Friends

As the diced potatoes boiled in a saucepan, the steak sizzled in the skillet. I watch Logan as he cuts up the carrots with ease while laughing.

"Seriously? "No way," he laughed, his shoulders trembling. While he laughs, the skin around his eyes wrinkles. I nod my head, munching on a carrot while sitting on top of the kitchen counter, where he is preparing our dinner. Logan said he'd cook today's dinner after our moment on the patio, and here we are.

"Yes, seriously," I replied, laughing along with him. "For a week, no matter how hard I scrubbed, the blue paint refused to leave my body. Everyone at school made fun of me by calling me a Smurf." He threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"But I bet you were a cute Smurf," he said as he tapped the tip of my nose, and I blushed lightly before rolling my eyes as he laughed again.

We were now playing a 20-question round, and he asked about the most embarrassing moments in my life. Despite the fact that there is a lot, I decided to tell him about how I fell on a blue paint can when I was sixteen years old.

"Tell me yours now," I suggested. When he leaned across me to get to the salt, I held my breath. I would have sat on one of the stools if it hadn't been for his request that I sit on the counter so he doesn't have to turn to look at me every time we play.

Logan appears to be thinking about my question before snickering. "I once sneezed during a chemistry exam in high school. But, to my horror, I also farted, making a very loud and clear sound in the otherwise silent hallway." I laughed loudly, slapping my knees in the process. I laughed again as a light blush covered his cheeks and ears.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh right now. "I was horrified at the time," he added with a chuckle.

"Gosh Log," I wheezed, my hand resting on my racing heart.

"Next question," he said as he added the carrots and potatoes to the pan. "Strange habit?" he inquired.

"Umm, smelling new dresses and new book pages," I said, my eyes brightening. "Oh, the smell of ink on the page."

"My turn," I said as I straightened up. "Do you have any tattoos?" He smirked at me before slamming the knife down on the chopping board. To my horror, he yanked his black t-shirt over his head in a single motion. Is he going to give my heart a heart attack?

My gaze was drawn from the smooth-looking skin on his solid chest to his firm abs. As he stood in front of me, my heart pounded loudly against my ribs. When he turned around, I realized what was going on. I touched his back without thinking, letting my fingers trace the words written in black ink just below his neck. He tensed as I touched him, his fists clenched at his sides.

'Fear is an illusion,' I said softly.

"Do you like it?" he inquired, his voice gentle and sweet. I met his gaze when he turned his head to look at me.

"Yeah…" I exhale, losing myself in his blue eyes. "How long have you had it?" After a brief moment of intense staring, I inquired.

"A year ago. "It was on my 23rd birthday," he explained. He shifted his weight to face me.

"I also have one," he trailed off, a slight smirk on his lips. I stare at him expectantly, silently pleading with him to show me. He leaned in closer, his lips lightly brushing against my earlobes. I swallowed hard.

"It's on the buttocks. "Do you want me to show you?" He leaned away, huskily whispering. I flushed crimson red and shook my head, causing him to chuckle.

"So f***ing cute," he said as he pecked my lips, which caught me off guard. I pushed him away, my hands on his chest.

"But what compelled you to get a tattoo there?" I inquired, intrigued. He gave a sly grin.

"Patrick once dared me," he explained.

"Do you want one?" he asked, and I enthusiastically nodded. "I'd like to get one for my next birthday," I exclaimed gleefully. I had planned to get on my last birthday, but due to everything that happened, I was unable to do so.

We continued with our game, and it was a pleasant evening overall. That day, we learned a lot about each other, mostly about me. Do I feel guilty for not disclosing my past, even though he has trusted me enough to open his? Yes. But it's all for the best. Otherwise, I risk losing him.

*****

(Two days after)

"Hi, I'm here," I said, holding my phone to my ear.

"Come on over to the gaming area. We'll be there in a minute," Tyler said over the phone before we hung up. Tyler and I have now become close friends. We are grateful for our hospital encounter. Now that we're in university, we always sit together. We decided to hang out at the mall today, and Tyler promised to introduce us to his partner. Scarlet, unfortunately, was unable to attend because she needed to visit her grandparents this weekend.

I finally made it to the game area after weaving my way through the crowd, and Tyler was right there waiting for me. He was dressed in a white t-shirt with an unbuttoned checkered red shirt on top. His brown hair with white highlights was styled in a haphazard manner, giving him a bad boy vibe. I also noticed another guy next to him, with silver eyes and pierced ears, and chin.

Tyler and I hugged, and he gently lifted me off the ground. He ruffled my hair and said, "You're late." I slapped his hand away, glaring, and rearranged my hair. I mumbled, "Traffic."

"Sure, the sleep lines on your face tell" Tyler smirked and I grimaced.

"You shouldn't have kept our hangout at freaking 12," I scowled, and both boys laughed together. I was intrigued and asked Tyler who the other guy was.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Meet Finn, Karolia. Tyler, my boyfriend, wrapped his arms around Finn possessively. Finn regarded Tyler with admiration. If I wasn't in shock, I would have awed.

"Are you a – "

"Yes, I am gay," he laughed. I was standing there awkwardly. All I could say was, "Oh."

"It's fine. Many people do not believe us," he stated flatly.

"Well, you're both too hot to be gay," I remarked quickly.

"I understand, but we can't do anything about it right now, can we?" He laughed, which made me smile. I shook Finn's hand, and to my surprise, he drew me into an embrace.

"Tyler's friends are my friends," he said shyly, and I nearly pinched his cheeks with delight at his cuteness. After much pleading from them, our first stop was at the bowling alley. I'm not a big fan of bowling...mostly because I never win.

We left after the bowling alley, laughing our asses off. Whenever I attempted to roll the ball, I slipped and the ball landed on a man's feet. Furthermore, our screams and laughter could be heard all the way to the entrance, where we caused a commotion. So, in a nutshell, we were kicked out.

"Oh my god, that guy was about to throw his hands at you," Finn chuckled. I wiped the tears from my eyes, my cheeks hurting from laughing so hard.

We spent the next two hours in the game area, playing various games such as laser-shooting (which we tried twice because it was fun), car racing, and so on. We were tired and hungry, so we went to the food court to satisfy our hunger. We ordered a variety of foods such as Italian, Chinese, and Turkish, and there was also a competition. The person who consumes the most food will be declared the winner. And, predictably, I was the loser. Who can possibly eat this much food? Tyler and Finn were eating as if they didn't have any food for the last three days Never tempt boys with food.

An employee from Dunkin Donuts came to our table with a plate of chocolate donuts while we were sitting casually munching on our dessert. When I noticed the sad smile on the donuts instead of the happy smile, I frowned. I looked at Tyler and Finn to see if it was their order, but their expressions revealed that they, too, were surprised.

"We didn't order this," I said, but she replied that it had been placed for our table, 37. When pressed further, she stated that a man had ordered this.

"Can you tell me where this man is? "Did he mention his name?" I inquired of her.

"He left as soon as he paid for the order, and he didn't say his name." As she walked away, I thanked her. The boys were overjoyed because someone had been kind enough to buy us food. But I wasn't because it didn't sit right with me. Don't get me wrong, some people are very nice, but it's uncommon, especially in a city like New York. Even if he enjoys purchasing food for others, why not donate it to local children? Why us?

What is his name? What were his true motives?

******

Watson Mansion's massive gate came into view. "Woah!" exclaimed Finn from the passenger seat. "Is this where you live?" he inquired, taken aback.

"Yeah," I replied. "For the time being," I mumbled.

"Watson House" Tyler read the words from a board that was attached to the wall near the gate. He came to a complete stop in front of it before turning to face me in the back seat.

"Do you live with Logan Watson?" he inquired, and I nodded. His face lit up with realization.

"No surprise he was possessive over you," he muttered, smirking. I gave him a scowl.

"We're just friends."

"I didn't ask, babe." As Finn laughed, Tyler smirked and I huffed.

"I'm just saying," I mumbled once more. When we heard a horn from behind us, our conversations were cut short. I noticed a silver Aston Martin waiting behind us in the rearview mirror.

"Who the fu-" Tyler began cursing, but I interrupted him.

"It's Logan," I announced. Logan got out of his car and walked towards Tyler's car. When Logan knocked on Tyler's door, he pressed the button that opened his window.

"Who are you – oh, you! "What exactly are you doing here?" Logan inquired of Tyler. He couldn't see me because of the tinted window, and he didn't look in the back seat where I was sitting.

Logan noticed me because I quickly opened the door and exited.

"Lia?" He was genuinely surprised.

"Hey," I said quietly. Then I turned to look at Tyler and Finn. Finn's face was filled with awe when he saw Logan, and I don't blame him. Have you seen this guy? Doesn't he look dashing in a black suit and black aviator glasses?

"Thank you so much for today, guys! "I had a great time," I told them. Before awkwardly hugging each other, we practiced our mall handshake. It was awkward because they were inside the car and I was standing outside.

They quickly left, and I turned to face Logan, who had been silently watching me the entire time. I was confused when I noticed him clenching his jaw. Instead of questioning him further, I gave him a happy smile and walked towards the gate, deciding to just walk until I got to the house. It's a two-minute walk from the gate to the steps of the house, but I don't mind. The sidewalk decorations with plants and flowers never cease to amaze me.

"Karolia," Logan said, and I turned to face him. "Get in the car," he said, and he walked back to his car before I could say anything. I walked to the car with a shrug on my shoulders. Who am I to refuse even a short ride in a high-priced vehicle? Never turn down such an offer. The interior of the car, like all of his other vehicles, appears to be classy and well-kept.

The interior of the car, like all of his other vehicles, appears to be classy and well-kept before the massive gate slowly opened,

"So they're your friends?" he inquired.

Yes," I replied, a smile on my lips. "They're really cool."

"Mhm, good," he replied. His fists were clenched on the steering wheel. He parked in his garage and we both got out of the car,

After thanking him, I started up the stairs to my room. But, to my surprise, I found myself slammed up against a wall near the stairs. Logan's body towered over mine before slamming his lips against mine, stealing my breath.

The action caught me off guard, and I couldn't think for a second. I tried to push him away at first, but when that proved futile, I just gave in. His large hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb caressing the ridges of my brow. The kiss was rough and passionate, unlike our previous ones, which had been sweet and gentle. It was possessive and assertive as if he was demonstrating his power over me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my body against his, causing him to groan. But we both came to a halt when we heard a familiar voice.

"I apologize for the interruption." We jumped back as if we were burning each other and stared at the person with wide eyes.

Grecia! Screw me!