How can I expect anyone to love me when I don’t even know who I am?Chapter 12LoganI pull the curtains closed, blocking out the light, and get back into bed. Danielle is sound asleep, and waking up with her next to me brought up a feeling inside me that I can’t quite figure out.
It feels right.
But it’s wrong.
We’re pretending.
I want this to be real.
And the more we fake it, the more we put on the masks of happy lovers, the more it feels like it’s not going to really happen. Doesn’t quite make sense, I know.
Luckily, Danielle took a long shower last night and I fell asleep before she got into bed. If I’d still been awake, I don’t know if I would have been able to sleep knowing that next to me, only an arm’s length apart, was the woman I’ve been in love with since the moment I met her.
It’s early in the morning, but the sun is already up and shining brightly down on the beach right outside our window. I actually have no idea what we’re supposed to do today, but I know at some point we’re having breakfast or brunch—or lunch at this point—with Danielle’s parents.
I stick my legs back under the covers, and Danielle rolls over. She sleeps on her back, with one hand up on the pillow above her head. Her long hair is a tangled mess around her face, and one of the straps of her tank top fell down over her shoulder. With no makeup and no bra, she’s even more gorgeous than when she’s done herself all up.
My eyelids get heavy, and I start to drift back to sleep. Then Danielle’s phone rings. It’s on silent and buzzes on the nightstand next to her. She doesn’t so much as stir. I push up and reach over to grab the phone. It’s her mom calling, and I silence it, not seeing the point in waking her up yet.
Unless we were supposed to go to breakfast with them. Oh well. I set the phone back down and close my eyes again. About ten minutes later, someone knocks on the door. This time, Danielle wakes up. She’s facing me, and her eyes go to me as soon as they open.
“Hey,” she says, voice thick with sleep. “Was someone knocking, or did I dream that?”
“Someone is knocking.” I get out of bed, adjusting my pants as I stride to the door and look through the peephole. “It’s your sister and two other people,” I say to Danielle. “Want me to let them in?”
“Yeah. There’s no need to delay the inevitable any longer than necessary.” She sits up, pushing her long hair out of her face before getting out of bed. She’s wearing pink sleeper shorts and a white tank top that ends right above her belly button. I’m sure she wears that most nights. It’s far from lingerie and looks quite comfortable.
But, fuck me, she looks good in it. The shorts ride up on her ass as she crosses the room, and if her hair wasn’t hanging over her breasts, I’m sure I’d be able to see her nipples through the thin white tank top.
It’s like she did it on purpose to drive me crazy. It’s cruel, really, to have her flaunting that body around when I can’t have it. And to think she was next to me all night…now I’m really fucking glad I fell asleep before I saw her get into bed looking like that.
I swallow hard, tearing my eyes away from her, and look back at the door. I’m already insanely attracted to her. The last thing I need is to get a hard-on right before I welcome her sister and presumably her mother into our room.
Though it would help our fake couple story to have it look like they interrupted morning sex. I undo the chain on the door and open it. All three women on the other side of the door widen their eyes and look me up and down.
“Hey,” I say to Diana as Danielle appears beside me. The older woman next to Diana looks from me to Danielle and smiles.
“Hi, Mom.”
The woman steps forward, pulling Danielle into a tight hug that lasts exactly two seconds. Everyone shuffles into the room. “This must be Logan, your fiancé.”
Danielle tips her head to me, smiling, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, it is. Logan, this is my mom and…” she trails off, looking at the other woman.
“Nancy,” she introduces herself. “Mother of the groom.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say and extend my other hand. “And you too, Mrs. Cross.”
Danielle’s mom laughs, high-pitched and fake. “Please, call me Carol. We’re going to be family soon enough. Have you two talked about wedding dates yet?”
Diana looks annoyed at the mention of Danielle’s wedding, reminding me of another family member who was a huge bitch around her wedding as well.