Unraveling Ties

^SIX MONTHS LATER^

Tomorrow, most of the students would leave campus for the summer break, so I packed my things, tucked them in my trunk, and drove to the fraternity house.

I went to Drew’s room, but he wasn’t there yet. He texted me to let me know he might be a little late. He had some errands to run for his father.

So I brought a book with me. I decided to reread the ~Harry Potter~ series. Drew could make fun of me for as long as he wanted, but I just loved these books.

After an hour, I walked out of Drew’s room and went down to the kitchen. I got a glass of water and walked out. I had started climbing the stairs when I heard raised voices and a door slamming.

I turned around and stared at Logan and Melanie; both were red from anger. I felt terrible for Logan. Since our promise to each other, we had become very close friends.

I could even call him my first male best friend.

While my relationship with Drew grew stronger and was getting better with each day, Logan and Melanie’s relationship was falling apart.

She always found reasons to accuse him of wrongdoing, and she was jealous of my friendship with him. She hated me, I could tell.

When I was around, her lips pursed in a thin line, arms folded as if she was trying to protect herself from me.

Logan and I did everything in our power to show her that we were only friends and nothing more. Melanie knew that I was happy with Drew, but still, she thought that I would steal Logan from her.

One day, when she was really wasted at a party, she accused me, right in front of everyone in the room, of sleeping with Logan behind her and Drew’s backs. Drew and Logan were pissed off, to say the least.

Drew never doubted me or my faithfulness to him. We knew our feelings for each other.

Three days ago, on a date, when we were riding the Ferris wheel, we exchanged those sweet three words that made everyone ecstatic to hear.

Drew Milton, the playboy of our college, told me that he loved me. He had even planned the moment. He wanted it to be perfect, and it was. Of course, I felt the same way about him.

Our relationship started so unexpectedly and developed into something beautiful, something full of passion, mutual respect, and understanding.

I never thought that Drew would be so protective of me. He adored me, but he always gave me freedom.

He never said a word about my friendship with Logan, even when sometimes I hung out just with him alone, while Drew was busy with his studies or other activities.

He knew that we had slept together before, but he trusted us.

I honestly wanted to disappear. My presence here would only agitate Melanie further, and Logan was already on the verge of bursting with anger. Unfortunately, she saw me in an instant.

She groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Just who I wanted to see... never.” Logan turned his head and looked at me; he was so mired in his frustration, he hadn’t noticed me.

“Leave her out of it,” he snapped.

“Fucking hell! She’s an obnoxious little whore, who screwed up your and Drew’s minds. What do both of you see in her? I just don’t get it.”

“Becca’s Drew’s girl, not mine. You’re mine, but I am sick and tired of our arguments.”

“What?! What are you saying?”

“I don’t know, Mel... We are always at each other’s throats. Ready to pounce. I don’t think that I can continue like this…”

Logan’s shoulders slumped. He leaned his back against the wall near the stairs. My heart ached to hear this. I still liked him, even though I was in love with Drew and wanted to be only with him. I cared about Logan. He was my friend.

“Do you want to break up with me?” Melanie sounded surprised and wounded at the same time.

“I don’t know, but I have the impression that you want that.”

They both fell silent. I didn’t know what to do. I shouldn’t be there, but I was rooted to the spot. My phone buzzed, and the spell was broken. I turned around and hurriedly walked to Drew’s room.

He sent me a message that he was still busy, but he hoped to be at the fraternity house in thirty minutes. I sat on the bed and stared at my phone.

After I slept with Logan, everything changed. I felt relaxed in his company, and I could tell the same about him.

We started to feel comfortable around each other; we had this undeniable chemistry, but we refused to go with the flow.

I didn’t have this type of understanding with anyone like I had with Logan. Sometimes Drew even thought that Logan and I had a telepathic bond, as we often said the same things at the same time.

‘Our night’ helped me realize my feelings for Drew, even if it sounded silly. I was sure that Logan also figured out that he needed Melanie. The problem was with her.

She poisoned their relationship with her jealousy, suspicions, and unwarranted accusations.

A knock on the door made me jump. The door opened, and Logan walked in. Seeing me, he came to my side and sat on the bed. Our shoulders were touching, but I didn’t feel intimidated by his physical closeness anymore.

We sighed at the same time and laughed over the simultaneity. He relaxed immediately.

“Shit... I guess my summer break is starting off very well…”

“Talk to me,” I said and placed my head on his shoulder.

“I am single now.”

“What made you stop trying?” I knew that he wanted to save his relationship with Melanie. He did have feelings for her.

“It’s just what I said. I am tired of it... and I think... she killed all of my feelings for her. I looked at her and didn’t feel anything... Shit, Becca, the last time I had sex with her was almost a month ago. I like sex and I like it a lot, but I didn’t want her. Do you know what she told me?”

“No, but I guess it wasn’t pleasant, and I was involved.”

“True, and true.”

“Fuck... I always was with Drew. Why did she always include me in your arguments?”

“She told me that I didn’t want to sleep with her because you and I were having an affair behind her back. She even thought that Drew and I were sharing you, that’s why he didn’t say a word.”

“Oh my God... I can’t believe that. What did you tell her?”

“I told her that she’s delusional. But you should know how badly I wanted to tell her that I did sleep with you…”

“Logan.” I sat up straight and turned to him. He looked back at me. He looked defeated.

“I know, I didn’t tell her. Only because it might damage your relationship with Drew. We did everything in our power to prove them all wrong. That you and I are friends, nothing more. The truth about us might cause problems. Especially for you.”

We gazed into each other’s eyes. I took his hand in mine and squeezed it. He smiled. “Thank you, Rebecca. Just for being here for me.”

“What are friends for? Ahem, what are you going to do during the break now?”

“Well…first thing, I want to get drunk as hell, so I am sorry in advance for using your boyfriend as my drinking buddy.”

“He’s your best friend in the first place, so I am okay with it. But no girls for him, do you hear me?”

“Like he has eyes for anyone except for you. Tell me, Rebecca, are you secretly a witch? And you bewitched my friend and me in between?”

“A woman never tells her secrets.”

“Come on, Becca. You know that I am good at keeping secrets.” He winked at me. His mood started to change a little. I laughed and shook my head from side to side.

“Nope, not telling.” It was my mistake because he tackled me and started tickling me. I tried to push him away, but I was too small for it. Logan was huge, with all his quarterback’s might and strength.

“I…can’t…breathe…Logan… Please…”

***

Logan stopped and looked down at me. His gaze was intense. I hadn’t seen him looking at me like that for a very long time, since ~our night~ at his house. I knew what would happen next, even before he moved.

He kissed me. The only thought that filled my mind was that I can’t do this to Drew. I collected all my strength and pushed him away. Logan jumped up from the bed and kicked the table with his leg.

Then he collapsed on the stool and hid his head in his hands.

“You’re upset, and I get it. Honestly. But I am in love with Drew…”

“I know.”

“We did so well. You and me, Logan. You’re my friend.”

“Fuck! Do you think I don’t know that? What a fucking day!” He raised his voice angrily.

“Logan, listen…”

“No, Becca, I am sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. It was stupid. Melanie did a good job of playing on my nerves. It was just that. I’ve never seen Drew happier than he is with you. He’s my best friend, and so are you. Fuck!”

“Logan…”

“I will go. I don’t want to spoil my relationship with either of you. I am sorry…” He stood up from the stool and walked to the door without looking in my direction. I was sitting on the bed, staring at his back. The door opened, and Drew bumped into Logan. He smiled at the sight of his best friend.

“Hey, man! What…?” Drew closed his mouth and looked Logan over. “What happened? You look like someone died.”

“Becca will explain. I want to go to my room and watch some soccer, baseball, or football... I don’t care what it will be. See you in the morning! And you better be prepared for the night.”

He clapped his hand on Drew’s back, then waved at me and left. Drew entered the room with a serious expression on his face and went straight to me.

He leaned in and kissed me. He wanted to give me just a peck, but I had something else in mind. My hands snuck to his neck, and I pulled him to me.

He fell on top of me, but balancing himself with his hands, he rolled us over in an instant, and now I was the one on top.

His eyes were full of tenderness, and just looking at them made me feel good and safe.

“What happened?”

“Well... how should I put it? Logan and Melanie are over.”

“Finally.” Drew’s grip on my waist tightened. I hid my face in the hollow of his neck.

“He’s sad about it.”

“Of course, he is. Logan had been together with her since our first year in college, but in the last three months, no, even more, they were falling apart.

“She’s the reason why they won’t be together. He tried and tried, hard. He wanted them to work. Her jealousy got the best of her. I am glad, though. He will be happier without her.”

“Maybe.”

We fell silent. Just being in his arms made me weak. It’s surreal how one person could become your world in no time. Drew rested his chin on the top of my head, squeezing me tight as I lay on him.

“What do you want to do tonight?”

“I don’t know. I wanted us to go on a date. But now, I just want to stay in your arms.”

“That I can do. But we need to eat. How about we go for dinner and then come back here? Will you stay the night?”

“Yep. I packed my suitcase and put it in my car. I will leave for home in the morning. Kate told me she would be with Tim tonight, so I guess I will meet her here.”

“Let’s go, then.”

When we left the house, we walked hand in hand. When I first came to college, I wanted to focus only on my studies, at least for the first year. But fate had other plans for me.

Now, I was totally in love with one of the most gorgeous men around, and I had never been happier in my life. Drew made me feel whole; he completed me.

We didn’t talk thoroughly about our plans for the summer break, just generally that we would spend some time together.

I had the impression that he was preparing a surprise for me, but no matter how hard I tried, he didn’t tell me anything.

I even made Lily promise me to extract some information from him, but she failed. Logan didn’t say a word to me either. Only his mischievous smile showed me that he knew something about Drew’s plans.

Well, I guess I would wait. I was sure of one thing, though. It didn’t matter what those plans were as long as he would be by my side. That was what would make it perfect.

^End of Book One^