Inevitable (22 page)

“They did, thank you. He was thrilled to see them hanging up. And just for the record,” I leaned in to whisper, “you having prostitutes over is something I’d like to forget and place in the start-over-clean-slate file.” I made a face, sitting back up in my seat.

The waitress appeared beside our table placing a glass of Coke in front of Logan, and water with a slice of lemon in front of me, then walked back toward the kitchen.

Logan watched me intently for a few sort moments before asking, “We’re friends, right?”

“It seems like we’re getting there,” I said, not looking up from my glass.

“Then as your friend, I want you to know that you can ask me whatever it is that’s on your mind. Even if it pertains to my sex life.”

My cheeks flushed, my stomach clenching in a tight knot. What was I supposed to ask him? How often do you pay for sex? The man shouldn’t be paying anyone for that. Every woman in town wanted to sleep with him—including myself at times. I blinked the thought away the instant it hit me.

“All right, why pay for sex?” I whispered, embarrassed to be speaking the words.

He chuckled, “I have never paid for sex, Cassandra. Those ladies were old friends I met overseas, and occasionally they visit the States on vacation.” His eyes took me all in, causing my throat to go painfully dry. I swallowed, loudly unable to pull my gaze from his. “They know what I like. What I am willing to offer. There are no strings attached, just consenting adults having a pleasurable time. They called me that afternoon saying they were in the city and were interested in coming by.”

He waited for me to say something, but I just sat, stunned at how quickly I had jumped to the conclusion of prostitutes right out the gate.

He continued, “I called my brother to make sure Oliver could spend the night there, which he was more than happy to do. He gets along great with his cousin.”

I nodded, slowly understanding. “So they weren’t—”

“No, they were friends. No money involved. I did however buy them takeout and a few bottles of fine wine.”

I laughed coyly, unable to meet his eyes as I fiddled with my straw, relieved he wasn’t as much a pig as I made him out to be, but still far from a saint.

“Now tell me, have you dated anyone recently?” he asked.

The waitress set down our plates and he lifted his burger, taking a bite.

“My last relationship didn’t end very well.” I dipped a fry into the small bowl of ketchup. “What about you?”

“I don’t date, sweetheart”

“So I’ve heard.” I laughed biting into the hot fry.

“Will you come out with me again if I schedule more houses to look at?”

“On one condition.”

 He smiled, waiting for my demands.

“I pick the listings we go see. No more golf course-sex dens.”

“Fair enough. I would hate to waste your time.” He smirked.

We both sat there, silently enjoying our meal, no longer needing the small talk. It was a comfortable silence I don’t think either of us was in a hurry to end.

“You ready, sweetheart?” he asked after the waitress removed our plates.

I nodded, taking one last sip of my water, before sliding out of the booth.

“Logan!”

I turned to the voice I immediately recognized and saw Julia…with Mark at her side. My stomach sank at the sight, but it was his hand wrapped around her waist that sent the blood rushing to my ears, muffling the voices around me. Every inch of my body stiffened, my skin buzzing to life.

“Cassandra, hi.”

My voice abandoned me, leaving me standing painfully still searching my vocabulary and drawing a blank.

Her eyes flickered to my split lip. “Oh my God! What happened?”

The urge to speak was overwhelmed by my stunned disbelief that Mark was truly standing in front of me. It had been so long and now…of all the days…and with Julia. I couldn’t breathe. In a moment of panic, I inhaled a sharp ragged breath, which only worsened my struggle.

Logan spoke but it was only mumbles in the background. Whatever he said, Julia offered me a sympathetic smile that only added to my torture. Mark was really here and seeing me with a busted face. He would probably laugh when it got around town that it was my own fault, I practically walked right into Kurt’s fist. My shoulders began to ache from my rigid posture and it took all my strength to lift my foot and shift my weight. I needed to move, do something to prove this was really happening.

Julia’s high-pitched voice broke through my agonizing haze and I managed to hear at least a part of the conversation going on around me.

“…introduce you guys,” Julia was speaking to Logan, at least I assumed she was.

“Logan this is Mark. We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now.” I swallowed my throat painfully dry.
Breathe
, in and out. I reminded myself over and over again as Julia continued. “Mark this is my wonderfully sweet, big brother, Logan.”

Mark held out his hand for Logan to shake and my gaze fell upon it. The mere thought of Mark and Logan ever touching caused my stomach to plummet. Suddenly lightheaded I reached out to brace myself on the end of the booth. Logan’s warm hand was instantly on my back, steadying me, but I couldn’t pull my stare from Mark’s extended hand to look up. Oh God, I must look like an idiot, I realized.

“Glad to finally meet you. Julia talks a lot about you.” Mark’s voice ripped through me. Memories of that once soothing tone haunted me, drawing out my fury.

Logan never shook Mark’s hand but I was too queasy at that point to read into why. The moment Mark pulled it away and tucked it back around Julia’s waist, my legs began to quiver and shake. I couldn’t stand there any longer.

“I gotta go,” I blurted out and raced past them, my heavy heart pounding against my chest, head blaring for me to move faster.

As I pushed with all my strength against the door, I stumbled, nearly falling to the pavement. A giant gulp of air washed through me and filled my lungs.

“Cassandra?”

I couldn’t look back. I needed space…from everyone. I ambled forward desperate to find my car and disappear. My car?
Damn
. Logan drove. I shook my head, and buried my face in my hands as I leaned over the hood of a stranger’s beat-up truck.

“I’m…I’m sorry, you should go back in.” I stammered, failing to keep myself together. “Get to know Julia’s boyf—” I couldn’t say it. The anger and disgust consumed me more and more the longer I remained there so I stood straight and began walking.

When I reached Logan’s vehicle, I stopped and closed my eyes, attempting to calm my shaky breath before facing Logan.

“Sweetheart, talk to me?” he murmured, reaching out his hand and placing it over my shoulder from behind me.

“I’m fine.” My voice cracked so I cleared my throat. It was awkward and loud but so was the last five minutes. “Please, just take me home.” I fought to hold my composure

Logan opened the passenger door for me. My gaze focused down at the pavement when the prick of warm tears began building in my eyes.
Damn it, not now.

I climbed inside, relieved when after a hesitant moment standing at my door, Logan shut it and walked around to the driver’s seat. He glanced over at me once he was situated in his seat, opening his mouth but closed it again, and started the engine. He sighed as it purred to life, putting it in gear without a single word.

Awkwardly, I shifted in my seat, staring blankly out the window, pretending not to notice his worried glances. Twenty long, grueling minutes of complete silence left me trapped in my self-deprecating thoughts.

As we pulled into my driveway, I sat numbly while he turned off the engine. A few minutes passed before I turned in my seat and noticed his hands still gripping the steering wheel. Unable to find the right words to break the unbearable tension I’d caused, I only felt worse. He continued staring out the windshield for a moment longer before finally speaking.

“Cassandra…”

“I hate him.” I muttered unexpectedly, appalled at my own words. I’d never said it aloud before, it just spilled out.

Tear stung my eyes, but I fought against them, wiping my fingers across my lids.

“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he murmured, reaching out and gently taking my hand.

“Mark and I…we were together over five years.” I began, inhaling sharply and turning to look back out my window. I couldn’t bear to look at him. I wasn’t even sure why I was telling him anything. After spending the morning together and getting to see a different side of Logan, I felt comfortable. Plus I wasn’t ready to go inside alone with all this pain.

“I was young and in love. He was all I thought I would ever need.” I stopped as a stray tear rolled down my cheek. I hated that Mark still brought out this reaction. I was over him, I was certain of that, but the sting from his actions was still there.

“He destroyed everything we had…everything we were together…I never thought…” I shook my head, silently berating myself for being such a blind fool back then.

“I thought he loved me…
God!
” I cried out, another tear betraying me as it made its escape down my burning cheek. I wiped it away immediately, and forced myself to hold it together in front of Logan, but I could feel my walls crashing down.

“I’m such an idiot!” I sobbed, tears falling. I closed my eyes tightly and inhaled a giant breath, refusing to shed another tear for the bastard. My nerves slowly began to calm, and my sight grew clearer.

Logan’s hand gave a sympathetic squeeze and I sheepishly turned to look up into his beautiful blue eyes. They left me breathless. I never felt more at home. His features were soft, tender and his eyes were intense and warm.

“You don’t have to tell me, sweetheart,” he whispered, and it was exactly what I needed to hear. For some reason I would never understand, I felt safe, here in his car with only him, away from the world. My head rested back against the upholstered leather, and I released a ragged breath.

 “Sweetheart, listen to me.” He released his hand from mine and brought it up to my chin, reminding me of the damage to my lip. I attempted to pull my face away, but he held firm. “Look at me, Cassandra.”

Slowly opening my eyes, I gazed up at him and his reassuring smile. It was so soft and full of an unknown shyness I never would have thought him capable of.

“Mark is an idiot. He didn’t deserve you. You are one of the most beautiful and kind women I have ever met and I assure you, I have seen more than the average man in my travels.” His familiar smirk brought a smile to my lips, the melancholy beginning to fade at each of his words.

“Things don’t always work out the way you plan, sweetheart, but I swear to you, you are everything that any smart, deserving man could ever ask for.” Logan grazed his thumb across my cheek over the spilled, dried tears. His lips sealed tightly together before pulling his hand away.

“Thank you.” I breathed, coming out of a fog. “I should get going, it’s getting late, and you’ll need to pick Oliver up from school soon.”

After unbuckling my seatbelt, my body was lighter. I felt better than I had in months. I never realized I was still in need of closure, and not by seeing Mark again, but by having a man remind me that I was worth everything I always believed I was. Not just any man, but one that truly meant it, and Logan gave that to me. I would be forever grateful. It was as though a dead weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

The moment I turned in my seat to open the door, Logan reached out and caught my wrist.

“Would you like to have dinner with-”

“No,” I interrupted, but held a sweet smile firmly on my face to ease any harshness. “I told you, friends only.”

He grinned and I frowned at the amusement on his face.

“Cassandra, you should let a friend finish. I was about to ask if you would like to have dinner with me and Oliver this week?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

 “Oliver would love it. We never have dinner guests other than family. What do you say?”

Hesitantly, I replied, “All right, I’d like that. How about Wednesday?”

Logan helped me regain my stolen confidence in men; I owed him at least a friendly meal. Plus Oliver would be there, he always brightened my day.

“Sounds perfect. Come around six.”

I stepped out of the car and turned back. “Good-bye, Logan. Today was actually not too bad,” I teased.

“Good-bye, sweetheart. Put some more ice on that lip.”

I watched as he drove away, leaving me feeling like a new woman. I was proud of myself for never giving in to Logan’s constant flirting the past month and instead was much happier with the growing friendship we were creating. I smiled to myself while unlocking my front door realizing Logan might just be a good friend after all.

Chapter Sixteen

Misconceptions

M
y feet shifted side-to-side nerves jolting to life, as I knocked lightly on the impeccably carved front door. I’d stayed home from school the last two days, and luckily my lip was no longer swollen, just a little red around the cut. With a gracious smile, dressed casually in a pair of dark fitted jeans paired with a grey cardigan over a white camisole, I waited on Logan’s welcome mat. The breeze had a slight bite to it as August drew to a close.

The door slowly creaked open, revealing an infectious grin shining from the small boy inside. I relaxed, smiling.

“Cassandra! You came!”

“Of course I came.” I laughed when he grabbed my hand, and tugged me inside through the foyer and down a long hall.

The house was unlike how I remembered it the few times I was there with the original owners. A creamy beige paint replaced the previous floral wallpaper and hardwood floors now covered the former carpeted living room. The farther we went into the house, the more an intoxicating aroma caused my smile to broaden.

I inhaled my eyelids closing as I took in the delightful scent pouring out of the kitchen as we rounded the corner.

“Daddy, Cassandra is here!” Oliver exclaimed louder than necessary when we stopped in the massive, gourmet kitchen.