Unlikely Hearts - Logan Huntzberger

Chapter Three

The sun peeked through the curtains of their off-campus apartment, casting a soft glow across the room. Alouette groaned as she rolled over, only to be met with the blaring laughter of Madeline and Louise sprawled on the couch, their faces showing the telltale signs of a rough night. Empty pizza boxes and soda cans littered the floor, remnants of Logan's back-to-school bash.

"Ugh, what time is it?" Alouette mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Way too early for this much sunshine," Madeline groaned, her voice laced with sarcasm. "And way too early for you to deny that you still have a thing for Logan."

Alouette shot her a glare, but the hint of a smile crept onto her lips. "I don't have a thing for him. That was ages ago. It's not like we shared a kiss or anything."

"Right, just a whole fling two years back," Louise chimed in, a smirk spreading across her face. "Come on, Letty. You can't pretend that year at Choate was just a random episode in your life. It was the most dramatic thing to happen in that snooze-fest of a school."

"Besides," Madeline added, "who was it that blushed every time he walked by last night? You practically melted into the couch whenever he came over to chat."

"Can we not do this?" Alouette groaned, pulling a pillow over her face. "Logan is just a guy. A very infuriating, rich guy. He's not worth my time."

"But he's Logan," Louise countered, tossing a cheerio at her. "It's been a couple years, and you two are still orbiting around each other like it's 2002 all over again. And you can't deny he's hot!

"Okay, okay," Alouette conceded, sitting up fully now. "Yes, he's conventionally attractive. But so what? It was fun, and we moved on. I've got school, and you both need to drink some water."

Madeline and Louise exchanged knowing looks, their eyes sparkling with mischief. "You mean 'drink water' as in our plan to avoid our hangovers, or as in your plan to avoid admitting you're still into Logan?" Madeline teased.

"Both," Alouette said defiantly, standing up and heading to the kitchen. "And for the record, I'm over him. I've moved on."

As Alouette rummaged through the fridge for something to quench her thirst, her phone buzzed on the counter. She glanced down to see a text from Atlas:

"You alright? Heard Logan threw a wild party. Heard you were there."

She rolled her eyes, typing back quickly.

"Yeah, it was fun. Not wild, just Logan."

She didn't add the part where she spent most of the night avoiding him after their few conversations, or how she felt torn between excitement and irritation every time he smiled at her.

Atlas replied almost instantly. "You know he still likes you, right?"

Alouette heart raced, and she texted back more quickly than she intended. "That's not true. We're not even friends."

She felt a pang of guilt for lying to her brother.

"Who's texting you so eagerly?" Madeline asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Just Atlas," Alouette said, feigning nonchalance. "He's checking in."

"Bet he's grilling you about Logan," Louise added, giggling.

Alouette glared at them, but it only made them laugh harder.

"Can you both not?" she said, setting down her glass. "It's embarrassing."

Madeline feigned innocence, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "We're just looking out for you. You can't pretend Logan didn't have a hold on you back at Choate."

"Back then was different!" Alouette shot back, crossing her arms defensively. "We were kids. It was a fling. I hardly think about it anymore."

"Except when you're staring dreamily at him from across the room," Louise teased, earning another glare from Alouette.

"Okay, that's enough," Alouette said, a smile creeping onto her face despite herself. "Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" Madeline asked, leaning forward with interest.

"Like how Atlas has apparently developed a thing for you, Louise," Alouette replied, grinning.

"Pfft, not happening," Louise laughed, but her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

As they bickered back and forth, Alouette felt the tension from the night before slowly dissipate. Maybe Logan and she were just on different paths now. Still, the memory of the party lingered in the air, a gentle reminder of what was and what could be.

Perhaps she could let go. Maybe she'd finally move on. But just for today, she would indulge in the possibility of those "what-ifs" as she navigated the chaos of her final year at Yale.