Chapter 57
-Hailey-
The morning came too soon.
9:4
零元
Logan helped me in the shower. My shoulder was healing well, but I still couldn’t lift my arm all the way to wash my hair.
He left me alone to brush my teeth, and by the time I stepped out of the bathroom, he was already fully dressed. A pair of sweatpants under his jeans, a hoodie on top of his t–shirt, and a black leather jacket under his cut.
His green eyes were scanning me, and it wasn’t entirely because I was standing there naked. It was more like he was checking me for cracks.
“You good?” he asked, his voice still rough from sleep.
I nodded, but my stomach was doing somersaults. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
He helped me dress similarly… lots of layers. Sweatpants under baggy jeans, wool socks, two hoodies. He helped me tie my boots.
Then he pulled an old leather jacket out of his closet. It was big on me, and I was still wearing my sling. But he took the sleeve I couldn’t wear and wrapped it around my waist, tucking it through my belt so it wouldn’t fly off while we were on the bike.
He stepped close to me, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “You don’t have to, you know.” He must’ve seen how nervous I was. “We can turn around whenever you want.”
I met his gaze, forcing a small smile. “I need this. We need this. I just hope they don’t hate me for cutting them off.”
“They won’t,” he said simply, digging in the closet again. He pulled out a black helmet with a tinted visor, handing it to me. “Here. This’ll keep your face warm.”
He grabbed our duffel bag full of clothes and toiletries, slinging it over his shoulder. “Let’s ride.”
The clubhouse was still quiet when we rolled out. The rumble of Logan’s bike filled the morning air. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, painting the sky pink.
I hung on tight to Logan’s waist with my good arm, feeling the vibration of the engine as we hit the open
road.
The wind whipped past us, but I didn’t mind. It felt like it was stripping away the layers of fear and hesitation, leaving me raw and clean. Logan’s warmth against my chest kept me grounded as we sped down the highway.
The landscape shifted as we left Riverstone behind. The city gave way to rolling hills and forests, and the roads started to get narrower, winding through the countryside.
After a few hours my shoulder was getting sore from the vibrations, but I started to recognize my
17:38 Wed, Dec 31
Chapter 57
容
35
NOUCHSTE
surroundings. The old diner with its faded red awning, the crumbling barn with the rusted red tractor out front. We were getting closer now.
Finally, we crested a hill, and the town came into view. It looked smaller than I remembered, like it’d shrunk in on itself in the few years I was gone.
Logan slowed the bike as we rolled into town. “Where to?” he asked over the noise of the engine.
I flipped open my visor and took a deep breath. “Just keep going straight. I’ll tell you when.”
We passed the old gas station where I worked my first job, the church where I’d been baptized, the park where I used to hang out with my friends.
When I had friends.
Each landmark was a fresh punch to the gut, knocking the air out of me.
Finally, I pointed to a small house on the corner. “There.”
Logan pulled the bike into the driveway, cutting the engine. The sudden silence was deafening.
I stared at the house, my heart pounding in my chest. The front door was the same shade of blue I remembered. The porch swing creaked in the breeze.
Logan climbed off the bike, holding his hand out to me. “Ready?”
I hesitated for a second before taking his hand, my fingers shaking in his. “As I’ll ever be.”
The sound of the door creaking open made me freeze. My fingers tightened around Logan’s as I watched my mom step out onto the porch.
She was only forty–three, but she looked older. Her hair was streaked with gray, her face lined with worry I hadn’t seen before. She was holding a coffee mug, firmly, like she was ready to use it as a weapon if she had to.
Her eyes landed on Logan first, narrowing as she took in his leather cut, the tattoos crawling up his neck. Then she looked at me, still wearing the helmet, the tinted visor hiding my face.
She didn’t recognize me. Of course she didn’t.
“Can I help you?” she asked, cautious but curious. She wasn’t scared, but she wasn’t exactly welcoming either. “What are you doing on my property?”
My heart was in my throat. Logan squeezed my hand, a silent reassurance. Then he helped me take the helmet off, and I shook my hair out.
My mom’s eyes went wide. The mug slipped from her hands, shattering on the porch steps. Coffee splattered across the wood, steaming in the cool air.
“Hailey?” She whispered my name like it was a fragile thing. Her hand flew to her mouth, and for a second, she just stared at me like I was a ghost.
17:38 Wed, Dec 31
Chapter 57
36
Then she rushed down the steps, her arms wrapping around me before I could even think. She smelled like lavender and oud, just like she always had.
“Mom,” I choked out, my voice cracking. Her hug was jabbing daggers through my shoulder, but I didn’t care. I buried my face in her neck, tears streaming down my checks.
“My God,” she whispered against my hair. “Where have you been? I thought-” Her voice broke, and she pulled back enough to look at me, her hands framing my face. “I thought I lost you.”
“I…” I started. “It’s… a long story.”
Her attention had already shifted back to Logan. “Where’s Matt? And who’s this?” she asked, her voice neutral but her eyes wary.
Hearing her say that name felt like a grenade exploding in my chest.
“Logan,” I said quickly, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “He’s… he’s with me.”
Logan nodded, his hands tucked into his pockets. “Ma’am,” he said, firm and respectful.
My mom studied him for a minute, her eyes lingering on his cut, the patches that marked him as a Warrior. I could see the questions forming in her mind, the worry creeping in.
But she didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned back to me, her hand still on my shoulder. “Come inside,” she said softly. “Both of you.”
I hesitated, glancing at Logan. He gave me a small nod, his green eyes steady.
I took a deep breath and followed my mom up the porch steps. The creak of the wood under my feet sent another wave of nostalgia through me.
The house smelled the same, like cinnamon and old books. The living room was exactly like I remembered it – the faded floral couch, the pictures on the wall.
My graduation photo was still there, frozen in time, like the girl in the picture hadn’t disappeared.
My mom motioned for us to sit. “Let me get you some coffee,” she said, her voice shaky. “You must be exhausted.”
“Mom,” I started, but she shook her head.
“Coffee first,” she said firmly. “Then talk.”
Logan sat on the edge of the couch with his hands resting on his knees. He was all leather and danger, and he looked out of place in the cozy room. But he didn’t seem uncomfortable. Just… alert. Like he was ready for anything.
I sat next to him, my shoulder brushing against his. My mom disappeared into the kitchen, and the sound of the coffee maker filled the silence. My eyes landed on the framed photo of my parents on their wedding day.
“Told you. She doesn’t hate you,” Logan murmured, his voice low so only I could hear.
17:38 Wed, Dec 31
Chapter 57
D
the vouchers
I nodded, but my stomach was still twisted in knots. I didn’t know what to expect… how this would go.
But when my mom came back with three steaming mugs of coffee, her face was softer. She set ours in front of us on the coffee table, and then sat across from us with her hands wrapped around her own mug.
“Okay. Start from the beginning,” she said, her tone gentle. “Tell me everything.”
A.D
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.
