Logan Carter didn't miss a beat when Hanna appeared, her expression thunderous.
Instead, he only turned a little more toward Ava, a lazy, charming smile curling on his lips—as if he hadn't noticed the brewing storm coming his way.
"So," Logan said smoothly to Ava, his voice low and inviting, "what do you say we ditch this rooftop and find a quieter place? Maybe somewhere with less nosy people?"
Ava laughed—an honest, warm laugh that made Hanna's blood boil.
Is she seriously smiling at him? Hanna thought furiously. At him of all people?
She stood frozen for a moment, fists clenched at her sides, watching as Logan leaned in just a little closer, saying something that made Ava giggle like a girl on her first crush.
The sight was like a slap to the face.
Hanna gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "Of course. Of all the guys here, it had to be Logan freaking Carter."
She could practically hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Stay calm, Hanna. Be civil. Just walk up and drag her away.
But the longer she stood there, the angrier she got. Logan had that effect on people. Too smooth, too good-looking for his own good, and absolutely no good for someone like Ava, who wore her heart out in the open like a badge of honor.
Squaring her shoulders, Hanna sucked in a sharp breath.
No way am I letting him play her like a fiddle.
Without waiting another second, she pushed off from where she stood and stormed toward them, her heels clicking loudly across the rooftop. Her face was set into an awkward, half-smile, half-scowl—a horrible attempt at keeping her cool that fooled absolutely no one.
As she approached, Logan caught her movement in the corner of his eye.
He turned his full attention toward her now, his smirk deepening as if he found the entire situation amusing.
"Well, well," he drawled lazily. "Who do we have here?"
Ava turned too, blinking in surprise at Hanna's sudden appearance.
"Hanna!" Ava said brightly, too brightly, like she hadn't just been about to make the worst mistake of her life. "There you are! I was wondering where you went."
Hanna stopped in front of them, arms crossed over her chest, her expression screaming this is not okay.
"I could ask you the same thing," Hanna said stiffly, glancing pointedly at Logan, then back at Ava.
Her voice was sweet, but the sharp edge underneath was impossible to miss.
Logan just chuckled, sliding his hands casually into his pockets.
"Relax, sunshine. We're just talking."
Hanna's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Talking?
Yeah right.
And the devil just sells ice cream for a living.
Ava, oblivious to the tension snapping in the air, laughed nervously.
"Logan and I were just chatting. It's… not what it looks like."
"Oh," Hanna said dryly, raising an eyebrow. "Because it looks like you're two seconds away from swapping numbers and life stories."
Ava flushed, embarrassed.
Logan tilted his head slightly, studying Hanna with amused curiosity—like he was toying with her reactions, enjoying the fireworks.
"So, you two know each other?" Ava asked, glancing between them, sensing something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Logan answered first, his voice syrupy smooth.
"We've crossed paths."
Hanna gave a tight, forced smile.
"Once. That was enough."
The tension between them crackled like live wire.
Ava looked between them, confused, feeling the weight of something she didn't understand hanging heavy in the air.
Hanna inhaled sharply through her nose. She had to get Ava away from him. Fast.
Before she could say anything else, Logan leaned a little closer toward Ava, his grin widening.
"Well, Ava Morgan," he said smoothly, ignoring Hanna completely now, "if you ever need someone to rescue you from boring parties or terrible music, you know where to find me."
Hanna practically growled under her breath.
Without thinking, she grabbed Ava's hand and said sweetly, "Actually, we were just about to leave. Right, Ava?"
Ava blinked, caught off guard, looking between Logan and Hanna.
"I—uh—" she stammered.
Logan raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Hanna's dramatic rescue attempt.
Hanna didn't wait for Ava's answer. She tugged her firmly toward the rooftop stairs, giving Logan one last deadly glare over her shoulder.
Logan just laughed under his breath, lighting another cigarette as he watched them walk away.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
Logan watched them disappear down the stairwell, Hanna practically dragging Ava by the wrist like she was rescuing her from a burning building.
He took a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaled, and chuckled under his breath.
"Hanna, Hanna…" he muttered to himself, a sly smirk curling on his lips.
"Still the same little bulldog, huh? Always thinking you can just storm in and control the show."
He shook his head, amused.
Logan flicked the ashes off the tip of his cigarette, staring thoughtfully at the door they had vanished through.
He could almost hear Hanna's angry voice in the hallway, lecturing poor Ava like a prison warden scolding an inmate.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue. "You think you're gonna scare her away from me?" he said out loud, grinning to himself.
"Please."
He stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders back, looking every bit like a man who knew exactly how good he looked standing there under the rooftop lights—slacks perfectly fitted, shirt rolled up just enough to show off his forearms, hair ruffled in that effortlessly sexy kind of way that made girls double-take without even realizing it.
"I mean, come on," he continued talking to himself like he was giving a TED Talk on seduction.
"Tall? Check. Handsome? Check. Smooth voice? Double check." He winked at nobody. "And these eyelashes?" He fluttered them dramatically. "Come on, it's criminal."
He flicked the last of his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it with a lazy, confident motion.
"Yeah, Hanna," he mused, hands sliding into his pockets, rocking back on his heels.
"You might hate me, but your friend Ava?" He whistled low under his breath. "Your girl's already halfway into liking me and she doesn't even know it yet."
A slow, wicked grin spread across his face.
And it wasn't just about the chase anymore.
Ava wasn't like the other girls he usually flirted with at parties—loud, clingy, desperate for attention.
No, Ava had a softness to her.
A quiet kind of beauty that snuck up on you. The kind that made you want to put your cigarette out and actually listen to what she had to say.
Which, he thought dryly, was saying a lot for a guy like him.
He tilted his head back, gazing up at the night sky.
The stars were hidden behind city lights, but he didn't need them.
He had already found something shining tonight.
"Well," he muttered, the smirk never leaving his face, "nice meeting you again, Hanna. Truly. But I think your girl's about to be mine."
He laughed quietly to himself, the sound low and dangerous.
"But hey, let's be fair about it," he said, holding his hands up innocently. "If Ava likes me back, it's game over. You can't fight true love… or true charm."
He turned and strolled back toward the party, whistling a happy tune under his breath.
Tonight had gotten interesting.
And Logan Carter loved when things got interesting.
Logan strolled back into the party like he owned the place, the slow swagger of a man who knew exactly what he was capable of and wasn't about to hide it.
The music inside had shifted from mellow rooftop beats to something heavier—deep bass shaking the floors, lights flashing wild and chaotic, people moving like a single giant, sweaty organism.
Logan grinned as he took it all in.
Yeah. Definitely interesting tonight.
Without missing a beat, he weaved into the crowd, his presence magnetic.
It didn't take long before the girls started to notice.
One blonde with glittery eye makeup caught his gaze and winked.
Another brunette with a tiny black dress brushed "accidentally" against him, giving him a coy little smile.
Logan, being Logan, didn't need much more of an invitation.
With a smooth spin, he caught the brunette gently by the waist, pulling her close.
She squealed in surprise, then laughed, letting her body move against his.
The music thudded, the beat syncing with the sway of hips.
Logan moved like he was born to dance—smooth, confident, every motion calculated to drive the girls crazy.
One girl after another rotated in, like it was some kind of unspoken contest.
Logan didn't mind. In fact, he welcomed it.
He danced with a tall redhead, his hands low on her hips as she whined her waist to the rhythm, grinding close enough that her perfume clung to his shirt.
Then he spun her out and caught a curvy Latina by the hand, tugging her into his orbit with a dazzling grin.
She laughed and let herself be swept up, matching him step for step, their bodies moving together like they'd been doing it for years.
Logan's laughter rumbled from his chest, genuine and free.
This was his element.
No rooftop drama, no angry friends, no judgmental stares.
Just music, movement, and him being the king of the night.
He dipped one girl low, earning a loud cheer from the small circle forming around him.
When he pulled her back up, another girl jumped in, looping her arms around his neck, making a playful pout with her lips.
He laughed and spun her around, hands sliding down her sides in a way that made her shriek and slap his chest playfully.
God, he thought, I missed this.
For a moment, he forgot about Hanna's angry face.
Forgot about Ava's wide, startled eyes on the rooftop.
Forgot about the tiny, unexpected flutter he had felt when Ava smiled at him.
Right now, he wasn't complicated Logan.
He was just the guy every girl wanted to dance with—the bad boy with the sweet mouth and the deadly smile.
He leaned in close to one of the girls, whispering something that made her giggle uncontrollably, her hand smacking his arm as she threw her head back laughing.
Logan just chuckled, loose and easy, soaking up the energy like a sponge.
The DJ switched the track to an even dirtier beat, and the crowd howled in approval.
Logan caught another girl by the waist—this time a petite blonde with killer curves—and rocked with her, grinding slowly, matching her every move.
The drinks were flowing, the laughter was loud, and Logan was having the time of his life.
For now, he didn't have to think about anything serious.
No broken families.
No financial drama.
No suspicious best friends yanking his pretty girl away.
Just tonight.
Just this.
Just fun.