Then & Now

Chapter Twenty-Eight

MAISY

"You sure?" he asks as he scans my face. "You zoned out there for a second."

I nod my head but can't prevent the corners of my mouth from turning down. Logan knows I'm lying; he knows I'm holding things back, but he can't call me out on it because we'd made a deal. His body shakes as he lets out a tired sigh, and then drops his fork onto his plate like he's suddenly lost his appetite. The clatter of the silverware hitting the dish reverberates through the room and the silence that follows painfully stretches out.

"You know I thought this would be easy," he suddenly admits in a low voice, looking down at his unfinished food instead of at me. "I thought we could sit here, share a meal, and have a conversation like two normal people." He picks up his wine glass and his hard gaze lands on me while he takes a generous gulp before continuing on.

"But it isn't easy Maisy. Nothing with you has ever been easy."

It's like a slap in the face, and even though he's right, my defenses go up. "We spent one night together," I counter. "One night Logan! You can't possibly--"

"Are you saying it isn't true? Are you actually going to sit there and pretend like you're an open book? Because you aren't Maisy, and you and I both know it!" He raises his voice and I feel the need to justify my actions, even if it's with more lies.

"Logan when I found-- W-when I found my mom that night, something broke inside me. I had to distance myself. I was headed to my grandparents' place, just to find somewhere to breathe, but the closer I got the worse the pain was. So I got off the bus and bought a ticket to Austin. I just thought I needed space, that it'd only be for a little while, but I ended up liking it there."

He's not buying it. He shakes his head while I'm trying to explain, shooting down each of my excuses with nothing more than his body language. "Don't lie to me Maisy," he growls. "You never were going to your grandparents' house. You ran away! Everyone was looking for you."

"What do you want from me Logan?" I demand. "Do you want an apology? Do you want me to tell you that I'm sorry I left? That I'm sorry I hurt you?"

"Hurt me?" He lets out a cruel laugh. "You said it yourself darling; it was only one night."

"Then why do you keep pushing? Why do you expect an explanation if you don't even care?"

Logan's steely glare is enough to shut me up. He rises from the sofa, picks up his plate, and marches into the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do, I pick up my plate and follow after him. When I enter the kitchen he's standing at the sink with his back to me. I don't know what to say so I wait until he finally speaks.

"Two hours," he mumbles under his breath. His knuckles pale and his forearms flex as he pushes against the sink and tightens his shoulders. "That's how long I sat at the library waiting for you."