Chloe
Nell leant in, shouting over the music, “So no more Rhys?”
I shook my head. “No, he’s nice and everything but—”
“You don’t want to rip his clothes off?”
“I was going to go with there’s no spark but that works too.” I sat back, taking a sip of my vodka and lemonade. The whole situation was irritating. Here I was completely ready to move on and date again but I didn’t want anyone. The only guy I wanted to spend time with was Logan. Perhaps not wanting anyone was my punishment for moving on from Jace.
“Don’t fret, Chlo, you’ll find your Mr Right.”
“Hey,” Ollie said, holding out his arms, “you could always settle for a Mr Right Now.”
Logan kindly slapped the back of Ollie’s head for me.
“I think I’ll pass, Ollie, but thanks.”
“Yeah, got someone else in mind?”
Logan thrust his empty glass at Ollie. “Your round, mate.”
He stood and rolled his eyes. “Same again, ladies?”
Not being ones to turn down free drinks, me and Nell accepted and downed our last few mouthfuls.
“Oh, I know what we can do!” Nell said. “Me and Logan can set you up with someone in here.”
“I don’t think so,” I replied.
“Oh, come on, Chloe. You’ll never find someone if you don’t meet anyone new.”
“I thought we came for a drink, not to pimp Chlo out,” Logan said.
I pointed to him. “Exactly, thank you!”
“Don’t be antisocial.”
“I’m not, Nell, if someone approaches me I’ll talk to them and if I like them maybe something will happen but I’m not walking around this club looking for a man.” Dating was something I wanted to do again but I wasn’t desperate. I had at least another ten years before I started worrying about that.
“Okay, well, after this drink we’ll go dance and I’m sure you’ll be approached by loads of gorgeous, eligible bachelors.”
“Or slimy, dirt bags with pregnant girlfriends back at home,” Logan said, earning a glare from Nell.
“Right, let’s slow down, shall we. I’m perfectly fine hanging out with you guys. In fact that’s all I want to do tonight, so no more talk of setting me up.” I stared pointedly at Nell.
She raised her hands. “Fine. It’s up to you.”
“Can’t resist playing Cupid, can ya?”
“I just want to see you happy, Chlo.”
“I am happy. I miss Jace and that’ll never change but I’m happy again. I don’t need a man for that, okay.”
She gave me a one sided hug. “I’m glad you’re happy and I promise there will be no more man talk tonight.”
***
So I was drunk. That happy, everything’s just dandy drunk, and I was loving it. Logan had made himself my bloody babysitter for the night but I didn’t really care because he was good to look at and smelt great.
He was the designated driver because after I’d yelled at him for about twenty minutes for getting wasted alone like he used to he agreed to give drinking a miss for this weekend. I did feel bad about being mean to him but he worried me so I didn’t feel bad enough to suggest a taxi.
Nell had been trying to get me to dance with her for the last ten minutes but I was content sitting at our table, laughing with Logan. I wish Ollie didn’t have his tongue down some girl’s mouth and hand up her skirt because then he could dance with Nell and leave me and Logan alone.
“Chloe, come on, I wanna dance,” Nell said for the millionth time.
“I wanna do a shot with Logan!”
“Logan’s driving,” he said, smirking at me.
I like his smirk.
I held my finger up and pouted. “One teeny little shot?”
He was driving but one shot of something not too strong halfway through the night wasn’t going to do any harm, especially not to someone as muscular as Logan.
I like his muscles.
Nell huffed and walked away.
“Please?” I added.
“One,” he said, holding back a grin.
“Yay. I’ll get it.” Before I could hop off the stool he gripped my shoulders.
“You stay right here, little pisshead. I’ll get the shot you wanna do with Logan.”
Smug bastard.
He touched my arm as he left the table and I felt a shudder ripple through my body. It reminded me of the night I’d fallen asleep to his fingers gliding all over my arm.
I watched him walk over to the bar. Those light denim jeans… Wow.
I like his backside.
The whole time he was at the bar I watched him. I watched the muscles in his forearms and silently thanked him for rolling his sleeves up. I watched him laugh and smile as he spoke to the bartender, and I watched those gorgeous blue eyes shimmer with the spotlights above the bar.
He walked back, smiling wider as he caught my eye.
I stopped breathing and for the first time since Jace died I felt the floor being whipped away from under me. I fell into darkness. I like Jace’s brother.
Logan did a little bow as he handed me my shot.
Through the ringing in my ears and churning in my stomach, I managed to ask, “What is it?”
“Jager.”
I nodded, not really registering his reply. Raising the glass, I clinked it against his and downed it in one. I liked Logan, and I needed another bloody shot!
“So what’s with the heavy drinking tonight, Chlo? Not that I’m not enjoying you being drunk.”
“Just needed a night out.”
“That didn’t answer the question.”
“I don’t know. I’ve not been drunk in ages and I wanted to be a normal, almost twenty-one-year-old for a change. It’s been three years since I was pissed and carefree.”
“Hey, I’m not judging. I like drunk Chloe, remember?”
I like sober and drunk Logan.
What the hell was I going to do now? Ignore it and pretend it wasn’t happening was about all I could do. He was Jace’s brother for fuck sake, so nothing could happen, and I couldn’t lose Logan, too. I could deal with it. It was fine. I was just feeling deflated and vulnerable after things didn’t work out with Rhys. Everything is fine.
“Dance with me?” I asked, tilting my head to the side before my brain could register that it probably wasn’t a good idea to dance with him.
“Sure. You can walk, right?”
“Yes!” I hopped down off the stool and the world tipped to the right. “Whoa!” Logan’s arms were around me quicker than I could blink. “I can walk. I just got up too quickly.”
“Sure you can, sweetheart.”
I gripped his upper arms. “Don’t let me fall.”
“I won’t.”
“Promise?”
Letting go of me with one arm he made a cross over his heart and held onto me again. I kinda loved it when he did that. And when he called me sweetheart, it didn’t at all sound like when your grandad said it. Logan made it sexy, painfully sexy.
Before I did something really stupid and kissed him, I pulled back, guiding us through the thick crowd to the dance floor. “We should find Nell,” I shouted over the thudding music.
I expected him to agree and for us looking for her but he brought me further into his strong arms and swayed us to the beat of the song. My skin prickled from the heat of so many bodies in such a small space and the look of intensity in Logan’s eye. I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol in my system or if he really was about to kiss me but it sure looked like he was going to.
We shouldn’t. The last person in the world I should be kissing was Logan. He was the worst person I could pick to like, only I didn’t pick. I didn’t get a choice. It was what it was. And what it was, was pretty shit. What kind of person wants her dead ex’s brother? What was wrong with me? I didn’t do things like that.
Logan’s hands were on my hips but I felt them everywhere. He was a good dancer, he could really move and the way he looked at me made me dizzy. He guided me around the dance floor, or as much of it was we could move through anyway.
I leant in just a little bit further and my breath caught in my throat as my chest pressed against his. There was no distance between us. I wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me. My eyes were focused on his lips and I knew I should move them but I couldn’t.
“What’s up?” he shouted in my ear.
I shook my head. There was absolutely no way on earth I was telling him that I was desperate for him to kiss me.
“You feeling okay? You look pale.”
And there was my ticket to get out of being this close and wanting more without having to tell him what was going on.
“I need some air.”
With a quick nod, he had me tucked under his arm and walked us towards the exit. We’d danced for one song and I couldn’t handle even one more.
I sucked in a deep breath as soon as the cool night’s air hit me. Logan still held on to me, worried that I would collapse, so I didn’t get the full effect of the cold that I wanted. “You alright? Want me to take you home?”
“No, I’m fine. I don’t feel ill or anything, just a little hot in there.”
His gaze trapped me, drawing out the truth. I prayed that I looked and sounded convincing enough. It wasn’t even a complete lie, I was too hot inside, but that was because he was pressed up against me, making me feel desire like I’d never experienced before. It’s the alcohol.
“Sure?”
“Yeah,” I replied and nodded. “I just need a couple minutes, then we can go back in. I’ll let you buy me a cocktail.”
“Wow, thanks,” he said sarcastically.
“You’re happier today,” I said.
“Well, not hung over like Thursday. Feeling like shit really puts a downer on my mood. I’m out with friends and I don’t have to work tomorrow.”
I gripped his arm as the world slanted to the left. “You’re working tomorrow. We’re going for a run.”
“That’s not work, you don’t pay me to train you.”
“Hey!” I snapped. “You wouldn’t let me.”
“Damn straight, I wouldn’t.”
“Can we go back in now? I’m okay.” And I need another drink.
***
“You can’t walk in a straight line even a little bit, can you?” Logan said, leading me to his car. As designated driver he was the only sober one.
Gripping his muscular arm, I planted my feet where I planned to be in a straight line but even I knew I was stumbling.
Logan laughed, pulled my hands from gripping him and wrapped his arm around my waist. I didn’t like not having something to cling to so I fisted the front of his shirt. If he let go I wanted something to keep me up. “You’re a terrible drunk, Chlo.”
“You’re a terrible…” Giggling, I buried my head in his chest. “I don’t know. I need to sleep.”
“Wait until I’ve chucked you in my car, then you can sleep all you want.”
Chuck me in?
“And, Chlo, you’re one of my favourite people in the world but if you throw up in my car…”
I laughed again, stumbling sideways as I clung to Logan. “I won’t be sick.”
Nell hitched a ride on Ollie’s back and they’d made it to the car while we were still walking through the car park. As much as my feet ached in my stupid heels I didn’t want Logan to carry me. That probably would have brought on sickness.
***
We arrived back at Logan’s, magically. Honestly, I remembered nothing of the car journey. I stumbled until my feet left the ground and I was in his arms. My stomach lurched but I managed to hold my breath and close my eyes before I met my stupid shots again.
Logan awkwardly unlocked and opened the front door and the first thing I heard was Cassie’s laughter, followed by Julia and Daryl’s. They were still up. Great.
“Someone had a few too many,” Logan said, carefully depositing me on the sofa.
I reached over the back and pulled a blanket down, ready to get comfortable.
“Good night, Chlo?” Cass asked.
“I think so,” I replied, looking at all three of her.
“Okay, I’m gonna get you some water,” Logan said. “Don’t throw up.”
I gave him a thumbs up over my head. “What’ve you guys been doing tonight?”
“Figuring out Cassie’s next step,” Julia replied.
“Oh?”
“Rick has been posting pictures of Barbie’s non-existent bump on Facebook,” Cass explained. My mouth hit the floor. “Yep, that’s right, she’s pregnant.”
“Bastard! I can’t believe he did that. I’m so sorry, Cassie.” She smiled sadly. I added, “Wait, you’re still friends with him on Facebook?” My reply was a surprised slur but from the flush in her cheeks she understood.
Daryl scoffed. “That’s exactly what I said.”
“Not anymore! I removed him a little while ago. It will only driving me insane. I know he didn’t do it to hurt me but that’s how it feels. It’s like he’s flaunting his perfect new life in my face and I’m tired of letting it happen. He’s having a baby with another woman and I wish her nothing but a healthy pregnancy, I would never wish a miscarriage on anyone, but it hurts so much to watch him be a dad when I couldn’t give him that.”
“You gave him you and that should have been enough,” I said, burning with anger that she blamed herself. Logan sat beside me and instead of handing me my water he slammed it down on the coffee table. He was mad too. Rick promised to love her no matter what. There were other ways they could have had a child.
“Are you fucking serious, Cassie?” Logan growled, leaning around me. “He knocks this bitch up and you think—”
“Don’t.” I gripped his upper arm, or as much of it as I could. I was so not in the right state to referee Logan but it didn’t look like I had a choice. He was fiercely protective of the people he loved, especially his siblings, so I knew how pissed off he was that Cass still blamed herself.
“Logan, calm down,” Daryl said.
He took a deep breath, jaw clenched and I really didn’t think he could calm down but eventually, he obeyed his dad. He leant over and handed me my water. I downed it in about five gulps.
“My head hurts.”
“That’ll be all the alcohol,” Logan said, smirking at my discomfort. I was pretty sure my aching head was a direct result of the confusing spike of my heart whenever I looked at him. That wasn’t supposed to happen.