Chapter 68
-Hailey-
I stood there with my pulse hammering in my ears as Logan looked at me from across the lot.
He didn’t move toward me, didn’t say a word. Just stared like I was some kind of mirage he wasn’t sure was real.
My stomach twisted into knots, and for a split second, I thought might throw up.
Then he turned his head and muttered something to River. Before I could process what was happening, he was striding toward the back of the building, like he hadn’t even seen me.
I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. Again.
But now anger surged through me, hot and sharp, pushing aside the hurt. Of course he’d walk away. Of course he’d avoid
- me.
Why wouldn’t he? He’d made it clear he didn’t want me… didn’t want *this*.
But damn it, I wasn’t going to let him keep running away.
River started toward us with his hands shoved in his pockets and an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face.
When he got close, he gave me a small, tired smile. “Jesus, am I glad to see you, Hailey.” He paused, glancing over his shoulder where Logan had disappeared. “Go get your man. Please. I’m so goddamn tired of—”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I took off toward the back of the building, my boots scuffing against the gravel. I wasn’t stopping until I caught up to him.
Before I rounded the corner, I glanced back and saw River ushering Abby inside, his hand resting lightly on her back. He must’ve said something funny, because she was giggling.
The alley behind the clubhouse was dark, with only a single flickering bulb above the back door. I scanned the shadows, and my heart sank when I didn’t see him right away.
Then I heard it – the faint clang of metal on metal. My stomach lurched, and I followed the sound.
There he was. Halfway up the fire escape, his hands gripping the railing like he was trying to crush it. I knew he heard me coming, because his shoulders went stiff.
“Logan,” I said, my voice shaking. “You don’t get to run away this time.”
He didn’t move, didn’t speak. Just stood there, halfway up the ladder with his back to me.
“Look at me,” I demanded, taking a few steps closer. “Damn it, Logan, look at me!”
He turned slowly. His face was shadowed, but I could see the pain in his eyes. It hit me like a ton of bricks. For a second, I forgot what I even wanted to say.
“What do you want, Hailey?” he asked. His voice was rough, like he hadn’t used it in days.
“You,” I said, my voice breaking. “I want you. And I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
He shook his head, climbing the rest of the ladder. “We really doin‘ this again?”
“Yes,” I shot back, my frustration boiling over. “We are. You don’t get to decide we’re over, Logan.” I walked toward the
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Chapter 68
ladder. “Do you want me?”
His breath hitched, and he pulled a cigarette pack out of his cut. You’re better off without me.”
I rolled my eyes. “My feelings on that statement aside, you didn’t answer my question. Do. You. Want. Me?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he murmured, so quiet I could barely hear him
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“Bullshit,” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. “You know it does. Now, are you going to come down here and talk to me? Or are we gonna keep doing the Shakespeare thing?”
He looked away and shook his head. Pulled a cigarette out of his back and lit it.
“Okay, Juliet,” I muttered, stepping onto the first rung of the ladder. “Have it your way.”
The ladder creaked under my weight as I climbed up after him. My shoulder throbbed with every movement, but I didn’t
care.
Logan stood on the landing above, staring down at me with those damned green eyes. He took a long drag of his cigarette.
“You shouldn’t be climbin‘ this thing with your shoulder.”
I laughed once, sharp and loud. “Yeah, well, you shouldn’t be making me,” I shot back, hauling myself up onto the landing.
He exhaled a cloud of smoke, leaning against the railing. “You’re persistent. I’ll give you that.”
“You’re infuriating. I’ll give *you* that,” I snapped, crossing my arms.
He didn’t respond, just stared out over the alley with his jaw clenched.
“Logan, talk to me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of my heartbeat in my ears. “Please.”
He closed his eyes, his jaw flexing like he was fighting something inside himself. When he finally spoke, his voice was raw. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m not good, Hailey. I’m not… I’m not the guy you think I am.”
“That’s so false,” I laughed, stepping closer. “You’re exactly the guy I think you are. You’re reckless and stubborn and pissed off. Just like me.”
I took another step closer. “You’re also loyal and brave and you make me feel alive. And I’m not walking away from that.”
He opened his eyes, and the pain in them nearly broke me. “Hailey-”
“No,” I cut him off, my voice shaking. “You don’t get to push me away because you’re scared. You don’t get to decide I’m better off without you. I love you, Logan. And I’m not giving up on you.”
He shook his head again, flicking the cigarette butt over the railing.
“Tell me why you’re so scared of this,” I continued.
He turned to me, his eyes blazing. “You think I’m scared?”
“Yeah, I do,” I said, holding his gaze. “And you know what? That’s okay. Fear doesn’t make you weak, Logan. It just means you
care.”
He looked away again. His hands were gripping the railing so tight that his knuckles were white. “I’m not scared, Hailey. I’m
“What? I interrupted. “You’re what? Too broken? Too fucked up: Too dangerous? Because I’ve heard it all before, and I’m still
here.”
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Chapter 68
He turned back to me, and his eyes were dark and intense. “You shouldn’t be.”
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“That’s not your call,” I said, stepping even closer. “You don’t get to decide what’s best for me… what I deserve. I do. And I’m telling you, Logan, you’re it. You’re what I want.”
There were only a few inches between us now. I reached up and cupped his face, making him look me in the eyes. “Now, I’ll ask you one more time. Do you want me?”
He stared down at me. His breathing was uneven, his pupils blown wide.
The air between us vibrated, like it had its own pulse. His forehead dropped toward mine, just barely. Like gravity was dragging him into me despite his efforts.
His lips parted.
“Ace…” he whispered.
My entire world tilted toward him.
And then-
His phone rang in his pocket, shrill and violent in the silence.
Logan flinched back like he’d been shot.
The moment shattered.
“Jake,” he said, swiping to answer as he pulled open the window. He climbed through without looking back, and I heard his voice recede down the hall.
He left the window open behind him.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
