Toxic: Logan's Story (Torn #4)(25)

I’d called Logan the day before I left to let him know that I would be flying in and to make sure that he still wanted to go with me. I had been relieved when he said he was still up for the trip. I almost hadn’t asked, afraid that he’d changed his mind. I’d called and texted him once or twice while the band was on tour, but that had been it. I had no idea what to expect when he picked me up from the airport. I had intended to rent a car and drive to his place, but he’d insisted that it wasn’t a big deal to pick me up. I knew for a fact that he had been lying since I would be landing in Pittsburgh, and it was over an hour drive there from Morgantown. It made me smile to realize that he cared enough to come get me.

I spotted his car as soon as I walked out of the airport. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him. He was gorgeous. He’d said before that he couldn’t compete with my bandmates, but he obviously didn’t look in the mirror that often. He’d trimmed his hair, but it was still shaggier than I was used to seeing on him. His piercing blue eyes were crystal clear, and I couldn’t help but notice both of his dimples. He was grinning from ear to ear as he took my bags from me. After shoving them into the trunk of his car, he pulled me into a hug.

“Well, hi to you, too,” I joked.

“It’s good to see you. Did you have a good flight?” he asked as he released me.

I instantly missed his touch.

“Yeah, I slept through most of it,” I said as we got into his car.

We were both quiet until the airport was nothing more than a memory in the rearview mirror.

“So, how have you been?” I finally asked.

He smiled as he glanced at me. “I’m good—not great, but good. I’m a lot better than I was the last time you saw me.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I was worried about you.”

“I was worried about me for a while, too, but I focused on my classes and my job to pass the time. It took me a few months, but I finally figured out what a f*cking sap I had been. I know how stupid I was to hang on to her.”

“You weren’t stupid, Logan. Never think that.”

He shrugged, clearly finished with our discussion. “So, how was the tour?”

“It was great. I loved every minute of it. The fans were insane, and I got to see a lot of places I never thought I’d see.”

“That’s awesome. I bet you’re sad that it’s over.”

I shook my head. I was right where I wanted to be. “I can only live on a bus with Adam for so long before I lose my ever-loving mind. We barely got a chance to rest, so I’m beat. I’m looking forward to just relaxing for a while.”

“How long do you guys have off?”

“Well, technically, two months, and then we’re supposed to finish writing the rest of the album after that. The label doesn’t need to know that it’s already done, so we’ll get a few extra weeks off.”

“Sneaky,” he joked.

“You say sneaky, and I say smart. I’m just looking forward to getting away for a while.”

We chatted most of the way to his house, but neither of us talked about anything too deep. It was refreshing to just hang out and talk with him. We’d never done this before. He had always been so torn up over Chloe that it was impossible to talk about the little things in life. I loved the way his eyes would light up when he laughed at something I’d said.

When we pulled up to his house, he grabbed my overnight bag and carried it inside to Chloe’s old room. I was staying with him and Amber tonight. Logan and I planned to leave early in the morning for Tennessee. The trip back to my hometown of Crossville would take a little over seven hours, so we wanted to start as early as possible.

Nervousness filled my stomach when I realized that I would be going home tomorrow. It was the one place I considered my own personal hell. It’d been just over six years since I ran away, but it felt like a lifetime ago. The things I’d experienced since leaving my old life behind had changed me. I wasn’t the scared seventeen-year-old who had run away from her problems. The music my stepdad always bitched about hadn’t destroyed my soul. Instead, it had changed my life.

When I walked back into that house, I would do it as a successful woman—a signed drummer with an entire company behind her. As immature as it sounded, I couldn’t wait to rub my accomplishments in my mom’s and stepdad’s faces. I wanted them to see that I was more than an accident. I was more than the stepdaughter who was always in the way. I was no longer the living and breathing reminder of my mother’s mistakes. I was me, and it felt damn good to know where I stood in life.

“You hungry?” Logan asked.

I dropped my bag onto the bed. “Starving. Airplane peanuts aren’t what I consider dinner.”

He grinned. “Come on, we’ll go get something to eat. Anyplace specific you want to go?”

“What? You’re not going to cook dinner for me?” I joked.

“Nah, I like you too much to make you suffer through that.” He took my hand in his and forced me to follow him back to the front door.

I couldn’t help but look down at our joined hands. No one had ever touched me like this—with the exception of Eric, and his touches were rare. Even when I was with Mikey, he wasn’t the type to hold hands. It might not mean anything to Logan, but it did to me.