Chapter 56 Someone I haven't seen in years
Ava’s POV
I wish I could’ve stayed like that forever. Wrapped up in Logan’s arms, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart against my ear, his hand lazily drawing circles on my back.
It was easy to forget the rest of the world existed when I was with him.
I smiled against his bare chest, feeling a strange kind of peace settle over me the kind I hadn’t felt in years.
My phone buzzed somewhere on the nightstand, vibrating against the table.
I groaned, not wanting to move, but Logan chuckled and gave me a playful smack on the hip.
"Better get that, baby," he said, his voice thick with sleep.
I stretched, feeling deliciously sore, and reached over to grab it.
Charlotte’s name flashed across the screen.
I frowned. Why was she calling so early?
Sliding off the bed ignoring Logan’s mocking whine as I stole his warmth I padded across the room. I was dressed in nothing but a pair of Logan’s loose basketball shorts and his t-shirt, which hung almost indecently off one shoulder.
My neck tingled where his mouth had been the night before, and when I caught my reflection in the mirror near the door, I gasped.
Hickeys.
A lot of them.
I tugged Logan’s shirt higher to try and cover them as I answered the call.
"Hello?" I whispered, peeking over my shoulder to see Logan sprawled out on the bed like he owned the world.
"Ava!" Charlotte’s voice blasted through the phone. "Oh my God, you’ll never guess!"
I winced. "Charlie, could you not scream?" I hissed. "Logan’s still half asleep."
"Whatever. Listen a guy came to the café asking for you," she said breathlessly. "His name’s Brian. Ring a bell?"
I froze.
Brian.
The name hit me like a slap. my stepbrother what did he want now?
"What...?" I croaked, my heart thudding painfully. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty damn sure," Charlotte said. "He knew your full name. Said he was family. He seemed... intense. Is he your brother?”
My mouth went dry.
"What did you tell him?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I... might have mentioned you’re staying at Logan’s place," she said sheepishly. "I didn’t think it was a big deal! He said he was worried about you!"
"Charlotte!" I hissed, panic flaring sharp and immediate. "You gave him Logan’s address? How could you do that?"
Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. My mind began to race, I wondered if it was Brian as Charlotte said.
Logan sat up instantly, his body tense, reading the change in my expression.
"You expecting someone?" he asked, frowning.
I shook my head, my stomach twisting into knots.
“No!"
Clutching my phone tighter, I tiptoed toward the door.
Maybe it wasn’t him.
Maybe it was just Charlotte, feeling guilty and coming to apologize in person.
I tucked my hair behind my ear and opened the door slowly, hiding behind the frame just in case…
I froze.
It wasn’t Brian.
It wasn’t Charlotte.
It was someone I hadn’t seen in over a year.
Someone I never expected to find standing outside Logan’s apartment, looking at me like I was a complete stranger.
A tall man with sharp features, graying hair, and cold eyes.
My father.
His gaze swept over me the messy hair, Logan’s shirt, the bare legs, the very visible marks on my neck. Now I wished,I would wear my clothes.
His jaw tightened.
I could feel world spinning under my feet, feeling dizzy all of sudden.
I barely managed to breathe out the one word that shattered the morning into a million pieces.
"Dad...?"