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Aunt Helena’s phone call is certainly out of the blue. Hopefully, nothing’s seriously wrong with her, and she just wants to make amends.
Either way, I can’t wait to see Reid again. I’ve had a fissure in my heart for the past seven years. Perhaps our reunion will finally fill that emptiness.
Glimpsing Logan through the screen door as he turns down the walkway, I step onto the porch and wait for him. His sepia eyes and dust of freckles appear prominent in the late afternoon sun. The bright rays create a sheen in his dark hair, even casting a spotlight on his tanned ivory skin.
“Sup, Cassie?” Dropping his skateboard in the grass, he climbs the few steps to the porch. “Your text said it was urgent. That you wanted to talk in person.”
“Yeah.” I draw a breath before coming out with it. “I’m leaving for Connecticut tomorrow. I’m spending the summer with my aunt and cousin.”
His brows fly up along with the dip of his head. “Your dad’s sister who he hasn’t talked to in years?”
“Surprising, I know. But yeah, Aunt Helena invited me.” I lean against the brick column. “I’m sorry I won’t be around.”
“It’s okay.” Yet he sounds a bit disappointed by the fall in his raspy voice. “What time is your flight?”
“Early.”
At a slow nod, he perches against the other column and folds his arms. “Excited to see your cousin? You said you missed him. You even tried to find him on social media.”
“Mmhm. Too bad I never found him online.” As always, a smile tugs at my lips at the thought of Reid. “Sucks that our parents didn’t get along. I wanted to reach out, but Dad told me Aunt Helena wanted nothing to do with us. That’s why it’s so weird that they’ve talked, and she invited me there.”
“Maybe they realized they shouldn’t be like that,” Logan guesses. “You’re family, after all. And a lot can change in seven years.”
“True.”
A fog of silence settles between us, which has been happening recently. It drifts with the clearing of his throat. But as I watch him drive his fingers through his hair and blow a sharp breath, an uneasy tightness forms in my stomach. And I don’t understand why.
“Uh, Cassie, have you ever…”
“Mm?” I tilt my head to the side, trying to discern his thoughts by searching his eyes. “Have I ever what?”
After a moment, Logan shakes it off and gives me a partial smile. “Nevermind. We’ll talk on the drive to college. You’ll be back by then, right?”
“Of course,” I assure him. “I’ll return in time to leave for college with my best friend in the whole world.”
A low scoff follows my statement. “You better, or I’ll show up at your aunt’s place. You know I will.”
His declaration incites a giggle. “I don’t doubt it. You’re a man of your word.”
“That I am.” He smirks. “Well, I have to get back. I’m helping my dad rip apart the basement. It’s his new project.”
“Here we go,” I say with an eye roll. “There’s always a new project for Mr. Donelly. It never ends.”
He snorts. “Tell me about it. He drives my mom crazy.”
“I bet.”
As our chuckles fade, a strange calm hovers over the porch until Logan steps forward, cloaking me in his arms. The embrace feels different, especially since he’s squeezing me.
“Have fun with your relatives,” he rasps at the side of my head. “I’ll miss you.”
“You know I’ll miss you, Lo.”
Before breaking apart, he kisses my cheek. Though he does that now and then, he’s never lingered before. It makes me tense up.
“Love you, Cass.” Why does that sound strange when he’s always said it? “Call me.”
“Love you, too,” I mutter after a moment. “See you soon.” I wave and watch him leave, replaying the moment until the door opens behind me.
