𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬|𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐒𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏 ᥫ᭡

LOGAN

As I turned to leave the school, I felt a strong hand grab my arm. I turned around to see my dad, his face red with anger.

"What do you think you're doing, boy? Get back to class now." he said, his voice stern and commanding.

"I have to go. April needs me." I said to him coldly, trying to break free from his grip, but he pulled me back.

"I don't care. You have detention and private practice with me after school. You can't just skip out on your responsibilities," he said, his grip tightening.

I sighed. "Fine."

I know I need to get back to April, but I won't be living here until night with a three hour after-school detention and practice with my dad on top of that. it was going to be a long ass day.

~

As soon as I got home that night, I rushed up the steps to April's room with her locket in my hand. Once I reached the top, I saw her mom coming out of her room, and she looked exhausted.

"Is she okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

"She's asleep now. Thank you for being there for her, Logan. She really needed someone tonight." her mom replied, giving me a grateful smile.

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. I entered her room and saw her sleeping peacefully in the same clothes I had given her earlier. I couldn't help but feel guilty for not being there for her when she needed me the most.

I place the locket on the small bedside table next to her bed so she can see it as soon as she wakes up.

God, I want to protect her. I want to make sure nothing hurts her, and I will. Deep down, I know she can handle herself, but all I know is I want to be there when she can't.

I took off my shoes and got into bed next to her, holding her from behind. I'm not good at expressing my feelings. I mean, you've met my father.

But she's the first girl that makes me feel this way. She makes me better. She makes the world a little more tolerable. Before, it was just sex but now it's something a little more than that.

I love her. I never want her to leave my side. Being with April helps me forget. I love that when she smiles, she tilts her head and rolls her eyes.

I love the way she looks at me, like in her eyes, I'm the only one in the world with her. I love how she can go on and on about something she's passionate about but can never bore me.

I love how when she laughs and no matter what is happening, you can't help but laugh too.

Everything she does draws me in. Everything she says has me hooked. She's nothing like Lauren.

April turns around, still in my arms, and I pull her in close, just holding her and listening to the calming sound of her breathing.

~

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of April's soft lips on mine. I open my eyes slowly to see her face hovering above mine and her locket hanging around her neck.

"Thank you." She whispered softly.

She still looked tired, but I'm happy to see her smiling.

"You're welcome." I tucked some of her pink hair behind her ear and pulled her closer into another kiss.

I could sense that something was wrong. She seemed distant, and it worried me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concern lacing my voice.

She let out a heavy sigh and looked away.

"Hey, tell me." I say to her and sit up.

She took a while before she mustered the courage to tell me what was bothering her.

"I'm going to stay with my dad for a while," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I already told my mom, and she called the school and my dad.."

"What? Why?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

"I just need to get away for a little bit. I can't stay here and face everyone after what happened. I need some time to myself." She explained, her eyes avoiding mine.

"I don't understand your leaving?"

"Just for a few weeks.. the school agreed to let me do online classes, and my dad agreed to have me stay with him."

"What about us? You can't just leave like this," I said, my voice tinged with desperation.

"I know, Logan. But I need to do this. I can't stay here and pretend like everything is okay when it's not," she replied, her voice filled with sadness.

"They won't fuck with you again April I'll fucking make them I swear." I plead with her.

"It's too late, Logan."

I could feel anger bubbling up inside me. I quickly got up from the bed pacing around the room.

"I can't believe you're just going to leave without even talking to me about it. What about me? What about us?" I said, my voice rising with each word.

"What 'us' Logan?! What is us? There is no us. I mean, realistically, this was never going to work." She argued, but she sounded more frustrated and sad than angry. "What did you think was going to happen? That we'd graduate, go to college together, then get married and live happily ever after?"

"That's not what I'm saying."

"This was never going to work. We should've never started this... it.. it was a mistake." She said, looking up at me like she wasn't sure about what she was saying.

"A mistake? How was it -"

"You're my stepbrother. This was always going to fail and end with one or both of us hurt." She says and gets up, trying to hold my hand, but I can't. "Better to end it now before we're in too deep."

"So you're leaving..."

"Just for a few weeks."

I shake my head and nod, feeling like there's a lump in my throat. "And breaking up with me."

She looks down at the ground before looking back up at me. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head and leave her room angrily, slamming the door behind.

This is why I don't get attached.

~