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“I wasn’t required to read any history for it,” I said, shaking my head. “Really, all they said was that I looked right for the role and all I had to do was memorize my lines. But I took it very seriously. I swore I must have read four different history books on the Romantic movement and the early nineteenth century before filming began.”
Logan’s face brightened. “That’s amazing,” he said. “I always thought Lord Byron was such an interesting person.”
“He was,” I said. “I was fascinated by how far that guy could swim, for God’s sake.”
A huge smile came across Logan’s face. “He was an avid swimmer.”
“I see Logan’s got you talking about history already?” Brody said, entering the kitchen and coming up behind his boyfriend, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. He wrapped his arms around Logan’s waist and rested his head on Logan’s shoulder. Roman wasn’t far behind, coming into the kitchen and smiling at me.
“Yes, and it’s awesome,” I said.
“Boys!” Donna’s voice called out as she re-entered from the back door. The smell of the grill came through the air. “You made it. Oh, I missed you so much, Brody. Logan, you’re looking smart as ever.”
She gave Brody and Logan big, long hugs.
“I think we all came ready for pie,” Brody said.
“I sure hope so,” Donna said. She reached into the plastic container and pulled out a pig in a blanket. “This is incredible. You boys are five-star chefs. All right, everybody out into the backyard with me. I’ve got enough veggies and meat to grill for the whole neighborhood, and we’ve got to get started now.”
As Donna flitted back out the door, Logan leaned over to Brody. “Does she really mean for the entire neighborhood?”
“I could see my mom grilling for the whole neighborhood, yes,” Brody said. “But I think this time she was just kidding.”
“Certainly enough for our hungry asses,” Roman said. “Let’s go.”
We all headed out to the grill, where Donna had set up what looked like a little assembly line for everybody to pitch in with cooking. Logan was at the beginning, shucking corn cobs and skewering little pieces of chopped veggies and meat onto kebabs. Then Brody was helping to put together a big salad on the picnic table. I helped with setting the table and then blending up margaritas that Donna had ingredients ready for, and Roman helped his mom at the grill, cooking up burgers and the skewers.
As we worked, the sun steadily dipped lower in the sky, and by the time the food was all ready, the backyard was lit by the glow of citronella candles on the picnic table, lanterns that lined the fence at the edge of the yard, and the string lights that Donna had put up against the side of the house.
This was summer.
It was already better than any summer parties I’d had in recent memory in LA, with everyone sitting around expensive pools and eating catered food while talking about which movie deals everyone had gotten lately.
This felt like home.
We finally sat down to eat, and the picnic table was beautifully crowded with all of the delicious components of the feast we’d cooked up.
“Cheers to us,” Donna said, holding up her frosty margarita glass. Everybody else raised theirs, too—sparkling lime seltzer for Logan, who was set to be a designated driver. “And cheers, especially, to Theo, who finally has found relief in his life. Theo, I know I haven’t known you personally for very long, but I’ve known of you for a long time, and I couldn’t be happier to know that you are finally safe, happy, and free.”
“Cheers to that,” Roman said, putting his free hand to the top of my shoulder and squeezing.
“Cheers to all of you,” I said, “because even though you aren’t my actual family, it feels like you are. I’ve never felt more welcomed than I have been here in Amberfield. I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life.”
“Hear, hear!” Brody said, and I saw that Logan had a big smile on his face.
We all clinked our glasses together, and the festivities began.
We sucked back the delicious, citrusy margaritas like they were water. We dove right into all of the amazing food, everything with the perfect amount of char from the grill. Brody and Logan told stories from their life in Chicago, where they’d recently moved. Brody and Logan seemed like an odd couple at first—Brody was a former star football player and Logan was a nerdy academic—but as they spoke, it became clear how in love they were.
I was more than a little envious.
“At first, we really were just friends because we wanted to be there for each other,” Brody was saying, talking about how he and Logan had begun their relationship. “We were just random roommates, but Logan treated me so well. He saw things in me that I couldn’t even see in myself, you know?”
