Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Logan

Before you say anything, let me begin by confirming that I am not dating Mar again. I wouldn't do that, I promise.

So, here's some recap: when I got out of rehab, Mar and I reconnected - or I actually reached out to her. It was something that my therapist forced me to do, and it turns out that the fucker was right and I really needed to end things in the right way.

We talked about everything, us. I apologized for being so shitty to her. We agreed to be friends. And we are. Believe it or not, we have not slept together since I came back from rehab. We see each other once every couple of weeks, grab a cup of coffee, talk...

So when Mar calls me up hours before the wedding and I look at today's date, it hits me like a train that it's her birthday. Thankfully, she doesn't notice that I forgot because her parents have forgotten or they're too busy to text, as usual.

Even though Mar would never admit it, I know that it hurts her and that sometimes she feels that no one cares. Being an expert in that field myself, I knew that the last thing that she should be doing is spending time by herself. So I invited her to the wedding with me.

That's it. That's the entire story. Plus, I thought that she could distract me in case Em had a date with her. Which she didn't. Which makes me feel like an asshole.

Em.

God, she looks beautiful. She looks so fucking good that it actually hurts. The moment I saw her, my mind twirled into an acute nostalgia: my mind is a picture book of us. Us, riding my motorcycle at midnight. Us, eating pizza every single night. Us, fighting. Fighting over whose turn it is to do the dishes, over choosing the music in the car, over everything and anything.

Us, making love. Our first kiss. My angry, hungry, drunk fumbling hands were pulling her against the door and pressing her into me. The first time I made her come: the way her eyes rolled to the back of her head and the soft moans she let out. Her smell, her skin.

My eyes meet hers again. Her deep, caramel brown orbs that see behind any facade that I try to put up. God, I miss her. Can she see it in my eyes? Does she feel this electricity between us?

"Your mom hates me," Mar's voice interrupts my thoughts.

Yeah, she really does. She was going to kill me for bringing Mar here. "Of course not."

"Of course, she does," Noah says at the same time.

Mar rolls her eyes at me. "I know! She keeps glaring at me. I told you, I shouldn't have come."

"She's not glaring, that's just how she usually looks at people. Besides, we're already here so we better make the best out of it."

My therapist would be proud.

"Fine, but I'm getting a drink. Try not to get triggered or whatever, okay?"

Mar... she can be so considerate sometimes. Note to sarcasm. I see Noah smirk from the corner of my eye.

"Shut up, asshole," I tell him.

I can't help but glance back at Em once Mar leaves to get a drink. She's dancing with Josh and Adam. She's probably the only one who can actually dance in this entire room. Adam is giving Big bird energy and Josh is... well, he's just being Josh.

I spend the next half an hour gathering up the courage to talk to her. By the time I grew some balls, it was already dinner time. She was seated next to Adam and I was a couple of seats away, facing them.

In other words, we could easily be a part of the same conversation. But we're not. Instead, I hear my mom bombard her with questions as Noah and Mar bicker about god-knows-what beside me.

"How was Russia? I heard you climbed Mt Elrbus in a record breaking time!"

Em smiles shyly, rolling her food on her fork - something that she does whenever she's nervous. "It was good. Cold, but good."

"Next time you're climbing a mountain, you're taking me with you."

I fight the urge to scoff. Mom would not survive two hours on a mountain.

"She's actually climbing Mt Whitney in California next week," Adam says.

My heart drops. She's leaving next week to Cali? Where is she going to stay? Is she going there alone? My mind races.

"No way! That's so cool. I need to join you. Can I?"

Em smiles, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, sure. I'm only doing it for fun so it's not a very difficult trail. You're more than welcome to join me."

Before mom could say anything back, Mar interrupts, completely clueless to the fact that everyone can actually hear her. "Babe, Ames is here. Should I tell her that we'll meet her in like, an hour?"

I try not to wince at her calling me Babe. It's a habit, I get it. We've been together for four years. Nevertheless, it doesn't slip my mind that Em places her fork back into her plate and slowly excuses herself away from the table.

I turn towards Mar. "Can you two go together? I'll catch up with you later."

Noah gulps, obviously not psyched by the idea because he has had the biggest crush on Em since forever. Mar is disappointed but she doesn't say anything else. "I'm going to the restroom," I say before quickly following after Em.

I check the restroom but she's not there. Then, I find her standing outside on the porch.

My hands find their way towards my pockets. "Hey..." My voice is raspy, deep. I almost don't recognize it.

Her almond eyes widen as they spot me.

"Hi," She breathes out.