Chapter 89

My breaths grew shorter and faster. I tried to slow them down, but I could not. I was hyperventilating and headed into full-blown panic mode.

“Oh, hey,” Logan rushed to my side and wrapped his arms around me. He held my head to his chest and rested his chin on top of my head. “It’s okay. Ralph will figure out soon enough that something is wrong and he’ll find help, okay? We won’t be in here that long.”

My breathing began to slow. His tight embrace was so soothing. It was just like I had felt the night before, like as long as I was in his arms I was safe. Before long, I was back to my normal level of anxiety I’d had the whole time we were in the building.

“Better?” He asked.

I nodded, and he loosed his grip on me. We moved to sit side by side, one of his arms still draped around my shoulder.

Despite his warm arm over me, I started feeling cold and clammy. I wished I hadn’t dropped that stupid sweater. I wrapped my arms around myself and started shivering.

Logan looked over at me. “Are you cold?” He asked.

I nodded. He took off his suit jacket and draped it around my shoulders. He put his arm around me again and began rubbing my arm with his hand. He started softly humming a little tune. I didn’t recognize it, but it was soothing. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, suddenly feeling very exhausted. He laid his head on mine.

“Are you hungry?” He asked suddenly.

My stomach growled in response. “I guess so,” I said with a laugh.

“There’s some granola bars in the pocket of that jacket if you want,” he said.

I sat up and gave him a “seriously?” look. I stuck my hands in the pockets and pulled out a couple chocolate chip granola bars. “Okay but like, why?” I asked.

He laughed. “I brought some in case the food sucked,” he said with a shrug. “I like to always be prepared.”

“Well you are not going to believe this,” I said. I put the granola bars back in the pockets and reached for my purse. I pulled out a couple of the same exact granola bars. “Mine are just because I always be snackin’.”

A smile spread across his face. “Well, good to know that if we ever actually got into a dire situation we won’t have to worry about food.”

“Um, sir, this is a dire situation,” I said.

“Nah, this is nothing,” he grabbed one of the granola bars from my hand. “I’ve been in worse situations.”

“Really?” I said incredulously. “Worse than being stuck in an abandoned building’s elevator with your panicky secretary?”

“Well…okay, maybe not,” he said with a laugh. “But hey, at least the company is nice.”

He smiled and I immediately looked down and blushed.

“Ah, sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t keep saying things like that.”

“It’s okay, I…” I paused. How much did I really want to confess to him? I decided to switch subjects instead of telling him how I felt and how I was not in fact married. “Let’s play a game, keep us distracted until we either die or are rescued.”

He laughed. “Okay, what did you have in mind?”

“Hmm,” I thought for a moment. Only one came to mind. “Truth or dare?”

He laughed. “What is this, middle school?”

“Fine,” I said. “You come up with something.”

“No, no, I’m game. Okay, I dare you to jump up and down on this elevator to make it move.”

I playfully slapped his arm. “Oh my god, no. And that’s not how this game works, you walnut.”

“Walnut??” He said with a laugh. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me that before.”

“Well then they did you a disservice because it’s high time you knew you are one,” I said.

He laughed. “Alright, fine, you go first.”

“Truth or dare?” I asked.

“Truth seems safer,” he said.

“Why did you try so hard to make things work with my sister?” I asked, a question I’d been wondering for some time.

“Truthfully?” He asked.

“That is the name of the game,” I said.

“I wanted my parents off my back,” he said. “They hounded me for so long about finding someone and settling down and having kids so the Hatfield legacy could continue. So since a marriage seemed to fall into my lap, I thought it was the perfect time to try and make them happy.”

“But what about your happiness?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. I grimaced immediately after.

“I think that is a question for the next truth round,” he said. “Now you, truth or dare?”

“Dare seems safer,” I said.

“Yeah?” He raised an eyebrow and laughed. “Alright. I dare you to tell me why you married that ex-boyfriend of yours.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “This feels like cheating somehow.”

He shrugged and smiled. Ooh, he was good.

“Fine,” I said. “The truth is…” I thought for a moment. I could lie, he would never know. But something in me wanted to tell him the real truth. I felt like he would find out eventually anyway. “I’m not actually married. Well, not to him at least.”

Logan looked taken aback. “What?”

“I’m somehow legally married, but I don’t know to who? It’s some sort of paperwork mix up I’m sure. I did not marry my ex, that guy can rot for all I’m concerned.”

Logan leaned back against the elevator wall, taking it all in. “Why did you tell me you were?”

I shrugged then looked down at my hands. I picked at my fingernails. “I felt like it was the only way to get over our kiss, to push you away.”

Logan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make things so hard between us that you felt like you had to push me away.”

I shook my head. If I said any words, I would’ve started crying.

“I’ll answer your other question,” Logan said, seeming to notice I needed to change the subject. “I have never felt like happiness was a priority in my family. We were mostly taught that we need to work hard to make sure the family legacy lives on.”

I looked up at him, my heart breaking for him. “Your happiness is important. What good is all that work if you’re just miserable?”

“Well…it did get me a pretty bitchin’ house,” he smiled. “But you’re right. Life feels pretty pointless without love and happiness. Your turn. Truth or dare?”

“Does it matter?” I said.

He shrugged. “Not really.”

“Truth.”

“What’s your deepest, darkest fear?” He asked.

“That I’ll never find anyone that will love me,” I said way too fast and immediately regretted it. “Ugh. I’m sorry. That sounds super whiny.”

He looked at me, confused. “Why would you think that?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure it stems from childhood trauma. And adult trauma. Everyone seems to love my sister but not me. She’s stolen basically every man I’ve ever dated. It just really seems like I’m doomed to spend my life alone.”

Logan frowned. “Hazel. How do you not see how amazing you are?”

A tear streamed down my cheek, and he reached up to wipe it away. I lowered my head, trying desperately to not cry in front of him. He reached out, took my chin in his hand, and gently turned my head towards him. He looked into my eyes, first my left, then my right, then moved his gaze down to my lips. I shivered in anticipation as he started leaning in closer to me.