Change of Heart

one.
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    258
    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes

Chapter Fifteen
    The following night, Logan showed up early to pick me up from the restaurant. I took him inside and introduced him to everyone I worked with. As it turned out, my boss was the one most excited to meet him.
    "Logan," Ray said, shaking his hand hard. "You're a godsend. Now that Jin has a new partner and a great job, why would he ever leave?"
    "I dunno," Logan smiled smugly, his hand sliding through my hair before he drew me forward, anchoring me to his side.
    "Why would he?"
    "You see?" Ray said, slapping my free shoulder. "Change is a good thing."
    How could I argue?
    "Let's go home," Logan growled at me, playfully pushing me toward the front door. "I need to put you in bed."
    We drove to my new apartment, which I had thankfully only taken on a month-to-month basis, and I was going to show him around before he stopped me.
    "Just grab your stuff," he growled at me. "I hate this place.
    I just wanna go."
    He hated anywhere I was that wasn't his home. He wanted my clothes, my books, and my laptop in his house and put away.
    "You know, now that I have a good job, I'll probably start buying a ton of clothes and shoes and all kinds of crap."
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    "Whatever you want," he said, watching me as I walked around picking things up.
    Once we were driving away, I warned Logan that we had a lot to talk about when we got home, so I hoped he had no other plans.
    "Talk about what?" he complained. "We talked last night."
    He had no idea about anything. Ours would be a very tricky blending of lifestyles and priorities, and there was his new tribe and everything else to consider. It was going to be a mess.
    "I love you," I sighed, unable to keep the smile from my face, leaning back and looking at him through heavy-lidded eyes. "I really do."
    "I know," he grunted, very pleased with himself. "You can't live without me. I'm like cheese."
    It took a second to process his comment. "I'm sorry, cheese?"
    "Sure. Air's overrated. Try living without cheese."
    The man was insane, which, it turned out, was just perfect for me.

    * * * *
    At home, I was busy putting away more of my things when Logan came into the room with a plate of sandwiches and two glasses of milk.

    "What is this?"
    "Late-night snack."
    "Well, thank you." I smiled over my shoulder at him as he sprawled out on the bed.
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    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "Uh," he started and stopped.
    "What?"
    He visibly winced as he looked up at me.
    "What's wrong with you?"
    "Okay, so what would you say if I told you that your father was in town?"
    I stopped breathing.
    "Oh, you should see your eyes," he said, getting off the bed and crossing the room to me. His hands were warm on my arms. "You okay?"
    "My father's here?"
    "Technically, he's in Reno."
    I just stared up into his face.
    "My dad called him, remember? He told him all about your plan to fight for me in the pit, and that was the last the man heard."
    "He thought I was dead."
    "No." He shook his head. "I'm sure he just wanted to see you."
    "He came to take my body home."
    "He did not," he snapped at me.
    "I hate him."
    "You don't hate anybody. It's not in you."
    I sighed heavily, drew away from him, and walked to the bed. I started picking at the meat inside the sandwich.
    "Move the tray before the milk spills."
    I did as I was asked and put the tray on the nightstand.
    "I figured your dad would look like you."
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    I shook my head. "No, I look like my mom. My brother Kei looks like my dad, except his hair is black like mine, not light brown."
    "Are his eyes gray too?"
    "No, they're blue just like my father's."
    "Your mother is what, Japanese?"
    I nodded.
    "How did they meet?"
    "They met when he was in the Navy and stationed in Tokyo."
    "She must have named both you and your brother, huh?
    Jin and Kei aren't exactly names you hear every day."
    "I think you do if you live in Japan."
    "That's what I mean."
    I let out a deep breath.
    "Are you hungry?"
    I shrugged.
    "You want something else?"
    "No," I said, suddenly very interested in the pattern on the comforter.
    "Listen. He invited us to have breakfast with him tomorrow morning. He really wants to talk to you and catch up."
    "He's just disappointed I'm not dead," I said, getting up off the bed, feeling caged suddenly.
    "Jin," he warned me.
    I shut up.
    "Look at me."
    I lifted my head, and my eyes found him.
    "I'd like to talk to