45| The Big Ol' L-Word
TODAY was December 20th, only 5 days until Christmas. And I couldn't have been more excited about all of the Christmas decorations that were popping up. Since my parents were still gone, I took the job of decorating the house in lights. Logan had come over to watch me one day (making sure I didn't fall off the roof) as I set up lights all over the house. She, Amelia, and I even decorated our Christmas tree. Amelia loved having Logan around.
Logan's parents had returned from their 3-day trip and apparently didn't want Logan to be around. So they made her stay with the Grigio's. To say that Logan was going insane would be putting it lightly. She had even gotten me invited to their family dinner one night, just so it would be a bit more bearable:
Mrs. Grigio had brought out a bottle of wine and cracked it open. Surprisingly, she let everyone have some.
"Wine is the best," Mrs. Grigio said.
"I bet that's how you named Pinot," I had said, earning a confused look.
"Huh?"
"Pinot Grigio," I said. "You know, the wine?"
"Never had it," Mrs. Grigio said.
"IT IS PRONOUNCED PEA-NOT. NOT PINOT! Fricken idiot..." Pinot exclaimed from across the table.
It had been a very interesting dinner.
Thankfully, tonight was the Christmas festival in downtown Columbus. Which gave Logan a perfect excuse to leave the house for the night and spend some time with me. She had practically been texting me all day about getting out of the Grigio household. She truly was going insane.
I was picking her up in an hour and Clay was over at my house. He had been hanging out all day at my house. Mostly because he wanted to swim. But when I told him about the fact that Logan and I were going to the festival together, he nearly died. Being the romantic he is, he insisted on being there right before I left.
"What are you gonna wear?" He asked. "What will Logan die to see you in?"
I shrugged. "I don't really know."
"Well, what's her favorite aspect of you?"
"How would I know?" I asked.
Porkchop groaned. "Ugh, Noah, these are things you just know!" He exclaimed. "Okay. From my knowledge of Logan, she must be a torso girl. And she's definitely a hair girl. I can tell."
"What is a torso girl?"
"Don't act like you don't know!"
"But I--"
Porkchop held up his hand and I stopped trying to talk. He stood up and made his way into my closet, grabbing a black button-up shirt and throwing it at me. "She is a torso girl," he said. "So you will wear this. You must leave two buttons undone. She will die."
"Okay?" I said, and I took the shirt to go and change. Porkchop was confusing me with all of his weird terms, but I just ignored it and changed for his happiness. When I came out he was grinning and clapping his hands.
"Logan will collapse."
"Is that supposed to be a good thing?" I asked.
"OBVIOUSLY!" He yelled. "We just need the finishing touch and that is the hair. Clearly I know exactly what she's looking for."
I rolled my eyes. "Then help me out, will you?"
"I knew the day would come when my expertise would be of need," Porkchop said.
Porkchop made the biggest deal about getting me perfectly ready for Logan and I to see each other tonight. He couldn't stop going on and on about how he thought that the two of us were perfect together. He made me keep my hair mostly natural, saying that a girl who was "a hair girl" preferred natural and messy hair rather than anything too slicked back or whatever. I still had no idea what he was talking about, but I knew that I had to listen to him. If anyone was going to help me in the romance department, it was going to be Clay.
He apparently had called Cayden over, too. I didn't know it until I opened the door and he stood there. Cayden was holding a carton of sweet tea and his jaw dropped, then he dropped the carton on the ground and it splattered all over the front porch.
"Fuck," Cayden said. "There goes the damn tea."
"I look that good, do I?" I asked, smirking at him.
Cayden brushed past me, taking a moment to smell me. "Ooh, that is a good scent. I like it," he said. He walked into the kitchen and sat down. Porkchop was in there (eating Cheetos as always).
"Doesn't he look phenomenal?" Porkchop asked.
"You did a good job, PC. I gotta hand it to you," Cayden said. "He would seduce me in a hurry."
"Uh... I don't know if that's what I'm going for," I said.
"It's what everyone is going for," Porkchop said. "But tonight is not about seduction. It's about the big ol' L-word."
"Huh?" Cayden asked and then his eyes went wide. "Wait! You're in love with Logan and didn't tell me? But you told Porkchop!?"
I shrugged. "He was there to pry it out of me!"
"Whatever," Cayden mumbled. "So you're gonna tell her tonight?"
I glared over at Porkchop. "I wasn't exactly planning on it—"
"But it would be perfect!" Porkchop exclaimed.
"And it does have to come out sometime," Cayden added, earning him a glare as well. "Sorry, sorry. There's no pressure or anything. It has to be natural, you know? It can't be forced."
Porkchop sighed. "I guess if it doesn't happen tonight, then it'll be okay. But like... I NEED IT TO HAPPEN!"
"Well damn, so do I," Cayden agreed. "That way Noah can finally move on from his secret fantasy of ending up with me!"
I punched Cayden's shoulder. "Would you two quit it?" I asked. "The L-word is a big deal. And I do feel that way about her. Undoubtedly. But what if she doesn't feel the same?"
"You just have to go for it," Porkchop said. "If she doesn't feel the same, that doesn't mean she doesn't like you. Maybe she just isn't quite there yet. Who knows?"
I groaned and rested my head on the kitchen counter. "Can you two just let me go already? I need to pick her up soon."
"Fine, fine. Let's get the finishing touches, then," Porkchop said, standing up. "You are going to be irresistible as Cheeto Puffs."
✯ ✯ ✯
I parked my jeep right outside of the Grigio's house. I took a deep breath. I don't know why I was so nervous about tonight, but I was. Probably because of the fact that ever since Porkchop brought up the whole love thing, I hadn't been able to get it off my mind. I was afraid that the word was just going to slip from my mouth. So I was extra aware of everything I said.
I got out of the car and walked up to the door, slowly knocking on it. In seconds, the door swung open and Sebastian Grigio greeted me with an oddly wide and crooked smile.
"The man, Noah!" He exclaimed and immediately pulled me into a tight hug. Way too tight. I hurried to move out of his unwelcome embrace. "You came to pick up our girl, Logan. I know it. God... let me tell you, they really do grow up so fast—"
Logan pushed her way past Sebastian then. "Okay, time to go!" She said, grabbing for my hand and immediately pulling me back to my car.
"Have fun, you two! But not too much, okay? KEEP IT PG!" Sebastian yelled as we slammed the doors to my car shut and Logan breathed out loudly.
"Jesus fuck, I think I'm dying," Logan said, leaning back against her seat. "I need to get out of that house."
"Always room for you at Casa De Noah," I offered, sending her a smile.
She sighed. "If only," she said. "My parents come by to make sure I'm there every day and night. Mrs. Grigio is under strict orders."
I nodded. "Well, either way, we get to spend most of tonight together. And it's Christmas-- the most wonderful time of the year!"
Logan smiled over at me as I drove and placed her hand on top of mine. "Who knew you were such a festive guy?" She asked.
"What gave it away?"
"Hmm..." she thought. "I think it might have been when we were decorating the Christmas tree and you insisted on playing Barbie in a Christmas Carol. Even though Amelia said we didn't have to."
"Excuse me! It is a classic Christmas movie!" I exclaimed. "So what? I enjoy myself a little bit of Barbie. I always say: the best movies are Barbie."
"You're ridiculous," Logan laughed.
"I'm ridiculous, but yet you still haven't broken up with me. It will forever remain a mystery to me," I said.
"I guess I just have a thing for guys who are obsessed with Barbie and Christmas," Logan said. "What more could I ask for?"
We pulled up into town right as the sun was setting, which was perfect. The streets were blocked off so everyone could freely walk through them and they were lined with white Christmas lights. The festival was my favorite part of Christmas. There were free hot chocolate stands all over the place, live music playing where people could sing and dance, an ice skating rink (which I sadly could never do because of volleyball season), and so much more. Of course, I was most excited for the hot chocolate.
Logan and I got out of the car and started walking. I laced our hands together as we walked. The atmosphere of Downtown Columbus was perfect during this time of the year. There were tons of people outside walking around, all of them happy. I swear, how could someone be completely unhappy at this time of the year?
"So how are you planning on spending the holidays?" I asked. "Grigio's?"
"No way, I cannot spend the best holiday of all with them," Logan replied. "But again, I'm not sure if I can go home."
"Sorry."
"Don't be," she said. "So what about you?"
"My parents are supposed to be back on Christmas Eve," I told her. "Amelia has a recital then, too. We always get new pajamas on Christmas Eve and watch 4 movies. We each pick one."
"And what movie are you picking?"
"The obvious choice," I started, "Let it Shine."
"That's not even a Christmas movie," she said.
I shrugged. "No one ever said it had to be a Christmas movie."
"Sounds nice," Logan said. "I bet you're excited to have them back."
"Definitely," I agreed. "You know... you could come over and have dinner with us on Christmas Eve. They still don't know about us since they're never around. But I know they would love to meet you."
"Meeting the parents," Logan mumbled. "There's no way it could go worse than it did with my parents."
I laughed. "Yeah, they'll love you. Nothing to worry about there," I said. "Just think about it. I'll even get my mom to pick you up some pajamas. She usually gets us all onesies."
Logan looked at me with her eyebrows raised. "Onesies?" She asked. "I would die if I saw you in a onesie."
"Would you, now?" I asked. "Then you'll just have to come over."
Logan and I walked across the street and I pulled her to one of the free hot chocolate stands. I ordered my favorite: a white hot chocolate with peppermint, while Logan opted for a classic hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was the best. No questions asked. We walked around again, hand-in-hand. Just walking around downtown with her felt so natural and I loved every second of it. Even through the silence, none of it was awkward.
We made our way to my favorite restaurant where I had made us reservations. The restaurant had the best rooftop seating ever, looking over the river. And of course, the string lights formed a canopy above the roof. It was absolutely perfect.
We sat down for dinner on the rooftop (I had purposefully made sure to request a seat right by the edge so we had the best view). We ordered and ate our food, and as Logan looked out towards the water, I couldn't look away from her. And the stupid L-word was still implanted in my mind.
"This is really amazing, Noah," Logan said, looking back over at me. "I knew you were rich, but I can't even imagine how much you paid for this view."
"Ha-ha," I said. "I just wanted it to be perfect, I guess."
"Aw, such a romantic. Have you been learning from Clay?" She asked.
"You have no idea," I muttered. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do you ever miss her? Your sister?" I asked. "You don't have to talk about her, I just... I just wonder, I guess."
Logan sighed. "I don't know. Sometimes, I guess," she said. "We used to be really close. And I guess I miss that. Sometimes I just wish she would call or text me, just to know if she was okay. Or where she went. But I know she won't so I just kind of try to ignore her existence."
"That sucks," I said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up, I just--"
"Noah," Logan said. "You can ask me things, it's okay. I don't mind talking to you about her. I... I never liked to talk to anyone about her. Not even Gracie, Jeremy, or Bianca. I still don't, really. But... I trust you and I care about you and... I don't mind sharing with you."
I smiled. "That's so sweet," I teased and she rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you feel that way."
"Of course I do," she said. "You were the first person I really confided in that night at camp. Even though I still wasn't a huge fan of you, then."
"I remember that," I said, shaking my head. "Look where we are now."
"It's like the world turned upside down or some shit."
"Or the world finally turned right-side-up."
"You did not just say that," Logan said, again rolling her eyes. "I am now questioning what it is I see in you."
"Dammit. I knew I shouldn't have said it," I joked. "Does this mean you're going to run away?"
"Nah," Logan said. "I did tell you I wouldn't run away. You know, from the truth."
"That's good. Cause I'm not giving up on you!"
She laughed. "I hate you," she muttered.
Logan smiled over at me before turning back to look at the view again. I felt my heart pounding while Porkchop's voice echoed in my head. Telling me that I needed to tell her exactly how I felt. I couldn't deny the way she made me feel. Even just sitting across from her I felt like everything was just how it needed to be. I loved her. And I needed to tell her.
So I stood up and she looked at me. I held my hand down towards her. "Come with me," I said. "I wanna take you somewhere."
"Okay?" She said it like a question, clearly confused. But regardless, she took my hand. "You're not going to kill me, are you?"
"I wouldn't dream of it, Pierce. Just trust me."
✯ ✯ ✯
It was a spontaneous decision to take Logan closer to the edge of town, right by the river. We walked there and I knew why I needed to go there. It was the perfect place. The spot on the steps right near the river had always been my favorite spot at the festival every year I went. I needed her to see it. More than anything, I needed to be there with her.
"Where are we even going?" Logan asked from behind me. I was practically pulling her along with me on this little journey.
"The best place, Pierce. The best place," I answered and we continued our walk.
When we reached the edge of the water by the steps, Christmas lights surrounding us, I pulled Logan up to the top of the steps with me. There was a tree at the top and I grabbed both of her hands as we stood under it. There was mistletoe hanging from the branches. Logan looked up and then at me.
"You brought me to mistletoe," she said, shaking her head. "You know, if you wanted to kiss me, you could have done it anywhere."
"I know. But this is my favorite spot," I said. "Every year when this festival goes on, I come here. I have my hot chocolate and I sit on these steps and look out at the water."
"Alone?"
"Yup," I said. "Amelia, as usual, is busy with dance rehearsals for her recital. And my parents are always gone. I could come here with Tanner or some of the guys, but I liked to be alone here. It was peaceful and picture-perfect. I come here to just think about things. I never thought I would bring anyone else here."
"So why did you bring me?" She asked.
"Because I'm doing some thinking," I said.
"All good things, I hope," Logan said.
"All good things," I agreed, and then placed my hand on the side of her face, gently pulling her in towards my face. "But I've thought enough, so mistletoe awaits." Logan smiled as we moved closer and she wrapped her arms around my neck. We meshed together, lips touching and moving in perfect sync. It felt like my entire body froze for a moment when she kissed me, then all the warmth returning soon enough.
Logan's hand slid to the back of my head, running her fingers through my hair. I slowly pulled away and her forehead fell on to mine, both of our eyes closed.
"Shit," I breathed out.
"Shit?" She asked, and our heads remained together.
"I love every part of you, Pierce," I said, and our heads slowly moved away, eyes opening. She stared into my eyes. "I mean, really. I love it when you get mad at me and call me names. I love it when you get super competitive with me. I love it when you call me by my first name, but especially my last. And I love it when you punch a punching bag out of pure rage, but then you calm down and go back to being you. The... the stubborn yet caring Logan Pierce. The one that I'm ridiculously in love with."
"Shit," she breathed out this time.
"Shit?" I asked.
"Shit," Logan said. "I'm ridiculously in love with you, too."
I pulled her in again, kissing her again. It felt perfect in the moment. And it was. There was no denying it. When she pulled away, she groaned.
"What?" I asked.
"You wore that shirt to seduce me tonight, didn't you?" She asked.
"Wait, what?"
"And your hair... don't act like you didn't know what you were doing," Logan laughed and then lightly punched my chest. "I'm a torso and hair girl."
"Damn," I muttered. "Porkchop is a goddamn genius."
And we kissed again. Maybe again after that, too. But it was perfect. And the longer we spent next to each other, soon sitting on the steps, side by side, hand in hand, I fell even more in love. And I didn't want the feeling to go away.
✯ ✯ ✯
LOVE IS IN THE AIR FOLKS!!! Do you see why I love this chapter so much? First of all, Christmas. Second of all, LOVE BITCH!!!
Thank y'all so much for reading and the little amount of comments I get, it warms my heart for a real one. I'm gonna keep whipping out these chapters as fast as I can, I PROMISE. I pinky promise, and I don't break those.
Let me know what you want to see more of, or you know, I'll just keep writing and doing my thing. Expect more love, fun adventures, and of course drama in the future.
Until then, enjoy this random Stranger Things gif because I freaking love that show.