“I’m fine.” Brooke stared out her passenger side window.
Fine. The universal word in a woman’s vocabulary which meant the complete opposite.
“I appreciate you coming with me.” His clothes suddenly made his skin itchy and restrictive, he wished he had turned down the temperature rather than up.
“I know,” Brooke said without glancing his way.
His mind scattered, Logan forgot how close he was to the city.
“Don’t miss the exit.” Brooke pointed at the approaching off-ramp only yards away.
“Right.” Logan changed lanes rapidly and exited the off-ramp. “Thanks.”
He drove through the streets of downtown Chicago toward Brooke’s apartment. “We never even ate.” Logan tapped the heel of his hand against his forehead. Their food, no doubt, was still sitting on his sister’s kitchen table, long forgotten. “You have to be starving.”
Brooke shrugged.
“Do you want me to drive around and find a food truck?” Logan offered.
“No.” She shook her head then clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap. “I want to go home.”
Logan nodded, taking the upcoming left which turned onto her street. He pulled up to the curb in front of her building.
“Here you are.” Logan stopped the car.
She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened her door before he even put the car into park.
“Hey,” Logan cupped her elbow which halted her in place. She finally twisted to face him. “I didn’t kiss her if that is what you were wondering.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Brooke said, deadpan.
“But—” Logan scrubbed a hand down his face.
“But?”
He exhaled. “Shelby did want to go out with me again. She said it might be good for us to catch up and see if things are really done between us. She regrets leaving me like she did.”
“That’s what I thought.” Brooke scooted out of her seat and stood. Then she peered back into the car. Her hand gripped the corner of the door, making her knuckles turn white. “Text me if you’re still up for faking it at Aubrey and Ian’s wedding.” She didn’t wait for a response but shut the door and wandered into her building.
Logan slumped in his seat as he watched her disappear inside. How had he managed to make such a mess of things? Up until tonight, he didn’t care to see Shelby ever again. He likedBrooke, but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit seeing Shelby messed with his head. The bottom line was he didn’t know what he wanted anymore. And he knew if he didn’t figure it out soon, he stood to lose everything.
He drove the rest of the way to his apartment. Then he proceeded to have a very fitful night of sleep. The blaring ring of his cell phone awoke him the following morning.
Groggily, he swiped it from his bed stand and saw Danielle’s name flash across the screen. He bolted up right and accepted the call. “Is everything okay?” He asked as he rubbed his eyes with a closed fist. “Is Lily doing better?”
“Lily is fine.” Danielle paused, a wail sounded in the background, and he heard her ask Michael to come in and assist her with the twin. “The medicine seems to be working. Her fever has broken. I think by tomorrow she’ll be fully on the mend. Thanks again for your help.” Then almost as an afterthought she added, “and Brooke’s.”
His elevated heart rate slowly pumped back down to normal. “Any other reason you are calling me at this unearthly hour on the one day I don’t start until noon.” He didn’t even attempt to hide his annoyance.
“Sorry, we’ve been up all night. I don’t have much concept of time right now.”
“No, duh.” He waited.
He knew Danielle was itching to ask about Shelby, but he wasn’t offering any information. Frankly, he didn’t even know what he wanted to do. Things were new with Brooke too. His emotions seemed to be on a teeter totter going back and forth. Then before he fell asleep last night Shelby had already sent him a text message. He hadn’t responded, because he didn’t know what his heart cared to do.
“Shelby texted me and let me know you chatted.”
“My, you’ve been busy.” His jaw clenched. Why did Danielle think she had a say in his relationship?
