Invisible String

Chapter 29 -It's good to see me isn't it?

"Never do..." he replies as he goes to the kitchen. 

"Thanks!" John calls out, grinning as he flops onto the couch. I sit down beside him, still amused.

"So..." I start, glancing his way.

John stretches out on the couch, throwing one arm over the backrest as he studies me with a curious glint in his eyes. "So... what's the deal with you and my cousin?"

I blink, caught off guard by his directness. "The deal?"

"Yeah," he replies casually, though his grin suggests he's digging for something juicy. "You two seem... close."

I glance toward the kitchen, where Logan is pretending not to listen but clearly failing. His shoulders stiffen slightly as he chops something—probably taking out his nervous energy on the poor vegetables.

"We went on a date two days ago," I say carefully, not sure how much Logan wants to share or how much John already knows.

John raises an eyebrow, his grin widening like he just stumbled onto something juicy. "Oh, a date, huh? Didn't take Logan for the romantic type."

"Hey!" Logan calls from the kitchen, his voice laced with mock offense but not enough to stop his frantic chopping. "I can hear you, you know."

"Good!" John shoots back, leaning closer to me with a conspiratorial smirk. "So? How'd he do? Did he pull out all the stops? Candles? Roses? Serenade you with that brooding musician vibe he's so good at?"

I chuckle, shaking my head. "Not exactly. It was... different. Quiet, but meaningful. More us."

Logan steps into the living room, wiping his hands on a dish towel and giving John a pointed glare. "You really have nothing better to do than grill her about me?"

John shrugs, unabashed. "Nope. This is way more entertaining."

"Ignore him," Logan says, sitting beside me and nudging John's leg off the coffee table. "He's just fishing for gossip."

"Fishing? Please," John quips, sitting up straighter. "I'm practically a marine biologist at this point."

I burst out laughing, and even Logan can't help the small smile tugging at his lips. The tension from earlier seems to fade, replaced by the easy rhythm of their banter. It's clear that, despite all the teasing, there's a lot of love between them.

John leans in slightly, his expression turning just the right amount of dramatic. "So, do you like him?"

I raise an eyebrow, playing along. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Absolutely," he replies, putting a hand over his heart as if swearing an oath.

"I really like him," I admit, my voice quiet but confident.

"You know what? I think he really likes you too."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Cousins don't open up about just anyone," John says with a teasing grin. "Trust me, he's mentioned you more than a few times."

"I hope you only heard good things about me," I say, my tone light.

"The best!" he replies with mock seriousness.

I chuckle. "So, tell me, John, how was it growing up with Logan? Did you guys always get along?"

"We got along most of the time, but Logan's always been... Logan. He was the responsible one, always taking things way too seriously. I'd come up with some crazy idea, and he'd be the one trying to keep us out of trouble."