Текст книги "Moonlight on Nightingale Way"

Автор книги: Samantha Young

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

My family’s lack of affection had been with me for so long that as I’d grown it had become a part of me. Every piece of me I’d tried to give to them had chipped away at me until I was this lonely teenager with a ten-mile-high wall of defenses and insecurities.

Aidan and Chloe had spent years helping me rebuild myself.

And I’d just handed a piece away without thought.

Was that really Logan’s fault?

He had told me weeks ago that he didn’t want to be in a relationship because he was concentrating on Maia. And look at how we were first introduced? His bed had seen more women in it than the bunks in a rock band’s tour bus.

I feared I had acted selfishly with blinders on.

Before I could stew any longer in my misery, my phone rang. I wiped the tear tracks on my cheeks and picked up. “Hello,” I said, grateful I sounded normal.

“Is this Grace Farquhar?” a woman asked. Her American accent was dented here and there with Scots.

“Speaking,” I replied, hoping it wasn’t one of those bloody call centers.

“Oh, hey, this is Joss Carmichael. Jo gave me your number.”

Joss Carmichael? As in… “J. B. Carmichael?”

She gave a husky laugh. “Joss is fine. I was wondering if you’re free to chat about possibly editing this manuscript I’m thinking of self-publishing.”

Was she kidding? Her phone call could not have come at a better time. Distraction was exactly what I needed. “I can talk now if you like.”

“Great. So I checked out your Web site, and your credentials and that all sound fantastic. Your rates are reasonable, you’re well educated, and you have a solid clientele who have continued to come back to you. I even downloaded a couple of the books you’ve edited, and I’m really impressed.”

I flushed with pleasure at the compliment. “Well, thank you.”

“You are absolutely welcome. My only concern is that you’ve edited contemporary and historical romance but no other genre. This manuscript is for an adult dystopian paranormal romance. The first in a series. It’s a little out there. A little dark and twisted. Like moi,” she joked.

I chuckled. “That sounds great. I read all different genres and love dystopian and paranormal, so I understand the narrative and structure for those genres. But of course I understand if you’d prefer to work with an editor who has edited in the genre.”

She was silent a moment. “That doesn’t bother me. I’m happy to work with you on it, but… I need to know you’re going to be brutally honest with me. I need an editor who isn’t afraid to tell me how it is. You sound awfully nice, Grace.”

“I’m not nice,” I hurried to reassure her. “I mean, I’m nice, but I offer constructive criticism when needed. Believe me I’ve even had therapy to help me do it,” I cracked, and then blanched, wondering why I said such a stupid, stupid thing!

Thankfully, Joss chuckled. “I hear you.”

Thank God she had a sense of humor.

“Okay. Why don’t we give this a shot, then?”

I grinned, feeling a little bit of light prick the darkness. “Really?”

“Really.” I heard her smile in the word. “So… when can I send you this manuscript?”

“Oh, just let me check my calendar.”

From there I booked Joss in. “I’ll send you the invoice for half when I receive the manuscript and the other half you can pay when you’re satisfied with the work I’ve done.”

“Perfect. And listen, we should meet up for coffee soon. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you.”

J. B. Carmichael wanted to meet up with me for coffee? “Uh… sure. That would be great.”

“Fantastic. I’ll call you.”

I got off the phone and slumped back in my computer chair.

I got that call because of Logan.

With a sigh I got up and walked into my sitting room, where a pile of Maia’s homework books sat on my coffee table, along with one of five fiction books she was juggling at the moment.

I had Maia in my life because of Logan.

“… I hate that I’ve hurt you. I do. I am sorry.”

The truth was I believed he was sorry.

I sighed and reached for my keys.

Logan MacLeod wasn’t fully responsible for breaking my heart. I’d had a hand in it too.

It was strange being in Fire when it was empty. The low-lit club owned by Joss’s husband had multiple levels, each decorated differently, and each one played a different genre of music. The main club floor was in the middle, where I knew Logan’s office was. When I’d buzzed at the door, the janitor had let me in.

Logan was waiting for me at the edge of the dance floor. He looked surprised but pleased to see me. I glanced over at the janitor and the staff member who was wheeling drinks into the bar. Logan noted my look. “Let’s go into my office.”

I followed him off the dance floor, up a few steps, and along the back wall to where a door was barely visible from the dance floor. He led me inside. There was a huge desk with a computer on it.

The desk was covered in papers. Behind the desk were rows of filing cabinets. It was pretty bland, and there were no windows.

Logan needed someone to decorate his office.

“Is everything okay?” he said, bringing me back into the reality of the situation.

I stopped mentally redecorating and took a deep breath, ignoring the raging butterflies in my belly. “I wanted to apologize for the way I reacted last night.”

“Grace, you —”

“No, let me,” I insisted. “You’ve been perfectly clear from the moment we met about who you are.

And you were also extremely clear about the fact that Maia comes first. And so she should. I’m glad you’re making her a priority. You’re right – she deserves it. And I get it. I really do. I get it more than most that you feel guilty every day about missing out on being her dad all these years. I understand why you want to focus all your energy on her, and I’m ashamed by how selfish I was last night. We were both in that room, both making that choice. It’s not all on you.”

Relief made him sag against his desk. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

I nodded.

“I still shouldn’t have done what I did.”

“As I said, we both made that mistake.”

His eyes flashed like he was annoyed by my word choice, but he lowered his eyes to the floor, hiding the reaction.

Silence fell between us, awkward and heavy.

“I better go, then,” I said, needing fresh air.

“Friends?” Logan said.

I nodded reluctantly and forced a grin. “Although you might not see as much of me for a while because I just took on a new client. Jocelyn Carmichael called me today. Looks like I’m going to be very busy.”

“Congratulations, Grace. You deserve it.”

“Thanks.”

We looked at each other, not quite knowing how to do this. In the end I gave him a pathetic little wave and turned to leave. I was just pulling the door open when I felt his hand on my shoulder. I stopped and turned to him and was immediately pulled into his arms.

He held me tight, tucking my head against his chest, and I let a moment of weakness overtake me. I sank into his hug, breathing him in.

A lump of tears formed in my throat, and I abruptly slipped out of his embrace and hurried from the office without meeting his eyes.

I took the hot mug of tea from Aidan, feeling exhausted.

My hope was that I was all cried out.

After leaving Logan I’d immediately gone to Aidan, hoping he wasn’t in training. I was in luck.

He opened his door and I burst into tears.

Once I was inside he’d managed to get the story out of me through my sobbing. He was the first person to whom I admitted that I’d fallen in love with Logan MacLeod.

Now he sat down on the sofa next to me and gave me a reassuring smile. “It hurts now, Grace, but you’ll get over it. I promise you that.”

I gave him a doubtful look. “It doesn’t feel that way now. How can you be so sure?”

He took a deep, shuddering breath, seeming almost nervous. “Because once, a long time ago, I was in love with you.”

I almost spilled my cup of tea all over myself.

I stared at him in shock, probably doing a fair impression of a codfish.

“How?” I whispered, and then cleared my throat to be heard. “When? How? What?”

Aidan leaned over to pat my knee in comfort. “Years ago. All through university.”

Pain rippled through me when I remembered the drunken night we’d slept together. We were in our third year at university. I’d just been dumped and Aidan had commiserated with me. We’d gotten smashed on cheap wine and ended up having sex. We’d decided to pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened.

“Oh God,” I breathed, just thinking about how he must have felt. Like I felt right now! “I didn’t know,” I begged him to believe me. “I didn’t… I would never have had – I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

His answer was to haul me into his arms, cuddling me close. “Grace, I know that. I knew it then too. But it all worked out. I met Juno and my feelings for you changed. I love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore. And the point is… you’ll meet someone, too, and you’ll get over Logan.”

I nodded, getting his point, but I was still reeling from his revelation. “Do Chloe and Juno know how you used to feel about me?”

“Yes.”

Juno knew? I would never have guessed. She didn’t treat me with jealousy or anger or any feeling that would be completely understandable. I huffed in disbelief. “Juno is a very special woman.”

Aidan chuckled. “Don’t I know it.” He gave me a squeeze. “Someone will come along who loves you back, Grace, the way you love them, and it will change everything. You just have to be open to loving someone new.”

I pulled back from him to stare up into his face. “How very wise you are, Dr. Aidan,” I teased.

“And thanks for dropping that bombshell on top of the destruction Logan caused.”

He grinned. “I was trying to help, believe it or not.”

I sighed and nodded, feeling a little kernel of something familiar start to bloom inside of me.

Hope.

“I know. And believe it or not, I think you helped.” I slumped against the sofa and felt the ache still throbbing in my chest. “But if you don’t mind, I’m not done with the whole broken-heart bit yet.”

“Finally,” I snapped as Chloe picked up her phone. “I have tried calling you all day.”

“I know,” Chloe huffed down the line. “Jeez. I was at work. Give me a moment, will you?”

“Aidan was in love with me and you didn’t tell me.”

There was silence.

“Chloe?”

“How did you find out?” she asked incredulously.

“He told me!” It took everything within me not to throw my phone at my kitchen wall. “Why didn’t you?”

“Because he asked me not to.”

“You should have told me.”

“And what would the point have been in that? You didn’t feel that way about him.”

“No, I didn’t, but… Chloe, I slept with him years ago.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I was there to pick up the pieces.”

“Oh God.” I sank onto a stool. “It’s awful of me, but I wish he hadn’t told me. I don’t think my emotions can handle it today.”

“Why did he tell you?”

I sighed, letting the ache fill me up as I started to blubber down the phone to her about Logan.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Chloe sighed. “I’m so sorry. And as for Aidan, he was just trying to help. I mean, look at him. Seven years ago he was a mess over you, and now he’s mad about Juno.”

“True.” I sniffled. “It does make me hopeful.”

“I get exactly where he was coming from telling you. However, I’m going to come at it from a different point of view, so don’t kill me.”

“All right,” I said in trepidation.

“Back then you had no clue Aidan was in love with you because your low self-esteem and insecurities make you absolutely oblivious when it comes to the opposite sex.”

“Thank you for that dismal analysis.”

“You’re welcome. Anyhoo, what I’m saying is… if you didn’t know how Aidan really felt about you, who is to say you know how Logan feels about you? You’re clueless.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying I wouldn’t give up all hope on Logan yet. A man doesn’t have sex with you against a kitchen wall because you happen to be the nearest woman in the vicinity. Well… not a man who looks like him anyway.”

“He has admitted to being attracted to me, but attraction and love are two very different things.”

“You’re right. But when they come together, they can be explosive… say… like hot, possessive sex against a kitchen wall.”

I dropped my head, banging my forehead against my kitchen counter.

“What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” I groaned. “Aidan was more help with his ‘I used to be in love with you’

story. I do not need hope where it pertains to Logan MacLeod.”

“Ugh. Being in love makes you a grumpy cow.”

I glowered even though she couldn’t see me. “You owe me for keeping Aidan’s feelings a secret.

I’ll let you know when I think of something for you to do to make it up to me, but right now I’m getting off the phone before I kill you.”

“And how, might I ask, would you kill me down a phone line?”

“The power of wishful thinking.” I hung up on her and threw my phone on my counter. “I need to get more pessimistic friends,” I muttered.

The following Saturday evening I let Maia into my flat. She grinned at me and then turned to smile at her father, who was hovering in my front doorway rather awkwardly.

“Thanks again for doing this,” he said, referring to the fact that Maia was staying with me for the night because he had to work at the club for some big deejay event.

“Of course.”

We stared at each other – me trying to think of something to say next and him probably trying to think of a polite way to get out of having to say anything else.

“I hope you have a great event.”

“Thanks. You too. I mean… do you have anything fun planned for tonight?”

“Oh, aye,” Maia chimed in. “Grace is taking me to get a tattoo, and then we’re going to get high and crash this party she’s been talking about all week.”

I threw her a look. “You’re funny.”

She wriggled her eyebrows at me. “I know.”

Smothering my grin, I turned back to Logan, who was smirking at his daughter. “Just make sure you go to Cole for the tattoo.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you serious? I can get a tattoo?”

He cocked his head, his eyes bright with affection. “Of course… when you’re fifty and old enough to know better.”

Maia scowled. “You have a tattoo.”

We all looked at the sword on his arm, and Logan’s face darkened. “You can blame Cole for that one too.” He glanced up into my inquisitive face and gave me a sharp nod. “See you later.” He looked past me to Maia. “Be good.”

I shut the door on his retreating back and followed Maia into my sitting room.

“That was weird,” she mumbled.

I guessed she was referring to Logan’s comment about his tattoo. “Hmm.”

“I mean, what’s going on between you two? That was beyond awkward out there, and it hasn’t escaped my notice that Dad and I don’t have dinner here anymore.”

Until this moment I had assumed we were getting away with it. Why I assumed that when Maia was intelligent and observant, I don’t know. Call it wishful thinking.

“There’s nothing going on.” I walked into the kitchen, hoping that was the end of the matter.

Idiot.

“I don’t believe you.”

“That’s your prerogative,” I said as I picked up the bowls of snacks I’d set out. “Get some of these, please.”

Maia followed me into the sitting room, where I was laying out snacks on the coffee table.

Although we weren’t getting tattoos and doing drugs tonight, we did have plans. Shannon had arranged a girls’ night in and had invited Jo, Joss, and a few of their other friends to my place.

“Grace, just tell me one thing.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you and Dad okay?”

I looked at her concerned face and paused for thought. I didn’t want to lie to her. As a duo we were not okay. Technically, however, I was going to be okay and Logan was okay. “Yes.”

Although she didn’t look completely convinced, Maia let it go and helped me put more snacks out.

Half an hour later my doorbell rang, and I blinked as a stream of attractive women of different ages moved past me into the sitting room.

Shannon grinned at me as she stood among the crowd. “So you’ve met Jo.” She gestured to Cole’s sister, and we smiled at each other. “And the first person I’m going to introduce you to is Joss.”

A woman around my height with long dark blond hair and tip-tilted eyes took a step forward from the group. She had an arresting, pretty face and a chest I was envious of. She also did not look thirty-five. I’d assumed someone had just done a really great job on her author picture, but nope, the mother of three was young and gorgeous in real life too. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Grace,” Joss said in her husky voice as she held out a hand to shake mine.

“Uh, you too.” I shook her hand. “I told you I’m a big fan, right?”

“She has all your books,” Maia piped in. “Maybe you could sign them.”

“I can do that.” Joss grinned wryly and stepped back.

“I love it.” A leggy, curvy brunette grinned. Another American, by the sound of her accent.

“You’re such a rock star to book geeks.” She flushed, her unusual eyes growing round as she stepped toward me. “I didn’t mean to be insulting.” She shook my hand enthusiastically. “I’m Olivia. You can call me Liv. Fellow book geek. I work at the University of Edinburgh Library.”

I was momentarily hypnotized by her. On first glance her face seemed almost plain, but then she smiled and it transformed her. Plus, she had the most stunning hazel eyes. They were so light they were almost gold. That, combined with all her curves and the riot of dark hair tumbling around her shoulders, and I was beginning to feel plain. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“I’m Ellie, Joss’s sister-in-law.” As I shook Ellie’s hand I found myself looking up. She was just as tall as Jo, and just as pretty as the other women, but in a far more subtle, girl-next-door kind of way.

“And I’m Hannah, Ellie’s sister.” Despite the difference in eye color, I could see the similarities between them in their features. However, whereas Ellie could have been a fashion model with her tall, slender figure, Hannah was just slightly taller and had a lot more in the way of curves. She had the kind of figure women all over the world would die for.

“I’ve heard lots about you from Maia,” I said. “It’s lovely to meet you.” I gestured to the snacks.

“Please help yourself. Can I get anyone a drink?”

After taking their orders, I went to the kitchen, where Maia and Shannon helped me put together the drinks. We found the women seated in the living room, laughing over something.

“What’s funny?” Shannon said as we settled in among them.

“I just got a text from Nate,” Liv said. “My husband,” she explained to me. “We left the men with the kids approximately half an hour ago and I’m already getting texts. It would seem that Belle and January are fighting over Sophia.”

“Tell Nate to tell the girls that Sophia is not a doll,” Hannah said.

“That’s exactly what I’m texting to Nate. You’d think between him, Braden, Marco, Cole, and Cam, one of them would be able to deal with an argument between two girls.”

Jo snorted. “Especially Nate.”

Liv threw her a dirty look. “Not funny.”

“What am I missing?” I said.

“Nate was a manwhore,” Hannah supplied helpfully. “Before Liv, of course.”

“I’d rather hope so,” I said, making Joss snort.

“Should we be saying the word ‘whore’ in front of Maia?” Ellie asked, her brows puckered in concern.

“Well, you’ve done it twice now, so I reckon the question is redundant.” Maia shrugged.

Shannon grinned at us all. “Did I mention I love my niece?”

We laughed, and I felt something warm bubble up inside me as I saw Maia’s eyes brighten. This was the person she was always meant to be. Being with Logan was changing her, giving her confidence to be herself. Which was proving to be a smart-arse, sarcastic, hilarious, sweet kid who had a habit of making everyone around her fall in love with her.

I watched as Maia settled in with us, not caring she was a fifteen-year-old among women whose ages ranged from twenty-six to thirty-six. She was comfortable and happy listening to the ladies joke about their jobs and their husbands and kids, and I understood why. These women were more than friends. They were all a family. And their warmth drew people like Maia and me in. We were helpless before it. The very definition of a moth to the flame.

We’d gotten onto the subject of movies when Jo said, “I don’t think I’ve been to the movies in about two years. That’s ridiculous.”

“That is,” Liv agreed. “Nate and I have a date night every two weeks, and we go see a movie once a month. We just went to see that new one with that hot real-life ex-marine. Bad movie but yum to the male eye candy. Nate had to wipe the drool off my chin.”

Joss wrinkled her nose. “Oh, I rarely get to see movies like that. Braden refuses to watch movies where the men think they’re prettier than the women.”

“No. Braden doesn’t watch those movies with you because he takes possessiveness to a whole other level,” Ellie teased.

Joss rolled her eyes. “Look, if your brother is happy pretending that I find no man but him attractive, we’re going to leave him to his denial. Although the truth is, no one does it for me like Braden does it for me.” She raised a finger and pointed at us. “That does not leave this room. I like to keep him on his toes. Ego in check.”

“Like they don’t find other women attractive,” Hannah huffed. “I swear I’ve heard Marco growl –

yes, growl – under his breath if I so much as share a smile with a good-looking guy, and yet I’m supposed to believe he watches reruns of Dark Angel for the plot? I don’t think so.”

“Hey, Dark Angel is one of the most underappreciated TV series of all time,” Liv argued.

“For a reason,” Hannah argued back.

“They’re all the same,” Jo interjected. “Cam has this new colleague. I happened to mention he was good-looking, and he suddenly felt the need to” – she glanced at Maia and then back at us, giving us a knowing look – “prove himself.”

“You mean have sex,” Maia said.

Jo curled her lip. “Well, there’s no getting anything past you, is there?”

“Believe me, I’ve seen and heard a lot worse.”

The humor in the air dissipated, and an awkward silence fell over us all. Maia’s cheeks were reddening, and I was just about to open my mouth to change the subject for her when Jo beat me to it.

“Actually, I mentioned this guy was good-looking because I was thinking of you, Grace. You’re single, right? He’s single too. I was just saying to Cam how it might be fun to set you up on a date.

I’ve never played matchmaker before.”

“Ooh.” Ellie nodded, eyes glittering. “Do it. And then you can update us on every date. It’ll be fun.”

“Have you forgotten what it’s like to date?” Joss said wryly. “And you want her to share that excruciating time with all of us?”

Ellie made a face at her. “It was just a thought. And anyway… you’ve only ever dated one man.”

“And he was enough, believe me.” Joss turned to me. “You can tell Jo to stick the cute single guy up her ass. I’ll back you up.”

“That didn’t sound right at all.” Liv was choking on laughter.

“Get your mind out of the gutter.” Shannon gestured with a nod of her head to Maia.

“Impressionable minds are present.”

But Maia wasn’t paying much attention. Instead she was staring stonily into her empty glass for some reason.

I frowned, wondering what had been said to upset her.

“Uh, thanks for the thought, Jo, but I’ve been on six incredibly bad dates in the past few months, and I’m feeling a little gun-shy. Maybe some other time.”

“Aka never.” Hannah grinned. “Poor Jo. That career in matchmaking didn’t last long.”

“You’re all shits,” Jo said in response to their teasing, but her voice was filled with laughter.

“Now, where is the loo, Grace?”

I showed her the way and then wandered into the kitchen to get more drinks. I wasn’t in there but two seconds before Shannon sauntered in. She sidled over to me and smiled. “They’re great, aren’t they?”

I nodded, understanding she was talking about the women. “They’re wonderful. They love one another a lot, don’t they?”

“Fiercely,” Shannon agreed. “You know, I thought finding Cole made me the luckiest woman alive until I met his extended family and realized it was more than that. He’s a freaking miracle. They all are.” She glanced out the door. “They’re how family should be. They’re a tribe.”

I thought of Logan and how in all of our conversations he hadn’t discussed his parents or his other sister much. I already knew they hadn’t supported Shannon when she needed them, so I guessed their family wasn’t a close one. “You and Logan are close. But just with each other?”

Shannon looked back at me. “My parents and my sister, Amanda, are kind of selfish. Logan was the favorite, and he hated the way I was treated differently. He tried to make up for it as we grew up.

He’s always been there for me. When he found out how they’d treated me while he was in prison he wasn’t happy, but he wanted us all to be a family. I’ve been trying… So has he… But then they reacted the way they did to Maia, and he’s had enough.”

I frowned, feeling my heart rate pick up. “How did they react?”

“Logan didn’t tell you he told them about Maia a few days ago?” Shannon seemed surprised.

I shook my head.

“He wanted to wait until she was settled. He’s been putting off my parents for weeks.” She sneered.

“Now they’ve done what they always do and are acting like judgmental shits because Logan has disappointed them.”

I felt anger start to burn in my blood. “Does Maia know?”

Shannon shook her head. “No, and as far as Logan’s concerned, she doesn’t have to know. She hasn’t asked about them in a while. Hopefully, she still won’t, and that will give him time to cool his own anger. He wants to explain it in the least hurtful way possible. She needs to know that it’s not about her. Our parents are just like this.”

I looked down at the counter and saw my fingertips were digging into the wood. I felt awful that Logan had had to deal with that and I hadn’t been there to help him. “I should have known,” I muttered.

“Hard to do when you’re avoiding him.”

Glancing up sharply at her, Shannon stared back at me with a knowing look in her eye.

“Logan told me what happened between you.”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “He did?”

“Not in detail, of course, because” – she shuddered – “he’s my brother. But he told me. Mostly because I wouldn’t let up until he did. He’s been acting like a grumpy bastard with everyone but Maia this last wee while. I finally badgered him until he told me what was up. Turns out it’s you.” She grinned. “Like I didn’t already know it had to do with you.”

“What do you mean?” I said warily.

Shannon leaned in to me, expression guileless. “Before you… Logan didn’t smile a lot or laugh in that big hearty way he used to laugh.” Her eyes were bright with tears now. “Prison changed my brother, Grace. You should have known him before it. He was… He was this big lovable joker, everyone’s friend. Everyone wanted to be his friend. He just had this… this light around him, you know?” She dashed at her tears with the backs of her fingers. “He’s not like that anymore. He doesn’t trust easily. His smiles don’t come easily. His laughter definitely doesn’t… or it didn’t… or it doesn’t…” She shook her head as if in confusion. “He started to smile and joke around more when you and Maia came into his life.” Shannon placed her hand on mine and squeezed it. “He hasn’t smiled much lately.”

I couldn’t breathe at what she was suggesting. I didn’t want her to think something that wasn’t true.

“Shannon —”

“I really like you, Grace. And I very much like the idea of you and my brother together. Just so you know.” Her hand tightened on me. “Please be patient with him. He’s been through a lot.”

I felt for her. I really did. And that’s why I had to disabuse her of these notions before she got her hopes up regarding Logan and me. “Shannon, I’m not Logan’s type.”

“I don’t believe that.” She shook her head stubbornly.

“He’s also focusing on Maia right now.”

“I think he’s hiding behind that.”

Dear God, she was beyond stubborn. She was a mule. “Logan and I… We won’t work. We’re too different. Honestly, I think right now we’re better off staying away from each other.”

A noise drew my attention to the doorway, and I saw a flash of a body and dark hair before it disappeared. I frowned.

Maia?

“Do you think she overheard?” Shannon said, sounding concerned.

“Dammit.” I heaved a sigh. “I better talk to her so she knows it isn’t about her.”

As I shut the door on the last of my new friends, I leaned against it and wondered how best to approach Maia. After she’d overheard what I’d said about my friendship with Logan she’d been quiet and mostly unresponsive. The girls knew something was up, and not too long after made their excuses to leave.

Bracing myself, I went to find Maia.

She was in the guest bedroom, apparently having decided to abandon me and the mess in my sitting room. “There you are,” I said, leaning against the doorway.

She was sitting on the bed with a book in her lap.

“Maia, we need to talk about what you overheard.”

“About the fact that you hate Dad?” she snapped.

I felt a sharp pang in my chest just at the thought of anyone ever thinking I hated Logan. “I do not hate your father.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“It’s complicated, Maia. And it’s between your father and me. We’ve decided to spend some time apart, but that doesn’t mean my friendship with you has to change. You understand that, right? I’m not going anywhere.”

Although she looked no less upset, Maia gave me a reluctant nod.

I would have slumped with relief against the doorframe if I’d thought for one second that was the end of it. And I knew when she stiffly told me she’d like to read her book that she wasn’t quite finished being pissed off at me.

I left her to it, hoping her bad mood with me wouldn’t last too long.

CHAP TER 15

“G et back here!”

My head jerked up from my laptop and I stared at my sitting room wall. Logan was shouting. Loudly enough for me to hear every word.

I’d just put my feet into my slippers and had grabbed a cardigan, intent on investigating, when my front door slammed open and shut. Feet stomped down my hallway and came to a stop before me.

“Maia, what on earth…?” I stared, aghast at the sight of her tearstained face.

“I’m staying here. I hate him!”

I sucked in my breath. “Don’t ever say th—”

I was cut off abruptly by the sound of my door slamming open and shut. Again.

Logan’s stomping feet were louder. Maia scurried farther into the sitting room at the sound of his arrival. He came into the room, eyes dark with anger. “Don’t you dare walk out of the house like that, and definitely don’t ever bring Grace into this.”