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CHAPTER 16: BETTER THAN REVENGE AND BLACKMAIL MATERIAL

Logan

I have clearly overestimated my unflinching ability to remember every single Taylor Swift song lyric.

"I mean I really want to go with Wildest dreams here, but I am also slightly leaning towards Lover," Ellie is shuffling through the lists of songs on the laptop connected to the AUX in a blur of motion.

"I mean 22 sounds good," Lex slurs, her words are starting to blur together and thank God she has Ellie as her designated driver.

"Yeah this isn't a girls' sleepover."

I am really really really against the idea of having Lex and half of my hockey team thrashed in this room right now where I make a butt of myself screaming Taylor Swift way too emotionally for a guy who is supposed to rock the whole 'only listens to rap and hates punk' vibe that I have going on with my clothes.

But Ellie looked at me with adorable puppy eyes, lined with eyeliner and I couldn't say no; and that's really scary because saying no is what I am good at, it's what I always do, but something about looking down at Ellie is seeing her big bright dark eyes paralysed me. I couldn't say no. I had a feeling I'd be inclined to almost anything she asks me to.

"This is going to be a sight for the ages," Nate settles on the couch, zipping out his phone, "Captain Logan of Meyer University's Hockey Team 'RIDERS' is up there singing along to Taylor Swift."

I run a hand over my face, "If this ends up online, so will your bones. On Etsy."

Hunter snorts, "Okay now you can dedicate Better than Revenge to him."

"How do you know about that song?"

Hunter shrugs, "I know good songs."

Everyone looks at him wordlessly for a while before Aaron stumbles in through the room, five beers in his hand for each of our audience. Some catering going on here.

"Okay Logan, found it!" Ellie pulls me towards the mic stands.

How much did they spend here? Why do you just randomly have microphone stands in your house and a karaoke ready to go. Nana used to whoop my ass when I asked for those plastic toy cars.

The rhythmic beat of Wildest dreams comes on and I send a prayer up above.

"Do good, this is going online!" Lex whoops from where she is sitting cross-legged on the floor and I internally cringe at how sober Alexis is going to look back on her seating arrangement.

"You picked Wildest dreams?" I whisper in Ellie's ears. Roses and a sweet, candy-like scent hits me straight in the nose.

"Yeah!", Her eyes are glinting under the neon pink screen of the Television behind us, "It's one of my favorites, you don't like it?"

"Nah, it's a good one."

It's one of Taylor's masterpieces, but I'll be damned if I accept that in front of a room full if drunk hockey players who are never going to let me live down this moment. I'm not going to give them more blackmail material.

"He said let's get out of this town," Ellie starts, looking up at me through her eyelashes and I swear to God, a ball of emotions lodged in my throat. She looks so beautiful.

"Drive out of the city, away from the crowd," Her voice is shy and timid and she's constantly looking up at others.

I take a deep breath, "I thought heaven can't help me now."

"Nothing lasts forever," Ellie's voice catches in a laugh on 'forever', "But this is gonna take me down."

"HE'S SO TALL AND HANDSOME AS HELL," Lex screams, standing up abruptly, "HE'S SO BAD BUT HE DOES IT SO WELL"

"I can see the end-" I get choke mid-sentence by Ellie's booming laughter and Lex's arms around mine and Ellie's necks, cutting off my air supply.

"Now we're getting material for the video, kid you not Ellie and Lo, you two sing like mice," Dean holds up his phone in front of us with a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"Say you'll remember me, standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset babe," Ellie picks up, urging me to continue with her eyes.

"Red lips and rosy cheeks, say you'll see me again even if it's just in your..."

"Wildest Dreams," Ellie's voice intertwines like climbers with mine, a soothing lullaby to my heart.

Even though I sound like dying whales and I am only bringing her glory down. She's so beautiful, there were moments tonight where I was wonderstruck. Especially the shy glances filled with gratitude and mischief in her gaze when she looked up at me.

But I know that it's all the scrapes of hers I can get, she's interested in Parker and that's the kind of guy she deserves; someone who can give her the whole world and all the jewels in the world and take her everywhere she wants to go. Literally. I am pretty sure she won't be fancying me anytime soon with my gravel and grease nails and sweaty body after playing or working at the shop. I'll probably stain her white skirts and creamy body. Getting glances from her in a karaoke as a replacement partner is all I'll get and I'll be damned if I don't take to it like a man in a drought to water.

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Aaaah I'm so excited for this chapter!!! Let me know what you thought xo