The Beginning

  Logan moves in and out again and again until I hit that peak and cry his name.

  His body collapses onto mine as his body finishes convulsing.

  “God, I love you,” he whispers, out of breath.

  “Me too, baby.” I tilt my head backward and catch a glimpse of the clock that rests on my bedside table. “We need to sleep. We can’t be only half awake when we have to face Celeste,” I yawn.

  He lets go of a sigh. “I know how much you loathe her, so I don’t expect you to be at the house. It’s up to you. I know what that woman can be like. I don’t want her to make you feel like you don’t belong there, because you do. You are my family, and she needs to get used to that.”

  He’s still laying on me, his arms now around me. “I said I’d be there, so I will. I’m not going to let her bully me. I’m done with it. I'll go so I can support the family, that’s it.”

  “I won’t let her attack you, not even verbally. If she doesn’t get help, I’m out of that house.” He presses a kiss to my naked shoulder.

  “You could stay here,” I offer. I hate being in this huge house without him.

  He continues to kiss the skin. “That’s only a short-term solution.”

  He’s right. It is only a short-term solution. My father is due back from New York next week. He’s only coming back for a few days, but when he’s home, he wants to see me, and he doesn’t want to see my boyfriend, or my boyfriend's brother. The two men in my life that make it worth living. I keep trying to think of solutions, ones that mean he won’t be far from me, but nothing comes to me. I’m simply too exhausted.

  Logan lifts so he’s hovering over me, again. “Let’s just see which way Celeste will go, and take it from there. If I do have to leave because I can’t get somewhere closer, then you’ll be coming with me. If that’s what you’d want to do.”

  I nod my head. “It is something I want.” We both know I’ll go to the end of the earth to stay with him.

  He smiles and only moments later, I fall asleep.