Forever Logan by Elena Matthews (animal farm read .txt) 📕

She nods, smiling. “I’ll head to the ladies’ room before getting back to the wedding. I’m due to finish my maid of honor duties at eight o’clock for the first dance. Meet me on the dance floor?”

“It’s a date,” I say, taking a couple of steps back, and then we go our separate ways.

I spend the next hour enjoying more champagne, talking to relatives and friends, while a live rhythm and blues band play various ’50s soul music. Then, as they announce the first dance, my eyes search out Ally’s from across the dance floor. I know I should be watching Remi and Nate as they make their way to the dance floor when the band starts playing “That’s How Strong My Love Is” by Otis Redding, but I find it impossible to tear my eyes from the enchanting beauty that is Ally. It might be the dimmed lights or the spotlights from the disco ball glistening against her face, but tonight, she is more beautiful than I have ever seen her, especially in her flowing blush dress. I stay glued to the spot as she walks toward me, my eyes never once easing the gaze I have on her. When she finally reaches me, I take her by the hand and pull her into me.

“You know, you’re supposed to be watching Remi and Nate.”

“I know. I just can’t seem to take my eyes off you. Plus, I already know what Remi and Nate look like.”

She giggles. “You already know what I look like as well,” she says as she turns in my arms to admire the happy couple, and I hold her tight to my chest.

I lean over her ear. “But they don’t make my heart do crazy things like you do.”

She squeezes my arms at that comment. We both watch Remi and Nate slow-dance in the middle of the dance floor, and my heart warms at seeing my brother so happy.

Ally pivots her head back to look at me and says, as if mirroring my thoughts, “They look so happy, don’t they?”

I don’t answer. Instead, I just press a kiss against the side of her neck. Naturally, our bodies sway with the music, and when my mom and dad, Kaelyn and Chase, and a few of my cousins make their way to the dance floor, I whisper in Ally’s ear, “Do you want to dance?”

She turns in my arms and beams a smile. “I would love to.”

Taking her by the hand, I lead her toward the center of the dance floor before pulling her warm body into my arms, and we begin to slow dance.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?”

She shakes her head. “No, you haven’t.”

“Well, you look incredible. You’re definitely on par with the bride.”

Her eyes glance over to Remi, who’s dancing with Nate just a couple of feet from us, before she returns her gaze to me. “Thank you, but nobody even comes close to how beautiful Remi looks right now. And the fact that she’s showing her burn scars just makes me so damn proud of how far she has come. She deserves to be happy more than anybody I know.” A couple of words come out as sobs, and that’s when I see a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Are you crying?” I ask softly.

She nods, clutching hold of me even tighter. “Yep, I’m being a total girl right now.” She laughs through her tears. “But Remi is everything to me. She’s my person.”

Chuckling a little, I reach a hand to her face and wipe at her stray tears.

“I’m just so happy she’s found her soul mate.”

“In some ways, you could say, the first fire was a blessing in disguise.”

“How is that?” she asks with a sniffle.

“Well, if there hadn’t been a fire, then Nate wouldn’t have saved Remi, Nate wouldn’t have forced me to help move you guys in, I wouldn’t have fallen head over heels in love with you the instant I saw you. I wouldn’t have been able to save you or Remi in the second fire, you wouldn’t have realized that you couldn’t live without me if I died, and you’d probably still be with Freddie.”

She balks at that and twists her face with disgust. “That’s not even worth thinking about. I think you’re right though. I’ve spent so much energy being angry about the fires, letting them mess with my head…but in reality, if they hadn’t happened, neither Remi or I would have met Nate and you, and that thought is a lot harder to stomach than almost dying in a fire. I can’t imagine not having you in my life. Not only did you bring me back to life after those fires, but you’re also the only good thing that came out of it. I’m sorry I’m only realizing that now.”

“Well, fortunately for you, you were worth the wait. And like Nate said in his wedding vows, I would walk through a million fires just to be with you. I’m sorry for not fighting for you, for us, during these last five weeks…but I promise, from this moment on, I will always fight for you…until my last dying breath.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

“No, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you, but I’m going to be selfish and keep you to myself even though you could do so much better than me.”

“I could, but unfortunately, Prince Harry is already married, but I’ll guess you’ll do.” She purses her lips into a smirk as we continue to sway to the music.

“Well, thank God he’s taken then, as I definitely can’t compete with a prince.”

“Ack, who needs a prince when I have a cop to protect me from all the evil men?”

I don’t add the fact that Prince Harry actually served in the military because, well, she’s painting me in a better light, and my ego needs the boost.

“Hell yes, I would die for you, baby.”

“I love the sentiment, but please, no dying.