More Than A Favor (Elaine and Logan)

I never thought I'd find myself sitting in a police station, accused of indecency.

The boy I'd accidentally knocked down-who turned out to be a seventeen-year-old named Kian Vaughn-insisted I'd done it on purpose. His story was as absurd as it was infuriating.

"She touched me!" Kian declared dramatically, pointing at me like I was a criminal.

The officer leaned forward, his expression carefully neutral. "Where exactly did she touch you?"

Kian's face lit up with faux indignation as he pointed to his chest and then below his waist. "Here. And here!"

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

What in the actual hell?

I nearly shouted my disbelief out loud. Me, a woman who hadn't even touched Logan-someone I'd been in love with for ten years-was suddenly being accused of assaulting a brat who hadn't even finished puberty. The officer turned his attention to me, his expression skeptical.

"I didn't touch him," I said quickly, my voice firm. "I bumped into him by accident. That's it."

"Had you been drinking?" he asked, his tone pointed.

I blinked, caught off guard. Was that really relevant? But in this world, a drunk man was just a man. A drunk woman? She was indecent.

"Yes," I admitted. "I had a bottle of beer."

The officer raised an eyebrow, his disbelief clear.

I sighed, frustrated. "Look, I wasn't drunk, and I definitely didn't 'take advantage' of this kid." My words came out sharper than intended, but I was too irritated to care.

The officer made a note of my statement before turning back to Kian. "Are you absolutely sure about your accusation? You're aware filing a false report is a crime, right?"

Kian crossed his arms defiantly. "I'm sure. She touched me."

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to strangle him.

Before I could say something I'd regret, Kian's face suddenly brightened. His gaze shifted to the doorway.

"Selene, you're here!" he exclaimed, his voice dripping with childish glee.

I turned to see who had arrived, ready to plead my case to his family. But the sight of the two people walking in stopped me cold.

The woman was stunning, with long black hair cascading down her back and a flowing white dress that made her look ethereal. She was the kind of woman men imagined as their first love-soft, gentle, perfect. Her name was Selene Vaughn. And standing right next to her was Logan.

My heart sank like a stone.

"Kian, what happened?" Selene asked, her voice full of concern as she knelt in front of him.

Kian ignored her question entirely, his attention locked on Logan. "Hey, Selene, is he my new brother-in-law?"

Logan' expression froze. His eyes widened briefly before narrowing, his gaze hardening as it shifted to me.

"Elaine," he said, his tone cold and clipped. "What's going on here?"

"Brother-in-law, do you know her?" Kian interrupted, pointing at me with exaggerated outrage. "She's a hooligan! She touched me here and here" He gestured to his chest and groin again, like he was auditioning for a bad soap opera. I didn't have the energy to explain anymore. I just stared at Logan, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. He'd been gone for a few hours. Just a few hours. And now he was someone's "brother-in-law"?

Was this why he'd left so suddenly earlier?

Selene stood and turned to me, her expression polite but distant. "Elaine, right? I'm Selene, Kian's sister."

Her voice was soft, almost apologetic. I was surprised she even knew my name. But then again, I was Logan' shadow, his accessory. Anyone who knew him would know me.

I swallowed hard, forcing the bitterness down. "I accidentally knocked your brother over. That's all. I didn't do what he's accusing me of."

Selene's lips curved into a small, reassuring smile. "I believe you. Kian can be... dramatic."

Without warning, she turned and smacked Kian lightly on the back of his head-twice. "Stop causing trouble," she scolded, her tone gentle but firm.

She explained the situation to the officer while the police checked the surveillance footage. Unsurprisingly, the video proved my innocence.

The officer sighed, looking at Selene. "Since you two know each other, you can settle this privately. Otherwise, the boy will need to be detained for filing a false report."

Selene immediately tugged on Logan' sleeve, a small, intimate gesture that sent a pang through my chest.

Logan had always been distant with people. His guarded nature kept most at arm's length, and he hated being touched.

But Selene? She seemed to bypass all of that effortlessly. And judging by the lack of reaction from Logan, this wasn't the first time she'd done it.

There was an ease between them that I didn't want to analyze too deeply.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Logan spoke before I could. "It's fine," he said curtly. "It was a misunderstanding. Let's drop it."

Before I could process his words, I felt his hand wrap around my wrist, firm and unyielding. Without another word, he pulled me out.noveldrama