Needle-like sensation spreads across the rear of my neck, demanding me to rub the area to ease the discomfort. All eyes converge on Avery as she casually drops the revelation whose secrecy sheltered our whole relationship and permitted it to flourish, now stripping and tossing it out in the open for everyone to see. The wind is knocked out of my lungs, and I feel the weight of each heartbeat reverberating through my entire being. The temperature continues to drop a couple degrees with every passing second, gradually producing goosebumps all over my skin.
"Wait, really??", Mal is the first to speak, voicing her utter shock before glancing between me and the hunter seated beside me. Logan's unmoving silhouette, radiating an unsettling stillness, adds to the fear tightening its hold on me, like a hand clutching at my throat, making it hard to breathe. The hard-earned warmth from him now evaporated, leaving behind the icy reserve that forms knots in my stomach.
A soft scoff that escapes Troy's lips instantly earns my gaze. Shaking his head, the male smiles, "I had my doubts from when Collen said they're living together."
"Th-that's not what I meant!", I refute, my own voice sounding foreign to my ears. "Logan moved in just so we could share living expenses! In the end, we're mere work partners!" My very words feel like acid on my tongue, burning my entire mouth. All heads turn to me and I can only imagine how I'm perceived at the moment—lips quivering, color drained from the face, irises flickering frantically, and refusal, along with the declaration, that sounds more like desperate pleas.
Avery scrunches her nose up, momentarily wincing. Then, sharing a look with our friends, utters, "Collen, you do realize that 'Dating Logan' sounds way better than 'Fucking a mere work partner', right?" An electric current singes my nerves on its way up my spine. My eyes widen and my mouth gapes open, emitting soft choked gasps. I feel the heat of Logan's anger radiating, emanating waves that I can't escape.
"They're fucking?", Henry arches an eyebrow, surprised instead of repulsed by his discovery.
I dare a sideways glance at my partner, and it feels like watching a thunderstorm in the making. His jaw is set, the muscles rigid with restraint, and his hands, once casually relaxed, are now clenched into tight fists. Logan's gaze remains fixed ahead, staring through thin air with a chilling intensity.
The blonde female nods, cradling her bottle of beer while a faint red tint graces her cheeks, "I mean, I don't intentionally eavesdrop... My house is right next to theirs, and...Collen tends to get quite vocal..." With that, Avery casts an embarrassed look in my direction, "Sorry, but your walls are really thin..."
I swallow hard, my palms damp with cold sweat. The world slows down, and my surroundings blur as a sense of horror swallows me whole. "But—", she quickly adds after clearing her throat, "—we would always support your relationship, so you don't feel the need to stay in the shadows!" Avery barely finishes her sentence when Logan shoots up to his feet, snapping me out of my trance. My head swivels in his direction only for my eyes to lock with his piercing cold ones. The ferocity shining in his glare painfully constricts my chest. In this chilling moment, Logan's silence speaks louder than any words he can utter.
"L-Logan, I—"
Denying me the chance to grapple with the situation, the silver-haired male pivots on his heel and strides through the back door. Panic courses through me, and I leap out of my chair, desperate to catch up with him.
"Logan!" His name bursts from me, a call laced with urgency. I stretch my hand toward him in an attempt to bridge the growing distance, to anchor him before he slips away. But he's already on the move, striding purposefully toward the main entrance.
Alarmed, I attempt to chase him, but Avery seizes my arm, preventing me from achieving it. I shoot a quick glance at the wide-eyed gazes fixated on me, their expressions a blend of curiosity and concern, demanding an explanation. My gaze shifts to her firm and unyielding grip, and I uncurl her fingers using my free hand.
