Trust In Love - Chapter 264

Back in her room, Alex stood in front of a mirror.

Lauren laid down on her stomach, a pocky stick in between her lips. She folded her arms over the bed. Her legs crossed as she lifted them up. She watched Emily circle around Alex, ȧssessing the outfit.

The moment made her wish she had this kind of help when she had her first date.

Alex pursed her lips. “Do I really need to wear a crop top? It’s almost winter.”

“Oh, shush!” Her cousin objected, rolling her eyes. “It’s more of a hanging top than a crop one. It still covers down to the waist. The pants also reach the same level. Unless you raise your arms a lot, you have little to worry about.”

Shuffling her feet, Alex turned to her side. The ‘boyfriend’ jeans as Emily called it cinched at the waist. The bottom hem stopped just above her ankle. White sneakers covered her feet. The hanging top in question was a green cotton shirt. Like her cousin described, the fabric ended at her waist.

If a breeze flew by, it would expose her stomach.

“This is—”

“It looks great, Alex,” Lauren spoke up, looking down on her phone. She took out another pocky stick and bit it. “Besides, most places have their heaters on. You’d only need a coat whenever you’re outside. I don’t think Logan has any plans to stay out for too long. I bet you’d be indoors.”

Alex sighed, giving up on the argument.

The outfit was already a compromise. They initially wanted her to wear an off-shoulder top. She gently rejected them and suggested saving it for the summer. Of course, both girls giggled and teased her about wanting a date for the summer season.

Then, they talked about bikinis and she walked to another aisle.

Emily dabbed a bit of lip gloss on her cousin’s lips. She smirked as she resealed the tube.

“Just in case you decide to kiss Logan again.”

Alex shoved her shoulder, glaring. Emily merely laughed as she joined Lauren on the bed. The latter looked up and grinned. “I really thought Logan would make the move. Who knew it would be you who’d kiss him first? How did it feel?”

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Alex busied herself with the waistband of her jeans. She double checked if it was straight. Her hands patted the pockets, making sure it didn’t crease. Then, she knelt down and looked at the laces. She tucked in the tips inside the shoe.

It wouldn’t be good if she stepped on them, right?

“Ohhh,” Lauren said, breaking the silence, “So, now, she feels shy. What do you think, Em?”

Emily rested her arm against Lauren’s shoulder. She laughed under her breath. Her eyes stayed on Alex. “How peculiar. Someone bold enough to kiss a boy is now feeling shy. Where did that braveness go? Was that kiss so powerful that it suċkėd it out of her?”

Closing her eyes, Alex hung her head. Was there a memory erasing machine somewhere? How did she even tell them about it? What magic sorcery did they use on her?

Hell, how did she survive that moment in the closet?

“Did you just kiss me?”

“No-o,” Alex stuttered. She let out a cough and cleared her throat. Her head twisted to the side, avoiding a pair of emerald eyes. “It was a figment of your imagination.”

“I think I need a second experience to confirm.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her ċhėst. She kept her gaze on the door. “Do that and I’ll kick you where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Logan’s shoulders shook from his quiet laughter. He pushed his lower arms against the wall, leaning down and bowing his head. His lips grinned from ear to ear. Euphoria elated inside of him.

“How about we go on a date then?”

“When?” Alex scowled. She was moving back over the weekend. Her family was also in town.

Logan raised his head and smirked. “So you agree?”

Alex pinched his nose. “I did not.”

A large thump hit Alex in the ċhėst. Her breathing hitched, stopping altogether. Her insides squeezed as if something wanted to snuff off her soul. It happened so quickly. She didn’t have time to process the reason.

Her hand reached out and slapped Logan’s cheek.

“Ow!”

“Ohmygods!” Alex gaped, covering her mouth with both hands. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.

Logan blinked several times and unhinged his jaw. He tested out the pain before replying. “If you want to guilt yourself into going on a date with me, at least, warn me in advance.”

“Does it hurt?” Alex asked. She lifted a hand as if to touch the sore spot. Then, she stopped halfway. “Do you need some ice? How can I help?”

“How about another kiss?”

“Not happening.”

Chuckling, Logan rested his red cheek on the side of her head. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Then, a date?”

Again, Alex wondered how she survived. She remembered the suffocation. She would have fainted if they stayed there longer. Her erratic heartbeat didn’t make it any easier.

A doorbell woke up Alex.

Was she back in the closet? Breathing became difficult again.

The girls on her bed squealed. They knew who was at the door. She peeked at them from the corner of her eye, shaking her head.

“No peeking!” Alex warned them. She took her smallest sling bag and headed for the door. One step out of the room, she sent one last warning look over her shoulder. “I mean it. I’m letting you stay here so you better behave.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Just go already.”

Lauren sat up and shooed Alex away. “The faster you leave, the less chance we’d get to peek.”

Her friend didn’t need to be told twice. Hurried footsteps climbed down the stairs and bolted for the front door. Lauren chuckled.

“You think Logan would be able to resist if he saw her torso?”

A mischievous laugh flowed out of Emily’s lips. She clutched her stomach and fell over the bed. It was the perfect outfit. It almost guaranteed a kiss. From what they know, Logan had planned an activity that involved a lot of movement. There would be plenty of chances for the hanging top to rise.

Not to mention if any guy glanced at her cousin’s way.

“Aren’t we so nice?” Emily asked once she recovered. “They’re going to have so much fun because of us. It would be such a memorable date.”

“Uh-huh,” Lauren agreed. She lied on her side and cradled her head. “And what about you? Don’t you have a date with Jae?”

Emily snorted, mimicking her position. Her elbow dug on the mattress. “He hasn’t contacted me at all. I’m starting to think he gave up. I am very hard to please.”

“Something tells me his silence means the opposite. It’s the sound of someone scheming.”

A wide grin spread across her face. “I’d like to see him try.”

Down the stairs and behind the front door, Alex shook her hands. They quivered more than any body part. She stretched her legs and checked if they still functioned. It seemed that her brain and her nerves still worked.

It wasn’t the first time she spent a day with Logan.

Did dates really make a difference? From what she noticed, they were almost the same as normal hangouts—except there were romantic feelings involved.

At the thought, Alex flinched.

Immense pain flooded her back. Something solid had hit it. It threw her off balance, almost landing on the floor. She leaned back just in time and collided with the wall beside her. Her head snapped towards the door.

It opened further.

A head of dark hair and green eyes popped out.

Alex narrowed her eyes. “Did you just try to trespass again?”

Logan pressed his lips together. He blinked innocently. “You were taking so long. I got worried.”

She pushed herself upright and snorted. Her hand grabbed the door knob, pulling it open all the way. “It hasn’t even been a minute since you rang.”

“Sounds like a long time to me.” Logan smirked. He tucked his hands into his pockets. His black leather jacket glistened from the afternoon sky. A dark gray hoodie peeked out from the open zipper.

Alex shivered as soon as she stepped out. It wasn’t cold but it was chilly. If they were to stay out all day, it would be freezing at night. She cursed under her breath. She didn’t want to go back upstairs.

She’d only face more teasing.

Before she could check the coat rack, Logan shrugged off his and wrapped it around her shoulders. He shook his head as he fixed the collar. “I can practically see the veins under your skin. I’d say that means you get cold easily. What did you girls even buy at the mall? Nothing that can keep you warm?”

Alex bowed her head, biting her bottom lip. Maybe if the pressure was hard enough, the blood would flow there instead of her cheeks. “Thank you for the jacket but I can—”

Another shiver jolted her spine.

Logan frowned. He lifted up the jacket and said, “You need to stick your arms in the sleeves. I’ll hold it for you.”

A lump formed in Alex’s throat. She figured he wouldn’t let her go back inside. If he would, it would have been the first thing he told her. She swallowed the words she wanted to say and followed his instructions.

She felt a cool breeze kiss her stomach.

Then, it left as soon as it came.

The tips of her fingers bȧrėly touched the openings. She pulled up the sleeves to expose her hands. When that was fixed, she noticed the instant warmth that protected her from the autumn air. It felt like a blanket.

Alex looked it up, ready to thank Logan. Her gaze met a stoic statue.

Logan’s hands hovered in front of him. His wide eyes stared down and didn’t blink. He also stopped breathing. He became an ice sculpture, dazed and unmoving.

Alex creased her forehead. “Logan, are you okay?”

He didn’t answer.

Instead, he reached for the zipper and pulled it all the way up.

“This is going to be a long day, isn’t it?”