She looks at her watch and leaps up in a panic.“Ah, yes. I’m already late. Nate said he’d be downstairs by five. Couldn’t resist ribbing you a little. Nate will understand. Are you sure you won’t come?”
“Positive.”
She pouts for a second, until her phone dings with a text. Her eyes flash over the screen before she waves and runs out the door.
I count down in my head waiting for Logan to press me for details. Five, four, three, two… “Are we having a movie night or heading out?” he asks while looking at his phone.Huh. Didn’t see that coming.
“Movies,” I say without having to think about it.
“You got it!” He leaps onto the couch and grabs the remote control, making himself comfortable. I’m just about to sit down when he adds, “I’d love a beer while you’re up.”
I laugh and walk back to the kitchen. “You’re lucky I love you.”
Logan’s head pops up over the back of the couch, and I’m graced with his killer smile.“Don’t I know it,” he says, and my whole body relaxes with the feeling of comfort his presence brings. I don’t add that I’m actually the lucky one. To have a pseudo boyfriend, who loves and cares for me but doesn’t ever ask for or want commitment, is a pretty amazing thing. Our relationship is actually pretty perfect when he’s around. At least, it used to be. Now it kind of feels wrong to be thinking like that. Either way, God, I miss him when he’s not around.
We settle into our usual positions on the couch, but before we begin, I bring up something that’s been on my mind.“I’ve tried to wait for you to talk about this, but you’re clearly not going to, so here goes.” Logan rolls his eyes at me but doesn’t speak, so I continue. “Something’s going on with you, and I want to, no,needto know what’s wrong. I hate thinking that something’s not right,especiallywhen you live so far away and I can’t be there for you.”
“That sounds suspiciously like how I feel about you.Especiallywhen I only know half of the story.” He raises his eyebrows in a “tell me I’m wrong” expression. Unfortunately, I can’t. Because he’s one hundred percent right.
My eyes soften at his words, and I give him a quick hug before pulling away and once again giving him a serious look. “This isn’t about me.”
Shaking his head, Logan gives me a small smirk before he leans back into the couch and runs his hands through his already messy hair. “God, where do I even start?” he begins. “I don’t even think you’re going to believe me.”
“Try me,” I answer, moving closer to him andlinking our hands.
“My dad had anaffair,” he says, then pauses at my intake of breath. When I don’t speak, he continues. “And I don’t mean a few hookups here and there. Afull-blown affair. One that resulted in himmoving his entire family to be closer to her.”
Hearing that, I can’t keep quiet. “You have got to be kidding me!” I yell. “What an asshole.” It pains me to say that as it leaves my mouth. Even though what he did was awful, I don’t actually mean those words. I love Logan’s dad. He’s always been there for me. He even offered for me to move in there if I wanted to go to college with Logan. It’s hard to imagine that he’d do something like this. It’s also shocking to discover he lied about moving his family away for work. “How’s your mom?” I ask. I love her too. She doesn’t deserve this. She’s the most loyal and caring wife and mother. Not that anyone deserves this, but…
“She’s shocked, but trying her hardest to forgive him and move forward.”
“What? Why? How can she stay?”God, I’d be divorcing his ass faster than—
“He has a kid,” Logan interrupts my questions with a huge bombshell. “He ended the affair years ago. The only reason we found out was because it turns out he has a three-year-old son, who is now in my father’s care. Mom and Dad are going to raise him together.”
I’m speechless. So many questions run through my mind, but I have no idea what to say to comfort my friend. Instead, I crawl onto his lap and pull him into a hug to try to show him how much I care and that I understand how gut-wrenching this must be.
Logan’s still for a few seconds, but then he wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer, resting his chin on the top of my head. I breathe in his scent as I kiss his chest and then rest my ear over his heart.
We stay like that until Logan breaks the silence. “He’s an amazing little boy. He’s been through so much, in such a short amount of time, and yet, he’s always smiling. I don’t know howhe does it.”
Without pulling away, I ask a question that has me nervous for the answer. “Where’s his mom?”
“She died in a car accident.Liam…” He pauses. “My brother,“—he pauses again, shaking his head like he still can’t believe it—“he was in the car.”
Oh, God. That breaks my heart.I can’t even imagine what Liam or any of Logan’s family are going through right now. Instead of focusing on the sadness of the situation, I lean back and look into Logan’s eyes. “You have a brother,” I say,genuinely excited for him.
“I know.” His returning smilelights up his face. “When we were camping,I’d just found out, and it was hard to focus on the positives, but now…”
“Now, you have a brother,” I finish for him. “I want to meet him.”
“I want you to meet him too. You’re going to love him.”
“Oh, watch out; this new side of you might have me swooning.” I laugh.
“Unlikely.” He laughs with me, and I’m happy that there is lightness in this difficult situation. To lose your mother at such a young age—my heart aches for Liam.He will grow up without his mom, and here I am upset about mine, who is very much still alive. Makes me wonder if I should reach out.
“What brought on that frown?” Logan breaks my thoughts.