Unresolved Tension

BECCA

We arrived at the lake almost at noon. Lily arranged for us to stay in one room, and I gladly agreed to it. Staying in this house was torture by itself, so even the idea of me being alone was unbearable.

We placed our things in our room and changed into something more suitable for this hot weather. I put on my two-piece swimsuit, and over it, I dressed in my white summer dress. It was a knitted dress, which ended way higher than my knees.

I was hesitating before leaving the room, and Lily felt that. She didn’t say a word to me, but when she was ready, she took my hand in hers and walked me outside.

I squeezed her hand, giving her an understanding of how much this was affecting me. She was my best friend and the best roommate I could have asked for. I was happy that she was with me all of my years in college.

We went outside the house and walked straight to the wooden dock. Tim and Kate were already there, laughing and chatting. Tim was trying to throw his wife into the lake, but she resisted all of his attempts.

I joined them with Lily, taking off our clothes and staying in our swimsuits. We only had time to stop and say a few words to them when we heard the sound of someone running. The next thing I knew, Lily and I were in the water.

When I was able to resurface and open my eyes properly, I saw Drew and Logan grinning from ear to ear at us. What the hell were they thinking? I wanted to shout something at them, but I gulped a good amount of water and now was spitting it out.

Lily came closer to me; she wanted to pat me on my back. But she didn’t have time for that because everyone from the dock jumped in the lake.

All of my anger disappeared. We were splashing each other, and honestly, it felt amazing. I didn’t even notice that I started talking to Logan. It was so natural, as if we had never stopped doing it. We were like kids.

When Drew took a ball from the dock, we decided to play volleyball in the water. Kate divided us into teams. In her opinion, as a newlywed wife, she had the right to order us around. I groaned but agreed to play on the same team as Jones’ siblings.

We won the game, mostly because Kate wasn’t able to play correctly. She was horrible with the ball, and she only giggled all the time. Drew was never good with losing, so he just got out of the lake and went back to the house.

He said something about drinks, but all of us knew that he wanted to cool off. Lily followed Drew out of the lake and lay on her back, trying to catch a tan. I saw the ball a little further from the dock and swam to retrieve it.

When I turned around, I realized that Logan and I were the only ones who stayed in the water and that he was staring at me.

I swam back and started climbing out when I felt his hands on my waist. Logan pulled me back into the water, pressing me to his broad chest. I squealed with surprise and tried to free myself from him. But it was to no avail; this guy was huge, and I couldn’t do anything.

He started laughing kindly, heartily, and the sound reverberated inside me. I began to feel uncomfortable. He hadn't done anything wrong, and yet I wanted him to let me go.

“Logan! Take your hands off me!” I yelled at him when he only turned me around and made me look him straight in the eyes.

“Why?”

“Are you serious right now? I don’t like it!” I hissed at him, and I saw Tim glance at us. Kate and he were lying on the dock’s surface near Lily. Drew was still in the house.

Logan and I stared into each other's eyes, while his hands firmly kept me in place. I saw a mischievous glint in his eyes, and the next moment, I was underwater again.

I was angry with him, so when I resurfaced again, I rushed towards him and tried to do the same. Do you understand how stupid it was? Very stupid. I couldn't move him an inch while trying to press on his shoulders. He laughed, his dimples showing, and I stared at him in a daze.

Logan used this opportunity to catch me off guard and pulled me to him again. This time, I didn't resist. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his torso. It was the first time since the night we spent together that we were so close to each other.

I felt my heartbeat going crazy inside my chest. He wasn't doing anything to my body, still keeping me by my waist, and yet, I felt arousal. That snapped me out of this daze. What the fuck was I doing?

This is Logan Jones. The man to whom I was attracted from the very first second that I saw him. The man to whom I felt this unpredictable urge to be close to. It was a mistake.

I freed myself from Logan's hands, and this time, he let me do that. I got out of the lake without saying a word, plopping myself down near Lily. She smiled at me. She had no idea what had happened in the lake between her brother and me.

But really, what was I thinking? I pressed my fingers to my necklace and started fiddling with a little swallow on it. Chase's gift often was the source of calmness for me; touching my silver bird always brought me back to my senses.

“Guys, what do you say about our plans for dinner?” Lily said as soon as we saw Drew coming back.

“We were planning to make it together. We brought a lot of food with us,” Tim answered, hugging Kate by her shoulders.

“Barbecue? Some salads? Maybe fried potatoes?” I asked, trying to fill my mind with some other thoughts. Because now, all I could think about was Logan, and I wanted to snap out of it.

“Yeah, why not?” Drew said, locking eyes with me. He was smiling, and I smiled back at him.

After some time, we all returned to the house. We changed into something more comfortable and began preparing our dinner. The men went outside to start the barbecue, while Lily and I sliced vegetables; the potatoes were already in the oven.

Kate exclaimed that baked potatoes were one of Tim’s favorite dishes, so we changed our plans and included them. She wasn't helping; she went outside to the terrace and chatted with the guys.

When everything was ready, we all sat at the table on the terrace. It was already 8 pm. The atmosphere was pleasant and lively. We laughed, chatted, and made jokes.

The boys were drinking beer, while Lily, Kate, and I decided to have red wine. We were all relaxed and in a good mood. Sometime later, Drew and Tim started bombarding Logan with questions about his career. Logan was reluctant to answer, but then his lips stretched into a huge smile.

“Well, I didn’t want to talk about it because we are here to celebrate Tim and Kate’s wedding. But you morons wouldn’t leave me alone, so I don’t have much of a choice… The Philadelphia Eagles drafted me.”

The silence was almost palpable. We all stared at Logan in surprise. How was he able to hide that from everyone? It was his dream coming true! And he hadn’t said a word!

We all started talking at the same time, congratulating and cheering for him. Lily was crying, and I hugged her. She loved her brother very much and wanted him to be happy. There were tears of joy, and she was smiling at me through them.

After this huge announcement, Lily and I were asked about our plans for the future. Lily was staying in our hometown. She was going to work with her mother, now being her assistant.

I told them about the proposal that I received from this small agency in Miami and that I was going to move there in a month. Kate said that I was leaving her behind, but somehow it sounded fake. She was moving to Tim’s hometown, so what did it matter to her if I wasn’t staying in ours?

At 10 pm, I received a call from Chase and went inside the house to talk to him. He was worried about how I was holding up there at the lake. I told him everything, starting from my talks and dance with Drew and finishing with the moment with Logan in the lake.

Chase chuckled but refused to tell me anything. He said that I would figure it out myself. I was hoping that he would come with me to Miami for a vacation, but he told me that it wouldn’t happen.

At least not now. He had a lot of work, and his days were busy. I sighed and said goodbye to him. I was sitting on the dock, and my ankles were dipped in the water. This place was so beautiful and peaceful.

“So you are still friends with that guy,” I heard a voice behind my back and turned my head to look at the person speaking. But I already knew that it was Logan.

“Yeah. He is my best friend, and he is always ready to support me.” Logan walked closer and sat near me.

“How convenient,” I said, placing my fingers on my swallow again. I knew why I was nervous.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Just stating facts,” I said, locking eyes with Logan. Then I noticed his gaze shift to my neck. He was staring at my necklace. “You’re always touching it. It’s not the first time I've noticed you doing so. Why?”

“It calms me down, just like the person who gave it to me.”

“Chase.” He wasn’t asking. He said it confidently, and I nodded. “Here's a question for you, Rebecca. That guy has lived in New York for three years now, or even more, but you’ve managed to stay friends with him.”

“I told you. He’s my best friend,” I said, taking my fingers off my necklace.

“So the distance wasn’t an issue for your friendship?”

“Never. We talk over the phone, send messages, and I have visited him a few times.”

“Why did distance become an issue in our case? I was your friend too. Remember?”

My brows furrowed in confusion, and I reached for my necklace again. I noticed Logan's eyes darkening. Was he angry with me for something? But it didn't make any sense! Our friendship ended because he lied to me, covering Drew's ass.

“Funny thing you are saying. The distance wasn't the issue why you and I fell apart.”

“And what caused it?” We both stared at each other. I was starting to lose my cool. Anger was beginning to boil inside me.

“You hid the truth from me. You chose Drew. I just knew that if it happened again, you would never choose me. It would be him.”

“What? Do you think it would have been better if I had told you that I knew the girl?”

“Exactly! You played dumb with me, and it was a horrible feeling. Realizing that you had been played with.”

“I never played you. I was always honest. Always!”

“Forgive me, but I don't agree with you. I have someone who has always been loyal to me, and it definitely wasn't you.”

Silence settled between us like venom spreading through my veins. This whole situation was so stupid! I thought that maybe after today, we would be able to talk to each other from time to time. But he ruined everything.

I was ready to walk away from him. I stood up, and he followed me. Now we were standing facing each other; we were both tense.

I guess Logan started this conversation with different thoughts in mind, but it took a turn, and there was no coming back. He was acting too differently today, so I was really confused. First, there was this moment in the lake, and now this conversation. Damn!

I decided to fix my necklace, but as soon as I touched it, Logan moved closer. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. What was he going to do?

He wrapped one of his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. I pressed my hands to his chest, totally amused by this gesture. We locked eyes, and then I saw his eyes travel from my eyes, down to my lips. His gaze lingered here for a few seconds.

I opened my mouth slightly because I was surprised and because I felt anticipation building inside me. I thought I knew what he was going to do. I really felt that he was going to kiss me. How wrong I was!

His eyes traveled down to my neck. I felt the vein on my neck pulsating nervously. Logan’s finger traced its way down my throat. I shivered because of this contact. I was starting to feel needy, and considering that it was Logan who was giving me these vibes, it was almost overwhelming.

I realized that I was still attracted to him, just as much as I had been drawn to him from our first meeting. It had never faded away. Even when I knew for sure that I was in love with Drew, I still had feelings for Logan.

It was so animalistic and unpredictable, it was very hard to explain. I didn’t understand how it was possible?

Logan’s fingers stayed on my throat, while his other hand kneaded my back. I leaned into him involuntarily, on pure instinct. When our eyes locked again, I saw the reflection of my desire in his. Our looks were almost feverish.

Are we really going to do this? Give in to this temptation that has always been between us? My answer was obvious. I wanted him badly.

I didn’t even realize what had happened. My mind didn’t register it at first. Logan stepped aside, and my hand instantly went to my neck. There was nothing there.

“Why did you do that?! I loved that necklace! It was a gift!”

“You will live,” Logan said and turned around, walking away from me.

His shoulders were relaxed, his head held high. I watched him go inside the house. Tears streamed down my face. I turned around and, through my blurry vision, stared at the lake. My necklace with my little swallow, the gift from Chase, was now drowned in the water of the lake.