"No," I said, annoyed that he didn't seem inclined to help at all. "That was true. My car did refuse to start after my crappy date, and I did call Logan to come help me. He gave me a ride home and then just... didn't leave. Neither of us were expecting you to show up before he had time to get out."
"But you're not together," Dan said. "You're just... messing around."
"Right," I replied.
"Why?"
I opened my mouth and then closed it, unsure how to respond to that. When I glanced at Logan, he was just standing there, stony faced, like he didn't have a part in it at all, and I couldn't help the way I got annoyed immediately.
"So what?" I said to him. "You don't have anything to say about any of this? You're just going to stand there and let me do this all on my own?"
Finally, he reacted, dragging fingers through his hair. "What do you want from me, Elise? You said it doesn't matter. You said it was a mistake, and now you want me to jump in and what, back you up? I can't do that."
"Why not?" I demanded.
"Because it wasn't a fucking mistake for me!" he snapped.
I stepped back a bit, surprised by his tone. "What?"
"You heard me. Every time we end up sleeping together, you put the brakes on so damned hard afterwards. You have to make sure I know there's no possible way this could work out and you don't even really like me, and then you go away and ignore me for a week before it all happens all over again. And what the hell is that? You either want me or you don't. You don't get to have it both ways."
I stared at him, so caught off guard by his rant. It was the most passionate I had ever heard him sound when he wasn't talking about his work or being angry about something. He was angry with me, clearly, but it wasn't anger in his voice. Logan actually sounded hurt, and I didn't know how to react to that.
"I thought that was how you wanted it," I said finally.
"You never asked me what I wanted," he pointed out.
"You've never liked me."
He rolled his eyes. "People can change, Elise. People can decide that the things that used to drive them fucking crazy aren't that bad, actually. And they can see the good in someone they didn't like before and just want to be around them."
He was talking about me. I never thought I would hear him say things like that about me.
"Logan," I murmured. "I didn't... I didn't know. You didn't say anything."
"Of course I didn't say anything. You kept swearing up and down there was nothing here and we weren't even friends. Why would I tell you the truth, then?"
"He has a point," Dan said, and we both turned to look at him, clearly having forgotten he was there for a bit.
"Whose side are you on, Dan?" I muttered.
"No one's," he replied. "I have no idea what's going on, but it seems like it's between the two of you for now, so I'm going to go." He glanced between us as he made his way for the door. "But this isn't over. I have some words for both of you for lying to me and hiding this."
Logan and I were both silent until he was gone, and then for a good bit after that as well. He'd been the catalyst for this little heart to heart, and now that he was gone, it was hard to know how to continue.
I turned back to Logan, looking him over. He looked tired, but he kind of always did. There was hurt there, but also a little bit of hope, if I was reading him right, and it hit me that I'd gotten good at reading him.
He was being honest with me.
"You like me?" I asked, needing to hear him say it.
"Obviously," he groused. "Why would I spend so much time in bed with you if I didn't?"
"Good sex?"
He huffed. "You can get sex anywhere, Elise. I wouldn't keep taking the risk of sleeping with my friend's sister if I didn't like you at least a little."
"I thought maybe the thrill of doing something we shouldn't was a part of it," I admitted.
