Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Logan

I pull the curtains closed, blocking out the light, and get back into bed. Danielle is sound asleep, and waking up with her next to me brought up a feeling inside me that I can’t quite figure out.

It feels right.

But it’s wrong.

We’re pretending.

I want this to be real.

And the more we fake it, the more we put on the masks of happy lovers, the more it feels like it’s not going to really happen. Doesn’t quite make sense, I know.

Luckily, Danielle took a long shower last night and I fell asleep before she got into bed. If I’d still been awake, I don’t know if I would have been able to sleep knowing that next to me, only an arm’s length apart, was the woman I’ve been in love with since the moment I met her.

It’s early in the morning, but the sun is already up and shining brightly down on the beach right outside our window. I actually have no idea what we’re supposed to do today, but I know at some point we’re having breakfast or brunch—or lunch at this point—with Danielle’s parents.

I stick my legs back under the covers, and Danielle rolls over. She sleeps on her back, with one hand up on the pillow above her head. Her long hair is a tangled mess around her face, and one of the straps of her tank top fell down over her shoulder. With no makeup and no bra, she’s even more gorgeous than when she’s done herself all up.

My eyelids get heavy, and I start to drift back to sleep. Then Danielle’s phone rings. It’s on silent and buzzes on the nightstand next to her. She doesn’t so much as stir. I push up and reach over to grab the phone. It’s her mom calling, and I silence it, not seeing the point in waking her up yet.

Unless we were supposed to go to breakfast with them. Oh well. I set the phone back down and close my eyes again. About ten minutes later, someone knocks on the door. This time, Danielle wakes up. She’s facing me, and her eyes go to me as soon as they open.

“Hey,” she says, voice thick with sleep. “Was someone knocking, or did I dream that?”

“Someone is knocking.” I get out of bed, adjusting my pants as I stride to the door and look through the peephole. “It’s your sister and two other people,” I say to Danielle. “Want me to let them in?”

“Yeah. There’s no need to delay the inevitable any longer than necessary.” She sits up, pushing her long hair out of her face before getting out of bed. She’s wearing pink sleeper shorts and a white tank top that ends right above her belly button. I’m sure she wears that most nights. It’s far from lingerie and looks quite comfortable.

But, fuck me, she looks good in it. The shorts ride up on her ass as she crosses the room, and if her hair wasn’t hanging over her breasts, I’m sure I’d be able to see her nipples through the thin white tank top.

It’s like she did it on purpose to drive me crazy. It’s cruel, really, to have her flaunting that body around when I can’t have it. And to think she was next to me all night…now I’m really fucking glad I fell asleep before I saw her get into bed looking like that.

I swallow hard, tearing my eyes away from her, and look back at the door. I’m already insanely attracted to her. The last thing I need is to get a hard-on right before I welcome her sister and presumably her mother into our room.

Though it would help our fake couple story to have it look like they interrupted morning sex. I undo the chain on the door and open it. All three women on the other side of the door widen their eyes and look me up and down.

“Hey,” I say to Diana as Danielle appears beside me. The older woman next to Diana looks from me to Danielle and smiles.

“Hi, Mom.”

The woman steps forward, pulling Danielle into a tight hug that lasts exactly two seconds. Everyone shuffles into the room. “This must be Logan, your fiancé.”

Danielle tips her head to me, smiling, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, it is. Logan, this is my mom and…” she trails off, looking at the other woman.

“Nancy,” she introduces herself. “Mother of the groom.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I say and extend my other hand. “And you too, Mrs. Cross.”

Danielle’s mom laughs, high-pitched and fake. “Please, call me Carol. We’re going to be family soon enough. Have you two talked about wedding dates yet?”

Diana looks annoyed at the mention of Danielle’s wedding, reminding me of another family member who was a huge bitch around her wedding as well.

“Not yet.” Danielle waves her hand in the air, not meaning to flash the big—fake—ring through the air. She looks at me again, eyes shining. “We’re in no rush and really, this is Diana’s weekend. That’s why I didn’t announce anything on social media yet.”

“Then why didn’t you just wait to ask her?” Diana smiles sweetly. “I can’t imagine not shouting it from the rooftops the moment I got engaged.”

Danielle’s shoulders bunch up, and she laughs nervously, eyes going to me.

“It wasn’t about letting the world know,” I start before she has a chance to start rambling. I run my fingers down Danielle’s arm, and my heart speeds up. Angling my body toward hers, I reach out with my other hand and push her messy hair over her shoulder. “It was about not being able to wait another day to let Danielle know how much she means to me.”

The words come out easily but leave a bad taste in my mouth. I’m acting, yet I’m not, and the weird disassociation from the truth is enough to make me dizzy.

“I had a whole big thing planned,” I go on. “I was going to ask during our town’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show. But like I said, I got impatient. I knew from the moment she walked into my bar at one AM on a Thursday that she was perfect for me.” I let my hand drop, and I take both her hands in mine, getting lost in her sea-green eyes. She gives my hands a squeeze and blinks rapidly, almost as if she’s trying not to cry.

I don’t know if she’s acting or not.

“Oh, how romantic,” Peter’s mother swoons. “And how thoughtful of you two to keep the news to yourselves until after the wedding.”

“I try.” Danielle nervously laughs. I lace my fingers through hers and give her hands a squeeze. She has nothing to be nervous about. I’ll make sure we get through this. “Are you going down for breakfast already? I thought it was later.”

“It is, but we were on our way down to get mimosas and get some sun before our reservation and thought we’d see if you’d like to join,” her mother says. “I called.”

“You did? We must have slept right through it.”

“Up late?” Diana slightly narrows her eyes, and I can’t tell if she’s trying to be condescending or make a joke. There’s a good chance not even she knows the difference between the two.

“We got in at like two or three AM. Yeah, we were up late.”

“And then up a little later. I can’t keep my hands off this one.” I pull Danielle close to me, and her eyes widen as she tries not to laugh. Her mother looks at us disapprovingly and Diana’s eyes narrow again.

“Try to keep it classy, Danielle. We’ll be downstairs whenever you’re ready. Don’t be late to breakfast,” her mother says. “It was nice to meet you, Logan. I look forward to getting to know you better before you become part of the family. Danielle’s father does too.”

They turn and filter out of the hotel room, shutting the door behind them.

“I can’t keep my hands off this one?” Danielle hisses, shaking her head as she goes back to the bed. “Seriously?”

I shrug. “We’re very much in love. Though really it would be the other way around.” I turn to the mirror and flex the muscles in my chest. “I mean, look at me. How you’re resisting me right now, I’ll never know.”

Danielle’s cheeks flush, and she looks away. “I…I should get ready.” She grabs her stuff and goes into the bathroom. I grab my phone and go onto the balcony, taking a few pictures to send to Owen so I can remind him that I’m here on a mini vacation while he’s stuck at home working double shifts to fill in for Danielle and me. He responds right away.

Owen: You woke me up, cocksucker.

Me: Just “me”? You’re alone tonight?

Owen: Fuck no. Wendy. Or Wanda? Hell if I know. Is still passed out. Did you fuck Danielle yet?

Me: How’s Dexter? Did you remember to feed him?

Owen: You measured his food in baggies and left them on the counter. And labeled them for each day.

Me: Is that too hard for you?

Owen: Fuck you. And you didn’t answer me. Did you put the P in the V??

Me: You need to grow the fuck up. And no.

Owen: Make me proud. Get out of the friendzone.

I lock the screen on my phone and set it down, looking out at the beach. It’s early, but a lot of people are out there already.

“I’ll do my makeup out here,” Danielle says from inside the room. “So I’m not hogging the bathroom.”

I get up and go back inside. “Wow.” It’s all I can do to keep my jaw from dropping. “You look beautiful.”

Danielle wrinkles her nose and looks down at the dress. It’s light pink, low-cut, and flows around her legs when she walks. “I don’t look like I’m trying too hard to be on a tropical vacation?”

“You are on a tropical vacation.”

She laughs. “Well, thanks. You better look good too, Dawson. I need to show off my arm candy.”

I get my shit and go into the bathroom to get ready. I’m done before Danielle and take my book onto the balcony to read. Half an hour later, Danielle’s hair is curled.

“This is why I don’t curl my hair that often.” She runs her fingers through it and looks in the mirror. “I have too much hair. Sometimes I consider chopping it all off.”

“That’d make your sister happy.”

She lets out a snort of laughter. “Right?”

I stick my phone and wallet in my pocket and lead the way out of the room. Neither of us talk as we walk down the hall and into the elevator. I take another look at Danielle once we get in, crowding to the back as another family pushes in with several large suitcases.

Danielle reaches up with her left hand, pushing her curls back and the ring gets stuck in her hair.

“Hang on,” I tell her, angling my body toward hers and cupping my hand around her fingers. Danielle is wearing heels today like she usually does, but I’m still several inches taller than her. I look at the ring, seeing several strands of hair stuck under the little brackets that hold the fake diamond into place.

I move my gaze to her face…to her long lashes and her brilliantly bright eyes. And then to her lips that are parted and covered in dark pink lip gloss. If I look farther down, I’ll see the swells of her breasts under her dress and will remember all too well how she looked this morning.

“Ow!” She winces, and I realize I just pulled her hair. Clearing my throat and forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, I carefully untangle her hair until she’s free. “I’ll try to remember not to do that again.”

“Show off the ring and then take it off,” I suggest. “Say you’re worried you’ll lose it on the beach or something.”

“Good idea.”

The elevator stops on the main lobby and everyone gets out. It takes us a while to figure out where to go since this place is fucking huge. I spot Danielle’s mother and sister right as she comes to a dead stop.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, turning and seeing her wringing her hands.

“It’s the whole fucking bridal party.”

“Yeah? They’re here for the wedding.”

She shakes her head. “I know…it’s…it’s just who’s in it.”

“Bad history?”

Her eyes close in a long blink. “Not really. It’s just…it’s stupid. I’m an adult and shouldn’t worry about these things, right?”

“I don’t want to agree or disagree until I know the full story.”

Danielle lets out a breath. “I shouldn’t care anymore. I…I don’t want to care anymore. I’m a grown woman. I’m happy. I like my life in Eastwood, and while I would maybe go back and do a few things differently, I like to believe what Grandpa says. What happened yesterday is the reason for where I am today. Good or bad, you can’t change the past.” She nods. “You can only accept that all you have is your next choice. And I’m choosing not to give a fuck.”

I tip my head, watching her wring her hands. “I think that was the start to a motivational speech, but I’m a little fucking confused.”

Her eyes flutter shut, and she lets out a deep breath, trying hard to relax. What the hell is going on inside her head right now?

“Those girls have been my sister’s friends for years. I know them, and they know me. And trust me when I say they make Regina George look like a saint.”

“It’s your fault I understand that reference.”

Her lips curve into a small smile. “It’s a good movie. I can’t believe you’d never seen it before. But that’s not the point. The point is, with that group of plastics, where you went to grad school and how many country clubs you’ve been to in the last year is all that matters.”

“So, you’re saying they’re not going to be impressed with a bartender from Eastwood?” I rub my hands together. “I’m going to have fun with this.”

More tension leaves Danielle’s shoulders. “They’d be impressed if they knew how profitable Getaway was.”

I shrug. “We don’t do too bad for ourselves.”

“Oh come on, Logan. I know I don’t have access to the books, but I know you guys are bringing in a hell of a decent profit. Owen brings it up any time he’s had a few shots and there’s a pretty girl at the bar. Which is basically every night.”

I let out a sigh and shake my head. “Sometimes I feel bad for getting all the smarts. It’s like that thing where one twin absorbs the other started to happen and I got all the brains between the two of us.”

Danielle laughs, and my own heart swells. “It is a little unfair. At least he has your looks, because those alone will get you far.”

My jaw drops and I bring my hand to my chest. “Are you hitting on me, Danielle Cross?”

“You wish, Dawson.” She playfully punches me and then slips her arm through mine. “Thank you, Logan.”

“For what?”

She looks up at me. “You know.”