Invisible String

Chapter 25 -The aftermath

"Ugh, don't say that!" I groaned, rolling my eyes again, my cheeks flushing with a mix of irritation and something else I couldn't quite pinpoint.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Say what?"

"'Hooking up.'"

"Aren't we?" he asked, his voice low, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that made my heart beat just a little faster.

My breath caught in my throat. "Are we?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended, as if the question had just slipped out without me realizing. I could feel the weight of the words, the sudden shift in the air between us. I wasn't sure what was happening, but with every passing day, I realized I was moving further and further from seeing him just as a friend.

The tension in the room felt palpable, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Logan's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, but before either of us could say anything more, Eros cleared his throat, as if he'd sensed the shift in the atmosphere.

"Well... food was delicious, but I think we should get going," Eros said, his tone light but laced with an awareness of the awkwardness hanging in the air.

I couldn't believe how close we'd come to having that conversation in front of everyone. I pulled away from Logan's touch, not out of anger, but to break the tension that had suddenly built up between us. My head was spinning, and the last thing I wanted was to keep standing there, questioning things I wasn't sure I was ready to face.

"Yeah... yeah, maybe we should go," Veronica said, her voice light, but her gaze lingering on me just a little too long. It was as if she could sense the tension I wasn't ready to face yet, and I could feel her eyes probing, asking questions I didn't have answers to.

Ethan stretched dramatically, his voice light as he said, "Oh, I just remembered—I need to feed my fish. They get super cranky if dinner's late. Very particular schedule, those guys." He shot us a grin, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. There were no fish, and he definitely knew I knew it. It was just his not-so-subtle excuse to give us some space. I appreciated.

"I'll go open the door," Logan said, his tone neutral, but something in his voice made me feel like he was giving me space without saying it outright.

I seized the opportunity, almost instinctively. Without another word, I hurried back to my bedroom, the door clicking shut behind me with a quiet finality.

Why was I like this? Running from confrontation... from whatever was happening between Logan and me? Was I really that afraid to face it? To face him?

I paced around the room for a few moments, feeling the weight of the silence pressing down on me. My thoughts were scattered, and my mind kept jumping between different questions—about Logan, about us, about whatever had just happened in the kitchen. I wasn't used to feeling this... uncertain.

I couldn't keep avoiding it, though. Running away wouldn't solve anything. I had to figure out what was going on in my head, and maybe, just maybe, figure out what Logan was feeling too.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the door as if willing myself to go out there and face the mess I'd made of everything. But I stayed frozen. I could hear muffled voices from the other side of the apartment—Ethan, Veronica, and Logan talking quietly. My heart rate quickened when I heard the front door closing. We were alone now.

After what felt like an eternity, there was a soft knock on my door. It was tentative, but still louder than the quiet hum of the apartment.

"Genesis?" Logan's voice called softly through the wood.

I opened the door slowly, meeting his eyes immediately. He stood in the hallway, looking like he was waiting for permission to step into my world, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to let him.