Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 9

in his eyes. Make me.
    "Gabe, just leave it." One of the other guys put his hand on my shoulder. "We can do what we need to do without him, if necessary."
    "Yeah, Gabe ." Logan said my name like it was a dirty word. "Listen to your boyfriend here."
    Christ, did the guy ever let up?
    "He's not my boyfriend, you jackass," I said angrily. I could feel the blood starting to rise in my veins.
    Logan sauntered back to his site and picked up a fork, casually swinging it back and forth. "No, from what I hear your boyfriend dropped you like a hot brick when he found himself a younger, more willing piece of ass."
    That hurt.
    "What is your goddamned problem?" I shouted at him. "Get the fuck out of here if you're not gonna do anything productive."
    "Make me," he said—out loud this time.
    "You. Outside. Now." I strode over and grabbed the front of his t-shirt, yanking him towards to front of the cave.
    I waved at the other students over my shoulder and said, "You guys keep working," not really expecting them to do anything of the kind.
    I half pushed, half pulled Logan outside, surprised at how easily he came. I shoved him away as soon as we got into the fresh air, the bright sunlight temporarily blinding us both. Logan stumbled slightly on the sticky, muddy ground.
    "Ok. Let's have it," I said. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I've had it up to here"—I waved my hand above my head—"with your fucking attitude, you goddamned prick."
    "Don't call me a prick," Logan glowered.
    "Why not? You're acting exactly like one. You've acted like nothing else ever since I've known you."
    "Yeah, well maybe you don't know everything," Logan snarled, moving closer to point his finger in my face.
    "I know I don't, but then neither do you."
    "Whatever, Gabriella."
    "And don't call me that," I snapped, pushing his hand away.
    "Whatever, Princess," Logan retorted with a sly grin. He poked me in the chest so that I moved backwards. "Is 'Princess' better? Suits you, you know."
    Logan gave me one last push and I lost my footing on the greasy ground. My feet slid out from under me and I felt the world tilt as I fell, landing flat on my back in the mud. Logan laughed, and that was too much. My temper got the better of me and I lunged at his legs, knocking him down on his ass. He cursed and tried to scrabble free, squirming around, his fingers digging into the dirt. I wasn't about to let him get off that easily, though, and raised my fist to try and hit him. Logan blocked me, rolled me over and shoved a handful of mud in my face. I tried to buck him off, but he was straddling my thighs and weighed at least thirty pounds more than I did.
    "Get off me, you fucker!" I glared at him, my hands trying to grab hold of something, anything, but they kept sliding off his slippery skin.
    Logan grabbed my flailing arms and pinned them over my head. As he stared down at me, he almost looked like he was enjoying this. The intimacy of the position we were in hadn't completely escaped my attention either and my body, traitor that it was, began to take notice. That made me even angrier and I twisted violently, trying to get away, but only succeeded in getting myself even muddier.
    "Logan," I said, the threat clear.
    "Do you give?" he drawled.
    "What?"
    "Do you give?"
    "Oh, for fuck's sake. Yes. Whatever. Just get the fuck off me."
    Logan sat back and surveyed his handiwork with satisfaction. I knew I was covered from head to toe. I could even feel mud in my ears. Logan moved to stand, but not before he had grabbed another handful of mud and ground it into my chest. Looking pleased, he gave me a final glance before walking away—away from the cave and back towards the camp. I just lay there and watched him go, my temper fighting with the confusion I felt. I had to wonder what atrocities I had committed in a previous life to be cursed with Logan in this one.
    ****
    The campsite showers were definitely not going to cut it when it came to washing off an acre's worth of mud, so I headed straight for the lake. Not even pausing to strip off my clothes, I dove straight into its waiting depths. Even on the short trip down from the cave, the mud had caked and started to dry in the heat. It made my skin itch. Ugh. Why some people willingly had full body mud-wraps was beyond me.
    Once under the water, I wrenched off my caked t-shirt and shorts and used them to scrub the rest of the mud off my body. Mission accomplished, I threw my clothes onto a nearby rock where they landed