Chapter 42 Picnic date
~Ava~
The sunlight casted a shadow over the trees, soft and warm on my skin. It was the kind of day that begged to be savoured.
After everything with Natasha, I thought things might spiral and go wrong. That Logan might pull away and decides he didn't want me anymore, or worse, that I might.
But somehow, we didn't break apart. We just... solidified. Like the pressure we were experiencing only made us stronger. Like he was fire and I was glass, and instead of shattering, I melted into something whole.
I hadn’t expected to find him waiting outside my final class, leaning against the pillar like he belonged there …like he belonged to me. His hoodie was pushed up to his elbows, revealing tanned tattooed forearms I pretended not to stare at. A dimple peeked when he saw me.
“Hey,” he said, offering me that half-smile that always knocked the air out of my lungs.
He had that hold on me, and I couldn't complain shit.
“Hey,” I replied, trying to sound casual even though my pulse had started sprinting.
“You free for the next hour?”
I blinked. “Um, yeah. Why? Why do you ask?”
He tilted his head toward the quad. “Come with me.”
No explanation. Just that. And obviously, I trusted him enough now to follow without question.
The walk was quiet, but the good kind…the kind where words weren’t necessary because the silence felt full, not empty. When we reached the center of the quad, I finally saw it.
A blanket was spread out on the grass, a small basket beside it, and a tiny speaker softly playing some unknown song I've never heard of that immediately melted my nerves. There were sandwiches, strawberries, even sparkling lemonade in plastic cups. It wasn’t extravagant. It wasn’t over-the-top.
It was perfect.
“You did this?” I asked, stunned.
He shrugged like it was no big deal, but his eyes flicked to mine nervously. “Thought we could use a break. You know... from all the chaos that Natasha caused”
My heart thumped in the best way.
He was trying. Really trying. And I’d never had anyone do that for me before just make space for peace in the middle of everything.
“I love it,” I said, and meant every word. He went out of his way to do this inorder to make me feel better!
We sat down, our knees bumping as we settled onto the blanket. I kicked off my shoes, tucking my legs under me, and took the cup he offered. The lemonade was cold and tangy, and it made me smile.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d think it was stupid,” he said, picking up a strawberry and inspecting it.
“Logan, I’ve been taking naps on your couch and stealing your cereal. You think I’m going to turn down a picnic?”
He laughed, that low, warm sound that I was slowly getting addicted to. “Fair point.”
We ate in comfortable silence for a while. His fingers brushed mine when we both reached for the last triangle of grilled cheese, and he didn’t pull away.
Neither did I. I was busy enjoying his touch.
He leaned back on his elbows, gazing up at the sky. “Do you ever just... want to stop time?”
I turned my head to look at him. His profile was soft in the sun, his eyes squinting slightly, he kept his mouth relaxed.
“Yeah,” I said. “Like right now.”
He looked over at me, and our eyes met. For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
“I meant what I said before,” he murmured. “About you. About this.”
My voice came out smaller than I wanted. “I know.”
“I don’t want to mess this up, I can't mess this!”
“You’re not,” I said quietly.
And I meant that, too. Because he made me believe there's always someone who's willing to be with you despite your baggage.
The moment stretched between us. Then he reached out, lacing his fingers through mine, and everything else faded away.
It was just us at that time, nothing else mattered.
The weight of his hand in mine wasn’t heavy. It was grounding. It told me I was here, I was wanted, I was safe. And that was a strange kind of magic I wasn’t used to believing in.
“I never thought I’d date someone like you,” I said without thinking, then immediately winced. “ Oops!That came out wrong.”
Logan raised a brow, amused. “What did you mean? A guy with a fan club and a touchdown record?”
“No,” I said, biting back a grin. “I mean someone who’s… open. Gentle, under all the rough edges. I guess I expected someone like you to play the game you know, date for fun, never let it get too real.”
He leaned closer, the wind t
Messing his already-messy hair. “It is real.”
And just like that, my heart did this stupid flutter thing again. Whenever Logan is near me, my heart can't seem to catch a break from racing all the time!
He reached for the speaker and turned the volume up slightly, and to my surprise, he tugged me up by the hand. “Dance with me.”
I blinked. “ Are you serious? right now? In the middle of the quad?”
“No one’s watching. Or if they are, screw them.”
“I don’t dance.”
“Good,” he smirked. “Neither do I.”
He pulled me close, hands settling on my waist like he’d done it a hundred times before, and we swayed in the most awkward, adorable way imaginable.
I looped my arms around his neck, trying not to think about how fast my heart was beating.
“This is so cheesy,” I whispered.
“Yeah, well,” he murmured near my ear, “you make me do cheesy things.”
I laughed, softly and surprised, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were already on me.
We didn’t kiss right then. We didn’t have to. The moment itself was full enough.
Eventually, we sank back down onto the blanket, watching the clouds drift lazily overhead. I felt lighter than I had in weeks.
“I’m glad you’re still here,” he said suddenly.
I turned my head to face him. “Where else would I be?”
“I don’t know. After all the drama with Natasha… I wouldn’t have blamed you if you wanted out.”
“You forget I’ve dealt with worse situations,” I teased. “And Natasha doesn’t scare me.”
His expression turned serious. “She won’t come near you again. I promise.”
The protectiveness in his tone made my chest squeeze. Not because I needed someone to defend me, but because he wanted to. I finally had someone who actually cared for me.
“I know,” I said softly.
A shadow loomed over us and I looked up to see someone approaching.
“Oh, no,” I muttered. “Incoming Titan.”
Logan followed my gaze and grinned. “Relax. It’s just Trey.”
Trey was in his usual backwards cap and jersey, looking far too smug for someone crashing a picnic. “Well, well. Didn’t peg you for a picnic guy, Logan.”
“I’m full of surprises,” Logan said dryly.
Trey’s gaze slid to me. “Hey, Ava. Glad to see you’re sticking around.”
I blinked. “Um. Thanks?” what did he mean by that?
He plopped down on the edge of the blanket uninvited. “We’re heading to Devin’s later wanna come?”
I looked at Logan, unsure.
“You should,” he said, nudging my knee. “They’ve been asking about you.”
“They have?” I asked, genuinely shocked.
“You passed the group chat test,” Trey chimed in. “And anyone who makes Logan less of a moody jackass he was, is cool in my book.”
I tried not to laugh. “I’ll think about it.”
Trey left us a minute later, and Logan leaned in again. “You know, they actually like you.”
“Wow,” I said dramatically. “That’s high praise from the elite of Westbridge.”
“They don’t let just anyone in,” he murmured. “But you… they just like you.”
The words felt like a knot unfolding itself inside me. I hadn’t realized how much I’d wanted to hear that.