Logan Kade (Fallen Crest #5.5) (16 page)

I thought for a moment. I hadn’t felt like being at that party tonight. I went because—I couldn’t remember anymore. It had been nice to talk to Claire, though. I smiled at that thought, and then I knew he had me.

“Come on.” Logan’s eyes darkened, a promise there. I felt it pulling me in.

I shouldn’t…but I heard myself saying, “I might be—in a party mood, that is.”

A grin stretched on his face, and he reached for my hand. “Leave your car and come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“I’m going to take you to a real party.” He led me across the road to his Escalade. Once we sat inside, he pointed over his shoulder to Jeremy’s apartment. “It’s not going to be like that, I promise you.”

“No wine?”

“More like kegs.” He started his vehicle and pulled onto the road.

I shouldn’t be going with him, but I heard myself talking again. “No cheese trays?”

“Only for holidays and when I’m in my thirties.” He grinned at me. “Expect lots of beer, pool, beer pong, maybe some nudity.” He winked at me. “If you’re lucky.”

Resting my head back against the seat, I laughed with him. “Sounds wonderful.”

And it did, which surprised me. That should’ve been a nightmare, but I was going with Logan. Everything was different with him. Everything would always be different with him. I felt that realization deep in my core, and something fluttered inside of me, but I couldn’t identify it.

I didn’t want to.

HE’S A GOD.

NO, REALLY.

TAYLOR

I was in trouble.

As soon as Logan pulled into the driveway, I realized this was the same house as the first college party I came to with Jason and Claire—the one where I’d seen Logan for the first time. Unlike last time, when a large crowd had formed in the backyard, tonight almost everyone was inside. When we stepped through the front door, I felt all eyes on us. They went to Logan first, as if they’d been waiting for him. Then they noticed he was with someone, and when it registered that I was a girl, I really felt their attention.

None of this was blatant and obvious, but it was in the air. I could feel a shift in the atmosphere. Logan must’ve felt it, too, as he reached behind him to grab my hand, tangling our fingers together. He didn’t look back at me, and my heart pounded. I pressed a hand to my chest, hoping to soothe myself, but there was nothing I could do.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as we went through the living room and into the kitchen. Once we stepped through the doorway, my hand tightened in Logan’s for a split second. I wasn’t sure if this party was any better. The girl I recognized from last time was here. Samantha. She leaned against the counter, surrounded by a couple other girls. She was laughing at something, but the two girls next to her wore different expressions. One was a little heavier with red hair curling freely over her shoulders. She wore a scowl. The girl on Sam’s other side was much more petite with almost white-blonde hair. She wasn’t scowling, but she seemed confused, as if trying to figure out the world’s most important riddle. I noticed all of this before they noticed me.

When they did, Sam looked surprised, and suddenly the other two wore matching frowns. They did not seem to be fans of me.

“Hey!” A guy saw Logan across the room and raised his arms in the air. “Kade is here. Hell yeah, buddy.”

Logan let go of my hand and moved forward to bump fists with the guy. Then they pounded each other on the shoulders. After that guy, it was like a line formed. Logan stayed in place as guy after guy moved past him to do the same fist-bump-shoulder-pound thing. When I realized the line wasn’t going to end anytime soon, I sank back against the doorframe and folded my arms to half-brace and half-shield myself. I felt like I needed it.

“Hi.”

My muscles were rigid, but the soft voice soothed them a little. Samantha, the only girl I knew Logan cared about, had moved to stand in front of me. I looked down, and she held her hand out. Damn. She was nice. I swallowed a knot in my throat. I put my hand in hers and felt how she closed her hand over mine.

“Hi,” I said.

She smiled, and it lit up her entire heart-shaped face. She had dark brown eyes, beautiful plush lips, eyelashes that couldn’t be manufactured, and the long black hair that had helped me recognize her. I’d known she was stunning, but she was even more so up-close. Add the genuine kindness I sensed, and I was forming a girl crush on her.

After letting my hand go, she gestured to herself. “I’m Sam. I don’t know if Logan’s said anything about me.”

He hadn’t, but I already knew. “You’re dating his brother?”

She nodded. “There’s a whole long story that goes with that, but yeah. I’m dating Mason, and my mom is going to marry their dad, so I’m the future stepsister, too.” Her lips curved into an impish smile, and she rolled her eyes. “It’s all one big fuck-up, but Logan—”

She stopped as Logan sidled up next to her and placed his arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close and grinned down at me. “She’s family.” The fondness in his eyes was clear. He genuinely loved this girl. A sensation I hadn’t felt in a long time seized my heart, squeezing it in a painful grip.

I was jealous.

Completely.

Utterly.

I wanted what she had.

My throat was suddenly parched, and I let out a quiet cough to clear it. “It’s nice to meet you.” I nodded at her, and she smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. She’d seen my reaction and knew what it was. She grinned up at Logan. Her hand found his on her shoulder, and she squeezed it before removing his arm.

“We should all go downstairs,” she said. “Nate’s down there.”

“He is?” Logan moved back, his eyebrows bunching together slightly.

She nodded. “Yep, and he seems happy.” Her finger rested on Logan’s chest. “Don’t take that away from him.”

“Why would I?”

“Because the two of you bicker like you’re married. You’re either loving each other or you’re at each other’s throats. Stop it.” She meant business. “I’m getting flashbacks of Analise versus David 2.0.”

A look of horror flashed in Logan’s eyes. He stopped in his tracks. “Don’t insult me like that. At least tell me I’m David, not Analise. Anything but Analise.”

Sam shook her head, moving ahead of him. “Then stop the bickering.” She led the way out of the kitchen, and the two girls who’d been at her side earlier fell into place again.

Logan remained a step behind with me. He shook his head, muttering under his breath. “That’s the worst thing she could’ve called me. I’m not Analise. No way in hell. I’d be David all the way.” He cringed. “I don’t even want to be that.”

“Who are David and Analise?”

Logan was still shaking his head, but his arm lifted around my shoulders, like it’d been around Sam’s moments ago. The whole motion seemed so natural, like I’d stepped close to him thousands of times before and my shoulders were always where he rested his arm.

I didn’t register it until it was done, and I was tucked close to his chest. I faced him, staring right into his collar where it rested against his neck and chest. I blinked a few times, then my body caught on to where I was standing and grew heated. It bloomed up inside of me, sending my pulse on a race, and I tried to calm down. I didn’t want him to feel my heartbeat. His arm lay so close to the veins in my neck.

If he could feel it, he didn’t seem to care. He rested his forehead to mine. “Do me a favor.”

Anything
. “Yeah?”

His arm tightened a fraction, and he gazed into my depths. “Never insinuate that I’m being like someone’s parents, especially ones that are super fucked up.”

I frowned. “Okay.”

“Thank God,” he breathed out.

I thought he was going to remove his arm then, and I waited for it, knowing I would miss it, but he didn’t. He just turned so we could walk beside each other. I followed his lead as we left the kitchen and went to the basement. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, Nate stood at the pool table, aiming to take a shot.

Logan stopped, watching in silence until Nate’s pool cue connected with the white ball. It shot forward, hitting a red ball that bounced off the side of the table and hit a blue striped ball. That ball sank into the pocket, and the red ball ricocheted to a far corner of the table.

“Hey!” Nate’s opponent protested. “Thanks, asshole. That was going to be my next shot.”

Nate straightened and gave the guy a smirk. “Why do you think I used it? I had a straight shot if I wanted.”

The guy grumbled, stepping back as Nate circled the table for another shot. The guy muttered something, but it was lost as Logan’s arm left my shoulders. He caught my hand and led me around a group of girls to a table in the corner where Samantha, her two friends, and a few guys had gathered. All were watching the game, but as we approached, their focus shifted to Logan and me.

Particularly to our joined hands.

I pulled away, and Logan moved forward, a smirk already on his face. He went over to where Nate stood.

“Taylor?” Sam gestured to the empty seat across from her. As I slid into it, she leaned forward so I could hear her. The music and conversation in the basement were loud. “Logan’s talked about you.”

“He has?”

She nodded. “Just to say that he likes you. That’s high praise from him. He acts like he’s everyone’s good friend, but he doesn’t actually like a lot of people.”

Her two friends groaned.

Sam shot them a look. “This is Katie and Nina. They lived on my floor last year,” Sam added. “When we were freshmen.”

I nodded to both. “Hello.”

Each gave me a polite, forced smile.

Sam laughed and leaned in. “Don’t take that personally. They’re both a little in love with Logan, even though I’ve told them not to be.” She gave them a pointed look, her eyebrows arching up.

Katie, the redhead, wrinkled her nose and turned away to watch the pool game. Nina, the petite one, didn’t react. She didn’t scowl and pointedly look away.

Sam sighed, shaking her head. “They’ll warm up to you. Don’t worry. They’re actually really great and loyal
friends
.” She threw that last word toward them with another pointed look.

Katie didn’t look at her, but the scowl lessened on her face. Nina met my eyes for a moment, and I caught the slightest glimmer of a smile before it vanished.

Sam gave me one more reassuring smile before turning toward the pool table. “Logan, you and Taylor want something to drink?”

Logan was saying something to Nate, but he turned to see the empty space in front of me. “I was going to grab something upstairs. Taylor, you want something?”

Sam stood, waving for him to stay. “Taylor and I will go grab something for both of you. What do you want?”

He shrugged. “A beer is fine.” He met my gaze again. “You want me to come with you?”

Sam blocked his view of me. “She’s fine. I got her.” She started toward the stairs and Logan opened his mouth, but she waved at him again. “I swear, Logan. She’s fine. I’ll take care of her.”

I didn’t know what was going on, but they seemed to be having a more involved conversation with their looks and words.

I gave Logan a smile as I passed by. He shifted so our arms grazed each other and I could feel his eyes following me all the way upstairs. It felt good. I couldn’t deny that. It felt damn good, and then Sam was there, waiting for me when I stepped through the door.

“Sorry to strong-arm you away from Logan. I wanted to give him some time with Nate before he got distracted and remembered you were here.”

I nodded. “Oh, yeah. No problem.”

She spoke over her shoulder. “Those two really do bicker like a married couple, but there’s more to it.”

“Did something happen?”

“Uh…” She hesitated as she gestured toward the kitchen. “Let’s get something to drink.”

She glanced over her shoulder with another smile, but I got the message. It wasn’t for me to know. When I saw this group at the first party, I’d been on the outside. Everyone looked tight, but now I could sense the layers. Logan was closest to Sam, then Nate, and then—I had no idea. Suddenly and so completely, I wanted in.