Page 104 of Broken Prince
By the second quarter, I have quite a few good shots. I’m reviewing some of them when I feel a presence in front of me.
“Logan,” I whisper, looking up.
“What the fuck, Laney,” he rumbles, crossing his arms. “Do you know how much it fucking killed me to come home from school on Monday and find your room fucking empty when I came looking for you?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you?” he growls. “You don’t seem like the kind of person who fucking runs. So why did you? Why did you move out and into the dorms?”
“I thought it would be better to move out. It was getting harder to stay on the right side of the line that was drawn.”
“What part of me wanting you and regretting suggesting we only be friends did you miss? I want more, Laney. I thought you wanted that too.”
“I did. I do. But it’s not that easy, Logan. Just because we change our minds doesn’t take away what had us all agreeing to only be friends in the first place.”
“So that's it? You're just done with me? With Benny?”
My heart breaks as my eyes well. “Don’t be like that, Logan.”
“Then tell me why you left like you did!” He gets closer to me. I take a step back, eyes shooting over towards the cheerleaders. Thankfully, Stacy isn’t watching as I bring my eyes back to Logan. Only his eyes aren’t on me, but in the direction where I was looking.
“Is this about her?” His eyes dart back over to mine.
I could tell him that I didn’t sign up for baby mama drama, that his life is too complicated, and I don’t want part of it, but that's a lie. I’d deal with all of this as long as I got to be with him. If it was anyone else, anyone less crazy, this wouldn’t be an issue. He and Benny have become too important to me to just turn my back on them.
But isn’t that what I’m doing? Was Justin right? Should I have stayed at his side and fought?
That would only piss Stacy off more, and until I know the lengths she’s willing to go, I don’t want to push that line.
“What did she say, Laney? What did she do?”
I don’t want to lie to him; it’s killing me that I have been. So, I’ll tell him what is obvious to anyone around us without going into details. “Stacy hates me. She clearly doesn’t want me around Benny. After she threatened to take him away from you because I was watching him, I knew it was time I took myself out of the equation. I don’t want to be the reason you have issues in your life. Benny comes first.”
“Fuck her,” he snaps. “Fuck her and what she wants. She can’t control my life.”
“Yet she did.” I give him a sad look. “She was going to take that little boy away from you, maybe for good. I couldn’t let that happen. If me living at the school and staying away from you and Benny keeps that from happening, then it’s a small price to pay.”
“So that's it? She wins?” His nostrils flare.
“For now, yeah.” I swallow hard. “Please don’t think I don’t care about you or Benny. That little boy has won my heart. I love him so much. This isn’t easy for me.”
“Cross!” Coach calls out. “Get your ass over here.”
Logan gives me a hard look. “This isn’t over, Laney. Not by a long shot.”
He turns around and jogs back to his team.
“I thought I said to stay away from him,” Stacy snips from behind me a few minutes later.
I turn around and sigh. “He came over to me. I’m only here because I have no other choice.” I hold up the camera. “I’m only taking photos of the team, the whole team. That's it.”
“What did you say to him?”
“He asked me why I moved out, I said it’s because I want to live in the dorms. To get the full college experience. To date around and have fun.” Funny how that was my original plan until I met the Cross boys.
She glares at me. “Fine. How's that going? Got a man yet?”
Anger fills me. “No, because it’s not that easy.”