Because of Him

29

a/n: just a quick reminder: brea is logan's older sister, for those of you who may have forgotten!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

As I woke up on Thursday morning, the first thing on my mind was the fact that it was finally Thanksgiving and a smile quickly lit up my face.

And then, the smile faded the second I remembered. Logan.

He'd invited me to spend Thanksgiving with him and his family, and as much as I wanted to, I had to turn him down. Not that there was anything wrong with celebrating with Emmie, it was just.. the look on Logan's face when he found out I already had plans..

It made me want to push all plans aside just so I never had to see that expression cross his face ever again. He assured me everything was cool, but I knew it wasn't.

I let out a sigh and threw my covers to the side. I wouldn't achive anything just laying in bed and moping around all day: besides, it was Thanksgiving. I had to be thankful for everything today. I stood up and trudged over to the restroom, where I quickly brushed my teeth and then hopped into the shower.

I stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and clean ten minutes later. I walked back out into my room and threw on a t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants.

I skipped down the stairs, and strolled into the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the eggs, bacon, and carton of orange juice, balancing everything on my arms. Placing it all on the counter, I turned the stove on and took a pan out from the cabinet. As I waited for the pan to heat up, I tapped my fingers on the counter to a random beat that played in my head. I realized after a few seconds that it was way too quiet for my liking, so I ran out of the kitchen and climbed up the stairs. Reaching my room, I spotted the bluetooth speaker tucked under my bed and rushed to grab it. I grabbed my phone from the bed where it was lying and skipped down the stairs again. Entering the kitchen, I placed the boombox on the counter and connected my phone to it. I went to my music and clicked the shuffle button.

Instantly, Havana was blaring from the speakers at full volume.

I danced and sang along to the lyrics as I moved to start cooking breakfast. I cracked the eggs and poured them onto the pan, all while swaying my hips to the beat of the song. As I danced and cooked, I thought of how my mother used to do the same thing. How I would catch her dancing around the kitchen as she cooked dinner for my dad and I. She never realized I was watching, even when I was standing right at the entrance, softly laughing to myself. She moved so carefree and she seemed so happy, that it brought a smile to my lips. I guess she passed that on to me.

I found myself smiling faintly at the memory, and realized I had stopped dancing. As much as I wanted to feel happy for remembering how she used to be, I couldn't help the smile falling from my face.

I stared at the pan of eggs, that were burning, and felt my throat tighten.

Gone..

My eyes suddenly prickled with tears, and they would have spilled over if it weren't for the sudden ringing of my phone.

I was brought out of my trance, and I blinked and shook my head, riding the memory out of my mind. I walked over to my phone and picked it up, glancing at the caller ID. A smile appeared on my lips as I lowered the volume on the speaker and accepted the call.

"Lauren," Faith breathed out before I even had the chance to say hello. I could hear the strain in her voice, like she was trying her hardest not to cry.

The smile on my face slipped instantly, and I gripped my phone tighter.

"Faith," I said, frowning in worry. "What's wrong?"