17. Logan

17

LOGAN

I couldn’t breathe.

There was a great weight on my face. Each time I inhaled I drew in a lungful of…fur?

I spasmed, clawing at whatever was suffocating me and it fucking clawed me back.

“Felix, get the fuck off me!” I roared.

The gigantic orange menace skittered down my bed as I sat up. He had the audacity to hiss at me like I was the one who had inconvenienced him with my almost-death.

“How did you get in here, anyway?” I grumbled. I hadn’t remembered Felix choosing my house after Rome left the night before.

Felix turned around and showed me his butthole instead of answering.

I threw off my covers and got up. No chance of going back to sleep after that. My heart began racing as I realized today was my date with Ivy. Finally .

Strange how I could’ve gone so long without something and now it couldn’t have come fast enough. Despite knowing that I hadn’t been brave enough to court Ivy until now, I still felt like an idiot for never trying.

No wonder I felt like I had to make up for lost time.

I trudged over to my wardrobe and threw it open. A furry blur shot past me like a torpedo and launched itself amongst my clothes.

“You fucking—” I tried to catch him but Felix was as slippery and nimble as ever. Carefully folded shirts flew off my shelves, guided by quick little paws. He was shedding like crazy, leaving orange, black and white hairs all over my pants. Finally, he went full acrobat and latched onto my hung up clothes with his sharp claws.

Once he had sufficiently decimated my wardrobe of wearable clothing, Felix scampered out of the bedroom like his tail was on fire.

“Yeah, you better run!” I yelled at him. What the fuck had gotten into him? “Jesus,” I muttered, picking up what had fallen to the floor. I paused in horror when I realized what Felix had managed to get his claws into.

My nice jacket. The only one I owned that would’ve been suitable for Chez Lumiere tonight. I had no idea how Felix managed to shred such long tears in it so quickly.

I didn’t even think. Opened my group chat with Rome and James and shot off a text.

Felix fucking tore my jacket

ROME

I’m sure Ivy will like whatever you wear, Logan

No you don’t understand

Felix tore my ONLY jacket

JAMES

One jacket!

Are you on a strict jacket budget?

I have no use for jackets and this was my nice one

ROME

How long have you had it?

That was a good question. How old was it? I’d gotten it to attend my cousin’s wedding.

Who now had a daughter about to go into third grade.

I dunno, a while?

I winced. Neither of them responded. Eventually, I threw my phone onto the bed and returned to fixing Felix’s treachery.

A playful series of knocks sounded on my door. It was odd that my first thought was that the rhythm sounded exactly like James. Sure enough, I opened it to find him and Rome standing there.

“Come on. Let’s go shopping,” James said, pointing towards town with his thumb.

It was a mystery to me how they always managed to look good even in casual clothes. “Were you up and dressed already?” I asked, feeling like a slob for sleeping in. Probably would still be asleep if Felix hadn’t asphyxiated me.

They exchanged a glance. “We’ve been, er, up for a while,” Rome said, clearing his throat.

“Ivy stayed over and we took her home,” James added.

Of course. James’ date went well last night. And if Rome’s averted gaze was any indication…that extended to this morning too.

I forced out a dry laugh. “I’m surprised she’s not courted out.”

“She’s not,” James said mysteriously, adjusting the lens of his glasses.

“How do you know?” I frowned.

All I got in return was an infuriating shrug. Great.

“Don’t think about our dates,” Rome said, combing his fingers through his hair repeatedly. “I mean, both of ours went wrong so whatever you planned is going to be incredible in comparison.”

I still couldn’t believe their luck. An ice skating accident and James managing to mess up dinner and a movie.

After I got dressed, the three of us made our way to Star Styles, Starlight Grove’s main clothing store. As a result, there was a chaotic range of stock as they tried to cater to every single person possible. Ordinarily, something like that would’ve overwhelmed me but I already knew where I’d be making a beeline for.

I strode to the big and tall rack, tucked in a corner of the men’s section. “Well, this is it,” I said, giving it a familiar pat.

Rome and James blinked at it, taking in the sparse selection.

“We can make this work, right?” Rome turned to James.

“Yeah,” James said slowly. “Absolutely.”

The two of them began to comb through the rack. I noticed they did not limit themselves to jacket options and I had the faint suspicion some sort of makeover was in my future.

“I don’t really get…all of this,” I admitted gruffly. “I put on what keeps me covered and that’s it.”

“Rome just fakes it anyway,” James said offhandedly as he continued to sweep through.

Rome looked affronted. “Hi, just standing here?”

I must have looked confused because James leaned over. “Rome wears all black so he automatically looks put together,” he explained. Rome scoffed but he was also unfortunately dressed entirely in black today.

“Well, it works,” I said diplomatically. “You seem to know what you’re doing too, James.”

Rome nudged me with his elbow. “Don’t say anything else, his head is already big enough,” he said baldly, clearly not trying to hide it from James. “That’s why he has to wear beanies all the time.”

“Your insult would have worked better if I was actually wearing a beanie,” James said, not missing a beat.

Rome waved a hand at him. “You know what I meant.”

“I did. Takes a big head to make sense of the stuff you say sometimes. You’re very lucky to have me.”

“Excuse me?”

There was something comforting about their bickering. Seeing them with their guard down being less than perfect versions of themselves.

A jacket and pair of pants was pressed into my hands by James. “Here.”

“With this,” Rome added, laying a patterned shirt on top of the small pile.

“Oh, that’s great.”

“Isn’t it?”

I realized they reminded me a lot of the way my parents were with each other before my mom passed. Mom could be smacking Dad’s hand away from taste testing her bolognese one second and then slow dancing with him the next.

The idea of building that same unconditional kind of love around Ivy with our pack made a scratchy kind of heat build behind my eyes.

“I’m gonna…” I said gruffly, indicating to the change rooms.

I spent far too long turning this way and that in front of the mirror. Everything had buttoned up easily and I wasn’t in danger of exploding out of it. But something didn’t look right and I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to pretend I loved what they chose for me.

A neutral sort of smiled grimace was the best I could come up with as I stepped out.

Rome and James glanced at each other. “The colors are right, aren’t they?” Rome asked.

“Yeah, pretty much perfect. Good job,” James said as they bumped their knuckles together.

I must have been more clueless than I thought.

“Now all we need is for Lucy to tailor it. I called ahead and she can squeeze you in if you head over in the next fifteen minutes,” Rome said, checking his watch with a deft flick of his wrist.

Tailoring. It all made sense now. I could feel a flush creeping up my neck from my own idiocy. “Is that why I feel like it’s so…”

James pushed off from where he had been leaning against the wall. “There’s no shape to it right now,” he explained. He stood behind me and gave the fabric a few strategic pinches and I could instantly see the difference in the mirror. “It needs to be fitted properly.”

No wonder sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was wearing a shirt or a camping tent. “That makes a lot of sense,” I mumbled. “Thanks.”

Rome and James browsed the regular men’s section of the store while I got changed and went to pay. As I got closer to the counter, I noticed a bored-looking man stuck to the wall like a gecko. He glanced at the women’s department where his wife was presumably shopping, sighed heavily, and returned to scrolling on his phone.

My steps slowed as I drew closer and realized who it was. Sean Prior.

Ivy’s ex.

I was the last person to pick up on town rumors (guess I didn’t have a face that invited gossiping) but even I knew that their break-up had been years ago. Yet he would turn up in Starlight Grove every winter break and Ivy would do her best to stay out of his way.

It never sat right with me.

I was content to ignore him but he did a double take when he saw me.

“Logan.”

I gave him a curt nod.

Sean peered over to the other end of the store where Rome and James were. I turned to see Rome chasing a laughing James with a beanie. The scorn on his face incensed me when I turned back.

“So. The three of you are courting Ivy, huh?”

I hated her name in his mouth.

“Yes,” I gritted out. “Problem?”

“No problem,” Sean said a little too quickly. He held his hands up, flashing his wedding ring like it was the Holy Grail that absolved him of the bullshit that was about to come out of his mouth. “ Good luck , is all I’m saying.”

“Is that all you’re saying, Sean?” I asked dangerously.

“What?” His face contorted into an over-the-top attempt at confusion. “I said good luck, didn’t I?”

My eye twitched to the rack of belts and I wondered how he would look strung up to the rafters.

“Aren’t you supposed to be going back to Briar’s Landing soon?” I snapped.

He smirked knowing that he got to me. Fuck . Rookie move.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” The flustered shop assistant came rushing over. “I didn’t realize Emma went on her break.”

“It’s fine,” I grunted. I deliberately turned my back on Sean, purchased my clothes and met Rome and James on the way out.

“You alright, man?” James asked. Half his hair was sticking up at a crazy angle.

“Yep,” I said shortly. The encounter with Sean left a bitter taste in my mouth and I wasn’t in the mood to explain.

Felix was sitting by the lamppost right outside the store. Waiting for me like the furry little villain he was. His whiskers flicked as he glanced at the bag in my hand.

“ You ,” I said accusingly.

He ignored me — of course — and yawned, baring his wickedly sharp teeth. He rose onto all fours preparing to leave, his big bushy tail swishing dismissively.

“I wonder if he’s chipped,” James pondered. “Imagine if he’s belonged to someone this whole time.” He reached for Felix and the cat yowled and darted off. “Ah well. Next time I guess.”

Rome stuffed his hands in his pockets. “We’re gonna head off. James has work soon and I’m due for a video chat with my family. Are you good to head to Lucy’s yourself?”

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I said, before thanking them again for their help.

I waved goodbye and wondered why it already felt odd that we would be returning to separate houses.