Page 74 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
“If I was cool, I’d say I want to keep you missing me,” he replied. “That playing aloof is probably the route I should take.”
I shuffled down lower onto my pillows, clutching the stuffed goose to my chest. “Aloof, huh?”
“Sometimes I’m afraid if I bother you too much, you’ll get tired of me. That there are only so many phone calls before I go fromfun to talk totoannoying.”
“I wouldn’t have taken you to have an anxious attachment style.”
There was a pause. “Well, that makes me sound even lamer.”
I grinned as I rolled onto my side, now staring at my closed door. “It’s okay, I think needy guys are hot.”
The phone call went silent. It wasn’t the flirtiest thing I’d ever said to him before, but maybe it was because it was after ten at night, with our voices hushed and directly in each other’s ears, that it suddenly felt more weighted. More…embarrassing.
I pressed my lips to the stuffed animal’s head, wracking my brain for a response to cut through the awkwardness. “Uh, how was your day?”
“Good.” Logan gave a slight cough. “I worked after practice. How was your day?”
Air went out of me. I couldn’t tell Logan about what had happened at cheer practice, what Jade had asked me to do. I could just picture what his face would look like—he’d try to hide it, but the look ofwell, that’s a bad ideawould be obvious in the way he pressed his lips together and scrunched his brow.
“Good.” The lie tasted bitter in my mouth, and I flopped onto my back. I couldn’t get comfortable. “Lowkey.”
“Your tone says otherwise.”
“My tone.” I pressed my lips together to fight a smile. “You don’t know my tones.”
“I do. Better than you think.”
I buried my nose into the stuffed animal, letting it hide my smile.
“When you’re excited, your voice goes up an octave. Or two. And you’ll talk fast—like you have to rush to get it all out of you before you explode.” Logan’s voice was tender as he recalled. “When you’re upset, your voice is lower. Slower. Like you’re thinking before you speak.”
“And you think I’m speaking lower and slower now?”
“I know you are.” Logan drew a quiet breath in andheld it for a moment, as if debating. “I’d love to know why, if you want to tell me.”
His words were almost hypnotizing, soothing the unsettled feeling within me. “Jade and I…” I trailed off, because how was I supposed to finish that?We had a fight? Except not exactly. “Things are just strained.”
“Because of us?”
“No,” I answered quickly, rolling onto my side and looking out the darkened window. I couldn’t be still. “She still doesn’t know.”
Logan was quiet.
I should’ve told him about what happened at cheer practice. On one hand, I wanted to—I wanted to spill everything to him, just like always—but on the other hand, I already knew what he’d say.You shouldn’t do things just because Jade tells you to.
“Do you have anything going on Wednesday?” he asked suddenly, plucking me from my thoughts.
“Just cheer practice.” My stomach did a little flip. “And whatever you want to do.”
There was a smile in his voice when he spoke, as well as a boyish quality. “Perfect. Mark it in your calendar.Whatever Logan wants to do.”
“Are you going to keep it a secret from me again?”
“Isn’t that part of the fun?”
I looked over at my nightstand, spotting where I’d placed the fire-breathing dragon beside my phone charger. It was facing my bed, as if ready to protect me with its fire against any threat while I slept. “One of these days,Ineed to pick a date for us.”
“You can pick instead,” he tried to say.
