reached for him as if magnetized. My fingers plucked up one of the strings from his hoodie. “Cheesy.”
“It’s true. I’m a cheeseball.” Logan delicately laid his hand on my hip, the touch light, as if he was nervous to do so. His eyes traced over every inch of my face. “I’m sorry I’m not braver to go with you tonight. I just… this is something I can’t do.”
I tipped my chin down. “You can’t handle it?”
“No.” There was no humor in his voice. “I can’t.”
I wanted to push him, to tell him that if we were together, we could do anything. There was clearly something about the idea bothering him, though, worrying him enough to pinch at his face. And I didn’t want that.So, smoothing a hand down the front of his T-shirt, I simply murmured, “Just remember that you owe me.”
Logan gave a reverent nod before he let me go, suddenly stepping back. He slid his phone out of his back pocket, and I watched as he tapped the screen. Suddenly, one of Untapped Potential’s acoustic songs began playing, and he upped the volume to the max before setting it on the cluttered coffee table.
Logan offered a hand out. “Walk a bout with me?”
I raised my eyebrows, fighting a smile as I extended my hand. “Excuse me?”
“I’m asking you to dance,” he mused, curling his fingers around mine. “In geek speak.”
