Unlikely Hearts - Logan Huntzberger

Chapter Thirty

Alouette sat cross-legged on her bed, nervously fiddling with the edge of her blanket. Louise, Madeline, and Amelia were scattered around her room, all three watching her closely as if waiting for a bomb to go off.

"You need to tell him, Letty," Amelia said firmly, her eyes serious but filled with warmth. "You've been pretending you're okay with this 'casual' thing for too long. It's obvious you're not anymore."

Madeline nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Logan's hot, sure, but at some point, you have to decide what you really want."

Louise raised an eyebrow. "And we all know what you want, Alouette. So why not just say it?"

Alouette sighed, feeling the weight of their words settle heavily on her shoulders. It wasn't that she didn't know what she wanted. She'd known for a while. What she didn't know was whether Logan could give it to her. She thought she could handle the casual hookups, the no-strings, the teasing. But every time they ended up in his bed or hers, it felt less like a fun fling and more like she was lying to herself.

"I just... I don't want to lose him by pushing too hard," Alouette admitted quietly, her fingers twisting the blanket tighter. "What if he's not ready for anything more?"

Louise rolled her eyes, not one for sugarcoating things. "Honey, he either is or he isn't. You've already given him all the power by letting him decide how things are. Now it's your turn."

"Yeah," Amelia chimed in, "and if he can't handle a real relationship, that's on him, not you. You deserve more than just being his 'sometimes girl.'"

The words stung because they were true. As much as Alouette tried to convince herself she was fine with their arrangement, she wanted more. She wanted Logan—really wanted him. Not just late-night hookups or stolen moments behind closed doors. She wanted him in the daylight, as her boyfriend, with all the messiness and complications that came with it.

"Okay," Alouette finally said, exhaling deeply. "I'll tell him."

Louise and Madeline exchanged looks, both smiling triumphantly, while Amelia clapped her hands. "Finally! Now go talk to him before you chicken out."

Alouette nodded, knowing it was time. She couldn't keep pretending she was okay with the way things were. She grabbed her phone and texted Logan to come over, her stomach twisting with nerves as she hit send.

When Logan arrived at Alouette's apartment, he was as relaxed and charming as ever, his usual smirk in place as he leaned against the doorframe.

"You called?" he teased, stepping inside and dropping onto her couch like he owned the place.

Alouette stood across from him, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She wasn't sure how to start, her heart hammering in her chest. But there was no turning back now.

"Logan," she began, taking a deep breath, "we need to talk."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Uh oh. That doesn't sound good."

"It's not that," she said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I just... I've been thinking a lot about us."

Logan leaned back, stretching his arms across the back of the couch. He was too calm, too sure of himself, and it only made Alouette more nervous.

"What about us?" he asked, that teasing smile still playing at the corners of his mouth.

Alouette bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before finally blurting out, "I don't want this to be casual anymore."

For a split second, Logan's smirk faltered. His eyes flickered with something unreadable, but it was gone almost as quickly as it appeared. He shifted in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck as he let out a long breath.

"Lou..." he started, his voice softer now, almost regretful. "You know I'm not the boyfriend kind of guy."

Her heart sank. She had expected the words but hearing them out loud felt like a punch to the gut. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"What does that even mean?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts. "You can sleep with me, spend time with me, but you can't be my boyfriend? Why not?"

Logan looked at her, and for the first time, there was no smirk, no teasing in his eyes. He seemed almost uncomfortable, like he wasn't sure how to explain something he barely understood himself.

"Because I don't do serious relationships," he said, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "I never have. You know that."

"Yeah, I do," she said, frustration creeping into her voice. "But what if I want more? What if I'm not okay with just being the girl you sleep with when it's convenient?"

Logan sighed, clearly struggling to find the right words. "It's not like that. I like spending time with you. You know I do. But a relationship? That's... complicated."

Alouette felt her chest tighten as the familiar ache of disappointment settled in. This was exactly what she'd been afraid of. Logan wasn't going to change. He wasn't going to suddenly become the guy who wanted more.

"So what, then?" she asked, her voice quieter now. "I'm supposed to just keep pretending I'm okay with casual, even though I'm not?"

Logan looked down at the floor, his jaw tightening. "I didn't mean for this to get complicated, Lou. I thought we were on the same page."

"We were," she said softly. "But I'm not anymore."

The silence that followed was heavy, and Alouette could feel the weight of it pressing down on her. She had put everything out there, and Logan's reluctance to give her more was all the answer she needed.

"I can't do this, Logan," she finally said, her voice breaking. "I can't keep doing this if you're never going to be all in."

He looked up at her, his eyes filled with something close to regret. "I'm sorry, Lou. I don't know how to be that guy."

Alouette nodded, tears threatening to spill over, but she blinked them away. "I get it. But I can't keep pretending."

Logan took a step toward her, as if he wanted to say something more, but instead, he just sighed and gave her a small, sad smile. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"You didn't," she said, though it felt like a lie. "I just... I need more."

With that, Logan nodded, his expression unreadable as he turned and headed for the door. Alouette watched him go, her heart aching as she realized that this might be the end of whatever it was they had.

As the door closed behind him, Alouette sat down on the couch, the silence of the apartment overwhelming. She had known this was a possibility—likely, even—but it didn't make it hurt any less.

She had chosen to put herself first, to ask for what she deserved, and that meant letting go of Logan. And even though it felt like her heart was breaking, a part of her knew she had done the right thing.

Logan wasn't the kind of guy who could give her what she needed. And for now, that had to be enough.