Aftertaste [COMPLETED]

Chapter 5 :: This

BERLIN'S P.O.V.

**

I PACKED THE last of the chicken wraps into the small wicker basket and loaded it, along with the large blanket I had bought at a flea market three years ago, into the trunk of my red Cooper Countryman convertible.

Once I had everything packed in, I leaned my weight against the rear of the car and waited. I was waiting for Logan. We had finally finished our project and decided to take the following weekend to just kick back.

I was glad yet nervous to get this time alone with him; I knew that he had his suspicions about James and I; the way he detached and distanced himself from me once I started to get more involved with him. And I knew that I probably shouldn't care about Logan's opinion, but somehow I did. he seemed genuinely concerned for me, I wanted to reassure him, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him.
Logan was one of the few few people I considered a friend as of recent and I didn't want to lose that.

What the heck is taking him so long?

I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes and fanned my face to ward off the onsetting humidity. I repeatedly pulled my T-shirt away from my skin, which had grown awkwardly sticky from waiting in the heat.

Then off in the distance - though I needed to squint - I could see Logan jogging my way, a silly smile plastered onto his face.

Once he reached me, he flashed me an apologetic smile. I checked my phone, four o'clock exactly. I smirked at him. "I admire your punctuality." He chuckled, "Sorry, I got held up in the choir room with my dad, you know, Festival and all. But I'm here now." He threw his arms open wide. He was a little out of breath, his hair was disheveled, his shirt slightly rumpled, and his cheeks were flushed from the unusually warm autumn afternoon.

I felt the start of a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, but managed to refrain from it. I looked down to see that he was clutching something in his right hand. "What's that in your hand?," I said nodding towards whatever it was.

"Oh!," he exclaimed as if he had completely forgotten that he had anything in his hands at all, "Our polos arrived yesterday afternoon. That's what took me so long. We were matching the sizes to the receipts so that we can distribute them tomorrow. I figured since I was seeing you today, I could just give it to you then. Here." He handed me the shirt and I held it up in front of me. It was lovely
It was an intricate font, the words 'UOL Chamber Singers- were embroidered. And just underneath that, 'Berlin M. 2019'. I felt the smile spread across my face. It was perfect. "They're wonderful," I said as I admired the sight and texture of the fabric. He nodded with a smile of approval.

"So where are we headed to today? Maui? Hollywood? Italy?" He walked circles around my car, running a hand across its flawless exterior. "I know!" He stopped in his tracks, his face riddled with excitement. "Berlin!" "Ha ha." I laughed sarcastically. It was about the billionth time I'd head it before, and the one-thousand-and-first time I'd heard it from him alone. "No."

"Well," Logan added slyly, "you may not be going to Berlin, but I am." He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me in close, pressing his face to mine. I almost laughed but then I felt a pang of guilt, so I pulled away.

It's not that I was uncomfortable, I mean, Logan and I used to play around like that all the time. Before things changed that is.

I walked around to the driver's side of the car, trying not to look too awkward or suspicious. "You'll see soon." I waved him over to the passenger's side and we both climbed into to the car.