Chapter 152

Ella

“Tonight?” My cheeks flamed red at Logan’s question. This was no what I was expecting at all.

Logan, seemingly oblivious to the storm of anxiety that was overtaking me, nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, as friends, of course,” he clarified, waving his hand dismissively. “That’s what we agreed on, right?” He gestured toward the couch. “I’ll crash there. Besides,” he held up his wine glass, a wry half-smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “I’ve been drinking, and driving home isn’t an option right now.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “You’re right,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest as if it were some sort of protective gesture. “But you have to sleep on the couch.”

Logan nodded. “Of course. This is only for appearances, after all.”

Without another word, I made my way over to the hallway linen closet. I pulled a blanket and a spare pillow out, then brought it over to Logan. Our fingers brushed as I handed it to him, and it sent a jolt of electricity through my body in my drunken state.

His gaze lifted to mine, eyes clear despite the wine.

“You know,” he started, a playful lilt in his voice, “the night has just started. And I saw that you have a TV.” His head tilted towards the flat screen hanging on the wall opposite the couch. “Wanna watch a movie before we go to bed?”

My heart skipped a beat. “A movie?” I found myself asking. “But it’s getting late…”

“It’s not even ten o’clock yet,” Logan teased. “And I’m too tipsy to sleep just yet.”

I felt caught in a tug-of-war between my own willpower and Logan’s reddened cheeks. On one hand, I didn’t want to get too close—not when I was only doing all of this to drive us apart. And yet, Logan was right: it wasn’t even late yet. I knew that I would just be hiding in my room and looking at my phone until sleep finally took me.

“Um… Sure,” I finally said with a hesitant nod. “We can watch something.”

“Awesome.” Logan’s smile was almost infectious, but I felt a tug at my heart when I looked at him. This was not part of my plan. I couldn’t be getting closer to him, and yet… it was as if I couldn’t help myself, either.

“Dam you, Ema,” I called out internally to my wolf even though I knew she wasn’t listening. “This is your fault. If we had only rejected him, none of this would be happening right now.”

But of course, there was no answer.

Without waiting for permission, Logan was already grabbing my remote. The TV flickered to life and he began navigating to Netflix. For a moment, I pictured him here—in my apartment—on a regular basis, and as more than just “friends”. I pictured us eating dinner together, drinking wine, and cuddling on the couch.

But I shook my head to push those thoughts away.

“You want anything?” I asked, taking a few steps backwards toward the kitchen.

Logan thought for a moment, then nodded. “You have popcorn? And more wine?”

“Popcorn and more wine. On it,” I said, grateful for a few minutes alone. I made my way to the kitchen and tossed a bag of buttery popcorn into the microwave, then grabbed another bottle of wine from the rack and began pouring it into two glasses.

As I waited for the popcorn to finish, I leaned on the counter and let out a soft sigh. I could hear the sound of the TV going in the other room, the sounds of various movie trailers popping up at Logan scrolled. It did nothing to calm my nerves. All I could think about was whether this half-baked “plan” of mine would really work, or if it would only blow up in my face.

A few minutes later, I returned with wine and popcorn in hand. The couch dipped as Logan sat, and I joined him, an arm’s length away.

Our selection, a scary movie, was Logan’s idea—a genre I confessed to having a soft spot for, despite my nerves tonight. The opening credits rolled, and the lights of the living room dimmed, leaving only the flicker of the TV screen to cut through the darkness.

The eerie music soon crept up the walls, and the first jumpscare sent a jolt through my body. My hands flew to my face, shielding my eyes. I could hear Logan’s chuckle next to me, a sound that should’ve been comforting but instead was a reminder of the dangerous game I was playing.

“You’re cute when you’re scared,” he said, the amusement clear in his voice. His arm found its way around my shoulders, an instinctive gesture of protection, and I tensed. His leg brushed against mine beneath the blanket, a simple touch that sent an electric shock through my body.

I needed to remind myself of the boundaries I had set, but my resolve wavered as warmth spread through me. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Logan was the key to my sister’s safety, not someone I should feel comforted by, much less attracted to.

The movie progressed, each scare slightly less intense as I grew accustomed to Logan’s presence. That was when it happened—my wolf, dormant for weeks, suddenly stirred within my consciousness, her voice a low growl in my mind.

Ema... I hadn’t heard from her in so long.

“Woman up and get closer to Logan already,” she urged, impatience coursing through her tone.

I swallowed hard, my reply silent but firm. “I can’t, Ema. I need to keep my sister safe. If I get too close to him, it’ll just make it harder.”

Ema snorted. “You’re acting like a coward.”

“And what would you know about it?” I hissed in response. “You’ve been dormant. You weren’t even there to help me when Marina held a knife to my throat.”

“Oh, I was there,” Ema said. “And trust me, Ella, there’s more than one way out of this mess. Pushing Logan away won’t help. You two need each other.”

I nearly scoffed. My cheeks felt hot, not from the movie or Logan’s proximity but from the anger coursing through my veins. What did Ema know? She had been dormant. And even now, her presence was fading again.

“You okay?”

Logan’s voice jolted me out of my deep train of thought. I snapped my head around to look at him, and there it was. That soft look in his eyes. I had to quickly look away to hide my embarrassment.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just watching the movie.”

Logan chuckled, and the sound sent another burst of electricity through me. To protect myself, I scooched away and leaned on the arm of the couch, pretending to be absorbed in the movie; but really, I was just trying to put some distance between us.

But maybe laying down wasn’t the best idea. Maybe I should have cut us off for the night. Because as I rested my head on the soft throw pillow, my vision slowly began to fade.

And before I knew it, I was sound asleep beside the man who I swore I wouldn’t get too close to.