Chapter 31

MAGGIE

^FIVE YEARS AGO^

It’s been a few months since I’ve seen Logan. Sometimes I feel the pain when I remember him, but other times I’m good at compartmentalizing my thoughts.

Our fathers are best buddies, which is kind of like a curse and the reason we’re forced to bump into each other.

Like this weekend at a party. I ask Dad if Logan’s going to be there, and he says it’s unlikely since Logan’s mostly busy attending to their business overseas.

I’m a little relieved because I don’t want to see him, and that’s not because I hate him or anything. Quite the contrary.

If I see him, I might beg him to talk to me. I might even use my bratty tone to get what I want. It’s foolish, since I know he has a weakness for me.

No matter how stern he likes to act and how cold he treats people, I recognize the warmth in those blue eyes when they look at me, and I want that so badly.

Okay, fine. I’m a self-centered bitch. You can add hormonal-teenage-girl-with-zero-experience-with-a-guy to that. Put that girl in a room with her crush and watch what she does. Can you blame me?

It’s the only opportunity I had to seduce a man who is unattainable.

I’ve brought this on myself.

I throw on a sexy dress that makes me hot with heels. I go extra crazy on the mascara and the lipstick.

It’s only when I go to the party that I realize the mistake I’ve made. I’m a predator magnet basically. It’s mentioned in the predator rule book that red is enticing, and that’s what I’m wearing.

My dad never warns me about these things because he still views me as his “Little Maggie” and probably still imagines that I go to preschool.

I’m stuffing myself with finger food when a figure picks up a plate.

The familiar scent of the perfume is enough to tell me who it is. I’ve known this signature perfume for years. I don’t think I could forget it even if I miraculously got amnesia.

“You having a good night?” he asks me, picking up a pizza roll and putting it on his plate.

I look up at the drop-dead gorgeous man standing beside me. “I am. Fancy seeing you here, Logan.”

~You’re going to act mature, Maggie! You’re going to act real mature!~

I keep repeating it to myself, but as he steps closer, I can feel the resolve slowly faltering.

He chuckles. “What’s with you being so formal?”

“I’m not being formal.”

“How are you doing, Maggie?”

“How does it look like I’m doing?” I ask sarcastically, waving at myself.

“Great.” He smiles. “You look beautiful, as always.”

I can’t help feeling the burn that rises to my cheeks. “You don’t mean that. You just say things to make me feel better,” I blurt out.

“I’ve never done that with you.”

“You’re always lying.”

~Shut up, Maggie! Just shut up!~

“What have I lied to you about?” he asks.

I’m expecting that question, because then I say, “You said you don’t feel anything for me.”

I lean forward to speak softly so no one can hear me. “But I saw you that night, how you looked at my tits, even in the darkness and the way you were turned on, and your cock—”

He doesn’t let me finish the sentence because he squishes my mouth. “Don’t you fucking say it!” He growls quietly.

I slap his hand away. “Why are you so angry, Logan?” I ask him in a teasing voice. “Does hearing the truth hurt you so much?”

He glares at me. “Stop what you’re doing.”

“Aw, poor Loagie. I didn’t mean to kick your boo-boo.”

I don’t know why I’m acting like this, why I’m hurting him and myself. This is not me, but I think it’s the pent-up anger that I’ve had for him for weeks that’s suddenly opened up like a dam.

“Logan, who’s that?” A tall brunette walks up to Logan, and I don’t miss the way her hand loops around his arm.

“This is Maggie. You know Richard Shirley, right? She’s his daughter.”

“Nice to meet you,” she says.

I force a smile and go back to eating.

My mind is now conjuring up images of Logan and his hot date getting naked in a room somewhere after this party. Feeling the anger and jealousy welling up inside me, I stab the food. When the lady leaves, Logan’s still here.

“Your date tonight?” I ask him.

I think he sees something in my eyes. He wants me to stop messing up his life. “Yes.”

“Well, good for you. Someone’s getting some action after this boring party.”

“Maggie,” he says in a warning tone. “She’s a friend.”

“Of course, Loagie. Friends who fuck. I understand, and you don’t need to give me any explanations, seeing as how I’m dating Carter.”

His eyes flash something murderous. “You’re dating him?”

I nod, but it’s mostly a lie. The part where we are dating, at least. Carter asked me out. I didn’t want to say yes, but I also didn’t want to break his heart and lose our friendship.

He’s the only person in my life right now who actually listens to me.

“He asked me out last week, and I said yes,” I confess, looking straight into his eyes and hurting him.

I want to hurt him. This is perfect revenge for making me cry all those weeks.

The glass that he’s holding falls and shatters to the floor. Servers scurry toward us to clean the mess.

I wanted to hurt him, but not physically, at least. He has a large gash on his palm, but he’s not making a fuss.

He stares at me with a solemn expression, and I know he wouldn’t bat an eye, wouldn’t make a sound if I continued to torment him. That’s his punishment for falling in love with me.

I help him clean the wound in the bathroom, and he’s silent throughout. I might as well have stabbed him in the chest, but Logan is good at hiding his feelings unless he’s drunk.

And unfortunately, he’s not drunk tonight. We’re about to leave when he grabs my hand.

“Do you really like him?” he asks.

“I guess I do. He’s sweet, and he cares about me. Why? Does it bother you that he’s my boyfriend now?”

He’s trying his best to remain calm, and I want him to tell me to stop seeing Carter and to only look at him, but he says none of that, which disappoints me.

“Be careful, okay?” he says. “Make sure he treats you right.”

That was my last attempt at trying to get Logan to admit his feelings for me.

Tears start to blur my vision, and I don’t stand there. I start running away from there, away from the party and from everything else that reminds me of Logan.

In the following week, when Carter asks me out again, I say yes for real this time.