Invisible String

Chapter 23 -Here we go again

He remains silent for a moment, his fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin. I can feel the tension radiating from him, and I wonder if I pushed too hard, too fast.

"Not really," he finally admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "My dad's always been more interested in his business than in me. His whole life revolves around that bar and the people in it. And my mom... well, she's always been my number one supporter, and I love her to death, but we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. She's a difficult person to deal with, but she's my mom, and I love her."

I nod, feeling the weight of his words settle between us. "That sounds really hard," I say softly, stroking his hair. "But it's good that you have some kind of relationship with your mom, even if it's complicated."

"Yeah," he sighs. "It is. I guess every family has its issues."

"True," I agree. "But it's still important to talk about them, even if it's just a little bit at a time."

He looks up at me, his eyes searching mine. "You really want to know all this stuff, don't you?"

"I do," I say firmly. "Because I care about you, Logan. And I want to understand what makes you, you."

He gives me a small smile, one that's equal parts gratitude and vulnerability. "Thanks. It's just... it's not easy for me to open up about this stuff."

"Of course," I reply, returning his smile. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

We lay there in comfortable silence for a while longer, the early morning light slowly brightening the room. It feels good, just being close to him, knowing that we're slowly breaking down the walls between us.

"Have you already given it a thought? About who's going to be interviewing you?" he asks, changing subject, and for a moment, I hold the air in my lungs.

It's one of the things that keeps me awake at night.

This interview is my chance to set the record straight, to tell my side of the story after being out of the public eye for so long.

I exhale slowly, trying to steady my nerves. "Yeah, I've thought about it," I admit. "A lot, actually. It's pretty nerve-wracking."

Logan watches me intently, his expression softening. "You know you're going to do great, right? You've prepared so much for this."

"I get it," I admit, my voice wavering a bit. "It just feels like a huge deal. I keep freaking out about all the things that could go wrong."

"Have you been doing those exercises Dr. Stevens taught you to calm your anxious thoughts?"

"Every morning."

"Maybe you could ask her for some more tips to chill out on the big day?"

"She's already given me a few, but I'm just worried I'll forget them when I'm freaking out."

"Who's going to interview you?" Logan asks.

"I decided on Drew Barrymore," I say, finally letting the air out of my lungs. "She's interviewed me before, and she has this aura that makes you feel so comfortable throughout the entire interview, which is exactly what I need for this. I told Alexa about my decision yesterday, and she said it was a good call. That made me feel much more secure."

"Oh, I've followed her for the longest time," Logan says getting away from me and siting down by my side, a nostalgic glimmer in his eyes. "I even had a poster of her from 'Charlie's Angels' hanging on my bedroom wall while growing up."

I've never seen him so excited.

"Should I be jealous? Do I have to remind you that we agreed not to sleep with others?"