One more you guys! 

Yesterday, STAWP was ranked #43 which was a-ma-zing! 

If you like the story, please help me get to #25 by remembering to vote for any chapters you enjoyed! 

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Saffron

It hurts to even consider the possibility of Logan and Jess together. A lump forms in my throat and I feel a stabbing pain in the vicinity of my heart. It can't be true. Logan said he liked me. The passion between us, I didn't imagine that. It meant something and there's no way Logan would be doing that with another girl.

I turn to Logan, begging his to tell me I got it all wrong. He has to have an explanation. Maybe Jess is angry about something else, like homework. I just need Logan to explain. To say something. Anything!

He doesn't. Logan doesn't even look at me, he's too busy staring Jess with obvious regret. "I—I didn't mean..." he says, shooting a guilty look my way and then quickly looking away. "It's not what it looks like."

He can't even look at me. I think. Why would he? I'm just the new girl he made the mistake of hooking up with, and Jess is his... Jess is his... I can't even finish that thought.

Logan opens his mouth to tell Jess something—make up some stupid excuse is my best guess—and then closes it. He doesn't even spare me a glance.

I take a step back, but Jess's got my arm in a death grip. I yank my arm out of her grip and that startles her out of her trance. She stops glaring at Logan and grabs my arm again. This time, she gives my arm a yank, drags me into Zara's and my room, and slams the door shut behind us.

I'm too hurt at Logan's betrayal to protest. I keep waiting for him to rush in after us—after me—but he doesn't. Jess stares at the door too, as if waiting for the same thing. One second passes, then five, then ten and eventually a full minute. Logan isn't coming.

My lower lips trembles and I look at Jess, who's openly crying. Tears spill down her cheeks, her face contorted with pain. There's no doubt in my mind now that he cheated on her. Cheated on both of us. How could I have thought he was a good guy? How could I have trusted him?

Seeing Jess crying prompts tears to spring to my own eyes. I wipe them away with the back of my hand, which catches Jess's attention.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, pulling up the hem of her shirt to wipe away her tears. Her stomach is flat and tanned, and her waist narrow and girly, so unlike my own, which is pale and not very feminine. It's hard not to have muscle living with dad, hunting for him, fighting him off, and constantly being attacked by Rogues. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I tell Jess. It's not like she's responsible for what Logan does, even if they are together. If anyone should be apologizing, it's Logan. He's the cheater.

"I should have warned you." Jess growls.

"Warned me?" Has he cheated on her before? Does he make a pattern of hooking up with new girls? The thought of him making out on the bathroom floor with someone else hurts.

"Logan and I..." Jess takes my hand and pulls me to sit on the bed next to her.

I wince at her words—at the thought of there being a Logan and her, or a Logan and anyone, unless that someone is me—and then cringe at how pathetic I am. I actually fell for Logan's act. I thought we shared something special, even if that something would end when I ran away. Instead, all I've been is the other girl. A random hookup. Someone Logan won't think about or remember. He'll probably be relieved when I'm gone. He definitely won't miss me.

"We dated for a year," Jess tells me.

I nod for her to continue, trying to ignore the pain in my chest. It's bad enough knowing there's a her and Logan, and I'm no one to him... but that they've been together for a whole year? No wonder he didn't spare me a second glance. I'm just the girl he cheated on his long-term girlfriend with.

"He broke up with me fifty-three days ago," Jess adds.

"Fifty-three days..." I trail off. Not two months. Not eight weeks. Fifty-three days. I'm so focused on her odd phrasing that it takes a second for it to really sink in. Jess and Logan aren't together.

"Right before his birthday. He turned seventeen." A single tear sliding down her cheek.

"Oh." I feel like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner. It should have been obvious. I mean, I'm a wolf! I should auto-associate mates and birthdays. I guess I've spent so much with humans, sometimes I forget.

Logan's that guy. The one Zara told me about. The one who broke up with her on his birthday, when he found his mate. Wait! He cheated on his mate? With me? Who is his mate and why the hell would he do that?

"I loved him," Jess continues, oblivious of my racing mind. "I was so sure he'd be...," she trails off and shakes her head, "but he wasn't. He didn't even care." She grimaces. "He's heartless."

"So he found his mate and..." I trail off, trying to put the pieces together.

"He didn't." Jess shakes her head.

"So he doesn't have a mate and you two aren't together?" I ask, relieved but very confused. If Logan didn't cheat on her, and he doesn't have a mate, then why is it such a big deal that I hooked up with him?

Jess shakes her head. "Don't do it, Sofie," she warns me, her expression turning intense.

"Do what?" I ask. What's going on? Why did Jess pull me away from Logan? And why did he look so guilty?

"Don't fall for him," Jess warns.

"But...,"

"No!" Jess stands up, hands on hips, and glares at me. "This is what he does," her voice grows louder with every word. "He'll make you fall in love with him and then he'll break your heart and stomp all over it." I open my mouth to speak, but Jess continues shouting, her face and neck turning an angry red. "I hate him for what he did to me. He's a cold, heartless, player. I'm not going to let him do this again! I'm not going—"

Someone throws open the room door, interrupting Jess mid-shout, and we both turn to look.

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Who's at the door, you guys?!?!?!?!

Rogue? 

Saffron's dad?

POW?

Dare I hope Logan?

Someone else?

Who???? Who???? Who????? (an Owl?)

And what do they want?

Did you like this chapter? 

What do you think of Jess? 

Fifty-three days!!!

Remember, if you enjoyed this chapter, fill the star orange !! 

Or is the star yellow? it kind of looks yellow at this angle, if the light hits it just right... but if I move my screen... there! It's orange again! Yup, definitely orange! Hard to tell with just the outline though. So maybe fill it in just to be sure? Only if you liked the chapter though--no voting just because I'm sitting here crying into a tub of mint chocolate chip because you--yeah, you--didn't vote.)

Enough weirdness for today! Expect a new chapter tomorrow: Thursday, November 16th.