CHAPTER 231: SPENDING THE NIGHT

Chapter 231- Spending The Night

TYLER’S POV

She didn’t say anything at first. Just stood there, quiet, frozen like a statue. But the second she saw me lift my hand to knock, she panicked.

Naomi grabbed my wrist.

Hard.

"Tyler, please," she whispered, eyes wide and pleading. "Don’t do anything crazy. Don’t drag me into this. You know I’m already on Logan’s radar, right?"

I turned my head slightly and raised an eyebrow at her.

She continued in this pathetic, shaky voice. "And you know that anything you’re about to do right now is only going to make it worse—for both of us?"

Wow.

She really thought I cared.

"Poor Naomi," I said out loud with fake sympathy. "If I gave even half a damn, I would’ve apologized and left your name out of this. But guess what? I don’t."

I looked her dead in the eyes and whispered coldly, "We’re going down together."

Her mouth dropped open. The fear in her eyes tripled. Honestly, it kind of made me feel better. I wasn’t the only one terrified anymore.

Before she could say another word, I knocked on the door.

I closed my eyes, preparing for death. My stomach twisted like a knot.

Logan didn’t answer.

I waited a few seconds... then knocked again.

Still nothing.

That’s when it hit me.

"Why the hell am I even knocking when I have my card?" I muttered under my breath, already reaching for it.

I pulled the keycard out, swiped it over the scanner.

Beep.

The green light blinked.

But the door didn’t open.

What?

I tried again. Swiped slower.

Beep.

Green light.

Still locked.

"What the hell is going on? Did the door spoil or something?" I asked myself, shaking the handle uselessly.

Then Naomi let out this dramatic sigh, like she just couldn’t help but speak.

"Dumbo," she said, "the door’s not spoilt. Logan probably locked it from the inside. It happens when you flip the switch. Means only he can open it now."

She folded her arms and gave me that annoying smartass look. "And for someone who always brags about being intelligent and always right... you sound really dumb right now."

I blinked slowly at her.

I swear, the urge to slam her head into the nearest wall was unreal.

She always found a way to be rude to me.

Always.

It was like her hobby.

I opened my mouth to reply, to say something savage and satisfying, but then I remembered—what’s the point?

She wasn’t worth the energy.

Instead, I just gave her a dirty look, stuffed the card back in my pocket, and turned back to the door.

This time, I knocked softly, hoping—praying—Logan would open. That maybe something, somewhere, would touch his heart.

Still silence.

"Logan," I called. My voice cracked a little, not gonna lie. "Logan, please open the door."

Nothing.

Was he seriously ignoring me?

I took a step back and stared at the door, my heart pounding like crazy. "Wait... is he snubbing me on purpose?" I asked myself.

Then I shook my head and scoffed.

Of course he was.

Hell yes, he was doing it on purpose.

And honestly? If I had been starving for almost an hour and someone showed up empty-handed, I’d do the same thing. Or worse.

"Logan, please," I begged again, knocking louder now. "Just open the door. Let’s talk."

No answer.

My legs were starting to hurt from standing. My nerves were shot. I leaned my forehead against the door, tapping it lightly with my fingers.

"Logan... I’m sorry, okay? I know I messed up. Just open the door. Please."

Finally.

Finally, his voice came through the door.

"Did you bring the food I instructed you to?"

That was it.

No "hello." No "what happened?"

Just straight to the point.

My chest tightened.

I froze.

This was the moment. I could lie. Say it fell. Say I got mugged. Say anything to save my skin.

But... Logan could always tell when I was lying. Always.

I hate lying.

"No," I said quietly, guilt crawling all over my skin. "I didn’t."

I took a breath and continued.

"But please open up the door so I can apologize properly. I’ll find a way to get you something to eat. We’ll figure it out."

There was a long pause.

And then, his voice came again.

. Final.

"Go spend the night wherever the hell you came from."

"Logan, this isn’t fair! You can’t do this to me!" I shouted, my fist pounding harder and harder on the door. "You seriously can’t lock me out like a damn stray dog!"

My voice cracked as I slammed my fists against the door again. I wasn’t even knocking anymore—I was just hitting the damn thing like it owed me something.

"Open the damn door!" I shouted. "What do you think the principal’s gonna say if she finds out you locked me out? Huh? You think she’s gonna clap for you?"

I paused, panting, trying to hear if he was moving on the other side. Nothing. Not a single sound. I could’ve sworn the walls were mocking me.

"You’re gonna get punished, Logan. You think she’s gonna let this slide?" I tried again, desperation slowly turning into rage.

Then his voice came through the door. Flat. Unbothered.

"Do you really think I give a damn about what the principal thinks?"

That was it. That was all he said.

That’s when I knew.

It was over.

Logan had completely switched up on me..

"Jerk," I muttered, low enough for no one to hear but loud enough to keep me sane.

I let out a long breath and slowly slid down the wall until my back hit the cold floor. The hallway lights flickered overhead, but I didn’t care. If Logan wanted to act like a goddamn villain, fine. Let him. I’d sleep right here, like a kicked-out orphan. I was done begging.

"Screw him," I whispered, pulling my knees close. "He thinks this is payback? Just wait. I’ll return the favor in a hundred ways."

. My hands were getting cold. My teeth started to chatter a little.

Then suddenly—out of nowhere—Naomi sat beside me.

I blinked.

"What... are you doing?" I asked, staring at her like she had grown two heads.

Shouldn’t she be in her room, tucked under a pink blanket, doing whatever it is girls do at night? Why was she sitting next to me like we were some kind of team?

She gave me a look like I was the dumb one.

"I’m doing the same thing you’re doing," she said calmly. "Sitting. Waiting. Freezing."

She folded her arms and leaned against the wall beside me like it was normal.

I frowned. "Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping or...I don’t know, watching makeup tutorials or something?"

She rolled her eyes. "Since you said I ruined your plan to bring Logan food by opening my mouth, I figured I’d at least try to make it right. By sitting here with you."

I stared at her for a few seconds, then muttered, "Okay then."

She blinked. "That’s it? No thank you?"

"Why should I thank you for something you caused in the first place?" I snapped. "You literally messed things up, and now you’re acting like a hero for sitting on the damn floor with me."

"The least I did," she said, raising a brow, "was sit here and freeze with you until he opens that door."

"Congrats," I said flatly. "You want a trophy or a blanket?"

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You’re lucky I’m even out here. You keep acting like this, I’ll leave your frozen butt here alone."

"Go ahead," I said without blinking. "Nobody’s begging you."

She made a face. "Jerk."

"You already said that," I replied, rolling my eyes.

⸻

It had been more than ten minutes.

Ten long freezing minutes.

Logan still hadn’t opened the damn door.

I was shivering like crazy, rubbing my arms for warmth. My back ached from sitting on the hard floor, and my toes were starting to go numb.

I glanced over at Naomi.

She was shivering too, biting her bottom lip and pulling her sleeves down as far as they could go.

"Naomi," I said quietly, "go to your room. Seriously. I can handle the rest."

She shook her head. "No. I’m not leaving you here."

"Naomi..."

"No. I’m staying until he lets you inside."

I sighed. Part of me wanted to feel grateful. But another part of me was too angry, too tired to care.

So I turned to the door and hit it again.

"Logan!" I shouted, banging harder. "You’re not the only one who lives here! This room belongs to both of us, and I have every right to come in!"

Silence.

Then, calmly, like it was nothing, he replied:

"You can shove that ’right’ up your ass."

I stood there, frozen of the level of disrespect.

"What the hell do you expect me to do then? Sleep out here? Freeze to death? Where exactly do you want me to spend the ni—"

"—You can spend the night with me," a soft voice interrupted from behind.

My heart stopped.

Naomi’s head turned. My eyes widened.

We both looked behind us, confused and startled.

Then—

"No, he can’t,"