The Party Scene
Parties weren’t my thing, but Logan could be annoyingly persuasive. Which is why I found myself standing awkwardly in the middle of a stranger’s house, clutching a plastic cup of something vaguely sweet and trying not to draw attention to myself.
The place was packed—kids from school crammed into every corner, music pounding so loud it made the floor vibrate. The air was thick with sweat and cheap cologne, and I already regretted coming.
“Emma!”
I turned to see Logan weaving through the crowd toward me, his grin wide and easy. He looked annoyingly good, as always, his leather jacket slung over one shoulder and his dark hair messily perfect.
“Told you I’d drag you here if I had to,” he said, leaning close so I could hear him over the music.
“You didn’t drag me,” I shot back, trying to sound annoyed. “I came willingly. Sort of.”
Logan laughed, slinging an arm around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. My pulse went haywire as he pulled me closer, his scent—something warm and woodsy—wrapping around me.
“Relax, Em,” he said, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke. “Have some fun.”
I tried to reply, but my voice got caught in my throat when Vanessa appeared, her heels clicking against the floor like a warning.
“Logan,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet. “I was wondering where you were.”
Vanessa looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine, her perfect waves cascading over her shoulders as she batted her lashes at Logan. Her gaze flicked to me, her smile tightening.
“Emma,” she said, her tone just this side of condescending. “I didn’t know you came to parties.”
“Yeah, well,” I muttered, trying to shrink into Logan’s side.
Logan didn’t seem to notice the tension. “Em’s here with me,” he said casually, and my heart did a little flip.
Vanessa’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but then she looped her arm through Logan’s, pulling him away. “Come on, Logan. You have to see this.”
I watched them disappear into the crowd, my stomach twisting. Logan hadn’t done anything wrong—this was just who he was. But it didn’t make it any easier to see him with someone like Vanessa.
I retreated to the kitchen, trying to avoid the pointed stares and whispers from the other girls. My phone was a lifeline, something to focus on while the party buzzed around me. But then, across the room, I felt it—his gaze.
Logan was watching me, his eyes locked on mine from where he stood with Vanessa. For a moment, everything else faded—the music, the crowd, even my own nervous thoughts.
The intensity in his expression made my knees go weak, and I gripped the edge of the counter for support.
“Everyone!” Vanessa’s voice rang out, cutting through the haze. “We’re playing spin the bottle. No exceptions!”
My stomach dropped as her gaze landed on me, her smirk sharp. “Including you, Emma.”
