Love Bird. by Emily. Z. (story read aloud TXT) 📕

Sliding out of the car, I got my precious ice cream and cookies out of the back. I skipped all the way to the entrance of the hotel, a small smile on my face as I opened my cookies to eat. I took a step toward the spinning doors, and was grabbed and pulled back.

I yelped as I was spun around, and my eyes met two livid bright blue ones.

"I'm going to kill you," He stated, his chest heaving with silent breaths.

And then his lips fell on mine.

I didn't have time to react, before he pulled me back, and was shaking me by the shoulders as he growled, "Where have you been? You crazy, stubborn, stupid, beautiful, crazy woman!" 

I glared at him. "I don't appriciate being called crazy...twice!"

"Well I'll say it again!" He exlaimed.

And then I was crushed in his arms, my chin resting on his shoulder as he held me with all his might, burying his face in my neck. "Don't ever make me worry like that again."

I could have mistaken his words, they were muffled, and soft, but the desperate tone of his voice, and the heaving of relieved breath from his lips made me think that I was right on the mark. 

He reminded me of Victor, as his arms held me tighter. The day I'd run off, claiming that my family was safer, Victor had done the same thing. And the thought of Victor, caused guilt to pang in my stomach.

My heart was fluttering, and butterflies were swarming in my stomach, and my arms, aching to do just as they were doing without my permission, slid around his torso. I couldn't stop myself from feeling something for this man, and it made me heavy with guilt.

"Have you been safe?" He asked me, pulling me back to put his hands on each side of my face.

I nodded, staring into his worried eyes, "I've kept under Ike's radar. He currently thinks I'm in Mexico."

"Good," He breathed, crushing me back in his arms. "That's good."

My hands felt his strong back, and it made me feel even guiltier at how familiar he felt. Wasn't I trying to reconsile with Victor?

"Where's your mom?" I asked, realizing that she wasn't right behind him.

"I told her to head home. Jean is waiting on her."

"She's not going to tell-"

"No," He assured, stepping back and letting me out of his arms. "I told her that you probably had good reason for staying out of our sight, and not to tell anyone else," He informed.

Good reason. I snorted mentally. Is running away from your problems a good reason?

"Thanks," I mumbled.

Hesitating for a moment, he stepped forward and lifted my chin to meet his eyes. "How long has it been?"

"Hmm?" I murmured, blinking once.

He stepped back, clearing his throat as he murmured, "Nothing."

Silence followed, and for a moment, I was lost at what to say. Luckily, Logan saved me the trouble, gesuring out into the night and asking, "So...you want to go somewhere to talk?"

"Somewhere?" I replied, blinking.

"Like a...coffee shop, or something...," He trailed off, scratching the black of his head.

"Um...," I looked down at my bag of ice cream.

***

"Seriously?" Logan asked, amused, and also dry as I brought another spoonful to my lips.

"What? It was going to melt." I shrugged, offering him another plastic spoon - supplied by the coffee shop. "Want some?"

His eyes flickered down to the giant carton of ice cream sitting in front of me, and I could see him contemplating. Finally, he shrugged, and took the spoon from me. I slid the ice cream to the middle of the table, and we spooned our delicious dessert in silence.

"So," He said between bites, and I had to hold back my smile as I noticed a bit of ice cream on his nose. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Hmm? You mean here?" I replied, stuffing my mouth with ice cream.

His lips twitched, and he shook his head absently for a moment, before answering, "I mean, the reason why you dissapeared in the first place. Everyone was kind of wondering the same thing."

"Mm," I muttered, unable to say much more for fear of showing off a mouthful of ice cream. After my mouth was cleared I answered, "I'm looking for my father."

He crooked an eyebrow. 

I felt my smile break through, and I threw a napkin at his face, "Wipe the ice cream off of your nose!"

He caught it, wiping the ice cream he hadn't known was there with a roll of his eyes.

"Anyway," I said in a dry tone, "Dad apparently set my brother up to be kidnapped - hurt him, even. I'm looking for him, to clear up the situation. I'm either going to punch the shit out of him and turn him into the police, or hug him and apologize for ever doubting him."

Logan blinked a few times. "He's working with Ike?"

"That's the gist of it," I sighed, "I'm hoping it's a misunderstanding, but I won't say my brother lied."

There was a moment of silence. Logan seemed to put the pieces together. "So...you think he's here?"

"No," I snorted, "Finding him is proving a little harder than I thought."

"So...," Logan trailed off, and I knew he'd figured it out as his eyes turned disappointed. "You're here to get help?"

I let out a sigh, setting my spoon in the ice cream and leaning back. "I am. I didn't want to just go find Victor, so I'm having him find me - because you know how I love making things easy. I'm setting up puzzle pieces across town for him to find."

He leaned back, and did something I didn't expect, his head went back and he let out a boisterous laugh.

Everyone in the shop looked in our direction, but Logan took no notice as he leaned forward again with a full-on grin, eyes twinkling with mirth as he asked, "I'm guessing he took that quite well?"

I felt a grin overtake my face. "It's drivin' him crazy."

If possible, his grin grew wider. I felt my own pride well up. I knew Logan was proud of me - we were partners in crime when it came to pissing Victor off. 

"So...I'm the only one who knows you're in town, right?" He asked, his smile softening into a more casual one. 

I hesitated, before nodding once. "You and an old friend of mine," I confirmed.

"Old friend?" Logan inquired, before taking another bite of ice cream.

"Yeah, he owns a tuxedo shop downtown. We've known each other since high school." 

"He's trustworthy?" Logan asked, staring seriously into my eyes.

I snorted. "He thinks my life is richer than a soap opera - don't worry," I assured with a smile, "He wouldn't say a word unless I gave him the OK."

Logan smiled. "Your life is a soap opera."

 I shook my head. "No, no. If my life were a soap opera, I'd be the man-stealing bitch. I cannot stand the emotional protagonist. Ugh!"

"Well then, what would you catagorize your life as?"

"A series of unfortunate events," I muttered in a dry tone.

He laughed out loud again, and then he nodded in agreement. "Right."

I leaned back with a smile of my own, watching as he spooned himself another bite of half-melted ice cream, still chortling.

"You seem to be in a good mood tonight," I remarked.

He looked up at me, meeting my eyes as his own shined. But this time, there was no smile. His face was soft, but all of the happiness seemed to store in his eyes, and he nodded. "I am. Better than I have been in a long time."

I felt myself swallow involentarily. I knew that look. It was a look that I'd seen many-a-time, but not with Logan. It caused guilt to spring up again as my heart reacted to that look. 

Stop it! Don't look at me like that! I can't...don't you know what you're doing to me?

 Despite the shouting debacle my head was creating, I felt myself smile back at him, and I knew I was done for. 

***

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" I asked for the third time, my eyebrow crinkling as I stared up at Logan.

He laughed, and nodded. "I'll be fine."

"But, maybe I should take you home...after all," I mumbled, unsure.

He shook his head, and leaned down to my level, staring me straight in the eyes. "I'll be fine. You can't risk being seen, right? Mom understands, but Jean will undoubtedly handcuff you in the bathroom and never let you out again."

I winced. "Is she angry at me?" It dissapointed me, because I'd just gotten her to like me when the whole shitstorm went down.

"Quite the contrary. She misses you. She's angry, yes, but not because you left without reason - because you left in the first place."

My heart warmed, and my shoulders relaxed. I smiled a genuine smile this time. "I'm glad. Not that she's angry of course-" I quickly added, letting a laugh escape, "But, you know, that she doesn't hate me. I'm glad she understands, even if I didn't give any of you a reason for leaving-"

His warm lips on my cheek caused my words to cut short, a soft gasp sucking it's way in, instead. 

"I get it," He whispered, his lips brushing my cheek, and I felt them heat to near boiling point. 

I hadn't even realized that my hands grasped his biceps. My blinking eyes met his, and his gaze held mine for a moment, and then strayed down to my lips. 

"Tell me something," He breathed, and I could only blink again. He took my silence as permission to ask, and said in a hushed voice, "Have you spoken to him?"

He didn't have to say his name. I knew who he spoke of. I felt myself nod. My heart pounded in my chest, as much as I tried to tell myself that he didn't affect me.

He nodded as well, and sighed. "Then this will be the last time...for now."

And his right arm slid around my waist, jerking me into him, while his other hand found my chin and lifted my lips to meet his. His lips were hot, and urgent. I felt all of my willpower leave me, as my arms wrapped around his neck, and my hands began to run through his hair.

My only coherent thoughts weren't helping much. 

Damn, how fucking in love with this goddamn idiot am I? Geez, get it together, woman!

He broke from the kiss, uttering a single word - which later I realized with much embarrassement was my name, but I was too far gone to decipher such an intricate language as english at that very moment in time.

Logan slowed the kiss after a moment, and it became slow and deliberate, weakening me in the knees just a bit. When he finally pulled away, and let go of me, I was wobbling on my knees, and I was sure my face was dazed and awe-struck. 

"See you, Jane," He murmured, and he looked downright hot with his lips swollen, and hair amess. 

And then I blinked. My cheeks suddenly flamed, and I stumbled back a step. I was suddenly acting like a man who got caught doing unmanly things, like hugging a kitten.

I cleared my