Finding You (6 page)

The silence was still there when he pulled into campus. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it, so I didn’t press him.

“See you later, Logan.” I said as I got out of the car.

“Yeah,” Was the only response I got from him before he reversed the truck out of the parking spot and sped off campus. Weird.

Sleep didn’t come easy that night, there were no demons to trap me, only Logan’s soft lips, trapping me with earth-shattering kisses.

The dorm room that I shared with Low was just your regular box room. Two single beds lined the back wall with only a single bedside cabinet separating them. It was tiny, but it was my home away from home. Low’s bed was showered in a mass of clothes, hiding her pink comforter as I could hear her getting ready in the bathroom. I couldn’t help but laugh, the place looked like a tsunami had hit. How it was possible for Low not to be able to find anything to wear was beyond me, she had a ton of clothes and always looked amazing in whatever she wore.

“Neva, is that you?” Low shouted as I walked through the door. I placed my bag on my bed, thankful I had finished my last class for the day.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I replied just as Low walked out of the bathroom looking stunning. Her hair was a mass of curls which cascaded effortlessly down her back. Her makeup was flawless, not too much but just enough. She had to have on the most gorgeous black dress I had ever seen, which cut off mid-thigh, showing off her never-ending legs, finished off with scarlet red heels. They made her seem a lot taller than her 5 foot 4 inches in frame.

“Wow Low, you look gorgeous!” I said in awe as she made her way over to her bed, going through the clothes that still lay in a chaotic mess as if she was looking for something.

“Thanks!” She smiled at me over her shoulder “Aha! Found it.” Turning, she dangled a sleek electric blue tube dress in front of me. There was barely anything to it. Seriously, I had bigger belts than that!

“And what exactly do you want me to do with this?” I said raising my brow, inspecting the barely-there dress that she was holding out in front of her chest.

“You are going to wear it tonight for the party.” She stated, clearly I had no choice in the matter. I really just wanted to wear some jeans and a concert t-shirt and have a good time, not be the girl who was practically naked at one of Ace’s parties. Sensing I wasn’t overly keen on the idea, she walked towards me, placing the dress over my right shoulder. “Just trust me, Neva?” She said with a smirk. I knew this look and I knew I wasn’t going to get out of this one.

“Okay, but if I don’t like it, I am throwing on some jeans and a concert tee.” I said, pointing my finger at her. I have never liked drawing attention to myself, it just gave people an opportunity to study me and maybe just one of them might see the real me, the broken Neva that I tried so hard to hide.

Two long and torturous hours later, I was finally allowed to look in the mirror and when I did, I had to do a double take. Surely the girl in the mirror was someone else? “Christ.” I was looking at my reflection in awe while Low stood next to me smiling.

“You look smoking hot, Neva!” Low squealed, pulling me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe. I have to admit, the girl did good. My dark brown hair was free and floating down to my shoulders, a stark change to my usual boring ponytail. My eyes were lined with a perfect blend of midnight black and ocean blue, giving it a dramatic smoky eyed effect. My lips were expertly lined with gloss, and my cheek bones hinted at a subtle rose blush. But it was the dress that Low had done wonders with, it was a perfect match against my pale skin and dark hair. The dress showcased my curves, clinging to my body in all the right places, stopping mid-thigh. I was speechless, I had never dressed like this before, I had never wanted too. My hands suddenly started shaking, appearing at the most inconvenient time. Taking a slow, deep breath, I concentrated on slowing down my rapid heartbeat, telling myself that it was no big deal, it was just a party. Stepping into my black strappy heels, I was ready. Well, physically anyway.

Ace’s house was only a five-minute walk from our dorm, the house that had a reputation for crazy parties and drunken students, keeping half of the town awake. As Low and I made our way over, we talked about classes and the teachers. Well, I say talk, but what I actually mean is, listening to Low rattle on about who was the hottest guy on campus. My mind flashed back to the kiss with Logan over and over again, just thinking about it caused butterflies to stir in my stomach, doing absolutely nothing for my nerves.

“There better be some hot guys here.” Low said, pulling me out of my thoughts as Ace’s house came into view. The house itself was a two-story red brick building and it was freaking huge! Four tall, white columns graced the front steps that lead up to the entrance, which was now littered with people. A mass of cars littered the street with a sea of color, bodies scattered across anywhere they could find space to stand. Tentatively making my way up the steps of the house, my step faltered as nerves hit me once again. Low must have sensed my unease as I felt her hand gently push against my back, walking me straight into the house. We were suddenly in the middle of a makeshift dance floor, filled with bodies grinding against each other as the music from the large sound system made my ears ache in protest.

“Come on, Neva, let’s get a drink.” Low shouted, the loud boom of the music drowning her out. Placing her hand in mine, she pulled me towards the kitchen, which resembled a bar, as every available surface was lined with various bottles of alcohol. A large table sat proudly in the middle of the room as a group of guys hovered around it, hooting and hollering as they cheered on their friends who were playing an intense game of beer pong. Walking through the kitchen and out the large patio doors, I saw the guys hovering around a second keg, all holding the same red solo cups. What was it with guys and beer? Making our way over, I darted my eyes around the back yard, noticing that Logan was nowhere in sight. Where was he? My line of sight was suddenly interrupted when Ace Turner stood right in front of me, looking my body up and down. Ugh!

“Well, well, well Neva James … I’ll be damned.” Ace said with a smirk, He was one of those guys who was the shit, and knew it. Ace was one of my brother’s friends. He was sexy if you liked the whole underground-fighter-buzz-cut thing.

“Dude! What the fuck? Leave my sister alone!” Tate said, scrunching up his nose and punching Ace in the arm. Ace only smirked and raised his brow, giving Tate a “you-punch-like-a-bitch” look.

“What? Everyone wants a piece of this!” Ace said, rolling his hips and biting his lip. Could he get anymore pig-headed? Probably.

“Hey, guys.” I said, throwing Ace a dirty look. He flashed me his cheeky smile and shrugged his shoulders, taking another mouthful of beer.

Our little group consisted of Tate, Ace, Zane and Colt, all of them just as show-stopping as the next. Tate, Zane and Colt played college football, while Ace was a fighter in the underground. Football season hasn’t started yet but the rumors about scouts coming to watch the guys play were rife, they were
that
good. This, of course, meant they were popular, especially with the woman. Zane and Colt brought a lot of attention due to them being twins, a
very
hot set of twins. Ace was a grade A douchebag, but the women loved him. Rumors about what skills he had out of the cage still haunt me. Yuck. Then of course there was Tate, my brother, named the object of every woman’s fantasy three years running. Yeah, college girls really needed to find a hobby, namely ones that didn’t involve wondering what my brother was like in the sack. The only person missing was Logan, the star quarterback and panty-melting extraordinaire.

“Where’s Logan?” Low asked, looking around the back yard trying to spot him.

“No idea.” Tate said, turning to me “He didn’t come back to the dorm last night. He did say he was coming, right?” He asked, as he poured two cups of beer, handing one to me and one to Low.

“Yeah, he said he would meet us here.” I replied, shaking my head at the cup that Tate had offered me. Pulling out my phone from my purse, I sent him a quick text.

Me: Where are you? XO

Placing my phone back in my purse, I couldn’t help but worry over Logan. Was he avoiding the party because of what happened? I smiled as butterflies filled my stomach once again, remembering that mouthwatering kiss. Shit, stop it Neva!

“I saw him at the gym this morning pummeling the shit out of the bags.” Zane interjected, taking a gulp of his beer before continuing. “Probably pissed that he didn’t get laid last night.” Zane chuckled, turning to his twin.

“Dude, she wanted me. What can I say? I’m fucking sexy.” Colt declared, the smug tone in his voice making me chuckle.

“You mean we’re sexy.” Zane scoffed, throwing his twin a dirty look.

“No, I’m sexy.” Colt said, pointing his finger to his chest.

“What the fuck? Dude, we’re identical twins. If you’re sexy, then that means I’m sexy.” Zane argued, clearly finding his twin’s idiocy amusing.

“I am the older one, therefore I am sexier.”

“Jesus, did mom drop you on your fucking head as a baby? What does three damn minutes have to do with how sexy you are?” Zane taunted.

“Dude, you think I’m sexy?” Colt laughed, holding onto his stomach as he bent over. The roar of his laughter drowned out by the booming bass from the speakers.

“Christ, I need a drink.” Zane mumbled, slapping his brother on the back of his head before walking into the house.

“Come on Neva, let’s dance. These idiots will stand there all night arguing about who is sexier.” Low sighed, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the makeshift dance floor. Looking over my shoulder, I couldn’t help but shake my head at the guys.

The pounding bass soon took over my body once we made it to the dance floor, my hips swaying in time with the thundering music, becoming lost in my own little world. Opening my eyes, I looked around for Low, my gaze quickly landing on her brilliant blond hair. She had her hands clasped around someone’s neck, clearly having already found herself a dancing partner. Smiling, I closed my eyes, letting the music take over my body once more, wandering back to a place where I could become lost; not worrying about anything other than concentrating on the movement of my body.

I was suddenly aware of a hand encircling my waist, slowly turning me around. Ready to tell whomever it was to take their hands of me and find another girl to grind up against, but my mind faltered when my gaze locked on beautiful chocolate brown eyes. The small flecks of green were twinkling under the dim lighting.

“I’m right here.” Logan whispered, pulling me towards him. Our bodies aligning perfectly as he slowly directed my hips with his own, his thigh in between my legs, guiding me. I was entranced. His hands moved towards my waist, running those enticing lazy circles in my skin that he had done many times before. But this time, they felt different, more intimate.

I basked in the feel of Logan’s hard chest against mine, his hands resting on my body, making my head spin. Questions ran around my mind at lightning speed, trying desperately to find the answers I couldn’t seem to conjure. Something had changed. This wasn’t two friends sharing a dance at a party. This was ‘dance fucking’ with a friend … No, he is much more than that, he’s … he’s, my Logan. I was all types of confused, how had this happened? One minute we were childhood friends and the next we were … what the hell are we? My confusion was suddenly pushed to the back of my mind as the music changed, the speakers now pounding out my favorite song, “Kiss Me Slowly” by Parachute.

I let the lyrics engulf me, the gentleness of Logan’s touch swallow me, his scent control me. Our once grinding bodies now moved with a gentle seductive sway, my head resting on Logan’s chest as his arms snaked around me. Holding me close, pulling me into a deeper embrace. Bowing his head, his lips brushed the shell of my ear, pulling a whimper from my throat. His soft, soothing voice penetrated my ears, as he sung the lyrics of the song to me.

My knees were suddenly weak. Everything south of my waist ached as he gently nipped my earlobe. Tightening his grip around my waist, he stopped me from becoming a swooning heap on the floor. This was so confusing, but I couldn’t deny that I loved the feel of Logan’s arms wrapped around me. I didn’t know what this was, but whatever it was … I didn’t want it to stop.

We stayed locked in that embrace throughout the rest of the song, swaying together while Logan would intermittently sing certain lines from the song to me. Holding on to his tight white t-shirt for dear life, it was my own little slice of heaven.

As the song drifted into a finish, I pulled back, my eyes locking with Logan’s. What the hell had we just done? My mind was filled with so many questions that it took me a moment to notice Logan’s reaction, but when I did, I couldn’t help but chuckle nervously. He was grinning like the damn Cheshire cat.

“I’m going to get a drink, want one?” He asked, still holding me tight against his body. I nodded my head, completely blown away by his reaction. The smile on his face was unarming, but it was enough to settle the never-ending questions that were running through my mind.