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Louise couldn’t tell what was louder: the clatter of her chattering teeth or the roar of rage in her ears. She pressed forward, kicking snow out of the path in anger. Occasionally, she aimed the snow at the blond idiot walking beside her.
After getting pelted with snow for the fifth time, Logan sighed and said, “Louise, I’m sorry. Seriously.”
“Oh, perfect! You’re sorry! Everything is fixed.” Every bit of sarcasm contained in her small body leaked into her voice, and she couldn’t care less. “How many times, Logan? How many times did I tell you to get your engine checked?”
Another sigh. “Plenty of times--”
“So many times! And what did you do?”
“I didn’t--”
“You didn’t get it checked. Now, here we are, freezing our asses off, in the middle of nowhere.”
He didn’t respond, and why would he? She was right. This weekend road trip had been planned for a few months, after they had bought tickets to see their favorite band. The Woeful Roses was one of the first things that they had bonded over, finally crossing the line from childhood rivals to reluctant allies to friends. They have had these concert tickets for weeks , and his car has had issues for weeks, and he kept putting off fixing it.
And so here they were, on a random highway road, in the middle of the winter, with no cell service and a broken down car.
“You have every right to be mad at me,” Logan muttered, falling back behind slightly.
“Oh, trust me, I know.”
“But I--wait, I see it!” He stopped mid sentence and darted forward, pointing in the distance. Louise looked up, squinting as snowflakes stung her face. Sure enough, there was the light of a town in the distance, the one that they had started walking to in hopes of not freezing to death.
With a surge of renewed energy, Logan began striding towards the lights. “I told you it wouldn’t take too long to get here.”
“We’ve been walking for half an hour.”
“Exactly my point.”
“I shouldn’t even be walking! You should be carrying me,” she grumbled.
Louise hadn’t been expecting Logan to actually hear her, but he spun around instantly. “Bet.” Within a millisecond, he scooped her up into his arms and threw her over his shoulder like a ragdoll.
She dangled, staring at his back in shock. Then, “LET ME DOWN, BUSH!” Louise pounded at his back furiously, to no avail. All she heard was a laugh as he continued towards the town.
It was kinda nice, not having to use her legs after such a long trek in the snow. Plus, now the blizzard was being blocked by Logan, and his body heat kept her warm. Louise was about ready to stop fighting against his grip when she noticed his pace beginning to slow and stutter.
“Hey, Bush,” she hollered. “I’ve got a better idea.”
After only a minute, they were back on track to the town, but this time Louise was clinging to his shoulders piggy-back style. This way, she could yell in his ear whenever he was being an idiot.
By the time they reached the town, the storm had thickened dangerously. She couldn’t feel her face, and tucked it in the crook of Logan’s neck. He stiffened slightly, but before Louise could pull back, he tightened his grasp on her legs. “There’s a diner, it looks open.” A few more shuffling steps, and Louise was sliding off Logan’s back and finally into the warmth of an actual heated building.
Before she could snap a retort to her friend about being the worst public transportation, a far-too-chirpy voice interrupted and said, “Welcome to Sal’s! Table for two?”
The waitress was exactly what you would expect from a small town diner: a short, plump woman with graying hair and a perky grin. Her name tag read ‘Mary’ and she waited expectantly.
Logan stepped forward, brushing snow out of his hair. “Yeah. Is there also a tow service in town?”
Mary seemed to grasp the situation. “Ah, car problems? No worries! Hank is great at that. His shop is down the street, it’s got an old car in front of it, hard to miss.” She glanced at her watch and gasped nearly theatrically. “Oh, but you better hurry! He should be closing up right about now.”
He swore and turned to Louise. “I’ll be right back, just order me something I would like. See you in a bit, shortstack.” With a smug wink, he disappeared back into the storm.
She faced Mary, still processing what just had happened. “Table for two, I guess.”
The waitress led Louise deeper into the diner, winding through booths and tables that were filled with families. It was six o’clock, the beginning of the dinner rush. She understood what that was like. Mary dropped Louise off at a table, promising to bring drinks in a few minutes.
Scanning the menu, everything looked absolutely delicious to the hungry girl. It was a rough day, though, and Louise needed some comfort food. When Mary returned with water, she ordered two cheeseburgers, one with tomatoes and one without, and a large fry. She was tempted to add extra tomatoes to one of the burgers, just to spite Logan, but decided against it. It was a rough day for him, too.
By the time her friend returned, she was building a sculpture out of forks and knives. Logan slumped in the seat across from her, and eyed the silverware creation. “Hey, Four Ears, you’re supposed to use those to eat.”
Louise balanced one final spoon on top of her sculpture. “Silverware is overrated.” She glanced up. Logan had his usual cocky look on his face, though his cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold, making his expression kinda cute. Her heart thumped as their eyes locked.
What the hell was that? She swallowed, ignoring the intrusive thought and heart spasm. “So? Was this Hank as great as everyone claims to be?”
He crossed his arms, sliding further down the seat. “It was closed and won't open till ten tomorrow morning.”
Her first instinct was to pound her head on the table. Her second instinct was to pound Logan’s head on the table. Then Louise studied his glum expression, and she couldn’t help but feel like a dick.
This was her friend. She hated admitting it, but it was true. After Rudy had dumped Louise eight months ago, Logan was the only one who she felt like she could be around. All her other friends were close with Rudy as well, and it didn’t feel right, making them have to choose between the split couple all the time. Besides, when she was with him, she didn’t think about Rudy. She only laughed and did dumb things that made her feel like a kid again.
As much as Louise despised it, Logan wasn’t just her friend, he was one of her best friends. She couldn’t be a dick to her best friend.
So, instead, she shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to break in.”
He quirked an eyebrow up. “Break into Hank’s shop?”
“Obviously. That way, we can steal his tow truck and bring your car back here. Or, better yet, we can use his tow truck to get to the concert. I’ll be driving, of course.”
“Uh, excuse you, I am never getting in a car with you behind the wheel ever again. I’d rather not end up in a river.”
“It was one time!” Louise cracked a grin, and soon enough, they were both laughing hysterically. Maybe it was the exhaustion, maybe it was the hunger, or maybe it was the company, but she couldn’t stop giggling at the memory.
Mary appeared with two beautiful cheeseburgers and set them in front of the pair. “Looks like I missed the punchline. Is there anything I can get for you two?”
Logan grinned. “I’m good. This looks delicious.” After the waitress whisked away, he inspected his food cautiously. He peered up at Louise in shock. “No tomatoes? I thought for sure I was going to get some on my burger tonight.”
She shrugged, munching on a fry. “I thought about it. Consider yourself lucky.”
“Trust me, when I’m with you, I’m always feeling lucky.”
Her chest felt funnily warm again, and Louise frowned. Logan dug into his burger, but looked up and noticed her expression. With his mouth full, he asked, “Whbut’s wfrong?”
Was she really already so old that she was getting heart problems? “Heartburn, I think?”
“Ha. Old.”
“Says the thirty-one year old.”
He responded by throwing a fry at her face. “Don’t let your food get cold. By the way, save room for dessert. This whole detour is coming out of the Cynthia Fund.”
Louise cracked a devilish grin. She loved wasting Cynthia’s money. “So, we could get a couple of shakes, some cake, maybe some pie?”
“Smelcher, you read my mind.”
The hotel in the town was great, for a small town’s only inn. There were, however, five problems that Louise noticed throughout their stay. The problems weren’t just the hotel’s fault; they were due to the frustrating situation they were in. But the hotel definitely did not help.
The first problem was quite obvious. They ran up the hotel stairs, Logan carrying the bags from their mini pajama shopping spree. As they approached the door that matched their key, he warned, “This was the last room available, so if it’s shitty, don’t blame me.”
Louise smiled up at him, throwing as much innocence in her smile as possible. “I’ll always blame you, Bush.”
He stuck his tongue out as he opened the door. It swung open and Louise stepped back. She waved her arm at the door and said in a posh accent, “Ladies first.”
He smirked and strutted past her into the room. “So, I was thinking that we could wake--”
Louise trailed in behind him. “Thinking that we could what?” She stopped in her tracks at his side and realized what had cut Logan short. The room was pretty nice, honestly. It had a clean carpet and a decent sized closet space, and even a TV. The problem (which would soon lead to many others)? There was only one bed.
A moment passed. Then, at the same time, the pair exclaimed: “DIBS ON THE BED!”
Louise stormed towards the bed, flinging herself onto it to claim her territory. Unfortunately, Logan had thought to do the same exact thing and he collided into her, his shoulder shoving her face. Everything was a chaotic mixture of limbs and pushing and shouting as they wrestled. Finally, Logan spun Louise onto her back and got a grip on her wrists. He planted them on the bed and grinned wildly while pinning her down, his legs entangled with hers. He panted, and she could feel his chest move rapidly on top of her own. His face was only a few inches from hers. He didn’t seem to care.
“I win,” Logan announced. She could smell the chocolate shake they’d split earlier on his breath.
For the first time in years, Louise felt speechless. All she could focus on was how electrifying it felt wherever he was touching her.
Her smile faded, and his expression quickly mirrored hers. Logan cleared his throat and rolled off of her. He sat up and averted his gaze for a moment. Then, his smirk returned and he said, “Since I am such a generous winner, I’ll share the bed with you.”
Louise sat up on her elbows and glared. “How kind of you.”
He hoisted himself off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna shower, unless you have any other objections?”
“Nope, take all the time you need, pretty boy.”
She waited till she heard the shower go on for a good couple of minutes before changing into the pajamas they had bought. The shorts fit great and were comfortable, but the shirt was much more of a crop top than she had expected. Oh, well.
Louise sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. It had been years since she had felt this way about anyone. Even Rudy, who she fell in love with slowly and fell out of love in a bursting moment. He had never made her feel like she was on fire, ready to explode at any moment. When she and Logan were together, that’s all Louise could think about. All the stressors from back home have slipped Louise’s mind ever since the trip began. She’s never felt so care-free around someone.
No. It couldn’t happen. Louise could not begin to catch feelings for another friend, another person she relied on. Especially someone who drove her as crazy as Logan did.
The bathroom door swung open and steam flooded out. Logan poked his head out and announced, “The bathroom is free now.”
Louise sauntered over, snatching a toothbrush out of the shopping bag and starting to brush her teeth. Logan followed suit, occasionally elbowing her as he brushed. She could have sworn that she saw his eyes wander down her figure in the mirror, but it was still too foggy from Logan’s shower for her to be sure. Louise threatened to spit on him and smirked as he hid underneath a towel.
“You’re a menace,” Logan scowled. He crossed his arms and looked down at her, towering nearly a foot taller than her. He took a step forward, accentuating the height difference. Louise glowered. He knew how much she hated their height difference.
“Be nice,” she chided. “I know where you’re sleeping tonight.”
He rolled his eyes and moved past her towards the bedroom. In order to push her out of the way, he placed his hand on the small of her back and pushed gently. A shiver ran up her spine and goosebumps spread along her arms. Stop it! Louise warned her body. You’re being extremely annoying right now. I am not attracted to Logan Bush in any way, shape, or form.
That was when the second problem came to light.
Louise emerged from the bathroom and frowned instantly. “Uh, Bush, what do you think you’re doing?”
Logan glanced up as he climbed into the right side of the bed. “Going to sleep?”
“That’s my side of the bed.”
He leaned back, a smug grin slapped across his face, crushing the perfectly plump pillow with his wet hair. “Not anymore, Smelcher. Wanna fight me for it? Not such a good idea. I mean, we both remember what happened last time.”
Louise trudged to the left side of the bed and hopped on. She picked up her pillow and, with all her force, smacked it down onto Logan’s irritating face.
He yelped, grabbing at her wrists and yanking the pillow off. “Hey! That’s not fair, I wasn’t ready yet!”
She shrugged, putting the pillow back and sinking down onto it. “Always be ready, Bush.” She reached up and pulled off her pink beanie, setting it down on the nightstand beside the bed. Louise ignored the stare from Logan, who probably hadn’t seen her without a hat since they were kids. She elbowed him and he pretended to glance down at his phone, even though it wasn’t on and was upside down.
And then the third problem appeared.
“Hey, Four Ears?”
“Mm?”
“You forgot to turn off the light.”
“What? But you’re closer!”
“You were the last one up!”
The amount of energy it took for them to bicker for the next five minutes over whose responsibility it was to turn off the light was probably worth more than the energy it would have taken to actually turn off the light. But the banter was comfortable enough to lull Louise into a sleepy haze, snuggling deeper down into her pillow and under the sheets.
After hearing her make a very compelling argument, a light smile flickered across Logan’s lips. He watched her eyes flutter closed and said, “Fine. I’ll do it.”
The bed shifted as he got up and turned off the light, shifting again when he climbed back in. Thankfully the bed was a full, not a twin, so they had some kind of personal space. Not as much as Louise had hoped for, though it could have been worse. But as she tried drifting off to sleep, the fourth problem made itself known: it was absolutely freezing.
A chill ran through Louise’s body and she pulled the sheets tighter. Logan pulled back, muttering, “Don’t be a blanket hog.”
“You’re the one stealing all the covers!”
“It’s a small bed, there’s only so much blanket.”
With a small growl, Louise threw the covers off and leapt out of bed. She stormed to the closet, digging around all the useless hangers and other junk that the hotel provided. “There’s not even an extra blanket in here!”
“Are you cold?”
She gave him a wild look. “Are you not? ”
Logan sat up, shrugging. She could barely make out the outline of him in the dark. “Not really. I like sleeping cold, though.”
Louise stomped back to bed, putting the covers back on. Logan’s face was easier to see close up. He was smiling smugly, like he always did. “Is there anything I could do to help?”
She laid down, bringing the blankets up to her chin. “No,” Louise muttered.
He cleared his throat. “We could…I mean, you know, we could lay closer? Body heat helps to stay warm?”
Louise’s stomach twisted anxiously at the mere thought. Everything inside of her screamed yes! , which was exactly the reason she had to say, “Ew, no. Are you implying you want to cuddle with me, Bush?”
Logan scoffed and laid back down. “In your wildest dreams, Smelcher.”
A few more minutes passed. Actually, it felt like hours had passed, but it had been only five minutes. Louise shifted from one side to the next, yet both were freezing. She curled up into a ball and debated if her coat was dry enough to sleep in.
Then Louise shivered, and Logan sat up. “Okay. That’s enough. You’re freezing and won’t be able to sleep, and you’re driving me insane.”
Louise threw her hands to her side. “What else do you want me to do??”
He inhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just…just trust me, okay?” Logan scooted over to the middle of the bed. He reached out and tugged lightly on Louise’s arms, pulling her softly towards him. She began to protest but he shook his head and said, “Didn’t you hear me, Belcher? Trust me.”
Logan wrapped his arms around her torso and drew her face towards his chest. Laying back down, he yanked his arm that got trapped under her body out from beneath and then used his other hand to rub Louise’s arms. She hated it, but Logan was basically like a furnace. The proximity alone began to melt throughout her icy body. Louise relaxed into the embrace and nestled in closer, taking in the warmth as much as she could.
“Better?” Logan whispered in her ear.
She didn’t dare look up at him. “Maybe.”
He chuckled. She could feel the comfortable rhythm against her chest. “Goodnight, Smelcher.”
“G’night, dumbass.”
They hadn't even thought to set an alarm. Instead, the sunlight creeping in through the blinds caused Louise to shift awake from her dreams. She opened her eyes, blinking once, twice, three times to make sure the image in front of her was right. She was…staring at Logan’s sleeping face, barely inches away from her own. Their legs were interlocked together, her arm wrapped around his body and his around hers. His other hand was up by her head, tangled with her hair. His eyes were still shut, his mouth slightly open. With the light softly glancing off his cheeks, he almost looked handsome. He certainly looked peaceful. The weirdest part was that Louise felt how he appeared: comfortable, natural, at peace.
Louise debated her options:
- Pull away and pretend that none of this happened. It was warm enough with the sunlight shining on them, anyways
- Make a big deal out of why this was a horrible idea and then pretend it never happened
- Go back to sleep and let it happen for a little bit longer
Despite her consciousness and common sense, Louise opted for the third option. It’s not like he would ever find out that she woke up, right? Louise closed her eyes and pressed her head against his chest. His even breathing began to sway her back to sleep.
Until Logan shifted and breathed in deeply. She felt his arms tense around her, before slowly relaxing. Was he awake? Did he know that she was awake?
Then his hand began to play with her hair. Logan tugged her closer into his chest, his arm tightening around her. He seemed to decide to go back to sleep, as well. But as soon as his grip had warmed her, Logan pulled away, taking his arm off her body and jerking up. “SHIT! What time is it?”
Louise cracked her eyes open, watching him scramble for his phone. “Why? It’s not like…SHIT WE HAVE TO GET THE CAR!”
Logan leapt out of the bed and darted to the bathroom, grabbing his clothes along the way. Louise sat up, running her hands through her hair. At the sudden loss of Logan’s presence, she found herself shivering.
That was when she forced herself to notice the fifth problem, the one that had been staring her in the face the entire night: she had feelings for Logan, one of her best friends. She liked being held by him. She missed his embrace.
Shit. That was not how their weekend trip was supposed to go.