Summary: MC (Ellie) surprises Logan with a gift.
Notes: This is my entry for Day 1 of Ride or Die Appreciation Week! I meant to write something happier for Logan, but everything came out angst.
When Logan opened the door to the loft in the morning, he was surprised to see Ellie waiting for him. A wide smile was stretched across her face and he couldn’t help but feel a familiar flutter in his stomach.
“What are you up to?” he asked slowly.
“I got something for you,” Ellie said, bouncing slightly on her toes with excitement.
You dumped Colt and are secretly in love with me. “What is it?”
Ellie grinned and stepped aside, gesturing to the potted plant on the coffee table. “Ta da!”
Logan furrowed his brow in confusion and stepped forward, leaning down to examine the plant. “You got me…a plant?” Not what I was expecting.
Ellie bit her lip nervously. “You don’t like it.”
“No, I do!” Logan quickly assured her. Good job hurting her feelings, idiot. “I’m just surprised. Why a plant?”
“It’s a thank you for letting me stay here,” Ellie said. “I know I’m invading your space–”
“Which I don’t mind.”
“–and plants are traditional housewarming gifts, so it seemed appropriate.”
Logan grinned. “Shouldn’t I have gotten you a plant then? I’ve already been living here for a year. The house is warm.”
Ellie shrugged. “Maybe. But I figured the plant was also kind of a metaphor for you.”
“That I need regular water and sunlight?”
Ellie playfully batted his arm. “Ha ha, very funny. I’m trying to make a point here.”
“Sorry, go on.”
“Anyway, my point is that maybe it’s not such a bad idea for you to have roots somewhere,” she said. Logan looked over at her and was surprised to see her nervously tugging on her long hair. He smiled at her.
“Trust me, troublemaker, I’m not going anywhere right now. Besides, what would you do without me?”
As soon as he said it, Logan’s stomach twisted with guilt. He knew it was going to come out sooner or later that he’d lied to her to bring her into the crew and he wasn’t sure he could face the consequences of it. Logan was terrified that Ellie would never look at him the same way again. Then again, she’ll never look at me the way she looks at Colt. God, what does she even see in him?
“The plant is great, Ellie, thank you,” he said, pulling himself out of his thoughts. Logan turned to her and pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “I promise to do my best not to kill it.”
She laughed and let go of him, turning to retrieve her backpack from beside the couch. “I’ll help, I promise. Hey, I’ve got to go to school, but I’ll see you later?”
“I’ll be here,” he said.
A light knocking on the open door caused both of them to turn to see Colt standing in the doorway.
“Need a ride to school?” Colt asked, leaning against the door frame. Logan hated Colt’s easy confidence, the way he seemed to own any space he occupied. Even more than that, he hated the way Ellie’s face lit up when she saw him.
“If you’re offering,” she said, a grin spreading across her face before she looked back to Logan. “See you later.”
“Later,” Logan echoed. He watched as Ellie left with Colt, winding her fingers between his.
When they were gone, he sat down heavily on the couch, staring at the plant she’d gotten for him. He reached out and gently took one of the leaves between his finger and thumb, lightly tracing the fine, hair-like veins. The flower petals were edged in a bright pink that matched the color of Ellie’s car–the color Colt had suggested she paint it.
You have to stop, he scolded himself. Ellie had always been clear about their boundaries as friends, but that didn’t stop Logan from wishing that it was his hand she was holding instead of Colt’s. Instead, he sat there, alone, the room feeling empty without her as she unknowingly walked away with his heart, torn out at the roots.
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