Chapter 209

Ella

“Do you want to drive the car yourself or not, Ella?”

Logan’s question came out with that same infuriating mischievous smirk, as always. We had just spent the past two hours working on his racecar together, which I had admittedly enjoyed, but driving was a whole different story.

“Driving? Logan, you know I hate driving,” I protested, crossing my arms as I stared at him with a mix of annoyance and reluctance in my eyes.

Logan’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he stood beside the racecar. He leaned on the hood, leveling me with a probing gaze.

“Oh, come on, Ella,” he urged, a playful grin tugging at his lips. “It’s not that bad. And I promise it’ll be fun. We’ll just take a little drive out into the desert, enjoy the night. It’s not like there will be other cars out there.”

I sighed, feeling a sense of defeat wash over me. Logan had a way of persuading me to do things I had never thought I would, and right now, I was on the verge of giving in, no matter how much I hated that fact.

“But Logan,” I protested, “I never had to drive in my home city growing up. I relied on public transport or taxis, or my dad’s drivers.” I paused then, feeling a heat creep into my cheeks as I ran a hand through my hair. “I’ve… I’ve never even held a steering wheel before,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment, I thought that Logan might mock me for my inexperience with driving. I knew that it wasn’t very common for people my age to not have a vehicle, but in my home city, it was more common than not. It was a very walkable city with good public transportation; and besides, when you have a father who insists on using drivers everywhere you go, it becomes habitual.

But Logan, much to my surprise and my relief, didn’t mock me. Instead, he just chuckled, undeterred by my reluctance. “Well, there’s a first time for everything,” he replied. “And I’ll be right here to guide you through it. You won’t be alone. But of course, if you really don’t want to…”

His reassurance did little to ease my apprehension, but I couldn’t deny the fact that the look in his eyes made me feel bad for refusing. It was clear that he wanted to teach me, and he wanted to spend time with me. And if I was being honest, I wanted to spend time with him, too. Even my wolf prodded me to go with him. Maybe this would be my chance. Maybe I could finally work up the courage to confess my feelings, to stop hiding the way I really felt about him.

And so, reluctantly, I conceded defeat. “Alright, fine,” I mumbled with a roll of my eyes. “I’ll give it a try. But only for a little bit.”

A triumphant grin spread across Logan’s face as he opened the car door for me. “That’s my girl!” he exclaimed. “I promise, you’ll like it.”

My cheeks flushed red. “I hope you’re right,” I said softly.

I walked over to the car, where Logan was still holding the door open for me, but I hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether this was a good idea or not. Never driving before was one thing, but to drive a race car for my first time driving? All of the controls and straps and the smell of the leather and gasoline were overwhelming to say the least, and I waffled there, turning back to look at Logan again.

“Actually, on second thought—” I began, but it was too late.

Before I could finish, Logan stooped down, picking me up by the waist. “H-Hey!” I stammered, my face turning an even deeper shade of red. “W-What are you—”

“I’m not letting you back out now,” Logan said with that trademark grin of his as he lowered me into the seat. Once he sat me down, he paused there, and our bodies were immeasurably close. I could feel his warm breath mingling with mine as he leaned over me and whispered, “once you’re in, you’re in.”

I swallowed. It was no longer the car that was making my heart pound, but rather his close proximity instead. We were only inches away; we could have kissed. And in that moment, in that fleeting, breathless moment, he leaned over me and he…

Buckled my seatbelt.

“There,” he said, patting my leg as he pulled away. “No trying to run off now, you hear me?”

I nodded stiffly, still too breathless to speak. All I could do was watch as he closed the door, then jogged around to the other side of the car.

Logan took the passenger seat, his eyes locked on mine as he climbed in and buckled his seatbelt. “Alright, Ella, first things first,” he said, his voice calm and patient. “I’ll teach you how to drive with a clutch. It might take some getting used to, but you’ll catch on.”

I nodded, my hands gripping the steering wheel with a mixture of nervousness and determination. Logan guided me through the process, explaining how to adjust the seat and mirrors, how to work the clutch, shift gears, and use the pedals. It was a lot to take in all at once.

“Now,” he said, “I want you to pull out of the garage. It’s just a straight line, see? The door’s wide open.”

“O-Okay…”

With Logan’s guidance, I slowly pulled the car out of the garage and onto the strip of racetrack that lay in front of us. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t as complex as I had thought—although stopping wasn’t as… smooth as I had hoped.

“Stop the car, Ella,” Logan said as we inched closer to the barrier on the other side of the track.

“I-I don’t know how!”

“It’s like I told you. Clutch, break, release clutch.”

“O-Okay…”

I did as Logan said; or at least, I tried. But I mixed up my pedals, hitting the gas instead. The car lurched forward, picking up speed, and that dreaded barrier was coming closer and closer.

“Ella! Brake, not gas!” Logan said.

“I-I didn’t mean to!”

“Quick!” Logan said. “Quick, brake before you hit the barrier!”

This time, I got it right—almost. Except I forgot the whole… clutch part. The car lurched again, bouncing the two of us around like ragdolls, but managed to come to a rather unceremonious stop just inches from the barrier. I let out a soft breath, slowly turning to look at Logan, my eyes wide.

But Logan was just holding in laughter. “Well, you stopped the car, I guess,” he teased.

“Hey, I tried my best,” I muttered.

Logan chuckled as he regained his composure. “You’re right, you’re right,” he said. “But let’s try that again. Just remember the clutch this time, eh?”

I couldn’t help but join in the laughter, feeling a bit more at ease despite my initial trepidation. With Logan's patient guidance, I started to get the hang of it. The car responded to my commands, and I could feel a sense of empowerment building inside of me.

“Hey,” I said as I guided the car out of the racetrack and out into the dark desert, “this isn’t so bad!”

“See?” Logan chuckled. “I told you.”

As we drove further into the desert, the night air grew cooler, and the silence of the landscape was broken only by the distant sounds of wind blowing across the sand or desert creatures. The stars above us seemed to multiply, their brilliance painting a breathtaking canvas in the sky.

Logan leaned back in his seat, a contented smile on his face as I continued to drive. “You’re doing great, Ella,” he said softly. “I knew you’d catch on.”

I smiled back at him, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “Thanks to you,” I replied. “You’re a great teacher.”

We continued to drive, the desert landscape stretching out endlessly around us. The solitude of the desert had a calming effect, and the night felt magical. The stars above us seemed like a universe of their own, and I couldn’t help but be awestruck by the beauty of it all. Logan had been right about the night sky over the desert; I could see everything. Absolutely everything.

At one point, Logan leaned over and tapped my shoulder. “Alright, Ella, stop the car here,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I furrowed my brow, puzzled by his request although I did bring the car to a stop, just as he asked. “Why here?” I asked.

Logan simply grinned and opened his door, stepping out of the car. I followed suit, curious about what he had in mind. As I stepped out, the cool desert sand crunched beneath my shoes, and I looked around, taking in the vast, silent beauty of the night.

Logan walked around to my side of the car and strode up to me, his hand extended. “Come on,” he said, his voice soft. “I want to show you something.”