HE LEFT ME WAITING IN THE SNOW

My nextdoor neighbor was a clingy, jealous boyfriend. He spent hours on the phone with his girlfriend every day, and he was controlling, too.

We'd never met, but I'd already formed a pretty low opinion of him. Then one day, his phone broke, and he had no choice but to knock on my door for help. “Can I borrow your phone?

I need to check in with my girlfriend.” I opened the door. Standing outside was the cool, aloof guy I'd had a crush on all this time. Chapter 1 I stood by the door, stunned.

I couldn't begin to reconcile those two versions of him. The Logan Hall I knew was aloof, didn't say much, and seemed uninterested in romance. He'd never had a girlfriend.

There was a really pretty girl in my class. When we first started freshman year, she'd gone out of her way to ask someone to get his Facebook profile for her.

She'd spent two anxious days waiting. All she got back was a flat refusal. “Not adding her.” So I knew where I stood. Telling him how I felt had never even crossed my mind.

Just catching a glimpse of him across a crowd was enough for me. It had never occurred to me that he had a girlfriend, let alone that he liked her so much.

From the phone conversations I'd overheard lately, I knew a little about them. He'd gotten into fights for her, driven at reckless speeds for her, and disliked every man around her.

Whenever she exchanged more than a few words with a guy, he had to question her about every detail. He was incredibly controlling.

Now, as I continued to stand there without a word, Logan raised an eyebrow.

Something seemed to occur to him, too. “Do you know me?” I shook my head stiffly and lied. “No.” Then I hurriedly handed him my phone. “Here.

Go ahead.” He walked over to the stairs and made a call. It took her a long time to answer.

With his back to me and an elbow resting on the railing, he told the girl on the other end, “It's me.” They talked for three minutes.

Toward the end, she said something I couldn't hear. Logan clicked his tongue softly, his tone turning a little cocky. “You really miss me?

Then you'd better make the first move next time I see you.” I'd seen a side of Logan no one knew about. I should have been happy. But why did it have to be this side?

A moment later, he hung up and handed my phone back. “Thanks.” He studied my face for a while, then suddenly said, “Your name's Magnolia or something, isn't it?” Magnolia Moore.

I froze, a flicker of joy rising inside me. Then disappointment swept over it. What did it matter if he remembered me?

He already had a girlfriend. “How do you know?” I asked, keeping my tone casual. He smiled. “Oh, a buddy of mine came by campus a few days ago and saw you.

He even took a picture of you and asked me to find out who you were.” So he'd actually asked around, and he vaguely remembered my name.

I lowered my eyes. “He's traveling abroad right now, though,” Logan added. “I'll introduce you when he gets back.” I'd never imagined this.

I'd had a crush on him for two years, and the very first time we spoke, he wanted to set me up with someone else. It was summer break.

The campus dorms were closed, and I'd found a parttime job, so I'd rented a place here. It was cheap. But the soundproofing was terrible.

Whenever Logan raised his voice even a little, I could hear what he was saying.

Chapter 2 Until then, I'd always assumed a privileged golden boy like him would never set foot in a place like this. But life had played a strange trick on us.

He was living right next door, with only a wall between us.

The following evening, while I was on the phone with my roommate, I made a point of asking a couple of questions about Logan.

Before this, I never would have dared bring up his name. She sounded surprised. “I thought you never paid any attention to him.” “Just asking.” She didn't think much of it. “True.

You never keep up with anything that goes on around here.

But I actually do know something.” I felt a small jolt of anticipation. “What?” “Apparently, he's had a fallingout with his family. Over a girl.” “His girlfriend?” “Yeah.

I think they only got together this summer. She's a girl his family used to help out financially.

They're from completely different financial backgrounds, so of course his dad's against it.

I heard she just got into Ashmere University nearby.” Then she mused, “I used to wonder why he wasn't interested in any of those pretty girls chasing him.

Turns out he'd already had his heart set on someone.” “Oh,” I said softly. After we hung up, I felt a little empty. He was a rich boy who'd fallen on hard times for love. And me?

I was used to cramped rental apartments. It was pure coincidence that our lives had overlapped at all. I was thinking about that and getting ready for bed when I started coughing.

I felt a little dizzy, too. I had work the next day. I couldn't call out if I wanted to keep my perfect attendance.

After a moment's thought, I put on a jacket and went downstairs to buy some medicine. On my way back, I came across a couple kissing in the stairwell.

The man was tall and beautifully built. One glance was enough to recognize Logan. He had the girl in his arms, his hand at the hem of her shirt, kissing her passionately.

I pressed my lips together and quickly looked away. Then I hurried upstairs as though I hadn't seen anything. That night, I took the medicine and slept deeply.

I didn't hear anything from next door. Over the next few days, I went to work as usual. But the scene in the stairwell kept coming back to me, no matter what I did.

Not long afterward, I met Lauren Campbell. Logan's girlfriend. She was impeccably dressed and waiting outside his door with a small cake.

When she saw me, she gave me a slight nod and spoke first. “Are you Logan's neighbor?” “Yes.” It was hot out at that time of day.

After a moment, I asked politely, “Your boyfriend isn't home yet? You can come sit at my place for a bit.” Lauren smiled and accepted. “Sure.” She came inside and looked around.

Instead of sitting right down, though, she took two books from my table and put them on the couch to sit on. “Sorry. I'm a bit of a clean freak.

You don't mind, do you?” I did know a little about her already. She and Logan were all loveydovey on the phone, though they argued sometimes, too.

On one of those calls, she seemed to be asking whether he thought she wasn't good enough for him. Logan couldn't stand that kind of talk.

It upset him immediately. “Do you have to say things like that just to piss me off? How many years have I liked you?

Maybe other people don't know, but you do.” Chapter 3 Then he'd asked if there were any guys going on her trip. “You're my girlfriend.

We just got together, and you're going off with other people. I'm not even allowed to ask a few questions?” In any case, she seemed like a lively girl who said what was on her mind.

With that in mind, I simply told Lauren, “It's fine.” Logan came home a little later. He thanked me politely and left with Lauren.

For the next couple of weeks, I saw Lauren every few days. She never stayed at Logan's place long, though. She would leave after about two hours.

Once, I came home to find them talking by his door. “This place is awful,” Logan said in a low voice. “It's one thing for me to stay here. Don't stay here with me.

Go back to your place.” He could put up with the hardship himself. He couldn't bear to let her do the same. Lauren rose onto her toes and kissed his cheek. “Okay.

But I'm out of money again this month…” Logan took out his phone, tapped the screen a couple of times, then ruffled her hair.

His smile was relaxed, without a trace of embarrassment over his lack of money. “Sent it. Let me know when you run out.” I noticed that his phone wasn't the latest model.

It looked old and worn, like something he'd picked up secondhand. Logan and I still hadn't spoken again. Then one day, just after I'd showered, I heard a knock at the door.

I put on my newly delivered pajamas and went to answer it. The night breeze blew in. My hair was still damp as I tilted my face up. “Hi. Can I help you?

Do you need to borrow something, or…” Logan stared at me for a while, then looked away. He gave a couple of quiet coughs. Then he said, “Those pajamas you're wearing?

I bought them for my girlfriend. The delivery guy brought them to the wrong door. Didn't you check the label?” I froze. My mind went completely blank. It was my birthday.

Early that morning, my roommate had told me she'd sent me a present—a pair of pajamas. Then the delivery guy had knocked.

Still groggy, I'd opened the door, brought the package in, and tossed the pajamas into the washing machine without thinking. Somehow, I'd taken his package instead.

Flustered, I hurried to explain. “I'm sorry. I… I really didn't know.” If only he'd come half an hour earlier. Now I was already wearing them. He raised an eyebrow slightly.

After a long moment, he smiled. “Forget it. They look good on you, too. Keep them.” Under the moonlight, his voice was gentle. There wasn't a hint of irritation or anger in it.

He seemed to genuinely think the pajamas suited me. But I was still mortified. They hadn't been meant for me, after all.

I curled my fingers into my palms, struggling to get the words out. “How much were they? I'll send you the money.

Let me buy them from you.” Logan glanced over. “You really don't have to. They're just pajamas.” Before I could say anything, he waved a hand and went back into his apartment.

I closed my door and stood there for a long time. Only when my hands and feet had gone numb did I return to my bedroom. The first thing I did was take off the pajamas.

Then I photographed them and searched online. It was a wellknown brand. There was only one pair in that style and color anywhere online. And they were expensive.

Three hundred and twenty dollars. Chapter 4 Lying in bed, I checked my bank balance. I thought it over for a long time, then listed the pajamas on a resale site at a reduced price.

Someone bought them soon afterward. Two days later, the money came through. I added a few dozen dollars of my own, then went to knock on Logan's door. He opened it.

I pushed the envelope I was holding into his hand. “To pay you back.” Logan paused, then looked at my face and gave a small, amused laugh. “Magnolia, right?” He was asking whether that was my name.

I nodded. “Yes.” He held the envelope between his fingers, seemingly considering something. He looked a little uncomfortable.

After a long moment, he took half the money out and pushed it into my hand. “It was partly my fault,” he said wearily. “I didn't realize the package had gone to the wrong place soon enough.” “How about we split it?

Call it the start of a friendship?” Despite how he'd phrased it, he gave me no chance to refuse. He simply pushed me out and pulled the door shut. “All right. That's settled.

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