Logan

97. I Feel Free Too

*Logan's POV*

I scanned the bar, searching for Natalie. She'd mentioned having something to take care of, but it had been almost an hour since I'd seen her...

I turned to the waitress beside me as she filled my glass with more whiskey, something about her felt... familiar.

Her jawline looked familiar - the way she carried herself, and I felt a pang of panic.

"Something wrong, hun?" She asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged away, "I'm fine. Just... looking for a friend."

"The one you sang with? I think I saw her go outside." She flashed me a smile and walked back behind the bar.

I put the thoughts away, and headed for the exit when Natalie opened the door. Her eyes were red, and I felt my heart drop.

"Oh, I didn't know you were there." It was the tone of her voice, something had changed. The confident, alluring person from her performance only a short time before had been replaced by... someone else.

"Hey, what happened?" I asked, and she shook her head.

"Can we not talk about it here? Maybe in the studio?"

I followed her to the back, past the locks and into the comfort of our room. She sat on the pillows next to me after throwing her coat on the floor, and took a moment to steady herself. I saw a few tears running down her cheeks.

"Natalie, you're scaring me, what's wrong?"

She sniffled once, then wiped her tears away. "Um, Aeron left. I-" she sighed, "I finally let him go. I told him to go back to England, once and for all. I told him..."

I felt relief, but I held her gaze. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just nodded.

"I didn't feel the same way about him as I used to. I haven't felt that way about him since before he left."

"What?" I asked, "What did you say?" I sat a little closer, craning my neck to look into her eyes.

She took a breath, "I told him I have feelings, real feelings, about someone I've always had feelings for." Natalie let out a breath, and looked me in the eyes. The caramel flecks in them hitting the light just right. "I have feelings for you, Logan."

A jolt of energy rushed through my body, part of me felt on air, the rest uncertain and tense. I pointed to my chest, "You have feelings for me? Me, Logan Grey."

She nodded, "The one and only. I've had these feelings for months, but I've been too scared to act on them."

"But, what about Wren? What was that?" I held my breath, biting the edge of my lip. "Why didn't you just tell me then, that you had feelings?"

Natalie smiled, "Wren coming into my life was just a confirmation of what I feel for you, and made me really sure about what I want."

A silence fell between us, my heart skipping, "What do you want?"

She looked back at me, "What do YOU want?"

My fingers laced into my hair, and I let out a sigh. "I think you know the answer, you just want to hear me say it out loud."

"If that makes you happy."

"Natalie," I took her hands in mine, "I've made it extremely clear that I want you. I want everything. Morning coffee in the garden, making notes in my music journal, you listening to music. I want cookouts on summer nights, movie nights with the gang, I want to be able to go anywhere and everywhere, holding YOUR hand. I want to go grocery shopping in our pajamas, I want-" I stopped for a moment, then squeezed her hand. "I want to marry you. I want to hear our babies' heartbeat, I want to fight over cream or banana for the nursery. I want dorky couples halloween costumes, I want it all. I want it, if you want it." A tear fell from the corner of my eye. "Life is hard enough, but it's even harder without you in it."

I leaned in, so close to her lips. She placed a hand on my chest. "Are you sure?" She whispered, her eyes looking up to face me. I nodded and a murmur barely escaped my lips when she pulled me closer to her.

It was the first time we had kissed this way in almost a year, the touch of her lips against mine felt as if I were waking up from a long sleep. And I was hungry.

Her fingers threaded through my hair, pulling me even closer to her. We fell back against the sofa, her legs gliding over my hips, pressing me against her. I'd been ignited, my body responded as if she'd never been gone a day. I felt myself harden against her, every movement, every sound of her moans against my neck, it was unbearable.

I glided my hand down until I met the center of her, and she was already undone. Natalie's back arched, a guttural groan deep from her throat, "Oh..." and her legs parted a bit further. She was slick against my fingers, and when I looked back at her, our gaze connected.

As I swirled my fingers and thumb, her breasts heaved with every breath, the peaks of them pressing against her outfit. I kept going, I was in ecstasy from the sounds of her undoing. I knew she was close, and as I moved she pulled my face to hers as she unwound. Her body curled in, her legs tightened and I felt them shake as the waves inside her crashed. Natalie fell back against the sofa, and we both laid against the couch.

"That was-" I blurted

"Wonderful." She muttered, giving a small smile. "I forgot how it felt to connect with you. I forgot how free I felt." Her fingers trembled against my neck.

I nodded, "I feel free too." I turned myself, softly kissing her palm before helping her up