The look on Logan’s face was priceless as I pulled open the door with my hair dripping wet and a pair of sweats on. For a long moment he looked at me as though I’d just crawled out of a pond and not answered the door.
“Hey,” I greeted him nonchalantly, my hands working through my hair that was not only wet but sticky as well.
He blinked twice, his long black lashes covering his eyes for a second or two. “What happened to you?”
“I got a smoothie in my hair,” I responded quickly. After a second of fussing I gave up on my hair, lowering my hands from my head and instead wiped them on the front of my shirt. “But listen, I can’t go tonight.”
“What?”
I nodded, turning back to the hallway, my hand on the doorknob. “I would have called if I had your number, and Maver didn’t answer his phone so I had no way to tell you.”
“You’re not coming?” Logan repeated, his voice flat. It didn’t even come out sounding like a question really. More like a clarifying statement.
“Yeah, sorry for making you drive out here.” With that said I started to pull close the door. I didn’t want to stand around and cry over spilt milk, so to speak. What had been done was done and I couldn’t very well change that.
I hadn’t expected Logan to actually care however. His hand stopped the front door from closing and instead pulled it back open once more. “Why aren’t you coming?” he demanded to know, stepping in without being invited. Typical Logan; as rude as always.
I decided now wasn’t the time to point that out as I met his dark eyes. “I just can’t.”
“I thought you wanted to see my job?” he asked, stepping closer as he raked his hand through his long black hair and peered at me.
“I do,” I admitted honestly. “But I just can’t right now.”
“Why not?” he asked again, stepping closer yet, causing me to take a step back due to nervousness. I hadn’t expected him to find it such a big deal that I couldn’t go. After all, he was only taking me due to an agreement we’d made. An agreement I was surprised he was even honoring.
“I just-“
“Don’t give me that ‘I just can’t’ bullshit,” he snapped at me in his typical frustrated tone. “There has to be a reason,” he pressed, his eyes boring into mine. Instantly I looked away, cracking under the pressure. Just admitting to the fact I’d let the girls walk all over me again was so embarrassing. Dylan saw it and there was no way I’d let Logan know about it. He’d tease me for ages. Worse yet he’d tell me about what I should have done; what I wished I had done.
I should have put them in their places. I should have stood up for myself. I should had done what Coach said and stop being such an easy forgiving target. Instead I’d been a little baby and gave up. I’d ran out with my tail between my legs and cried.
“Have I done something wrong again?” he asked, his tone sarcastic.
I turned to look at him, ready to tell him that yes, it had been all his fault. But when I saw his eyes I was surprised to find that they seemed genuinely worried. My petty instinct to upset him quickly left and I shook my head. “No,” I answered, feeling slightly on the spot. “It wasn’t anything to do with you.”
“Can I at least know why?” he asked, his voice giving a little bit of relief to it. “I’m just curious.”
I sighed, running my hands through my wet hair again. “If you must know it’s because I have to get this mess out of my hair and it’s going to take me a bit of time,” I admitted, feeling like a total girl. “I don’t want to make you late for work.”
Logan took a little breath, his eyes taking in my damp hair once more. For a few seconds he stayed quiet as he turned his eyes away from me and instead scanned the front hallway we were standing in. “Is your aunt home?”
“No, she never is,” I responded, shaking my head.
“Alright,” he responded, nodding slowly, his black hair bobbing, “then let’s get started.”
“On what?” I asked, utterly confused. Just what he was talking about I had absolutely no clue. He took a step towards me and I couldn’t help but just stand there and look up at him. He didn’t honestly think that because I was home alone I was going to want to mess around with him? Typical Logan. Always being such a-
“On your hair,” he responded, looking at me with eyes that seemed to ask if I was stupid. “Four hands have to be better than two, right?”
He didn’t even wait for me to respond. Instead he walked past me, taking off his leather jacket and tossing it on the floor near the door. I followed a step after him for a few moments, too stunned to ask what he was doing. It wasn’t until he pulled open my bedroom door that I found the nerve to ask, “What are you doing?”
“Where’s your bathroom?” Was his lack of an answer.
Nonetheless I showed him, nodding my head back down the hall we’d come from. He pushed ahead of me, walking down the narrow hallway until I said, “The door on your left.” He pulled it open and stepped inside, motioning with his hand to come inside.
I shook my head, stopping just outside the door. The last time I’d been with him in a bathroom he’d found it necessary to find out firsthand (quite literally) if I was a virgin or not. In a flash his blue eyes took in my alarmed frozen state. “Fuck,” he sighed shaking his head, “you don’t have to be scared of me Kara.” He turned around, stooping into the tub for a second before turning to face me again holding up a bottle of shampoo. “I’m just trying to help.”
I stared at the bottle in his hand in disbelief. Logan? Helping me? What type of alternate universe was this? “But-“
Noticing my hesitant look Logan decided to take matters into his own hand. He grabbed me before I could finish talking and yanked me into the bathroom. I started to try to pull away but he was stronger than me and kept a tight hold. Without a word he set me down on the toilet seat and held me in place, his warm hands on my shoulders as he leered down at me. “Now, are you going to sit or do I have to tie you down?” He asked, his eyes flashing with mischief at the last part as though he was considering this a very good idea either way.
Not doubting he would indeed find a way to tie me down I gave in with a nod. Slowly he removed his hands from my shoulders, watching me as though I’d spring up any second. When I didn’t he gave a pleased smile and stopped to pick up the shampoo bottle from where he’d dropped it to grab me.
“Logan,” I asked, watching his every move closely, “don’t you have to be at work?”
“I told you I’d bring you and I’m going to. They’ll just have to deal with me being late,” he responded with a shrug as he opened up the bottle.
As he poured a small amount of it into his palm I suddenly seemed to realize what was happening. “I can do it myself,” I told him, moving once more to get up.
His non shampoo filled hand clamped down on my shoulder, easily forcing me back down with his strength. I didn’t stand a chance. “Too late for that.”
Logan released me, his hands rubbing together to spread the shampoo before setting them on my head of wet and sticky hair. I’d started to wash it when he’d come to the door. It hadn’t been as easy to get out as I had hoped it would be.
So I waited with my eyes closed for him to do something typical Logan. Maybe he’d get soap in my eye. Maybe he’d pull my hair. I didn’t know what he had in mind but I knew that whatever it was wasn’t good.
He hadn’t noticed my closed eyes however, and instead was looking at my red hair. His hands worked the shampoo through the strands carefully, making sure to get every single strand. I sat in silence, waiting nervously for whatever cruel idea he had in mind and it wasn’t until he started to massage my scalp, his fingers rubbing in the shampoo in circular motions, that I opened them once more. He was too busy watching my head as his strong hands moved rhythmically on my head, the pressure he was putting firm yet still giving.
His handsome face was relaxed as he massaged my head and I took the moment to scan it. I’d always known he was attractive but now as I looked at him, a peaceful look on my face as he focused on my head beneath his soapy hands, he seemed to be even more so. His jaw was ever so slightly squared, looking strong and smooth. Even with the little bit of stubble that dusted his chin his skin still looked clean and flawless.
I’d been so busy watching his light pink lips that were up in almost a content smile to realize that he’d stopped looking at my head and was instead watching me examine him. By the time my eyes met his, his smile had become a small smirk and instead of blushing, like I was tempted to do, I gave him an annoyed glare and looked away. Talk about embarrassing.
A few moments of silence passed as I rubbed a little slower now, his hands taking their time to make sure it was all out of my roots. Finally he broke it by asking; “How did you get smoothie in your hair anyways?”
“You’ll just make fun of me,” I grumbled, closing my eyes in frustration. “I’ve had a crappy enough day as is.”
“I won’t,” he insisted, pausing his rubbing to look down at me once more. “If you don’t tell me I’ll assume that you were clumsy, tripped fell and managed to get on yourself. Then I really will make fun of you.”
“Nothing like that,” I laughed, seeing the sparkle in his blue eyes as he imagined it.
“Then what?”
I let out a sigh. One way or another he’d get it out of me, that was for sure. It was Logan and ‘no’ wasn’t in his vocabulary unless he was the one saying it. “Remember that cashier who decided to try and upset me?” I asked, looking up at him. “The one who’s now dating my ex James?”
“CashierGirl and PunchingBagBoy,” he said with an evil smile, “yeah I remember them.”
“Well her name is Cristy. And she dumped a smoothie on my head.”
“What?” He asked, his voice picking up a surprised tone, “Where?”
I sighed, not wanting to really talk about it. “At a juice bar.”
“Please tell me you put her in her place,” he growled. I looked nervously away and he sighed as if knowing instantly that I hadn’t. “Well at least one of your friends did right?”
“Dylan stopped her halfway from the cup, which was as soon as he’d realized what was happening. Other than that-“
“Dylan?” Logan asked, his voice lowering ever further. “What was he doing there?”
I looked up into his blue eyes, his hands having stopped working on my hair once more. “He came with us.”
“I thought you had basketball?” Logan asked, his hands leaving my head. “That’s what you told me.”
“I did,” I answered honestly, not seeing why it was such a big deal. “Dylan came to the game and then afterwards when the team went to the juice bar he came with us.”
He was quiet for a long moment before turning around. “You should wash that out of your hair, I think I got it all.”
He started to leave the bathroom without another glance to me. “Your hands are still soapy!” I called out to him as he turned down the hall.
Logan didn’t respond and by the time I stuck my soapy head out into the hallway he was already gone. My stomach sunk a little as I pulled closed the bathroom door and stripped of my sweatpants and teeshirt. I didn’t even know why Logan just leaving made me feel so crappy but it did. I’d actually thought that we were starting to get along.
I jumped into the shower and sure enough when the water washed free the last of the shampoo all of the smoothie was successfully out of my hair. I noted the fact that I would have to thank him for helping later. Even if he’d just walked out afterwards he’d still gone out of his way to help me with it. I’d thought it was because he wanted to fulfill his promise of taking me to his job. But now, seeing as he’d just walked out on me, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe he’d thought he’d get something out of it?
Either way I was now smoothie free and climbed from the shower, wondering what exactly I was going to do now. Maybe I could call Maver and see if he was busy? We hadn’t been able to successfully hang out one on one for a while. Seeing as Logan would be at work now would be the ideal time to do so. So I wrapped the towel around my body and trudged out of the bathroom. Fluffs from the carpet stuck to my wet feet as I made my way towards my bedroom. I wasn’t exactly sure where I’d left my phone but I was sure I’d be able to find it. It couldn’t have gone that far, right?
I walked into my room, thinking to myself where I may have set my phone. I’d call Maver as soon as possible. A small thump came from somewhere in my house and I tensed up. Was my aunt home? She’d surely yell at me for leaving my clothes in the bathroom. I turned to walk back out of the room, snagging up my robe from the edge of my bed as I did. The moment I stepped out of my door way I came face to face with the chest of a man.
I screamed.
I couldn’t even stop myself as I stumbled backwards, my voice filling the air in sheer shock. Two arms wrapped around me and I froze for a moment my body not certain on what to do. My mind however was dancing all over the place. My aunt didn’t have a boyfriend. Maver wasn’t this tall. James wouldn’t have a reason for coming over. Coach wouldn’t just let himself in. Dylan knew I was going to be gone. Logan-
“Shhh, God Kara it’s just me!” Logan shushed me, his arms holding me closer. “Calm down. It’s just me,” he repeated, his voice going softer as he kept his arms tightly around me until I finally stopped struggling.
I caught my breath, my heartbeat still racing like crazy. Logan waited a few seconds more before loosening his hold on me. “You asshole!” I cried out, pulling a bit away to look up at him. “You don’t just stand around corners silently!”
“I heard you turn the shower off and thought you were done-“
“I thought you left!” I exclaimed, hitting against his chest with my fists. “I didn’t know you were still here!”
He laughed, looking down at my fists as I pounded on his sturdy chest. “I guess that explains the towel then.”
His words didn’t even register as I continued pounding on his chest. It was the only way I could get the pent up fear out of my system. “You can’t just surprise me like that,” I scolded him roughly, my eyes on his chest as I kept hitting it. “You know I basically live alone. You can’t even imagine how terrifying it is to be surprised in your own house and know that no one else is there to help.”
Logan’s hands closed around mine, stopping me from hitting his chest as he shushed me. “Calm down, you’re fine,” he cooed, holding tightly onto my hands as I tried to struggle against him, wanting to hit him more. His large hands wrapped around mine, holding them against his chest in little balled fists. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you knew I was here.”
“I thought you left,” I repeated, my voice going small as I caught my breath.
“I was waiting in the kitchen for you,” he answered, his voice soft and calming. “I heard you get out of the shower and I waited a bit thinking you were getting dressed and would come find me. When you didn’t I went looking for you-“ he paused, taking in my still quick breathing, “I really didn’t mean to scare you.”
His blue eyes met mine and I calmed down, steadying my heartbeat as best as I could. “I know,” I finally mumbled, giving in and ceasing my attempts at pulling my hands out of his. “I was just startled was all.”
“I wasn’t thinking,” he responded with a little nod, “I forgot you said your aunt was never here. I didn’t consider I could have scared you.”
“It’s fine,” I mumbled, looking away in embarrassment. Logan apologizing to me just felt odd. His soft tone of voice was even more so.
“If there’s ever a night you get scared just call and I’ll come over, okay?” he asked, trying to meet my eyes. When I wouldn’t meet them he sighed. “Or I can come pick you up and you can stay with me and Maver.”
“Yeah,” I mumbled in agreement.
“If I let go of your hands do you promise not to hit me again?” he asked, his voice teasing a little.
I looked up to him and when I saw his little smile I couldn’t help but smile in return as I nodded. “I promise,” I answered and he released my hand, watching me playfully as though he expected me to hit him again. “Pinky promise,” I added on, sticking out my pinky for him.
He laughed and took my pinky in his, giving it a shake. “All right I’ll accept that.” For a moment his eyes stayed on mine and then he smirked. “So you going to get dressed?”
My eyes widened in embarrassment. “Yeah.” He stayed put, not moving, still holding my pinky captive in his. “You need to get out first.”
As if déjà vu he stepped forward, his eyes darting down to my towel as I was forced to take a step back from him. “I don’t mind.”
“I do,” I responded, my voice coming out a lot less harsh then I’d hoped it would. “Get out Logan.”
His eyes scanned my body once more before meeting my eyes. “Am I scaring you?” he asked, his voice soft and his eyes challenging.
“No,” I responded, trying to take a step backwards from him.
He yanked on my pinky and I lurched forward, my free hand grasping my towel to keep it in place. “You look like you are,” he noted, his eyes scanning my face.
“Well excuse me for not being comfortable in a towel in front of you,” I snapped at him.
“Then take it off,” he responded with a smirk, “I don’t mind.”
“Even less so naked.”
“Why?” he asked, stepping closer, moving his hand so it was now holding mine captive against his chest. “Haven’t you been naked in front of someone before?”
I couldn’t stop myself from blushing and looking away. I’m almost eighteen and I’ve never let anyone see me naked (Maver when we were little not included). How embarrassing is that? Especially saying it to someone like Logan. He probably found me pathetic enough already. “Logan just leave.”
His eyes scanned my face and he took in a breath. “You really haven’t,” he stated, letting out a low whistle of surprise. “Why not?”
“Will you just leave?” I asked, not wanting to explain to him. How was I supposed to tell him that James had been a terrible kisser so I’d never let him even try to get further? Not that he even did try. He’d been with enough other girls to not find it a huge deal at the time when I hadn’t been sexually active. He figured we’d get to that point soon enough. We’d been highschool sweethearts. Or so I’d thought then.
“Are you embarrassed?” he asked stepping further into my room, me stepping back once more in the process.
I swallowed my pride and nodded. “Yes, I am, okay? Now will you just let go of me and get out so I can get dressed? We’re already really late for your work.”
“Take off the towel,” he instructed, not releasing my hand.
“What? No!”
“I won’t do anything, I promise,” he said, finally letting go of my hand. The moment he did I stepped back a few more steps, putting some space in between us.
I narrowed my eyes on him, wondering what on earth he was trying to do. “No Logan.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t trust you not to do anything,” I started, ticking up one finger, “I have no interest in letting you see me naked,” I ticked up another, “this is my house so I can do as I please,” I ticked up another, “It’s my body so I can do what I want-“
I paused, trying to come up with more reasons. I didn’t even know why I had to come up with any in the first place. ‘No’ should have been enough. But instead Logan was walking closer to me with every tick of my finger and I soon found myself standing in the middle of my bedroom with him blocking the entrance. “What happens when you start to date someone,” he asked, ceasing his advancement on me, “and it comes to the point to take the relationship further? You’ll be too afraid to. Aren’t you worried that it’ll ruin things?”
My cheeks reddened just thinking about it. “My sex life is none of your business,” I stammered, looking away. “Besides when I do take that step-“
And the towel was pulled off of me, the cool air of the warm meeting my skin. I yelped in mortification, one hand instantly darting up to cover my breasts and the other to cover my crotch. Even with the cool air of the room I grew hot in embarrassment in an instant, my cheeks flushing and my rage growing. “Logan!” I yelled, too stunned to think of what to do. If I moved he’d see just as much as he already was seeing, yet I couldn’t bring myself to turn my back on him in order to reach my drawers and try to find something to pull on quick.
He stepped forward and swiftly grabbed my hands, holding them out and away from my body. “You’re already naked, don’t cover yourself.”
“Let go of me,” I growled, turning my head quickly to look away, my cheeks searing red. I tried to pull my arms out of his steely grip but he was too strong. Were I to try and kick him, which was tempting, I’d only reveal even more than I would ever want to. Not to mention make him mad which as we all know only ends up terribly.
His silence finally got to me and I Turned to look at him, ready to feel even more disgusted by his eyes raking my body. But they weren’t. Instead they were focused intently on my eyes. “Kara,” he said, his voice strict, “why are you so embarrassed?”
“Because-“ I faltered, unsure of what response would properly fit how I was feeling. Embarrassment didn’t even begin to cover it. “Logan,” I pleaded my voice cracking a little as I gave up trying to word it, “please just let go of me.”
“Don’t ever be embarrassed by your body,” he said, not releasing me. “You’re beautiful and you need to be confident in that.”
“That’s not me,” I replied, looking away again. “I’m just not confident okay? Is that what you want to hear?”
“What happened to the Kara who pulled the poptart stunt?” he asked, swiveling his head so I had to look him in the eyes again. “You were confident then.”
“I wasn’t scared of you then,” I answered instantly, regretting it the moment the words left my mouth. He blinked, looking surprised at my words. Now’s the time to get it out I realized. So I did. “I didn’t think you’d possibly push it further. I thought that you’d just do a little flirting but that’s it. I didn’t expect you to take it so far.” His blue eyes stayed locked on mine as I admitted it. “Now I know that you will push it as far as you can.”
Surprisingly he looked almost apologetic as he listened. “I didn’t know who you were then,” he responded quickly. “I thought you were just playing innocent to get me riled up. I hadn’t even considered you were-“ he paused, trying to think of how to word it, “I just didn’t know you really weren’t just trying to tease me.”
“Now you know,” I snapped back.
He nodded, his black hair swaying. “Yes, and I won’t do that to you ever again. I won’t take it that far unless you want me to.”
“What do you think you’re doing right now?” I demanded to know, suddenly realizing I was still standing there naked in front of him as he held my arms out so I couldn’t cover myself.
“I’m trying to help,” he answered. “You’re beautiful and you need to be confident in yourself.”
“Why would you want to help me with that?” I demanded to know, not believing him for a second. He just wanted to get me naked.
“No one else can,” he responded. “You don’t have anyone to tell you that. You don’t have a mom like most girls to give you whatever mom’s give a girl in mother daughter talks. And you don’t have a dad to protect you from the bad guys, teaching you who not to trust.”
I blinked in surprise, confusion overwhelming my embarrassment. “You can’t honestly expect to replace my parents.”
Logan shook his head. “No, I just want to be your friend. I can teach you things you don’t know and you don’t have anyone else to teach you.”
“I don’t need to know how to be naked in front of people,” I snapped, once more trying to pull my arms away. He didn’t budge. “I’m not trying to be an exhibitionist.”
“What about Dylan?”
“What about him?”
He paused, tilting his head a little. “You like him right?” he asked. But he didn’t even wait for a response. “You can’t honestly think he’s not expierenced? He’s been around Kara. He’s an older guy, what do you expect?”
“You’re older than he is,” I pointed out.
Logan gave a half hearted smirk. “And I know how I was at that age; how I still am. It’s how guys like us are .”
“He’s not like you,” responded, my words coming out harsher than I’d meant them to. “He wouldn’t have done this to me.”
“Maybe not,” he commented with a little shrug, “but you don’t know that do you? Sooner or later he’ll want to see you naked. Then what Kara? Are you going to just back out? If he doesn’t push you will you just end at a stalemate.”
I looked away from him once more, not wanting to talk about it. Part of me knew he was right. I knew that if Dylan didn’t push for anything then I’d be happy things continuing on the way they were. It’d happened that very way with James and look how that turned out. Logan seemed to read my face for he gave a little sigh, pulling my eyes back to him.
“I’ll let go of you,” he responded his tone hesitant, “but if you cover yourself again I’ll end having to hold you open again.”
He released my arms and I lowered them to my side, tempted to quickly cover myself once more. The sharp look to Logan’s eyes made me stop however. I had the creeping feeling that the next time he’d only make it even more embarrassing. I’d wind up running from him and next thing I know he’d have me pinned against a wall or in another precarious position.
And so I stood there, my cheeks flushing as his eyes scanned up and down my body. Logan didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was looking at every detail and I soon found myself unable to watch him anymore. Finally I turned away my eyes, closing them as I wished it would just get over with so I could make him leave.
“See, that wasn’t so bad now was it?” he asked, and I opened my eyes to see him looking at my face once more. “Nothing happened. You’re fine. You can relax.”
I turned around, not wanting to look at him, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn’t have anything to say to him but I hoped he’d take the hint to leave. I stood there for a second, silence filling the air and instantly regretted turning my back on him. Great, now what was he doing? Probably checking out my ass as well.
Fabric landed on my shoulders and I looked back surprised as Logan pulled my robe that had fallen to the floor over my shoulders for me. “There, you can relax now, all right?” he asked, adjusting the robe around me so it covered me once more. “Now get dressed, we really should be getting to my work now.” I turned in surprise as he left the room. He paused, closing the door behind him to smirk at me. “I’ll be in your living room. So don’t get so scared by me this time, okay?” he teased, before finally closing the door and leaving me there.