My arms drop from around Danika’s waist. I take a step back and lean against the doorframe blocking her way out. “We could always run upstairs for a good luck quickie.”
Danika laughs and shoves my chest. “You’re such a guy.” She shakes her head but I can tell she’s thinking about wrapping her legs around my waist. “I’ll be late and I need this job. It’s the only way to get Molly into that school.”
It’s not the only way. My dad is friends with the principal’s husband. I could make a call and pull some strings, but Danika would hate me if I did. She’s a proud woman, wanting to do things the hard way.
“Go. You’ve got this.” I kiss her forehead because I know if my lips land anywhere else, I won’t let her leave.
She smiles nervously and nods. “I’ll be back in an hour. Maybe less.”
I stand on the porch and watch Danika back out of the driveway, listening to her brakes squeal, not moving until she turns down Bougainvillea Lane and disappears out of sight. The woman needs a new car. The one she has is a piece of crap.
I walk inside the house and settle on the couch. Molly should be waking up within the hour. I have a little time to myself. I pull my phone out of my pocket and begin researching SUVs. Danika won’t openly accept a new car from me, but if I have Dad draw up a document saying it covers back child support or something along the lines, even if it’s fake, she might. I just want her and my daughter safe.
The door opens a few minutes into my search. I set the phone on the end table beside me and stand expecting to see my pretty brunette. “Forget something?”
Instead I get Sarah who stumbles into the living room. Her dress, that’s too fancy for this time of day, is wrinkled. Makeup smudged. Wherever she was, this is a walk of shame if I’ve ever seen one. “What are you doing here?”
“Watching Molly while Danika goes for a job interview.” I sit back down on the couch and grab my phone again. “You look like hell.”
“Gee. Thanks.” She plops onto the cushion next to me, leaving too many inches to her left open and not nearly enough space between us. Her knee touches mine and I get the feeling she’s up to something.
“Cooper’s coming back for Christmas this year.” It’s a lie but I hope Sarah is still mildly obsessed with him. If she’s thinking about him, maybe it’ll derail whatever train of thought is going through her head because I know that look.
Sarah shifts into my lap with the grace of a cat with breath like a distillery. Either she’s still drunk from last night or she woke up to the bottle. Neither of which I can judg
e her for because I've done both. “Cooper doesn’t need to know.”
“About what?” I regret asking the moment the words leave my lips.
Sarah dips her head and latches onto my neck. A move that would have my body physically reacting if my brain wasn’t freaking out. Sarah and I have never hooked up, partially out of respect for my brother. We have this unspoken rule about not dipping into each other's playground. And mostly because Sarah is batshit crazy.
“Sarah.” A grab her arms, forcefully pushing her mouth off my neck. She’s drunk and not thinking straight. “Stop it. I don’t want to do this with you.”
Sarah giggles and twists the bottom of my shirt between her fingers. “I’ll let you do things to me that she won’t. Come on, Logan. Don’t you want to have a little fun?”
“No.” Not with her. Never with her. Danika and I are finally where we need to be. I’m going to ask her and Molly to move in with me. All of my progress will be lost if she thinks I’m cheating. Besides, if we get caught like this, their friendship would be over. I'd hate for all these years to be wasted over a misunderstanding that amounted to nothing.
The click of the lock is deafening in this quiet house. I shove Sarah off of me and onto the floor. I run my hands down my shirt and wipe the side of my neck as the hinges creak open. I’ll admit things don’t look great but I’’l explain everything. Danika can’t be mad at me. I didn’t do anything wrong.
Sarah jumps in my lap again and presses her lips against mine seconds before the door opens. Vomit bubbles up in my throat. I thought I hated Sarah before this, before she opened her home up to Danika. Now, hate doesn’t even come close. I want to ring her neck and bury her in the back yard so she can never speak of this kiss.
I still have time. I can push Sarah off. No one has to know.
“What the hell is going on here?” Danika demands.
33
Danika
“What the hell is going on here?” I don’t know why I bother to ask. It’s obvious. I should have known this would happen. Logan was a man-whore in high school and probably went back to his promiscuous ways after I left. For all I know, he never stopped.
Logan shoves Sarah off his lap and she falls to the floor in a heap. Funny how he’s able to do that now but not a few minutes ago. He holds his hands up in surrender, as if to show me they're clean. They’re not. They’re dirty with the sweat of Sarah and probably every other girl he’s cheated on me with. God. How could I have been so stupid to fall for him again? To let my guard down.
I run my fingers through my hair. Pushing my long bangs back, just to give my hands something to do. If not, I might punch both of them in the face.
Logan looks me dead in the eye, his gaze strong and assertive. “Nothing, I promise. Sarah’s drunk.”
I almost believe him but then Sarah climbs to her knees and I’m forced to stare reality in the face. I cross my arms disgusted, wondering, How many times has he done this? Cheated. “Right because it’s always the girl’s fault.”