Falling For Sadie

Chapter Twenty-One

Logan held her. He just held her. It felt like hours had passed, when in reality it had only been moments.

She lifted her head from his chest, slightly, then flopped it back to his breastbone. Her voice rumbled against him.

"Logan, there's this lunch thing that I need to go to or else I'll never live it down. But I don't want to go, especially not alone."

"I'll go with you. We'll go together and then after we can head back."

He stood, and pulled her up with him. She slid back into his arms, easy. He sighed, content with things. They strode away from the canopy and the casket to the pathway and followed it back to Logan's car.

Logan opened the door for her and let her slump into the seat, tired eyes drifting shut. He climbed in and watched her for a heartbeat. Her hair slipped over her face, covering her closed eyes and moving in the breeze of her breath. He turned the key in the ignition and the car rumbled to life. As he backed out of the spot, the crunch of gravel soothing Sadie evermore, he realized that he loved her too.

***

"Well, well, well. Look who finally showed up." Bridgette greeted Sadie and Logan. Sadie rolled her eyes. She'd slept on the way over in Logan's car and was feeling refreshed – ie not ready for Bridgette's typical shenanigans.

Looking around the table, Sadie smiled at all the other girls that she'd either seen at the funeral, the viewing, or hadn't seen since moving. The heat from Logan's hand singed her lower back through the fabric of her dress. There were a few boys that she'd grown up with seated as well and as soon as Logan registered the other males' territory mode was switched on.

Logan pulled her along to two empty seats and they joined in the conversations.

"And then I was like, really Mason? You're going to get drunk here?"

"Oh my God. For real? Did he throw up?"

"Yeah! Right in the middle!"

"Oh my God."

"And I mean who wouldn't want to be you? You're flawless."

"I know right?! But she's just so jealous!"

"The game yesterday was awesome, by the way. You played so well."

"Yeah? I thought I did too."

"I mean you, like, lead the team!"

"Eh, I only got about five goals."

"That's insane!"

The chatter around them ebbed and flowed, but none of it was substantial. None of it held substance. That was when Sadie realized that she had surrounded herself with GGs her whole life. She was a GG, and Bridgette was an Audrey.

It stabbed into Sadie's heart that none of the conversation was remembering Kyla.

"I can't believe that Kyla's gone. Can you?" Logan's hand gripped Sadie's reassuringly. Everyone at the table turned to lock eyes with her. No one spoke.

Of course Bridgette was the one to break the silence, "I know I can. It might be hard to believe Sade, but your little bestie turned into quite the whore after you left. Oh, wait. She's always been that way."

Caught in a staring match, Bridgette dared Sadie's temper to show its fiery head, but she wouldn't. Not in front of Logan. Although Sadie had learned a few things about sticking up for herself from Audrey.

"You know, Bridge, it's quite funny that you of all people bring up people acting like whores considering you're one yourself. But I mean go ahead and be jealous of Kyla. She's far more gorgeous than you'll ever be and I can tell you're painfully aware of it. And talking trash about a dead girl is such an admirable trait."

During her speech Sadie's vision had gone blurry and all she'd seen was red but now that it was cleared and she was calm, she noticed that Bridgette wasn't even focused on her but rather someone behind Sadie.

As Sadie turned to see the person arriving later than her and Logan, Bridgette spoke up.

"Jax! It's so good to see you!"

***

Logan's hand tightened around Sadie's as he watched the new guy's eyes wander over her frame. This Jax guy had stunned Sadie into submission and Logan could see that Bridgette was tallying one up for herself and zero for Sadie.

"Hello my dear, sweet Bridgette. How is my doll?" Logan sized the other guy up. He was about the same height as him with similar muscle masses. Unless this guy was hiding some secret ninja skills Logan could take him if need be. Jax's voice was deep, his hair was black, and he was tan. Jax released Bridgette from her hug and turned to Sadie. "And my princess, Sadie. It's been a long time, Gorgeous. How are you?" His voice had a drawl, a strange pull to his words that denoted mystery. Logan gauged Sadie's reaction to his compliments and outstretched arms: Her eyes were searing into his face. That's my girl. Logan thought, cracking a smile to himself.

"Oh, Jax. It has been a long time. But if I wanted you to know how I was, I would've kept in touch." Sadie flashed a tightlipped smile at him and squeezed Logan's hand. Logan felt Jax's gaze flicker from her to him to their connected hands.

"Oh, I get it. You have a boy toy. That's so precious, Sade." He chuckled, his timber rumbling richly in his chest. He leaned back and smiled easily, tucking his hands behind his head and addressed Logan, "I remember when I was in your place. She's quite the feisty one. You'll have her one second and she'll be gone the next. Good luck though. Hopefully you can hold onto her for your allotted eight seconds and win that trophy." He winked lightly which infuriated Logan. If it weren't for the reassuring squeeze from Sadie, Logan would have launched across the table and attacked.

Tension bubbled over like boiling water and burned everyone around. Liquid sloshed and silverware clinked. Logan's phone buzzed in his pocket.

Sadie: Just ignore him. He's not even an ex. Nothing happened between us but he just likes to tell people that to get them riled up and/or confused.

Logan: Nothing happened between you two?

Sadie: I swear.

Sadie: Wanna head out?

Logan: Do I ever.

Logan slid his phone back in his pocket as Sadie stood.

"Leaving so soon?" Bridgette taunted, her lips pursed victoriously. Her cronies seated around her matched her facial expression.

"Oh, it's never too soon to leave you. Just ask Jax since he left you for me." With that last bout of sass, they exited the restaurant, leaving their part of the bill up to the rest of the group to deal with.

"I can see where you get your sass and sarcasm from." Logan chuckled, pulling her close to him as they crossed the parking lot to his car.

Sadie's hair fluttered around her face, framing her as she laughed. "Yeah. Years of dealing with that and you get lots of practice."

"Where to now?" Logan asked, holding her door open as Sadie slid against the leather seats. He shut her door and leaned against the door frame, memorizing her face.

She crinkled her little nose, thinking. "Home." And then she laughed and smiled up at him ruefully, "And you're driving since I took the bus down here."

His heart palpitated. The dictionary needs a word for something more adorable than adorable. "Good, because I wasn't about to let you out of the car again."

----

You guys! One! More! Chapter! Left!!!!

I've literally been writing this for like five years and this will be the first novel that I finish and I'm super stoked, like OH MY GOD!!! ^-^

Yours truly,

Morgan