Page 66 of Whenever You Call

Logan didn’t owe me anything, and I knew I couldn’t be the sole owner of his attention forever, but knowing three beautiful females had been trying to distract him distracted me, and I didn’t like the way it bit at my chest, as though I was now the only one who deserved to see those brown eyes staring back at her, as though I had become the only woman in Logan’s life.

How fucking ridiculous, Hannah. What is wrong with you?

No matter how much time passed, though, or how much the conversation moved on, I couldn’t shake that uncomfortable feeling away. It hit me that at some point, a woman would enter Logan’s life and take him away. Whether that would be tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, I didn’t know, but I hated the very thought of it.

At some point in the evening, Logan glanced down at the watch on his left wrist, and he let out a tired sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose and suppressing a yawn.

“You’re exhausted,” I said, watching as he shook his head, scrunched his eyes together tightly before opening them and looking up at me with them narrowed, as though he was struggling to stay awake a moment longer.

“What makes you think that?” he asked with a half-smile.

I tapped the side of my head. “I have a sixth sense.”

He rubbed at his eye again. “It’s been a long week. I think I relaxed too much during my time off and it’s been harder than I expected to get back into it.” His eyes drifted to the nearest door before falling back to me. “I should go. Let you get some sleep, too.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t want him to go anywhere. The thought of him leaving and not knowing when I’d see him again sent a shot of panic to the middle of my chest. When Logan was here, everything felt good. Protected. Without him, everything seemed emptier. Especially this house.

Especiallyme.

He made his way to the dishwasher, making sure to load the glasses and cups we’d used since he arrived because that was the kind of person Logan Thomas was: someone who not only cleaned up after himself but cleaned up after others, no matter when.

By the time he made his way to the door, I’d curled my cardigan around my body again and was hugging myself tightly, a reminder that it would just be me in charge in a moment. Me, in this big house, unable to sleep. Unable to switch off my thoughts.

Logan turned my way with his hands in his pockets, his brows raised as he looked down on me with a handsome face I was beginning to rely on far too much.

“You sure you’re feeling better?” he asked.

Not even a little bit.“I’m sure,” I said with a small nod.

“And you’ll call me if you need me, right?”

“I’ll be fine, Logan.” But I couldn’t meet his eyes when I said it.

A moment passed, and then he cupped my chin, giving me no choice but to stare up at him. His eyes searched mine. “You don’t have to lie to me, remember?” he whispered. “I’m not cherry-picking your best bits and hoping you hold back the things you don’t think I’ll like. I’m not him, Hannah. If you’re struggling, I need you to tell me. If you can’t tell me, tell someone—anyone—so long as you don’t try to do this alone.”

Damn him.

Damn Logan to all Hell.

I wanted to stay strong. Ineededto at this point. But the sincerity in his words and voice had a lump rising in my throat before more tears welled in my eyes.

“I hate it when you do that,” I croaked.

“Do what?”

“Say things that make me want you to stay when I know you’re desperate to go.”

His brows pulled together, and his jaw ticked again, but he never released me. He just continued to stare into my eyes as though waiting for me to take it from here.

“But actually, I don’t hate it at all,” I whispered. “It makes me think there’s at least some hope you might stay the night after all.”

“You want me to stay?”

“More than anything.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”