“Nobody wakes up looking good.” Logan didn’t flinch, and I settled back in my seat, relieved. “Well, except maybe… me.”
I chuckled, remembering how unkempt he was when he rocked up at my house. But he did look good. “And that is what hasn’t changed about you.”
His brows pulled together for a second, although his lips were still slightly tilted upwards at the corners. “What, my ability to look like a stud first thing in the morning?”
“No!” I shook my head. “Your arrogance.”
Logan placed one hand on his chest in a gesture of fake horror. “You hurt me, Marnie. That’s harsh.” His own eyes twinkled, and I had to try to conceal the sharp intake of breath my body wanted me to take at the sight of it, causing me to cough as my lungs freaked out in the confusion. I managed to turn my choke into a laugh so as not to splutter all over him.
“I’m sorry. Maybe you weren’t arrogant, but definitely not lacking confidence.”
“This from the girl who molests bands while they’re on stage!”
“That was stupidity!” I claimed. “Definitely not arrogance.”
His eyes shifted towards me again. “I’m not sure I was as confident as you think.”
“What’s not to be confident about? You’re… Logan Ryan.”
Quick thinking, replacing “You’re hot as hell” with his name. I was getting too relaxed; relaxed enough to blurt things out I couldn’t take back. Things that could make the rest of the day awkward, and ruin the banter we’d so easily slipped into. But he made everything so easy. It should have already been awkward with me fighting so hard to keep my feelings under control. Instead, being with Logan felt like the most natural thing in the world, like we should have been doing this the whole time we’d known each other instead of occasionally seeing each other when adult life wasn’t in the way. Nothing I’d done in the last few years had felt as simple as sitting beside him talking and laughing.
But those were the kind of thoughts that had led me to almost slip up.
My brain swirled with these contradicting thoughts. Always. Because dammit, I’d waited long enough, hadn’t I? Why not just throw the idea of spending more time with him out there and see where it led?
Because then… he’d know. And if he knew, he might run away screaming. Wasn’t it better to say nothing and have him in my life than confess and risk never seeing him again?
Sometimes it was better that way. Sometimes, however, keeping my mouth shut made my insides knot and caused me to lie awake, too restless to sleep.
**
“Jesus fucking Christ.”
Logan’s words perfectly reflected my feelings as rain hammered down on the car, making it impossible to see out of the windows. I actually ducked when a gust of wind blew what looked like a bucket load of water down on the windscreen from the overhanging trees.
“This is not the weather I ordered,” I muttered then let out a small laugh. Just my luck. One day out with the guy I’d waited to spend forever with, and the sky decided to throw down a week’s worth of rain in five minutes. I hope this isn’t a sign of how the rest of the day is going to go. Dismal, dark, and disappointing.
Logan flicked on the car radio, but the only sound emitting from it was a loud crackle, as a low rumble of thunder came from overhead. He turned his head towards me. “Well, I can’t reach the local radio station, but I think it’s safe to say the festival is not going to happen.”
I briefly raised my eyebrows, letting out a sigh. “That’s my plan to make Ed Sheeran fall in love with me ruined.”
“And mine to make Rita Ora fall in love with me.”
An entirely irrational ripple of jealousy slithered down my spine. Rita freaking Ora? If that’s the kind of woman he’s into, I should probably give up now! I mean, I’d made the effort to look good, but underneath the make-up, I was still… me. Pale-skinned, dark-haired… imperfect. Okay, I had curves in my favour, although I’d have liked them to be a bit less curvy, but I’d never be able to rock skinny jeans and crop tops, or have the kind of face that men instantly fall in love with.
Marnie, get a grip.
I blinked a few times to clear my illogical doubts. “So… I guess we’ll head home when the rain slows down?”
Logan leaned forwards over the steering wheel, looking out at the road which was starting to flood from the downpour. “I think it’ll be a while.” He sighed too. “I’m really sorry, Marnie. This isn’t how I wanted today to go.”
“It’s not your fault.” I turned to him, completely empathising with the disappointment in his eyes. It wasn’t how I wanted the day to go either. I’d wanted music, sunshine and more of our playful conversations, not a car journey, a coffee and another car journey.
“No, but I dragged you all the way here and now there isn’t anything for us to see apart from… fucking rain.” He shook his head as he leaned back in his seat.
“You didn’t need to drag me,” I said, with more honesty than I’d planned. “I’m really glad you invited me. I guess we should have factored in that we live in England and the weather makes no sense at all.”
“Yeah.”