Page 67 of The Untamed

I expect Ryder to give me shit for not going, but he pretends I’m not even here or like I never spoke a word. He’s being strange and it hurts, but I know he can’t stay mad forever. We’ll work it out. We always do.

The three of them slip out of the cabin and into the night. I enjoy the quiet, rummaging through Wild’s bag to see if it has any other surprises. There are lots of snacks, so I help myself to some chips and then settle in for some more female body studying. For once I’d love for him to bring me something with men only in it. Just fucking once.

Rap. Rap. Rap.

The soft knocking on Ryder’s cabin door has me jolting. Quickly, I throw a blanket over the magazines and liquor in case it’s Mom or Dad. I open the door, half expecting half hoping for Raegan, but instead am shocked to see Logan.

Handsome, manly, married Logan.

“Hey,” he says, flashing me one of his secretive smiles. It’s a smile that days ago I’d have nutted in my pants over. Now, it just makes me feel guilty.

“Hey.” I shove my hands into my jeans pockets and lift a brow. “What’s up?”

“Can we talk?”

I bark out a nervous laugh. “I thought that’s what we were doing.”

He smirks. “Smartass. Can I come in?”

Being alone with Logan sounds like a terrible idea. I quickly shake my head, ignoring the flash of disappointment in his eyes.

“My brother will be back anytime,” I lie. “Better not.”

He studies me for a beat, eyes narrowed, but finally nods. My heart trips over itself when he steps nearer, coming to stand just inches away from me. Logan is hot, but things are messy right now. My head is all over the place. I’m not necessarily interested in whateverthisis.

“The other night,” he says softly. “It was—”

“A mistake,” I agree. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Logan’s features harden. “I was going to say hot, Ronan.”

“Oh.” I pluck my glasses off my face and scrub my palm over it. “Sorry.”

“You keep saying that.”

When I put my glasses back on, he’s even closer than before, watching me with a ravenous stare. He leans in, lips slightly parted, and I turn my head. His warm mouth brushes over my scruffy cheek. An awkward silence fills the air for a long second and then he retreats a few steps.

“You’re hot and then cold,” he clips out. “It’s confusing, man.”

He’sconfused?

I’m the one confused. I’ve barely come to terms with my feelings for the opposite sex and was crushing on a much older, married man but then got dirty with my brother.

I am definitely the confused one here.

Regret sloshes in my belly, souring the liquor I’d consumed earlier. The urge to throw up is strong. I open my mouth to apologize again, but he waves me off with a sharp cut of his hand through the air.

“I get it. Good night, Ronan.”

His words are abrupt and final. A closed door. A period at the end of a sentence. Done. Over.

Logan swivels around and then storms off into the dark night. He’s pissed. And that hurts.

Because of the weirdness happening with me and Ryder, I’ve pushed away an opportunity to be with a man. A real opportunity that could have ended blissfully.

Now, I stand here alone.

I’ll always be alone because I certainly can’t be with my brother.

---