~Ava pov~The cafeteria buzzed with a lot of noise, voices bouncing off the walls, trays clattering. I sat across from Charlotte, my fingers wrapped around a cold coffee cup, staring blankly at the swirling cream inside.I hadn't taken a single sip.Charlotte was yapping about some group project disaster, but I wasn't listening to her. I was busy lost against the storm in my head.I couldnât stop thinking about last night.What was going on with Logan? Why did he leave like that? The way heâd bolted from the apartment without even meeting my eyes. The haunted look when he returned, hours later. "Okay, you're scaring me now," Charlotte said, dragging me out of my thoughts.She leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"I hesitated, the words sticking in my throat.Finally, I set the cup down with a soft clink and whispered, "It's Logan."Charlotte's eyes sharpened immediately. "What happened? Did he cheat on you?!" âWhat? No!" I saidShe frowned âthen what did he do to get
~Avaâs POV~We stood there for a long moment, just breathing the same air, the world outside Loganâs apartment became blurring.Finally, he pulled back, threading his fingers with mine. His touch was hesitant, almost like he was afraid I'd remove my hands if he held on too tightly."Come inside," he said.I nodded and stepped in, letting him close the door behind me. The apartment was dim, the only light coming from a small lamp in the corner. Logan led me to the couch and sat down heavily, pulling me down beside him. He stared at the floor for a long moment, his leg bouncing slightly."I don't know where to start," he muttered."Wherever you want," I said softly. "I'm here."He glanced at me,gratitude flickering in his blue eyes."I guess..." He let out a breath. "I guess I should start with my mom."I waited. He rubbed the back of his neck, the way he always did when he was nervous."My mom was the best person I ever knew," he said, voice thick with emotion. "She was...kind. Gent
~Logan's POV~The sunlight streamed through the windows of the apartment, but all I could see was her.Still sitting cross-legged on my couch, her hair a messy bun around her head, her eyes were so soft and trusting, even after everything I barely managed to tell her last night.She didn't even freak out as i was expecting. I didnât deserve her.But selfishly, I wasnât going to let her go.I pushed myself off the wall where Iâd been leaning and crossed the room toward her.She smiled up at me, the kind of smile that made the tight knot in my chest loosen just a little. The kind of smile that lit up my whole world."You doing anything later?" I asked, my voice coming out roughly from lack of sleep and too many emotions.Her head tilted slightly. "No... why?"I smirked and sat on the coffee table in front of her, close enough that our knees brushed."After football practice," I said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm taking you out. Proper date. Just you and me
~Loganâs POV~The first thing I became aware of was the warmth.Soft,Sweet., and Familiar.I shifted slightly, blinking against the early morning light leaking through the blinds.And there she was.Curled against my chest, her head tucked under my chin, her arm thrown lazily across my waist like she belonged there.Like she was meant to be there.My heart clenched painfully in my chest.For a long minute, I just stared at her, afraid to even breathe too loud in case it shattered the fragile peace wrapping around us.She was beautiful.More beautiful than anything I deserved.Her hair was a wild mess against the pillow, her cheeks still flushed from the night before, her lips parted slightly as she breathed in slow, even rhythms.I tightened my arm around her instinctively, pulling her even closer.Mine.She was mine!The thought echoed in my head, loud and possessive.She was mine.And nothing⌠I mean no one was going to take her from me.I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lettin
~Avaâs POV~I wish I couldâve stayed like that forever. Wrapped up in Loganâs arms, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart against my ear, his hand lazily drawing circles on my back.It was easy to forget the rest of the world existed when I was with him.I smiled against his bare chest, feeling a strange kind of peace settle over me the kind I hadnât felt in years.My phone buzzed somewhere on the nightstand, vibrating against the table.I groaned, not wanting to move, but Logan chuckled and gave me a playful smack on the hip."Better get that, baby," he said, his voice thick with sleep.I stretched, feeling deliciously sore, and reached over to grab it.Charlotteâs name flashed across the screen.I frowned. Why was she calling so early?Sliding off the bed ignoring Loganâs mocking whine as I stole his warmth I padded across the room. I was dressed in nothing but a pair of Loganâs loose basketball shorts and his t-shirt, which hung almost indecently off one shoulder.My neck tingle
~Ava's pov~I stared at the man in front of me, my hand still clutching the doorknob like it was the only thing keeping me standing.The silence between us stretched thin. His eyes raked over me judgmental, cold, furious.I shrank back instinctively, pulling Loganâs shirt tighter around me.âReal classy, Ava,â my father sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. âThrowing yourself at the first guy with a bed.âMy stomach twisted painfully.Before I could utter a reply, heavy footsteps approached behind me.Logan.âWho the hell are you?â Loganâs voice was sharp, edged with protectiveness. He moved beside me, wrapping a strong arm around my waist without hesitation, pulling me slightly behind him.My fatherâs lip curled into a sneer.âAnd who the hell are you?â he shot back. âAnother loser sheâs using to pay her bills?âThe words hit harder than I wanted to admit.I flinched, shame flooding through me.I couldn't even believe if this was my father talking before me.Logan stiffened, hi
~Ava pov~If someone in the past had told me that Iâd be going to the mall like a normal girl with a boyfriend who treated me like I hung the moon I wouldâve laughed until I cried.But here I was. Saturday afternoon. Wearing real jeans. Not Loganâs shirt. And for once, my mascara wasnât waterproof because I wasnât expecting to cry today.How life changes.âYou need new shoes,â Charlotte declared, arms crossed as we stood outside one of those fancy stores with mannequins. I blinked. âI have shoes.âShe gave me a long, questioning look.âYou have Loganâs slides and four pair of combat boots that look like they fought in two wars.âââŚExcuse you! It's fashionââTheyâre tragic.âI sighed. âFine. But Iâm not spending more thanâŚââGirl, hush. Tristanâs paying.âI stared at her. âWhat? Why would he pay for me?âShe grinned, wicked and proud. â Okay it was Logan, that said that.It was his idea. âGet Ava some proper shoes so she doesnât show up to your birthday dinner looking like an ancient
Avaâs POV There were only a few rules I lived by in college. Rule number one? Never fall for a jock. It wasnât just a personal preference. It was survival, I had to avoid them inorder to do well. I had seen too many smart girls throw away their GPA for a 6'0 something guy with biceps , a quarterback playboy and a bad attendance record. Not me, No way, I'll never do that that how I survived my first year in Westbridge university and I'm not going to break that rule in my second year. Thatâs why, when Logan Carter walked into my History class fifteen minutes late, I didnât even bother looking up from my laptop. I already knew who he was. everyone knew him, star quarterback, campus heartthrob, a playboy, and the guy who had probably never studied a day in his life. Professor Ambrose mills barely looked at him as he walked to the only empty seat right next to me. I stiffened. Just my luck, I didn't want to sit closer with him. jocks never supposed to be with nerds,not that I'm a n
~Ava pov~If someone in the past had told me that Iâd be going to the mall like a normal girl with a boyfriend who treated me like I hung the moon I wouldâve laughed until I cried.But here I was. Saturday afternoon. Wearing real jeans. Not Loganâs shirt. And for once, my mascara wasnât waterproof because I wasnât expecting to cry today.How life changes.âYou need new shoes,â Charlotte declared, arms crossed as we stood outside one of those fancy stores with mannequins. I blinked. âI have shoes.âShe gave me a long, questioning look.âYou have Loganâs slides and four pair of combat boots that look like they fought in two wars.âââŚExcuse you! It's fashionââTheyâre tragic.âI sighed. âFine. But Iâm not spending more thanâŚââGirl, hush. Tristanâs paying.âI stared at her. âWhat? Why would he pay for me?âShe grinned, wicked and proud. â Okay it was Logan, that said that.It was his idea. âGet Ava some proper shoes so she doesnât show up to your birthday dinner looking like an ancient
~Ava's pov~I stared at the man in front of me, my hand still clutching the doorknob like it was the only thing keeping me standing.The silence between us stretched thin. His eyes raked over me judgmental, cold, furious.I shrank back instinctively, pulling Loganâs shirt tighter around me.âReal classy, Ava,â my father sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. âThrowing yourself at the first guy with a bed.âMy stomach twisted painfully.Before I could utter a reply, heavy footsteps approached behind me.Logan.âWho the hell are you?â Loganâs voice was sharp, edged with protectiveness. He moved beside me, wrapping a strong arm around my waist without hesitation, pulling me slightly behind him.My fatherâs lip curled into a sneer.âAnd who the hell are you?â he shot back. âAnother loser sheâs using to pay her bills?âThe words hit harder than I wanted to admit.I flinched, shame flooding through me.I couldn't even believe if this was my father talking before me.Logan stiffened, hi
~Avaâs POV~I wish I couldâve stayed like that forever. Wrapped up in Loganâs arms, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart against my ear, his hand lazily drawing circles on my back.It was easy to forget the rest of the world existed when I was with him.I smiled against his bare chest, feeling a strange kind of peace settle over me the kind I hadnât felt in years.My phone buzzed somewhere on the nightstand, vibrating against the table.I groaned, not wanting to move, but Logan chuckled and gave me a playful smack on the hip."Better get that, baby," he said, his voice thick with sleep.I stretched, feeling deliciously sore, and reached over to grab it.Charlotteâs name flashed across the screen.I frowned. Why was she calling so early?Sliding off the bed ignoring Loganâs mocking whine as I stole his warmth I padded across the room. I was dressed in nothing but a pair of Loganâs loose basketball shorts and his t-shirt, which hung almost indecently off one shoulder.My neck tingle
~Loganâs POV~The first thing I became aware of was the warmth.Soft,Sweet., and Familiar.I shifted slightly, blinking against the early morning light leaking through the blinds.And there she was.Curled against my chest, her head tucked under my chin, her arm thrown lazily across my waist like she belonged there.Like she was meant to be there.My heart clenched painfully in my chest.For a long minute, I just stared at her, afraid to even breathe too loud in case it shattered the fragile peace wrapping around us.She was beautiful.More beautiful than anything I deserved.Her hair was a wild mess against the pillow, her cheeks still flushed from the night before, her lips parted slightly as she breathed in slow, even rhythms.I tightened my arm around her instinctively, pulling her even closer.Mine.She was mine!The thought echoed in my head, loud and possessive.She was mine.And nothing⌠I mean no one was going to take her from me.I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lettin
~Logan's POV~The sunlight streamed through the windows of the apartment, but all I could see was her.Still sitting cross-legged on my couch, her hair a messy bun around her head, her eyes were so soft and trusting, even after everything I barely managed to tell her last night.She didn't even freak out as i was expecting. I didnât deserve her.But selfishly, I wasnât going to let her go.I pushed myself off the wall where Iâd been leaning and crossed the room toward her.She smiled up at me, the kind of smile that made the tight knot in my chest loosen just a little. The kind of smile that lit up my whole world."You doing anything later?" I asked, my voice coming out roughly from lack of sleep and too many emotions.Her head tilted slightly. "No... why?"I smirked and sat on the coffee table in front of her, close enough that our knees brushed."After football practice," I said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm taking you out. Proper date. Just you and me
~Avaâs POV~We stood there for a long moment, just breathing the same air, the world outside Loganâs apartment became blurring.Finally, he pulled back, threading his fingers with mine. His touch was hesitant, almost like he was afraid I'd remove my hands if he held on too tightly."Come inside," he said.I nodded and stepped in, letting him close the door behind me. The apartment was dim, the only light coming from a small lamp in the corner. Logan led me to the couch and sat down heavily, pulling me down beside him. He stared at the floor for a long moment, his leg bouncing slightly."I don't know where to start," he muttered."Wherever you want," I said softly. "I'm here."He glanced at me,gratitude flickering in his blue eyes."I guess..." He let out a breath. "I guess I should start with my mom."I waited. He rubbed the back of his neck, the way he always did when he was nervous."My mom was the best person I ever knew," he said, voice thick with emotion. "She was...kind. Gent
~Ava pov~The cafeteria buzzed with a lot of noise, voices bouncing off the walls, trays clattering. I sat across from Charlotte, my fingers wrapped around a cold coffee cup, staring blankly at the swirling cream inside.I hadn't taken a single sip.Charlotte was yapping about some group project disaster, but I wasn't listening to her. I was busy lost against the storm in my head.I couldnât stop thinking about last night.What was going on with Logan? Why did he leave like that? The way heâd bolted from the apartment without even meeting my eyes. The haunted look when he returned, hours later. "Okay, you're scaring me now," Charlotte said, dragging me out of my thoughts.She leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"I hesitated, the words sticking in my throat.Finally, I set the cup down with a soft clink and whispered, "It's Logan."Charlotte's eyes sharpened immediately. "What happened? Did he cheat on you?!" âWhat? No!" I saidShe frowned âthen what did he do to get
~Loganâs POV~My phone buzzed again.Blocked number.I didnât want to answer it. Every part of me wanted to toss the damn thing into the ocean and go back to cuddling Ava on the bed, pretending like nothing could touch the peace weâd just found.But something in my stomach twisted, cold and sharp.I answered.âLogan,â came a voice I hadnât heard in months, smooth and sharp as broken glass. âGlad you picked up.âMy chest tightened. âWhat the hell do you want, Vincent?âVincent. My fatherâs right-hand man. The guy who delivered threats with a smirk and cleaned up blood without blinking.âIf you donât want to work with your father, thatâs your choice. But heâs thinking about bringing Levi in. And I figured youâd want a heads up.âI froze. âWhat did you just say?ââYou heard me. Levi. Heâs almost twenty one right? Perfect age to start learning the family business.ââWhere is he?â I snapped, already reaching for my jeans. âWhereâs Levi?ââHeâs with your father. Dinner. That place on Riverv
~Avaâs POV~The beach trip ended with more laughter than scandal, thank God. Charlotte and Tristan gave us hell all the way back endless teasing, exaggerated side-eyes, and dramatic sighs every time Logan and I so much as breathed in sync.âYou two seriously need a warning label,â Charlotte huffed as she rolled down the window. âCaution: PDA ahead.âTristan snorted. âForget that. I need bleach for my eyes after walking in on...ââDo not dare to finish that sentence,â I cut in, hiding my burning face in Loganâs shoulder.How can someone be so dramatic? I bet they do more indoors than us,but the way they're overreacting, make them seem like saints.He laughed, rubbing my arm. âStill worth it,â he whispered, pressing a kiss to my hair.When we pulled into the driveway, Charlotte and Tristan practically launched themselves out of the car like it was on fire.âNever again,â Charlotte muttered, slamming the door. âNext trip, weâre getting separate cabins.ââOr a new hotel! cause I don't wan