Rehearsal

BECCA

After the rehearsal was over, the wedding planner bid goodbyes to us and left. There still were some things that she needed to do. And besides, she will be here in the early morning to make sure that everything is going according to the plan. The atmosphere was very friendly and light.

“So, how was your day?” Liam asked as we were going to the terrace. Somehow, he was able to occupy my attention completely.

“Fine, I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders.

“Just fine? It seems to me that you and Logan were able to reconnect.”

“Yes.”

Damn, why had he needed to say it? I instantly felt the need to look where Logan was. The last time I saw him, he was talking to Mr. Dencen.

“It’s a good thing, I guess. You look very good together.” I glanced at Liam. Saying it, he was studying my reaction.

“Liam, I told you this yesterday. Logan and I are just friends. Or we were friends… I don’t know what we are today, but definitely, it will stay this way.”

“Oh, please, you have crazy chemistry! It’s obvious to anyone!”

“I know,” I turned my head and stared him in the eyes. “It’s exactly why it will be better if we stay friends.”

“But why? Why not try to explore it?” I saw that Liam was sincere. He was trying to understand.

“Liam, honestly, why try anything if we don’t have a future? Just for fun? Or to give in to temptation? We’ve been there, done that. It was good. But I am not in college anymore.

“I want to have a serious relationship. To commit myself to someone who will be doing the same for me. It won’t be like that between Logan and me.”

“You never know until you try.”

“Liam, if you don’t want me to run away from you and avoid you until the wedding begins, I advise you to drop this subject.”

“Okay, okay. Your company is too good.” Liam laughed as we continued to walk to the terrace.

“Your family house is impressive.”

“Well, yeah, my mom inherited her father’s business. Dad is now running it with John’s help.”

“You weren’t interested?”

“No. I always wanted to help other people. I love what I'm doing.”

“Something is telling me that you are a very dedicated person. Very attentive and also very kind. Your patients must be very grateful to you.”

“You know, seeing happy smiles of children is the best award I could get. Happy tears of their parents when they know that with their child, everything is okay.”

“Are you a pediatrician?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t expect that. But now I think I understand. You’re too nice, and you have a very sweet smile. Kids must trust you.”

“Yeah, they do.” We were stepping onto the terrace when Liam turned his head to me, and I saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You think that my smile is sweet?”

“Oh, please, don’t make me take it back.”

We both started laughing. I turned my head away from him and started observing my surroundings. There was a big table in the middle of the terrace. It was full of various food and drinks. It looked like a real feast.

Guess they never did anything halfway. They wanted to make an impression to show their generosity. And money. Strange, Drew’s family was also wealthy, but I never felt this vibe from dinners at their place.

“Mom and her desire to prove something. John told her a thousand times that he and Lily wanted this dinner to be nice, nothing fancy… But look at it…” I saw the disgust on Liam’s face. He was like a blond sheep in this family. And I felt pity for him. “No, Rebecca, not you too. I know this look.”

“What? I wasn’t…”

“You were pitying me, and I don’t like it. I love my family. I am grateful to my parents that they let me follow my dreams. It’s just that all this…” He nodded his head at the table. “It’s just not my thing, that’s all.”

“I am sorry.”

“Okay. But promise to sit with me.” We stared at each other. And I nodded at him. His lips stretched into a lopsided grin. “Come, as we are the first to arrive, we can choose our seats.”

I only had time to sit near Liam when the other half of our company came to the terrace as well. Lily and John were talking with his mother, and she was smiling.

It was a nice change from her cold expression earlier. Jason was near Logan, and they were locked in a heated discussion about something. Kelly was listening to them with a smile on her lips, while Riley looked moody with her hands folded over her chest.

“You stole Rebecca away very skillfully, brother,” John said, sitting at the table. Lily was by his side, while Mr. and Mrs. Dencen sat across from them.

“I am starting to have the impression that he’s good at everything.” I smiled at John and saw his brow go up in surprise.

I averted my eyes from him and looked at Lily. She was also staring at me, and this time, I had no idea what she was thinking. But I only hoped that she wasn’t thinking that I was leading her or John’s brother on.

I talked to both of them as if we were friends. Well, I would love to act with Logan the same way I was interacting with Liam, but I couldn’t.

“What did I miss?” I heard his voice and felt shivers run down my spine. There was no need to turn my head in this direction. It was Logan, and he was going to sit near me.

“Logan, come sit with us,” Mr. Denced called out to Logan, and I felt relief, which was soon covered by disappointment.

“I have been waiting to meet you for eternity, and I want to talk to you about football and your games. There probably won’t be many opportunities for that tomorrow, so I decided to intervene a little. You won’t be against it?”

“Of course not.”

Kelly took his place by my side, and I smiled at her. Jason decided to sit near Kelly, while Riley followed Logan and sat by his side.

Oh my, I couldn’t believe this girl. Why was she so blind? But maybe her persistence will be rewarded tonight. Who knows how this night will end with all these drinks and late talks.

The dinner went perfectly. Conversations flowed smoothly. All of us participated, talked, made jokes, and listened to others. I was glad that I decided to sit near Liam. He served me wine, asked for my opinion, and made me laugh from time to time by telling jokes just for me.

I can tell you that I tried. I tried not to look at Logan. But I couldn’t help it. My eyes kept returning to him as if he were a magnet.

At first, he was just talking with Mr. Dencen, but eventually, he started taking part in conversations with all of us. But then, to my disapproval, I noticed that he began to talk only with Riley.

I felt jealousy rising in me. I didn’t want him to pay any attention to her. So I decided that it was time for me to use the bathroom. I needed to distract myself from these thoughts. They weren’t right.

I went inside the house, found my room, and sat for some time on the bed. Damn, what was going on with me? I know that alcohol was sending my emotions into overdrive. All of my feelings were on alert.

Yes, Logan admitted that he was still attracted to me, just like I was to him. But he also said that he was able to forget about me and that he doesn’t feel anything except a physical desire for me.

While I was finally admitting to myself that I have feelings for him, they had always been there. Fuck! Why can’t he be an asshole? Arrogant jerk with star-struck? It would have been so much easier for me!

I finally stood up and went to the bathroom. It was a spacious room with a toilet, a big bath, a countertop with a sink, and a big mirror on the wall.

After I finished, I went to wash my hands. As I closed the tap, I heard voices behind the closed door of Logan’s room. I came closer and pressed my ear to it. Yeah, I was eavesdropping like some kid, but I couldn’t help it.

“Riley, really, what do you want?” Okay, probably Logan went to his room, and she followed him.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Her voice was muffled. What was she doing?

“Riley, listen, it’s…”

He fell silent. I felt my cheeks burning with anger. I knew what this girl wanted. She wanted him. But was he going to do it with her again? He had said to me that it didn’t mean anything to him, that he was drunk. Which excuse would he come up with today?

“Logan, I just want you to feel good… You liked it yesterday…”

“I did,” he told her.

I bit my lower lip. Listening to them was torture. I needed to leave the bathroom, but I couldn’t find any strength in me to do so. I was glued to this damned door.

“Just one night. I have liked you since high school. I even dreamed about you being my first. I am a lot more experienced now. So tell me that you don’t want to fuck me, and I will go. But I see it in your eyes, and well, your hard cock under my hand is also proof that you want it.”

Shit! I can’t do this anymore. I turned around and stormed out of the bathroom and straight to the exit of my room. I didn’t slam it, only because I was a guest in this house. I don’t know what to think anymore.

One second, it was the Logan I knew; the next second, he was a total stranger. Life in Philly, away from home, his fame, and career success had changed him. It was making him a very cynical person, and I didn't like seeing him like this. I was starting to feel disgusted, and it was an awful feeling.

I came to the terrace and found that everyone except for Logan and Riley was still here. I sat on my stool near Liam and managed to put a fake smile on my lips.

He glanced at me sideways and, without asking, poured another glass of wine for me. I took it without hesitation and gulped down a good amount of it.

“You looked like you needed it,” Liam said to me, observing me for a few seconds.

“You could tell…” I answered, and even to me, my voice sounded wounded. Fuck you, Logan!

“Yeah, Riley didn't waste her time.” Kelly clinked her glass with mine, and I smiled a little.

“At least they could have waited for me to be back here.” I hissed and saw Liam's eyes go wide.

“You heard them?!”

“Uh-huh.”

“I can’t believe it, honestly... Logan is... Why would he need to do it with someone as desperate as her?!” Kelly shook her head; we were talking in hushed voices.

“I bet he always had to deal with groupies. It’s nothing serious.” I laughed at these words. Liam arched his eyebrow at me.

“It’s not nothing, Liam. I saw them yesterday...” Shut up, Rebecca! I bit my lower lip, shook my head, and opened my mouth again. “It just means that I don’t know this man anymore. He is the most hypocritical person I've ever seen in my life.”

Just fifteen minutes later, Logan and Riley were back. This time it was easy to avoid looking at him.

It was like he didn’t exist to me anymore. Because apparently, it was all pretense. His tenderness towards me, his small gestures, and our kiss in his room. It didn’t mean anything to him—just an opportunity to have fun.

Damn, I felt as if I was drained from all of my emotions. How was I going to be back to normal tomorrow?