The Blonde Choch Next Door

Chapter 15 - Exposed

Recap

"TEXT FROM BRENDAN NORTH. READING TEXT FROM BRENDAN NORTH."

"Sh*t!" Logan fumbled to turn it off, but in the dark, he couldn't find the button.

"BRO,"

The word sounded so odd in the robotic voice.

HAVE YOU HOOKED UP WITH THAT GIRL YET—"

Logan found the button and powered it off with a loud, sharp smack of his hand.

———————————————————————

Logan's POV

"Ok, I promise, it's not what it sounds like—"

"Really?"

Oliver looked ready to shoot daggers out of her eyes—in the dark of the night, the brown of her irises were turning deeper and darker, almost to black. She huffed, a pained expression crossing her face.

"This is what Evan was talking about, wasn't he?"

F*ck. F*ck. F*CK. How do I explain this?

"It's just some joke between the guys..."

"Some joke?"

F*ck. Definitely the wrong thing to say.

He tried again. "Look, it's just—"

She crossed her arms, turning her face away.

"You f*cking got..." Her voice broke. "...got dared to have sex with me. I can't believe this."

The way her voice cracked on the word 'f*cking,' made his stomach drop. It felt like someone had punched him right in the gut.

"Oliver, look at me."

She hid her face in her hands, pressing her cheek up against the window.

"Just take me home."

"Oliver, I swear," He paused, extending his hand as if to place it on her shoulder, then decided against it. "I didn't ask you to meet me just because of the dare."

She turned around just slightly, leaning her elbow against the window, propping her cheek up with her fist.

"But that was one reason, right?"

"Well, I mean, it was—"

Sh*t. That's not what I meant at all. Oliver, I might be falling for you...

She shook her head in frustration, mouth pressed into a thin line, eyes narrowed in disgust.

"I can't believe this..."

He backtracked. "No, no, it wasn't..."

"Just take me," she spit the words out violently, "the f*ck home."

Now it was Logan's turn to get heated.

"Hold on." He raised his voice. " You wanted all this too. It wasn't just me. I know that for a fact."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, the whole...I can't fall in love with you, but tonight, I'll be yours forever."

Oh f*ck.

She whipped around to face him.

"Wait—what did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing—"

She stuttered, bottom lip trembling. "How, h-how did you..."

He sighed in defeat, closing his eyes before he spoke.

"I read your letter."

F*ck. Why did I have to open my mouth....

"You read my letter?" She looked about ready to explode. "How—are you f*cking kidding me? You were on my laptop? What in the—"

His hands slid down his face in anguish.

"Hold ON, it wasn't like that! You left it open on the couch, and Ididn'tevenmeantolookatanythingitjustaccidentallycameupIswear." He said the words all in one breath, afraid to look her straight in the eyes.

"Oh my god."

"Oliver..."

She held up a hand to stop him.

"Oh"

"My God."

Within seconds, she had opened the door and bolted outside, figure becoming a faint shadow in the pitch black dark.

"Oliver, STOP!"

He jumped out the driver's side, not even bothering to shut the door behind him. A car on the freeway honked as he skirted near the side of the road.

When he made it around to the other side, he found her crouched on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Oliver..."

He kneeled down beside her, but she continued to ignore him.

"I'm sorry."

Still no response.

"I'm an asshole, ok?"

When she finally lifted her face, his chest ached from the pain in her eyes. Tears rolled down either side of her cheeks, the drops falling in skinny rivulets down her nose. A single drop rested just above her upper lip, and he reached with his hand to wipe it away.

She faltered.

"I just...I mean, you don't think I'm, like, weird, right...for the letter?"

He shook his head, staring her straight in the eyes.

"That letter was the best f*cking thing I've ever read." He grinned. "I swear, I don't think you're weird."

She opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He opened his arms, and she buried her face in his chest, long hair pooling around her shoulders. He stroked the back of her head, fingers trailing down the soft, winding curls.

They both froze at the sound of rustling in the distance.

Oliver turned to him with a wide-eyed, panicked expression.

"What was tha—"

The rustling behind them continued, growing louder by the second.

He covered her mouth with his hand, signaling for her to be quiet, and pulled his hood down as far as it could go. He put his arm around Oliver's shoulders, guiding her back to the Yeti in slow, even footsteps. The noise became amplified and he sped up the pace, but when he heard the rampant clicks of a shutter in the distance, it was already too late.

Raising his head toward its direction, his eyes were blinded by a beam of bright, white light.