dreamy smile from showing. “I just can’t believe you remembered something so small. I don’t think I’ve been able to draw since that day.” Honestly, she didn’t like her drawings. They were nothing compared to his.
“I try to remember everything about you.”
Her smile hurt so much, but she smiled wider and let him pull her up the steps.
“We have to hurry.”
Kylie let go of Logan’s hand and walked over to an area in the gallery that caught her eye.
Logan came up beside her, his body heat warming her. She smiled as she studied the charcoal sketches. They were beautiful depictions of fairy tales. They were the classics, not the American tales. She’d already seen the entrance to that exhibit, but Logan seemed to know she wasn’t interested in diving further into that world. For all she knew, there was a shrine to Janie in there.
Kylie shook her head. She needed to focus on today, and she needed to give her Janie hate a break.
“These are amazing,” she whispered, still captivated by the small collection. “Do you like these?” She didn’t look away and walked closer to one of Red Riding Hood. “This artist is very passionate about their work, especially this one,” she said as she pointed to the painting of Little Red Riding Hood lying on the forest ground. She was surrounded by blood as the figure of a man leaned over her. Both were completely oblivious to the menacing eyes watching from the shadows. Something about it seemed familiar, but she didn’t know why because that’s not how Little Red Riding Hood’s story went.
Logan didn’t respond.
“They must have been so sad—angry,” she said. “This meant something to this artist. I think something tragic happened to them. There’s so much pain. I wonder who it is.”
She dropped her eyes to the signature: L. Grimm.
“Only Janie and Nick’s cousin, the curator here, know I showcase my art,” he said quietly. “Now you do, too.”
“Logan,” she whispered.
“I want you to know as much as you’d like to know about me—minus the stuff I’m not allowed to tell you.” He gave her a soft smile. “I know it bothers you my life is so entwined with hers, but if you want to know me, she’s a part of me.” His gaze drifted to the picture. “That’s her.”
Her eyes widened. “She’s your Red Riding Hood?”
He smiled sadly as he touched the glass. “I needed a way to express my pain. It’s not enough, but this kept me from getting into worse shit than what I got myself into. There are things I have to tell you, but not today. Still, I wanted you to see this—a glimpse of the real me. No lies. Just me.”
Kylie darted her eyes to the drawing. It was heartbreaking. The girl did look like Janie, but she was dead. “This is the part of her that died.”
He nodded, his hand trembling as he touched the face on the drawing. “Our breakup wasn’t what people have gossiped about.” He never looked away from the drawing. “We’d been broken up for almost three months when she came to the gym to talk. I saw her across the room. She had a little box in her hand. I recognized it. It was her forever box—that’s what she called it. It was just memories of us. She’d started doing it when she was maybe six or seven, whenever we’d have to go weeks without talking. I’d draw her a picture, and she would write me a letter. They were cute little kid things. I was kind of embarrassed, so I would read them and hand them back to her. She kept all of them like a silly girl.”
Logan pressed his lips together, exhaling as he squeezed his eyes shut. “Just before she’d come to see me, Mark had told me something about her. Something that changed everything about our breakup. I was devastated, because it meant I’d fucked up. All the pussy and partying I’d done since losing her was just extra pain I’d inflicted on her, and she would find out. I knew, though, she must’ve had hope the rumors about me were just that—rumors. Instead of facing her like a man, I was a coward.
“I watched her start to smile at me, then I pulled Gloria onto my lap. I smiled at her, kissed her lips, then kissed across her cheek so I could mark her neck. Then I heard a cry and a thump. She was gone. I shoved