Page 12 of Betrayed

She nodded.

Zara joined them and wrapped her arms around Will’s waist. “If this guy is leaving, I’m ready to go too.”

AJ agreed. “Let’s get out of here then. I’m tired.”

Will left and the women took a moment to tell people goodbye before they exited through the locker room.

The roommates silently got in AJ’s car and drove home. She knew Zara was dying to ask questions but also seemed to recognize that if AJ started in, she wouldn’t be able to drive. She didn’t have it in herself to talk right now anyway. Once they got home, AJ planned to go straight to bed and cry herself to sleep curled up in Jesus’s arms.

She missed the simpler times with Logan. As much guilt as their high school/college relationship held due to their propensity to break rules, they’d had fun.

Thirteen and a Half Years Ago—March

Hand in hand, eighteen-year-old Logan walked AJ up the front steps to her dad’s house. Her dad had set a stupid-early curfew for her lately, especially for a Friday night. They would graduate in two months; they were practically adults. Logan didn’t understand. But they’d figured out ways around the stupidity.

He drew AJ into his arms and kissed her cheek, then whispered in her ear, “Got to make it look like I’m actually telling you good night.”

She giggled.

The front door opened, and the screen door slammed back against the siding. “You’re late.”

AJ stepped away.

Logan looked at his watch. By two minutes. Even so, he kept his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was AJ’s dad thinking any less of him. If the man knew what Logan and AJ had been doing at the movie theater …

“Inside, AJ. Logan, get lost.”

“Yes, sir. Good night, AJ.”

“Bye.” She waved at him as her dad grasped her arm and tugged her into the house.

Logan turned and walked away slowly.

Her dad’s voice carried, despite the closed door. “You need to have a little more self-respect, girl. And if that boy respects you, he’ll respect the rules and the boundaries you should have set up. You aren’t married and aren’t gonna be anytime soon. Stop trying to wake up something that should stay dormant until your wedding day.”

Logan didn’t hear AJ’s response or anything else from the house. He did respect AJ. Where did her dad get off suggesting he didn’t? Maybe they shouldn’t be fooling around as much as they did. For two years they’d kept it above board, but in the last six months, it had gotten harder to keep his hands to himself. AJ didn’t help. But he knew it was his duty to treat her right.

Logan drove his car down the block like he did on a regular basis and parked it. Tonight he only had to wait half an hour before AJ opened the passenger door and slid in.

“Wasn’t that a little fast?”

“Eh. I slammed my door and locked it. He tried talking through it for a few minutes before I turned my music on. He’ll leave me until morning.” She snickered before leaning over and kissing Logan with entirely too much intensity. “Where to tonight?”

He put the car in gear and drove to a secluded parking lot. He knew he shouldn’t. What if they couldn’t stop themselves from going too far? He should drop her back at home and not play with fire. He should stop them. But he didn’t want to.

The next morning, eighteen-year-old AJ stared at herself in the bedroom mirror. Whether she felt like a million bucks or the scum of the earth was a toss-up. How was it possible to feel such a dichotomy of emotions at the same time?

God, I know Logan and I shouldn’t have …

The prayer stopped there. She couldn’t find the words. The guilt was too much. And what made the guilt even worse was the elation she felt as she remembered when skirting the line became crossing the line.

But she loved Logan so much. They planned to get married one day, eventually. If her dad would let them.

Maybe he’d be outside working when she left her room, and she wouldn’t have to talk to him. But she was hungry so she couldn’t hide in there all day. Did her dad know she had snuck out last night? Would he simply look at her and know she and Logan had gone all the way?

She tossed the towel at her reflection. Taking a shower hadn’t helped remove the guilt. After getting dressed, she took the risk and wandered to the kitchen to get some breakfast even though it was noon.

Her dad was sweeping the living room. “It’s about time you got up.”