Page 87 of Break the Barrier

All my movements.

My body is completely tense as I slowly move my neck to give Logan a look. He’s staring at me, his mouth slightly open, and his hands still at his sides. The TV is still playing in the background, and I watch as a slow smile spreads across Logan’s lips.

“Hm,” he hums. “That sounded an awful lot like a confession.”

I sigh dramatically, trying to play it off and lie back down on his lap, grabbing his hand to put it back on my head. “It’s not like it’s a secret.”

His hand moves again, and I feel his eyes on me. I glance up, tearing my eyes from inspecting my nails. Logan’s eyes are bright and beautiful, and I can just barely see his dimple popping out from beneath his beard as he grins down at me.

“You love me?”

His question makes the whole room fall silent, the TV just muffled background noise to my ears, and I swallow hard, my eyes locked into his.

“I…” I lick my lips and wonder if he’s going to interrupt and save me from my own words, but he doesn’t. He waits patiently. “I do.”

The admission is out there, it’s gone from my mouth and my brain, and…I have zero regrets about it.

As a matter of fact, I feel as if a weight has been lifted.

Several emotions pass over Logan’s face as he comes to the realization that I actually said it, and for a moment, he’s shocked.

“Wow.” He leans back against the couch, a little smirk playing over his mouth. “I thought I was going to have to drag that out of you.”

My mouth gapes, and I stare at him before whacking him in the stomach. “You jerk.”

He laughs and grabs at my sides, digging his fingers in and making a burst of laughter come out of my mouth.

“Stop!”

I hear the bathroom door open. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes!” Logan and I reply at the same time, me still trying to catch my breath and him still grinning at me like he’s won something.

I hear Lue retreat to her room, and her door softly closes.

“You’re still a jerk,” I whisper to him, vulnerable to the fact that I just admitted what I did.

I go to sit up, knowing that I need to head home when he pulls me to him. It’s an awkward angle, but I adjust myself until I’m facing him.

One of his hands rests on the side of my face, cupping my cheek, and he presses a soft kiss to my lips.

“You never let me respond.”

“You responded by gloating.”

He clicks his tongue and smiles. “Now hold on, give me a chance here.”

I mime zipping my lips and let him have the floor, his eyes latched onto mine soften just slightly, and he takes a moment to study my face.

“I remember the first time I felt love toward you.” My breath catches in my throat, and the teasing feeling slowly melts away. “We were helping you with the bar, getting it ready to open, and Lue had to come with me that day. She was probably only ten, almost eleven, at the time.

“She was bummed because she didn’t get invited to someone’s slumber party, something I didn’t realize was a big deal. But you did. You saw how sad she was, and you left, coming back with all sorts of treats and milkshakes and just the most random stuff I never would have even thought of.

“And you and your sisters pitched in. You made her sad almost nearly go away, and you told her that girls who didn’tinvite other girls to their parties were jealous of the kind souls they disinvited.”

“You remember what I said to her?”

His eyes stay locked on mine. “What you said changed something in Lue, she may have only been a kid, but she took that seriously. Since then, she’s taken great care to pick good friendships, to never let anyone feel left out, and to watch what she says to everyone.”