Trust In Love - Chapter 254

Logan woke up, brimming with excitement. He skipped out of his room. He hummed as he went on this way. Down the stairs, his head bopped to the music that he hummed. He snapped his fingers repeatedly and felt the happiness Friday had bestowed.

That was from existing and from finally arriving.

He greeted anyone with a cheery smile.

By the time he reached the kitchen, he did small footwork. His shoulders and his hɨps swayed. He closed his eyes, really getting into the beat. He bit his bottom lip as the humming increased in volume. Soon, it turned into singing in whispers.

“`We out here drippin’ in finesse

It don’t make no sense

Out here drippin’ in finesse

You know it, you know it“`

“Well, someone is in a good mood.”

A shrill scream echoed in the air. Logan jumped, bumping into the fridge. Its contents clattered inside. The few bottles on top almost fell over. His scared eyes landed on the source of the voice.

Steve Parker sat at the kitchen island. He was positioned at the head, his fiancee taking his right. He held a newspaper in one hand. The other clutched on his mug. His face betrayed zero emotion as he read the headlines.

Tim hid an amused smile. She slapped her fiance on the arm. “Stop teasing your son. I think you just scared him into the next life.”

“I just wanted to see if he really was dripping in finesse.”

Could a person be buried alive but still live? Logan wondered. He opened the refrigerator and peeked inside, concealing his face. Blood rushed in his cheeks. He took his time in searching for his orange juice. He hoped the blush would calm down before he turned back around.

“Morning, everyone,” Jae greeted. He drummed on the door frame overhead. He strutted to Tim’s side and kissed her cheek. “Morning, mom. Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

Steve flickered his eyes to his first born. “Yes, it’s such a beautiful day to ground two kids.”

“What? Why?!” Both brothers exclaimed.

The reaction almost broke his act. Just for their afternoon rendezvous, they had spent days on chore duties. It gave him flashbacks about their dream cars. He had them work for it.

Even if he had agreed, that didn’t mean he couldn’t have his own fun.

Tim laughed under her breath. “He’s kidding, boys.”

Steve glared in her direction.

She merely stuck her tongue out.

Turning back to her bowl, she sipped her soup while Jae relaxed. She knew they were on edge. Anything could come up and stop them from going. They wouldn’t feel safe until they hit the road. As for her, she found the idea exciting.

She considered a road trip as a must for a friend group. Those hours on the road spoke volumes on their relationship. They would need a lot of patience while stuck together for that long.

She couldn’t wait to hear about it when they got back.

Logan joined them at the table. He attacked his plate of waffles. Maple syrup flowed out of the bottle. He took a bite and mȯȧnėd. The inside was still fluffy and warm. He dipped a piece into the syrup. It oozed in and out of the pastry as he chewed.

“Are you well-prepared for the trip?” Steve asked, folding the newspaper. He set it down and observed his sons. He tightened his grip on his mug. “I know you’ll use the van but please take your cars back home first. Make sure you have spare tires and extra gas. Don’t make detours along the way. Duct tape Max’s lips if you have to.”

Jae spoke up mid-bite. He reached for the pitcher of water and held up his glass. “We won’t. Colin is the one driving. It’s his uncle’s van too so we’ll be careful. I already dropped Emily a message about the road trip. Everything would be ready by the time we got there. We’d leave as soon as we arrived.”

“Good.” Steve nodded. He shifted his attention to his other son. “Logan, have you asked Ethan for permission? You never mentioned it again.”

The waffle clogged Logan’s throat. It caused him to choke. A series of coughs flowed out of his mouth. He grabbed his bottle of orange juice and pushed it down to his stomach. Panting, he slammed the bottle on the table.

“I had totally forgotten about it.”

How could it have slipped his mind? That was the most important thing he had to do. He couldn’t have the perfect without that permission. No permission, no date. No date, no alone time with Alex.

All of his planning would go to waste if he failed this one bit.

Jae interjected before their father could reply.

“Logan!” He stared at his brother with accusing eyes. “How could you forget? Alex explicitly told you that you needed to ask. If you don’t get that permission, we can’t take her back to Woodlands.”

“Ah, crap.” Logan cursed. He had spent his free time between Alex and the plan for their date. He had searched for the location, inquiring on a reservation. He wanted the details to be complete before he made the call.

That way he’d be ready for any question.

“That’s it. You’re grounded.”

“What?” Tim gasped. She shook her head at Steve. “There is an easy solution to this. They could just visit her house and ask for permission. It’s not like they wouldn’t have the time.”

Her fiance pressed his lips together. He considered the idea for a moment. “Nope, either Logan would get the permission before they leave or they won’t leave at all. That was part of the deal. He has to see it through if he wants this trip.”

Logan ġrȯȧnėd. He messed up and he knew it. A part of him was nervous to call. Every time he’d been around Ethan Greenwood, the man always wore a permanent scowl. It had been the rush of adrenaline that helped him during the party. It was something he made on a whim before he could chicken out.

Now, that rush was nowhere to be found.

“Dad.” Logan gulped.

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Would you happen to know Ethan’s number?” His son scratched the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.

Tim trapped her spoon with her lips. She used it to hold in her amusement. Jae had the same struggle as her. His tactic consisted of stuffing his mouth. He focused on chewing, hoping that would be enough.

The silence built on the suspense. With every second that passed, Logan’s heartbeat sped up. His father stared back at him. Ocean blue eyes hardened into gemstones. They searched for something on his face.

Unfortunately, Logan didn’t know what it was.

He prayed to a Higher Power that he’d pass.

“Here. Use my phone.” Steve instructed his son. He handed over the phone after he unlocked it. He held a stern expression on his face. “Call him now and get that permission.”

“Thank you!” Logan cheered. After taking the phone, he kissed his father and sprinted out of the kitchen. He went to the living room. No one was in sight. He checked the contact list.

The call rang twice before it was picked up.

“Steve! Why hasn’t your blasted son called yet?” Ethan sneered from the other line, “Had he forgotten the terms for dating my daughter? He has to ask for my approval for every date.”

Logan flinched at the first syllable. It felt like a loud drum banged against his ear.

“Heyy… Uncle Ethan,” he greeted. His voice came out meek. He cleared his throat and changed it to a firm tone. “I mean, good morning, sir.”

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…

“About time you called, boy,” Ethan huffed, mumbling to himself after.

It was too low for Logan to hear. Sweat dripped down his back. His armpits also began to water. That first greeting had made him nervous. He really screwed up. It should have been the top item in his list of things to do.

Especially after he used that permission for his father to agree.

If Ethan didn’t find it a problem, there was no reason for Steve to think otherwise.

At least, that was how his logic convinced him.

“I know, I know,” Logan admitted as his mind raced for a good explanation. “Alex mentioned that you were overseas. I thought while waiting I should prepare for the date. I could give you the full walkthrough of my plan. You’d see I have nothing but pure intentions.”

A grunt came through the earpiece. “Did you make a reservation somewhere?”

“In fact, I did!”

“Without asking for my permission?!” Ethan yelled. Logan had to pull the phone away from his ear. It pierced his drums, almost deafening him for a while. “What if I had refused?! How could you proceed with the plan without consulting me about it?!”