Chapter 346 Homeward Bound
Ella
A charged silence fell between us as we finally reached the safety of the car. Somehow, we had managed to make our way out of the party with little trouble, although Leonard had asked questions; a quick “My stomach hurts” on my part, however, was enough to make the man leave us be.
Logan slid behind the wheel as I climbed into the passenger seat. As the engine hummed to life, he turned to face me, his deep blue eyes reflecting the twilight.
“Ella,” he began, his tone light yet hesitant, “speaking of the ‘engagement party’…”
I sighed, passing a hand over my weary face. “Now? Really? We need to talk about this now?”
Logan shrugged as he began pulling away from the curb. “We’ll have to talk about it sooner rather than later. No offense, but it was your idea.”
I cringed at the thought. It was my idea, technically. Logan had offered to take the fall, to avoid this ‘engagement party’. But I had decided in the moment to be the one to take the fall instead, to agree to let my parents meet Leonard and this whole dark family. But truthfully, I never planned on actually going through with it at first. Now, though, I wasn’t so sure what to do. I needed to think.
“Later,” I muttered as I stared out the window. “Not now.”
“Fine,” Logan responded. “But Ella, I was thinking… We should take a trip to your home city first. Tell them in person. We’ve got the time right now in between cases, and-”
My eyes widened in shock, and I quickly cut him off. “No! That’s a horrible idea!”
Logan paused for a moment before answering. “What’s the big problem?” he asked. “Don’t want your family to meet me?”
I swallowed, shaking my head. “It’s… It’s not that,” I said, which was only a half-truth. “It’s just… Not a good idea. Not at all.”
Up ahead, the light turned red. Logan guided the car to a stop, then turned to face me while we waited. He inched closer, his warmth brushing-against me, and his voice dropped to a soft coax.
“Come on, it could be fun. We’ll get a hotel room, play tourists. You can show me all the places you loved as a kid. The nostalgia trip might be nice, don’t you think?”
Shaking my head vehemently, I pressed my lips together and tried to push away the memories of our encounter in the old playroom. “No. I can’t do that. I won’t do that. And I certainly won’t get a hotel room with you.”
“Alright,” Logan said, sounding somewhat disappointed. “We’ll get separate hotel rooms then. Separate hotels, if you’re really that nervous. Whatever would make you comfortable, Ella.”
I frowned. “What would make me most comfortable would be if you didn’t keep pushing this.”
Logan was silent for a moment as the light changed and the car started moving again. The tension between us felt even more pronounced by the sound of the car’s engine humming around us, filling the void. Finally, Logan spoke, his voice sounding gravelly and a little annoyed.
“You weren’t planning on doing this, were you?” he asked. “Always the lawyer. Looking for a loophole?”
I bit my lip. Logan hit it pretty much on the nose, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. “I… I don’t know,” I murmured.
“Look,” Logan said with a sigh. “If you don’t want to go through with the party, I understand. We’ll try to find a way. But keeping our fake relationship from your parents could cause a lot more problems, and I know you know that.”
I nodded. Logan was right; hiding this ‘relationship’ from my parents had proven to be just as difficult as telling them. At least if I laid my cards out on the table about who Logan was, maybe they would understand. Then, once our contract was up, we could split amicably. Logan would have to meet my father anyway to get his end of the deal, after all. But…
“Listen, Logan,” I said finally. “No offense, but having you in my city, it would… ruin its sanctity.”
The words spilled out faster than I had intended, revealing more of my vulnerability than I wanted.
“Offense taken,” he said, clenching his jaw.
I shook my head. “That’s… Not what I mean. I meant to say that this side of my life-this encroaching darkness-I’ve kept it separated from my parents and my little sister. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“I’ll have to meet your father at some point, though, Ella. Unless you’ve forgotten about our original deal.”
“Of course I haven’t.” I paused, staring at the road ahead as my mind raced with a million different thoughts. “I would just prefer to at least let it happen here, so I don’t have to think about my home being invaded by… Well, mobsters.”
Logan was silent for a long time. I became worried that I offended him, and in response, my wolf growled deep within me. She had felt our closeness earlier, had come so close to becoming one with Logan, our mate, and I had shoved him away. She was getting antsy.
“I just would rather my parents come here,” I finally said, sinking a little lower in my seat. “That’s all.”
Logan raised an eyebrow and glanced outside the window. As we drove through the city and came closer to my neighborhood, the neon lights illuminated the faces of rogues and vagrants, each lost in their own worlds, struggling with their daily battles. Drugs, prostitution, violence. The city practically stank of it.
He gestured towards them as he drove. “You really want to invite your parents to this? They’d be horrified. And knowing them, they’d probably want you to pack up and come home immediately.”
Feeling cornered, I crossed my arms defensively. “That’s a chance I’m willing to take. It’s different, Logan. My home city is where I grew up, and it’s a nice place. A whole different wolf, honestly. Bringing you there… It’s like merging the dark side and the light side. I’d rather that merge to happen here rather than the place where I grew up.”
A deep sigh escaped him. “I get it, Ella. It’s your past, your history. But remember, we’re both dealing with this ‘merge’. And it’s bound to happen at some point, if I wind up becoming business partners with your father.”
“I know,”I replied, feeling hot tears prick at the backs of my eyes. “Just… For now…”
I trailed off, unable to finish. But Logan nodded, an understanding yet disappointed look on his face. “It’s alright. We’ll figure something out.”
As we pulled up to my apartment building, the tension between us was palpable. I unbuckled my seatbelt, ready to flee the confines of the car, desperate for a breath of fresh air.
“Thank you for the ride, Logan.”
Before I could leave, he reached out, his fingers grazing my hand, sending a jolt of electricity through me. “Ella, I’m sorry. About everything.”
I paused, looking into Logan’s deep blue eyes. There was something sincere there, something deep and tangible ever since he showed me his old childhood playroom.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, pulling my hand away. “See you later.”
Logan nodded, a flash of disappointment coming across his eyes. “See you.”
