Page 38 of The Fall

He chuckles. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.”

His mother hugs me the second I walk through the door, and I’m whisked into the kitchen to be introduced to Logan’s Aunt Anya. Both women are stunning, and it’s easy to see where Logan got his looks. I instantly regret my outfit. I should’ve gone home to change first, or better yet, not agreed to dinner in the first place.

“I’m so sorry I look terrible. I came right from training.”

His mother waves me off. “You look beautiful. Doesn’t she look beautiful, Logan?”

I’m about to interject to say he doesn’t have to agree with her, but he simply hands me a bottle of water and says, “She does.”

She does.

He didn’t even hesitate. Does he think I won’t overthink that statement all night? It’s the second time in a week he’s mentioned I’m beautiful. How am I supposed to take that? Do I pretend that’s totally normal?

“Well, thank you,” I say, trying to hide the blush creeping up my neck.

“Have you ever had pirozhki? It’s one of Logan’s favorite meals, so we decided to make it tonight,” Natalia tells me.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.”

“Oh, you’re going to like it. We made half with meat and rice and half with potatoes and caramelized onions. You’ll have options.” She winks at me like we’re sharing some sort of secret.

“It sounds delicious.”

She seems to be in much better spirits today than she was the other day. She’s gotten dressed and done her hair. I can’t even tell that she’s sick. Which is likely what she wants. I can’t imagine what it must be like for Logan knowing his mother is going through so much. If it were me…? Yeah, I don’t even want to think about it. It’s already been way too long since I last spoke to my mom.

“So, Savannah, tell me honestly. How is my son as a coach?” Her smile is kind, and I know she’s teasing, but that doesn’t stop Logan from groaning on the stool next to me.

“Mom…”

“He’s… not as bad as I thought he was going to be,” I say. It’s not completely a lie. I assumed he would be full of himself, annoying, rude, and a lot of other negative things, but so far, even though I hate to admit this, it hasn’t been that bad.

“That’s a compliment coming from her, Mom. Trust me,” Logan says with a laugh.

I hit my knee into his leg. In return, he grabs my thigh and squeezes, making me laugh. Then, when I expect him to move his hand away, he doesn’t. He rests it gently on my thigh as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. I don’t know if I’m more annoyed that he assumed I’d be fine with this physical touch or that I actually kind of like it. It’s possible I’ve sent him mixed signals agreeing to come here tonight.

I know I could tell him to move it. I should tell him to move it. But I don’t. Instead, I stare at his large hand resting on my leg. Of course, he has nice hands with long fingers. Why wouldn’t every part of him be attractive?

“Logan has shown me videos of your routines. You look phenomenal.”

I turn to look at Logan, hoping he can’t see just how happy that makes me. “You’re proud of us, Coach? Showing us off to your mom?”

“Very proud,” he admits easily, making eye contact with me. Honestly, I expected some pushback. I thought he’d make up some excuse for why he showed her the videos, but no. He’s actually proud of us. I don’t know how to handle his kindness.

I look away, the heaviness of his stare too much. I don’t know what’s going on with me. Obviously, I’m attracted to Logan. There’s no denying it. But I can be attracted to him without feeling things, can’t I? I’m not usually a feelings type of girl. I don’t get attached. I don’t look for little things like his hand on my leg or him giving me praise. This is out of the ordinary for me, and it’s starting to scare me.

I should not have come to this dinner. Hindsight is 20/20, I guess.

“Well,” I say, taking a large inhale to clear my mind. “I think we’re all hoping for the best at our first competition.”

“That’s right!” Natalia says. “When do you fly out? Is it two weeks from now?”

I nod. “Yes. It feels too soon.”

“It’s not too soon,” Logan adds. “We need to get in front of the judges and get some feedback so we know how to improve.”

Natalia reaches out and takes my hand. It feels like a very motherly thing to do, which makes me miss my own mother. “You’re going to do great. The first competition of the season is always the hardest. I would always be so nervous before my first one. Even if I practiced for twelve hours a day leading up to it, it never felt like enough.”