Chapter 16 — Reed

Reed tossed and turned all night, brushing away the tears that stained his pillow. He was shocked and hurt at Logan’s attitude towards him. Sure, he didn't expect the man to fall down on his knees and declare his love for him, but he knew he deserved to be treated better.

Especially after what we shared the other night.

The entire day, Reed felt as if Logan purposely kept himself buried away in the barn, working on the bike when he had many opportunities to try and talk to him. Reed decided that this time, Logan needed to come to him. As far as he was concerned, he’d reached out to Logan both times now and had worn his heart on his sleeve. Now the ball was firmly in Logan’s court but unfortunately, it seemed that Logan made his feelings known.

Reed punched his pillow trying to get comfortable. He felt awful and he didn't want to be here any longer. After all, he was being forced into this life he didn't want, and now he’d made a complete and utter fool of himself with his bodyguard.

He wanted to scream into his pillow in frustration.

He really thought that he and Logan had something there but obviously he’d totally misread the signs. Sadly, Reed acknowledged that his initial fear was right—Logan was just looking for a little bit of experimenting fun and nothing more. He pursed his lips. He wasn’t going to be anybody's experiment—he was a grown man with feelings that Logan had experienced, too.

He finally fell asleep sometime later, but as soon as the first break of light crept through his blinds, he was wide awake once again.

The first thought that came into his mind was that he needed to get away from here, for even just a couple of days. He was desperately missing his house and as the stalker had been so quiet lately, he almost believed that he had gone away.

Reed sprang out of bed, dashed into the bathroom to get washed up and while the house was still asleep, he packed a bag. He knew his parents would be up soon so he had to be quick if he stood any chance of getting away before they woke. A small part of Reed knew that he was taking a risk and that perhaps he was being immature, but at the same time he desperately needed some space from Logan. He just didn’t feel comfortable being around him right now.

Reed glanced around his room to see if he was forgetting anything obvious and then took his bag and crept out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. He held his breath but when no sound came from Logan’s room, he tiptoed down the stairs, listening for any sounds of movement.

He scribbled a quick note for his parents, telling them he needed a little space and not to worry, and left it on the coffee table in the front room. It would buy him some more time before they’d find the note as they usually spent the morning in the kitchen.

Thankfully, all was still quiet and he continued to the front door. Reed was relieved to find the keys to the SUV hanging there with the other spares—for a minute, he thought his plan was going to fail if, for some reason, Logan had taken them upstairs.

Just as he was about to make his escape, he heard the padding of feet coming from the kitchen and looked around to see Misty approaching him, wagging her tail. Reed dropped to his knees as she approached and he hugged her tightly. “I’m getting out of here, Misty. I’ll be back in a couple of days, okay?” He scratched her behind her ears. “Please, be quiet now.” Reed stood, while she looked at him with soulful eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ll be back, sweetie.” He bent down and dropped a kiss on her head.

Looking around one last time, he whispered a silent apology to his parents, smiled at Misty and then stepped out into the cool early hours of the morning.

Thankfully their SUV was parked near the stables, a good few hundred yards from the front door. Reed was grateful that their room was at the back of the house, so it was likely that Logan wouldn't hear the car starting. He opened the door, dropped his bag into the passenger seat, gave one last look at the house, and then drove off quietly down the drive.

Reed drove the next couple of hours until he was far away from the ranch. He wondered what was going on back at home. By now, they would have discovered that Reed was missing and would be worried. Reed felt guilty about putting his parents through that, but he hoped that once Logan saw the SUV gone, he would have realized that Reed just needed to get away after their conversation last night.

Reed had also purposely left his cell in his bedroom because he didn't want to be traced and he knew that Logan would be able to find him by the signal. Reed couldn’t take that risk. He was trying his best to be strong, but tears pricked at the back of his eyes once again and he berated himself.

How could he have misread read the signs so badly? He was a grown man with experience and he genuinely thought that Logan felt something for him. The more Reed thought about it, the more he felt humiliated and stupid. Logan was a gorgeous looking man, so he probably thought he could do a lot better than Reed, or he probably regretted the experience and felt dirty about it. Reed brushed at his watery eyes with the back of his hand and then turned up the radio in order to distract himself, but even the upbeat tunes he selected didn't do anything to lift his mood.

As he continued to drive, he began to get a little hungry and decided to pull into the next diner he'd come to. However, the road ahead was clear and there didn't seem to be anything in sight.

For a moment Reed panicked, wondering if he should've taken his cell just for safety. However, he was too far gone, and if he really needed a cell, he decided he could buy one somewhere along the way. He suddenly wished he could call his friends to tell them what was going on but he also knew that Kellen would be mad at him for splitting from Logan’s side.

Finally, Reed saw a small diner at the side of the road so he slowed down and pulled into the dusty parking lot. Glancing around, it was near empty with vehicles so Reed knew he’d be safe. Grabbing his ball cap, he placed it on his head and stepped out of the SUV.

Following a light breakfast, Reed got back into the SUV and hit the road once again. He was suddenly feeling very tired after barely sleeping last night, the early start this morning, and also with the heavy emotions playing on his mind and chest. Without a real destination in mind, he decided to find a motel and rest for a few hours. After some time, Reed finally saw a motel coming up into view and he pulled off the main road and into the parking lot. All Reed wanted right now was a clean bed and a soft pillow to lie his head on—the rest he would plan when he woke up.

Pushing open the door, he stepped in front of the desk and the young woman behind glanced up with a smile. Reed turned on his best smile as he requested the room. Once he signed the paperwork, he pulled a stack of bills from his pocket and placed it on the counter. Her eyes flicked to the money and then back to Reed.

“I have a favor to ask, sweetie?”

She nodded, tearing her eyes away from the money. “Sure.”

Reed slid it towards her. “If anyone asks, I’m not here, okay? The car’s just broken down, that’s all.”

She seemed confused and raised an eyebrow. “Are you on the run? Trouble with the law or something?”

Reed laughed and shook his head. “No, nothing like that at all.” He leaned closer so that he was almost whispering and said somberly, “I’m on the run from a stalker.”

She widened her eyes and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Of course, my lips are sealed.” She placed her hand on top of his. “Don’t worry, I won’t give anything away if anyone stops to ask for you.”

Reed nodded. “Thanks. And here’s a little something for your trouble.” He took his hand away and pushed the money towards her, confident that she wouldn’t talk. He wanted to take the extra precaution, just in case.

Once he got the key from the desk clerk, he took his bag and walked around to the room he was given. Opening the door, he dropped his bag onto the chair, locked the door behind him, and then sank down onto the bed, hanging his head in his hands. He felt like he was in such a mess—he had no phone and no one to call on to get advice about his situation. And to top it off, he was stuck out here in the middle of nowhere. Sighing, Reed pulled off his sneakers and got under the sheets, drawing them up to his chin. Curling up into a ball, he refused to think about anything any longer and squeezed his eyes shut. Thankfully because he was so weary, sleep came quickly and Reed was soon out like a light.

He opened his eyes and stretched. Rubbing his face, he turned to the window and was shocked to see that it was getting dark outside. He had slept a lot longer than he anticipated. He lifted his wrist to check the time and his eyes flared in surprise. Then again, Reed thought as he rubbed his face, it’s not like he had anything to wake up for.

Reed felt incredibly alone but he also knew that he didn't want to stay inside this room by himself all night. Pushing back the covers, he got out of bed and went to the window to look outside. The motel seemed to be a little bit busier now; there were a few more cars in the parking lot. He craned his neck and glancing down the main road, he spotted a diner not too far away. His stomach rumbled in response, so he freshened up and decided to go eat something and then come back to the room to watch some TV. Tomorrow he would continue his drive home and hopefully by the evening he’d back in his own house. Somewhat satisfied with his plan, Reed left the room and walked out into the darkened parking lot. He immediately felt a little tense as it was quiet and somewhat eerie. Telling himself to stop being silly, Reed forced his feet to walk across the parking lot and then down the road to the diner.

When he walked inside, it felt like every face looked up at him before returning to their meals. Reed ducked his head and grabbed a corner booth, picking up the menu and covering his face behind it. Over the top of the menu, he looked around the diner noticing that most people seemed to be on their own. Some were still eying him curiously and Reed looked away, feeling uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

Suddenly he wished that he was back in his motel room. He didn't like the way people were looking at him—after all, he was out here on his own, he didn’t have a cell and there was a stalker after his life.

An eerie chill ran up his spine.

Stop being ridiculous, Reed. It's just a diner.

The waitress approached him and Reed quickly consulted the menu, ordering a light meal.

He wanted to eat quickly and then get the hell out of there and into the safety of his room.

After his meal, Reed left a few bills on the table and didn’t bother waiting for the change. If only the bored-looking waitress knew that she’d just scored her biggest tip of the night.

He was feeling very uncomfortable and ducking his head once again, Reed exited the diner. The road wasn’t lit very well and Reed took a deep breath, getting ready to hurry until he was back inside the safety of his room.

Jamming his hands into his pocket, he looked around to see if anyone had followed him but breathed a sigh of relief when no one else stepped outside. So far, so good.

Speed walking across the road, with the company of a few trucks along the way, he soon entered the parking lot and made his way around to his room, fumbling in his pocket for the key.

He almost screamed in surprise when he heard the familiar voice in his ear.