Alex - Half of Your Heart

"There's no photo?" Those were Alex's first words.

Not only did the locket have a broken lid but also it held nothing inside. Her thumb caressed the inner rim. It needed polishing but she didn't mind. Its worn state added some charm. It became more valuable.

Then, the locket became heavier in her hands.

"Well, the lid is broken so I took it out." Logan shrugged. After opening it, he moved the photo to his picture frame. It sat on the corner of his photograph with his mother.

"Logan, I can't accept this," Alex breathed out, turning around. Her eyes shined with tenderness. "It should stay in your family."

It was practically an heirloom. A memento shouldn't be passed around. It should be kept and treasured. To give it away implied responsibility on the receiver. The sentimentality hiked up its importance.

Losing it meant more than just the item.

It affected the bond deeper, possibly breaking it.

Alex wasn't sure if she could bear it.

"It was given to me after mother died," Logan explained. He took the lid from her hand and sealed the locker. His eyes peered into hers. "I get to say what happens to it."

Alex shook her head, grasping his hand that held the locket. "It should be you who keeps it."

Logan loved his mother a lot. She knew that, even before they visited her grave. This locket must have accompanied him when Olive* couldn't anymore. Its place was by his side.

That was where it belonged.

(A/N: The name of the mother in case you forgot.)

"But I want you to have it."

Sighing, Alex shut her eyes. He already made up his mind. If she insisted on giving it back, it would crush his spirit. There had to be something she could do. She refused to let things happen this way.

Her eyes flashed open.

A lightbulb lit up on top of her head.

She pulled the locket away from Logan and unfastened it. The lid broke off like before. She held up his palm, placing the lid on top. Her hand pushed his fingers to a fist and squeezed.

"How about you take this lid?" Alex began to say, showing him a shy smile. "Turn it into a necklace. That way we both get half."

Logan was stunned.

He had prepared to give it away. After a bit of thinking, he realized that he wanted her to hold onto an item. Something that would stay with her. Jewelry seemed to be the best option and nothing compared to that locket.

He knew she'd take good care of it.

Logan raised the lid to his eye level. Then, he pointed it in her direction. "Hmmm, is this your way of asking me to be your boyfriend?"

Alex choked.

He laughed and tucked it into his pocket. His gaze dropped to the ground. "I'm just kidding. I'll take it to a shop tomorrow."

Her chest compressed at the sight. Logan may have laughed but she heard the emotion underneath. She pressed her lips together. To him, he was more than ready to take that leap with her.

To her, she wasn't confident enough to do so—but she was working on it. The move caused a strain even if they tried not to let it happen. She also still prioritized her schoolwork. It wouldn't be good if she ended up neglecting their time together.

She just couldn't give her 100% quite yet.

Alex kissed his cheek, holding his hand to her heart. "A relationship is not my priority right now but I know I'd want one with you someday."

Logan snapped his head towards her. It was the closest thing he heard that implied her feelings. Suddenly, he felt like flying. Those words boosted his energy and his mode, much more than adrenaline rush did.

His hands itched to trap her to his side but he surprised it.

Instead, Logan tilted his head to one side. "How about today?"

Alex blinked. Her heart thundered inside .She knew what she felt. She knew it the moment it happened. Three words repeatedly echoed in her head. They almost slipped but something held them back.

Something that Logan should know about.

"I don't—" Alex's mind raced. Nothing prepared fher for this. No words formed into coherent sentences. Where would she even begin? "There's something I have to tell you."

Logan knitted his eyebrows, tucking his hands into his hoodie pockets. He observed the worried look on her face. He also noticed that her hands trembled in fear. An immediate thought turned up in his head.

"Does it have anything to do with Neal?"

Gray eyes widened before him.

That was more than enough for Logan to know that he was right.

Alex dropped her jaw, gaping at his nonchalance. Neither his posture nor demeanor changed. He acted like the topic was a normal conversation—as if they had it regularly. The expression posed as a problem.

Why? Simply because they never had it before!

"How did you know?!" Alex demanded when she found her voice.

Logan raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by her outburst. "I asked Jae about your trip and the name came up. He's the stepbrother, right?"

Alex wiped her face. Hard. Of course, it was about the trip. He must have wondered about Freccia Prep.

"Yeah." She sighed. That merely happened about a month ago. It felt much longer than that now. "It was his family who asked for the compromise at the trial."

Logan nodded, already aware of it. He crossed his arms over his chest and scrutinized her face. He didn't want to miss a single twitch. "Is he also the crush you mentioned during the live stream?"

Another wave of shock washed over Alex. "How did you—"

"Male instincts." He grinned before she could finish.

Silence enveloped around them. Now that Logan did most of the work, Alex lost her footing. Which parts should she mention now? Where to start again? It had been a wonderful day.

She'd hate to see it end on a bad note.

Her eyes dropped at the corners. When she spoke, it came out as meek.

"Are you not mad?"

Logan blinked, raising his eyebrows. He took a step closer and brushed away a loose hair strand. His voice matched her volume. He mustered every ounce of seriousness he had, hardening his expression.

"Would you knit a beanie for him?"

Alex frowned. "No?"

"Then, I'm good." He said as his lips broke into a wide smile. It wasn't like he didn't have a past love. In fact, his past love resurfaced and wrecked things. It seemed to be Alex's past turn now.

Logan would love to see him try and take her away.

Why? Simply because he would lose.

Alex still felt uneasy. His information wasn't enough. It still had missing key pieces. She debated over it, considering if she should say them now or later.

She bit her bottom lip and stared at him through her eyelashes. "There is something else though."

Logan held up a hand. Then, he placed both on either side of her waist. "Tell me another time. This is our first date and I don't want some male-lead-romance-novel wannabe to be a part of it even when he's not around."

Alex snorted. When he put it like that, she couldn't help it. She could never imagine Neal as a male lead for a romance novel. He didn't seem to be the type that would be interested.

"Alright." She agreed, placing her hands behind his neck. She breathed in the night air and enjoyed this bubble of peace. A part of the weight had been lifted off.

Next time, she'd definitely tell him.

She had to before someone else did.

Logan tightened his grip and spoke through gritted teeth. "But if he does something, you might not be able to stop me from hitting him."

Alex laughed and scrunched her nose. "I think I would hit him first."

"Fine, I'll let you do the honors."

Logan began to sway, leading her into it. His hands nudged her waist as he shuffled his feet. He moved in a circle around her. She merely needed to keep facing him. A small smile teased her lips.

Alex chuckled and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Dancing with you."

"But there's no music," she pointed out. She didn't mind the impromptu dance but it was hard without the music. It would be a lot easier to match his rhythm if there was a tune.

Logan followed the melody in his head and hummed. It was loud enough for them to hear. Alex started shuffling her feet as well. Her fingers brushed against his skin. Even with the twinkle lights, all she could see was him.

She memorized everything.

From the feel of his touch to the shine in his eyes to the smell of his cologne… She wanted this to last forever. This night would eventually end and they'd go back to the rest of the world. They'd interact with others and fulfill their obligations.

But, this moment would live on and continue…

… whenever she replayed it in her head.