“Nice work,” she adds with a nod. She knows how hard I’ve been practicing.
The sit-ups, push-ups, and mile run go even better than expected. The whole time, my mind and body relax with relief over the shuttle run.
“Great job, Durant,” Captain Baldwin says as I cross the finish line for the mile. “This is a very strong CFA.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I pant, then move over to the side of the gym so the next cadet can start.
Leah rushes down to meet me, while Logan saunters over with his trademark smirk. That’s when I remember seeing him and Kristin earlier.
“Well?” Leah asks, biting her lower lip and holding her hands clasped together.
“I did great.”
“Shuttle run?”
“Nine point two.”
“Yes!” She grabs my hands and jumps up and down. “I knew you could do it!”
While we’re celebrating, Logan approaches us. “You passed?”
I nod. “I got a good score.”
“That’s great. I’m happy for you.”
I grind my teeth and force a smile. Apparently I’m still annoyed by his behavior, even if I forgot about it for a bit.
“You look awfully pissed for someone who just passed her CFA,” he says, raising his brows.
“I’m fine,” I reply, turning away from him to grab my parka lying in the corner.
“I’m going to head out,” Leah says, sneaking away from our brewing argument.
After picking up my jacket, I put it on and start to walk toward the door, ignoring the silent Logan watching me.
“Come on,” he finally whines as I reach for the handle.
I pause and take a deep breath. Can I really be angry with him over this? I know I shouldn’t be. I told him nothing could happen. He took that to heart. He should have. It’s not like I can tell him I won’t date him, but he’s not allowed to date anyone else, either. That’s not fair.
This is my issue, not his.
I take another deep breath and stand up straight. “I’m sorry,” I say, turning around to face him. “I’m just having a hard time … you know … you and Kristin. But she’s great. You two would be good together.”
He laughs.
“What’s so funny?” I ask with a frown.
“I’m not interested in Kristin.”
“You looked like you were.”
“Only to make you angry. Leah told me you’d run faster if I made you angry. Did it work?”
Seriously? The two of them were plotting to make me angry through jealousy? It’s not Leah’s style, which makes me think the bulk of the plan was Logan’s. And it’s not like it even worked. Once I started my shuttle run, I didn’t think about him once.
“No,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest. “I did, however, find it humorous when she walked away from you.”
He rolls his eyes. “She wouldn’t even hold my hand for fifty bucks! Wallingford has you all so brainwashed. I asked her to break one little PDA rule, and you’d think I asked her to commit a felony.” He shakes his head. “You guys need to learn breaking rules isn’t always such a bad idea.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Not always.”
“Yes, always.”
“Not if you’re doing it to help someone with something more important. Don’t be pissed, okay? I was trying to help.”
“I didn’t need your help.”
“Good. I’m glad you didn’t. And I’m glad you passed. Can we just forget about my embarrassing display from earlier?”
He was trying to help, though his method was less than ideal. Still, his heart was in the right place. And it is nice to know he’s not interested in Kristin. I bite my lip, then nod.
“Good.” Now grinning, he asks, “Were you even a little jealous when you saw me talking to her?”
More than I ever thought possible. How can I go from someone who has never been jealous to this? “I didn’t like when you touched her hair,” I reply, zipping up my jacket.
“I didn’t like it, either,” he says, his eyes drifting up to my hair. I reflexively smooth it back, but every strand is still tight in my braid.
“You were toying with my emotions on purpose. That’s not nice.”
“I’m happy to hear you have emotions,” he says, putting on gloves. “Sometimes I wonder.”
My emotions around him are becoming too strong. They have the potential to cloud my judgment, which is not good. This is why I’ve never dated or had a boyfriend.
He reaches into his pocket, draws out a folded piece of paper, and hands it to me.
I take it from him and unfold it. There’s a bright red heart in the middle of the note with the words “virtual hug” underneath.
“Don’t get all stressed out. I know we’re just friends, but in a normal, sane environment, I’d hug my friend if she just kicked ass on something so important, so I thought you should know.”
A warm wave floods through my chest. The funny thing is, he said it’s just friendly behavior but I know it’s not. If Alex did something like this, I’d be irritated. With Logan, I’m swooning like a tween at a boy band concert. “You’re very romantic, aren’t you?”
“I try.”
I open the door and step out onto the quad, pulling up my hood in the process. “Thanks,” I say. “This note is really sweet. And the one from this morning.”
“Better than opening doors for you?”
“Yes.”
He removes his beanie from his pocket and puts it on his head before zipping up his parka. “So I have good news.”
“Yeah?”
“The dean gave me permission to go off campus one day a week starting next weekend. He said if I don’t mess up, he’ll increase it to two days in January.”
“That’s great. Did you make plans yet?”
He shakes his head. “No, I wanted to talk to you. What are the must-dos in this Podunk town?”
“Most cadets eat at the Burger Barn or Dairy Shack, pick up supplies from the Piggly Wiggly, hike, or go home if they live close.”
“Can I interest you in a hike and ice cream a week from Saturday?”
“Like a date?”
“No, of course not. I know your aversion to dating. Just two friends hanging out together. We could even have Leah and Noah come along.”
“A week from Saturday?”
“Yeah.”
I do a quick mental calculation before answering. “Sorry, I can’t.”
“Oh, okay. Yeah, sure. I get it. It’s—”
“It’s my dad. He’s coming then and wanted to go hiking with me. What about a week from Sunday instead?”
He taps his cheek with his finger. “I’ll have to check my schedule…”
I jab him in the ribs with my elbow, and he laughs.
“Sure, Sunday. It’s a … not a date.”
CHAPTER 20
PAIGE
“Nice job,” I say to Logan as we begin our slowdown. It’s Sunday afternoon and most cadets have already left campus, but Logan is taking his race training seriously. We just finished six miles and now have to get ready for our “non-date.”