Aftertaste [COMPLETED]

Chapter 16 :: Fluffy Cats and Candy Canes

BERLIN'S P.O.V.

**

"WHY IS it so cold?" I walked over to my bedroom window for the third time that hour to make sure it was sealed tight. It was, but it felt as if the cold was seeping through the glass.

I curled up with my oversized blanket and picked up my book where I had left off. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and smiled as I remembered that day that Logan and I had taken that trip to the strand. I remembered how happy he seemed just being with me. I remembered how he had walked away from me.

I sighed as I found my place on the page I'd left off on and tried to shake the painful memory. That was a long time ago. Logan and I had grown since then. I was trying to put it all past me, but there was still this haunting feeling that if he turned away from me once, he'd do it again.

I started to doze off. I wasn't technically sleepy, but it was a slow day, the sleepy weather - the fog, the light breeze, the infrequently drizzle that contributed to the humdrum feel of the lazy afternoon, the stinging cold. Then when the heat finally took its effect, circulating throughout the entire room and enveloping me in it, it made it easy to slip into unbridled slumber.

That is until there was a knock at the door.

I groaned in protest as I hauled myself to my feet. I slipped on my fuzzy pink slippers that had been a gift from my gran and wrapped the blanket around my body, much of it still dragging on the floor behind me as I waddled to the front door.

"Ooh," I stopped in front of my living room window to see that the heavens had opened up and it was now pouring rain.

I scuttled the rest of the way to the door and opened it. There on there on the other side was Logan, drenched in rain, shaking like a madman. He held up the Kleenex that had been in his hand which was now soaking wet. He said with a stuffed up nose, "I think I need another tissue."

"Logan? Oh my goodness, are you sick?" Still shivering, he said, "I hope so, because if this is well, life isn't worth living."

"Get in her." I pulled him in by the arm and made him take off his sweater. "Take off your shoes and socks too." I went to the kitchen to see if I had any soup left in my cabinets.

"Okay, soup's in the microwave. Hope you like clam chowder."
I walked into my living area to see Logan standing in a puddle still dripping wet. He hadn't moved since I brought him inside.

"Um, Logan? You alright?"

"Yeah, just...give me a minute to thaw out."

"Okay, but, uhm..." I pointed to where he was standing. I didn't want to be rude but he was making a mess on my carpet. "You wanna maybe stand on a towel or something?..." He looked up at me. "You know what? Never mind, not important." I waved the issue off and decided to drop it.

He looked almost frozen so I figured I'd help him defrost. "Oh my goodness, Logan. You're freezing." I touched him and immediately recoiled at the cold sensation.

His teeth chattered when he said,"You're telling me."

"Here, why don't you take your shirt off. I might have an extra one that you can wear." I took the jacket from his hand and gently helped him remove his shirt. Hi skin was damp and clammy. He shivered against my touch and I saw his body immediately cover in goosebumps.