She shakes her head once, just a tiny motion. “That’s sweet of you to say. It’s not the life I want.”
That statement is so final that I stare at her, every hope I had of convincing her to come, evaporating. I hadn’t realized it until this second, but that’s why I came. It was to get her to change her mind.
My voice is thick with the knowledge that we are at a crossroads. “What life do you want?”
Her smile peeks out but there’s sadness underneath it. “A simple one, I guess. I just want to be happy.”
“I thought I would hate her!” Lexi announces, walking up with authority, Zoe coming to stand by her side. “But she seems alright. I’m just pissed because…you know.”
“Where’d Ryder go?”
“Oh, Zoe, learn the art of subtlety, would you?”
Samantha smiles, “Lexi…”
“What?! I know I’m not subtle! That’s the difference! Logan, how long are you here for?”
“Just the day. Fly back tomorrow.”
“Where are you staying? You got rid of your apartment, right?”
“I did, yeah.” Samantha and I exchange a look. Without a lease there are no roots. “I’m staying at a friend’s. Do you remember Connor?”
“No.”
“Good guy.”
“Cool. Are you coming to our place later?” At my silence she leans in like it’s the most obvious suggestion ever. “When is the next time we’re going to see you?”
Zoe hints, “Maybe he wants to sleep well before his flight.”
“Fuck that!” laughs Lexi. “He can sleep when he’s dead.”
“People have been saying that for too long. It’s morbid.”
“Is it? Or is it a fact?”
The cousins stare at each other, the winner decided before the argument began. Zoe locks eyes with me like she understands I need to get away from Samantha.
But I don’t want to.
Ever.
“Sure, I’ll come over.”
Lexi claps, “Great!” and heads for food. “I’m starving!”
Sam nervously tucks her hair back again and smiles, “Excuse me.”
Zoe and I are suddenly alone, so Ryder returns from seeing his uncle’s new daughter, Isabella. His dark eyes bounce from Zoe to me so casually I can’t tell if he knows how she worships him. The guy is a stud, and carries himself like the high-class mother who raised him. I don’t see Jen here, but I heard she’s in a happy relationship for the first time in years.
“Did I hear you’re going to House Three later?” he asks me.
“House Three?”
A smirk tugs as he motions to Zoe. “The house where three of the most beautiful women in Atlanta live.”
This statement makes her glow like someone just began a soundtrack and a wind machine blew her hair back. Zoe Cocker isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met. If wood nymphs were real, she’d be one.
I haven’t answered the question, so he asks again. “You going over there?”
Before I have a chance to say, Zoe offers, “Did you want to come over?”
He locks eyes with her. “Sure.”
It’s like I’m not here. My mouth slackens and I step back, pointing at the buffet table. “I’m uh…going to find Sam.”
Chapter Thirty-One
LOGAN
T he coffee table is littered with an abandoned board game and beer bottles.
Lexi can’t stop checking her phone. “Unbelievable,” she keeps muttering under her breath.
Ryder is engrossed in telling a story about snow-skiing in Nevada. “The beginner slopes are at the top, Zoe. You would love it because they go on for days and it’s like you’re flying. Most other resorts have beginner slopes where the hill just ends after about two seconds and then you have to go back up, which makes it boring.”
“I guess that would be pretty boring,” she offers, but she’d agree with anything he said.
Samantha glances to her sister. “He’s not coming?”
“He hasn’t returned the last text. I assumed he would be here, to surprise me or whatever, but apparently not.” Lexi reaches for a potato chip, crunching loudly as she glares at the phone like Brad is in it, flipping her off.
Oblivious, Zoe asks Ryder, “How many times have you been?”
“Countless. Jimmy and I would make the drive every weekend in the winters. Some of our other friends came along sometimes, but he and I went every single weekend.”
“I bet you miss him.”
“He just got engaged. I’ll be going back for the wedding.”
Samantha tells Lexi, “He might still show.”
“Brad loves to get a rise out of me. I’m going to pretend like it doesn’t, and the next time I talk to him I will act as if this conversation never happened.”
It’s nearing midnight. I clear my throat. “I have to go. We have a show tomorrow night.” Setting my empty bottle down, I mutter, “Shouldn’t have had this beer.”
Ryder stands up and stretches. “I’ll walk out with you.”
Zoe holds her disappointed tongue as he walks to his jacket. Samantha and Lexi rise up to give me hugs. This prompts Zoe to stand, and she smooths her hair while her pretty green eyes dart around like she wishes she could stop time and go back to where he was sitting with her, telling her stories all night, and pretty much just talking to solely her. Poor thing. I know exactly how she feels.
As we head for the door, Lexi says, “Maybe we’ll come up to New York and visit you. I’ve never seen a show on Broadway before.”
It would kill Sam to see the show she was supposed to be in, from the audience. Knowing this, I give a halfhearted nod. “You guys are welcome anytime.” My eyes lock with Samantha’s.
Zoe hugs me. “Fly high, Logan.”
“I will, Zo.”
She turns to hug her crush. He lifts her off the ground with a big squeeze that makes her laugh. I follow him out the door and reach to shut it, but find Samantha is coming with us. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I don’t have one.”
“Oh.”
Ryder looks over his shoulder. “I’m driving him home. Or to his friend’s place. You know what I
