Emma’s POV
I wasn’t sure which was worse—standing in front of the entire class giving a presentation or standing next to Logan while doing it.
Because right now, every pair of eyes was on us.
And it felt like they knew.
Like they could somehow sense everything that had happened between us—the late nights, the stolen moments, the way he kissed me like I was the only thing that mattered.
I swallowed hard, gripping my notecards tighter than necessary, my heart a frantic mess.
Beside me, Logan leaned in, voice low, just for me.
“Relax, Em.” His breath brushed my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “We’ve got this.”
I shot him a look, trying to ignore the way his smirk made my stomach flip.
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered under my breath.
His grin widened.
“Come on,” he teased, his fingers grazing mine as he took the clicker from my hand, “don’t tell me you’re nervous.”
I pulled my hand back too quickly, pretending like that tiny brush of contact hadn’t just set my skin on fire.
“Let’s just get this over with.”
He chuckled under his breath, and I hated that it sounded like he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
The second we started speaking, I knew I was in trouble.
Not because I wasn’t prepared—I was.
But because Logan Reyes was looking at me. Like, really looking at me.
Every time I spoke, I felt his gaze on me, heavy and distracting, like he was barely paying attention to the class at all.
Like he was just focused on me.
My pulse roared in my ears, and I knew I had to get through this without letting him throw me off completely.
I forced myself to focus on the slides, to keep my voice steady, to ignore the way his presence pulled me in like gravity.
Then it was his turn.
Logan spoke like he owned the room. Confident. Smooth. Effortless.
His voice was low and certain, his smirk just enough to make people listen.
And I hated that it worked.
He barely glanced at his notes, speaking like he didn’t even have to try, like this whole thing was just another game to him.
The worst part?
The second he turned his head and locked eyes with me mid-sentence, my stomach plummeted.
He smirked. Like he knew.
Like he felt what was happening between us just as much as I did.
I looked away, my grip tightening around my notecards.
Vanessa, sitting in the front row, was watching us like a hawk, her arms crossed, her jaw tight.
“Excellent analysis,” the teacher finally said as Logan wrapped up the conclusion. “I have to say, that was one of the best presentations I’ve seen this semester. You two work incredibly well together.”
I let out a slow breath, barely realizing I’d been holding it.
There was scattered applause as we returned to our seats.
Except for Vanessa.
Her scowl could have burned a hole through the floor.
I barely sat down before Logan leaned in close again, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Told you we had this, birthday girl.”
I elbowed him under the desk, ignoring the way his quiet chuckle sent heat curling through my stomach.
But when I risked a glance at Vanessa, her glare was still locked onto me, her nails digging into her crossed arms.
She wasn’t just mad.
She was furious.
***
Later that day, Logan found me by my locker. “We need to talk.”
I sighed, closing my locker with a soft click. “Logan—”
“No,” he interrupted. “Listen to me for once.”
He grabbed my hand and without saying another word, he led me toward one of the empty classrooms nearby. The dim light filtering through the window cast long shadows across the floor. The door shut softly behind us, my heart pounding as he stepped closer.
“I know what you’re thinking. You’re scared this is gonna end, that I’m gonna mess it up. And maybe I will. But you mean something to me, Emma. You’re not just another girl.”
My throat tightened as his words sank in. “You can’t promise that,” I whispered.
“Yes, I can.” He pulled me into his arms, his hands steady on my back as his lips found mine.