Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 77

Pat was sat back on his hands, his glasses in his lap, his face turned up towards the sun. He'd closed his eyes and was sighing contentedly every now and then. It made Logan's heart flutter any time he did. Pat had said he was 'sunning himself' because the weather was so lovely. Logan had to admit, the weather was nice. But everything else seemed to dim whenever he was around Pat.

Logan supposed he was in love. He also supposed that was completely stupid. He was only 17, what did he know?

Pat picked his glasses up off his lap and slipped them on, grinning at Logan.

"Hey."

Logan smiled. "Hello. What's that for?"

Pat shrugged and shuffled over to Logan. He leaned his head on Logan's shoulder.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I guess because I love you."

Logan felt his breath stop in his chest. "I love you too." And he knew it was true.

They sat like that for a while, Pat's head on Logan's shoulder. Logan was acutely aware of every minute second and every small breath or shift of Pat's head. It felt fabulous, beyond words.

All of a sudden, Pat jumped up. "Let's go somewhere!"

Logan blinked. "What?" Pat reached a hand out to him and Logan took it. Pat pulled him up with surprising strength.

"Let's go somewhere!" Pat repeated. "The day's so beautiful, it's all so bright and blue and we can barely see it in this stupid forest. Let's go somewhere."

"I-" Logan blinked rapidly, mouth hanging open, "can we?"

"Of course we can!" Pat grinned. "There's no royal regulations to stop us here. And I know just the place."

"You're sure of where we're going?" Logan asked as he was pulled into yet another tree.

"Positive." Pat called back, pushing through more bushes. "Watch out for the brambles here. Their thorns'll tear you to shreds." Logan hopped over the brambles accordingly. "But I always used to come here with Dad, Papa and Uncle Remus. We used to have picnics here. It's fab, just wait."

Pat pulled Logan out through the trees and into blinding sunlight. They'd reached a clearing on the top of a hill. It was so strange, the forest just fell away.

But it was beautiful. There was forest all around them, like a rippling green sea. On one side, Logan could just about make out the glittering white spires of Iredia. On the other, the shining blue and black spires of his own home in Aristal. The sky above was like a brilliant blue dome, light on the horizons but wonderfully deep above them. The clouds were like balls of snow when it hit a window too hard, puffed out and almost bubbly.

Pat clasped his hand in both of his own. When Logan turned to him, he was grinning so big and so brightly it made the sun look dull.

"So?" He asked excitedly. "What do you think?"

Logan shook his head in wonder. "I'm... lost for words."

"Mhm, mhm!" Pat let go of Logan's hand and spun around, arms outstretched. "Oh, I haven't been here in years. But it's just how I remember it. Better, even." He pointed to a pale trail of smoke rising from the forest. "See there? That's where I live. Bet you Uncle Remus is making something. He's the only one who can cook. Dada tried once for Uncle Remus' birthday and he nearly burned the house down."

Logan let out a surprised hoot of laughter before covering his mouth with the back of his hand. He coughed and smoothed down his waistcoat.

"Sorry, that was rude."

"No, it was pretty funny, you can laugh." Pat said, giggling himself. He sighed happily and swung his arms. "Lo, d'you think we could come back here some time?"

"Of course." Logan said without hesitation. "It's your home. Besides, I'd quite like to meet your family one day. If that's alright."

"Obviously it is!" Pat said. "Hey, how about my 16th? You're already coming over already, how about coming over earlier?"

"I'm... not sure, Pat-"

"They'll love you, don't worry." Pat interrupted, quick to quell any worries. "The only one who's slightly scary is my Papa but they all just want me to be safe and happy and you make me so happy, Lo."

Logan bit the inside of his cheek, thinking it over. One the one hand, it wouldn't be too bad to meet Pat's family. Maybe they could work something out, maybe he wouldn't have to run so far.

But on the other hand, if they still did decide to go to Dover, it would make it so much more painful for Pat's family. For Pat to run away with not a complete stranger but someone they trusted...

"I'll think about it."

Slowly slipping the angst back in there, just as a reminder that this book is going to turn from sunshine and rainbows to sad very quickly.
Bye,
Blaize