It makes no sense that the last time I was here, I struggled to make it out without panicking, what with all the people coming to talk to us.
But it is what it is. I’ll take what I get.
Logan looks at me with surprise, which soon transforms into glee. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Once we make our way inside, the restaurant is buzzing with chatter and the typical sounds of people eating. But as we get closer to the piano, Logan pulling me by the hand, the restaurant suddenly goes quiet. I can feel the weight of everyone’s gazes. They know Logan. They don’t know me. Who am I to bust into their world like this? I’m about to change my mind and turn back, but Logan is already at the piano, looking at me with a twinkle in his eyes. This is exciting to him.
I can’t turn back now. I don’t know what this moment means, but it means … something. I’ve got to commit.
“What do you have in mind?” Logan asks in a low enough voice that the diners can’t hear him. That has to be pretty low—we could almost hear a pin drop. Even the wait staff is talking more quietly, their eyes turned toward me with inquisitiveness.
“What aboutMy Heart Will Go On?” Logan makes a face, and I burst into laughter. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. As if I could pull that off.”
Logan, looking relieved, chuckles with good nature. “Okay, what about … just follow my lead.” He braces himself to play, and in a moment, the restaurant is engulfed with the musical notes ofStand by Me.
Great. That’s an easy one for my range. I can do this. My heart is about to bust out of my chest, but I can do this.
I take a deep breath and begin to sing. At first, my voice is shaky, and my fingers start going numb, but I place a hand on the piano to steady myself and look at Logan who’s already looking back at me. He’s not even looking down at the piano keys; he only has eyes for me.
That seems to be enough to keep me steady. His eyes say everything. That I can trust him. That he can trust me. That we can stand by each other, and the rest will be fine. Like the first time I heard him play, I’m overtaken by a magical sense of awe surrounding the entire room.
The last notes of the piano decay, and there’s a moment of silence before the restaurant erupts into applause. For a moment, I can’t move. Next thing I know, Logan is standing next to me, sweeping me into a romantic embrace.
His lips touch mine in a way that seems to say:
She’s with me, and I’m proud of that. This is for the whole world to see.
I kiss him back with all the appropriate ardour of a restaurant. I have to focus all of my will on holding back from making a fool of myself. When Logan pulls back, I’m slightly dizzy.
His hand softly strokes my jawline. “You have a beautiful voice,” he tells me. “Everything about you is beautiful.”
My face goes hot. I look away, feeling embarrassed, yet so happy to be seen like this. Logan has always looked at me like no one else does. Like he fully sees every part of me, for better or worse. Like even my deepest, darkest flaws have a way of seeming beautiful from where he’s standing.
It’s a shame it has taken me this long to realize why he looks at me this way.
I’m so shaken that Logan has to guide me back to the patio so we can finish our meal. And I’m so high up on my cloud that even the curious gazes of the diners don’t bring me down.
Outside, the sun is setting. Despite this, the air is still warm. Perfect, in fact. We both sit back at our table just in time for our meals to arrive. It’s like the universe has given the word to line everything up perfectly at the same time.
I don’t take a bite just yet. Instead, I reach out to touch Logan’s hand. His hazel eyes stare deep into mine, stirring something loose inside of me.
“Logan,” I begin, my voice hardly more than a whisper. “I?—”
A ringtone erupts and stops me mid-sentence. I’m taken aback and pulled out of this perfect bubble, this dream. The sound is coming from Logan. Confused, he fishes his phone out of his pocket and takes a look at the screen. That’s when his face goes dark.
My stomach sinks. There’s a new pressure on my chest. I’ve been here for nearly two weeks, and I’ve never seen an expression like this on his face. In an instant, I dig in the back of my mind for memories of young Logan. But there’s nothing there. Nothing that resembles this.
Something is deeply wrong.
“I have to take this,” he says flatly right as he stands. He doesn’t make eye contact with me. “I’m sorry. I’ll be right back.”
And he leaves me alone at our table, my unspokenI love youdying on my lips.
CHAPTER14
The wind ruffles through my hair, bringing the scent of saltwater with it. The boulder is hard against my back, but I can’t bring myself to care enough to switch positions.
I’m staring out at the ocean, watching each wave lap the pebbles at my feet. The sun is bright against my eyes; I should have put on sunscreen before heading here. But I wasn’t really thinking. All I knew was that I needed out of my cabin.
