AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tonight, is the Stallion Awards. It’s Kentucky’s version of the ESPN ESPY Awards. Of course, Hagan and Adalee are nominated for Most Competitive Couple. She didn’t win the Gymnastics All Around Title, but her score on the uneven bars propelled the team to win the Southeastern Conference title. And Hagan has the best on base percentage in Stallion history and the baseball team is currently playing in the regionals.
Mom took Adalee and I shopping in Chicago like she used to do for Sarah Jane and Megan. Magnificent Mile and then to a few smaller boutiques in the suburbs. We ended up buying dresses from the store Sarah Jane loves. Their selection for curvy girls was better but then again little, petite Adalee food her dress at the same store, Miss Princess. Their slogan is“wear one store can fit all.”
Looking at my reflection in the full length mirror, suddenly I’m aware of all my curves. I need the best body shaper ever made. The last year has taken its toll. My shoulders slump and eyes fall.
“Hap, you can’t go looking—”
From the hallway, a deep raspy voice interrupts, “Voluptuous,” Logan says as his gaze coats my skin. I bite the inside of me cheek, desperate for our eyes not to meet.
One thing he can never know is how he gets under my belly. The way it knots up and flutters in his presence. My only defense is acting like he doesn’t affect me. So I say, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Based on the red death rays shooting from Hagan’s eyes to Logan’s, my brother is about to go all alpha protector over me. But Logan seems unconcerned that these might be his final moments on earth. He shifts his weight, pressing his shoulder against the door frame. “What? I’m not allowed to say your sister is gorgeous.”
Hagan walks chest to chest with his best friend. “Off limits, remember?” Hagan asks.
Logan is taller and thicker than Hagan, but I wouldn’t bet against my brother when he thinks he’s defending my honor. Once, when we were sophomores in high school, a guy asked me out because there was a rumor going around about me giving blow jobs. Hagan placed an avocado green Tupperware bowl full of spiders in the boys’ locker. I’ll never forget Reed’s face when a dozen albino creatures crawled all over his books and on his hockey hoodie. I wonder what happened to him.
“Got it. But I need a favor, but it’s a fake favor.” Logan stands straight staring at Hagan. “I need Harper to be my date tonight?”
At the same time, Hagan and I burst out, “What? Why?”
Logan responds, his jaw twitching. “Because you’re my best friend and you don’t want me to show up without a date. It will make us all miserable.”
My body warms to the smooth confident tone of his voice. He’s one hundred percent correct; I. Would. Hate. It. All these girls with athletic builds and without an ounce of fat would be hanging on him. It’s bad enough to see women come and go out of the apartment. Although lately, it’s been one older woman in her upper twenties.
The wheels turn in my brother’s head. How do I know? Because his cheeks are smooth, not a dimple in sight, and one eyebrow dips as the other one raises. “Thought you were taking Josie?” Hagan asks.
“Nope.”
Josie has evidently been Logan’s go-to girl when he needs something other than nookie.
I push Hagan out of the way and now Logan’s shirtless chest hits me square in my face, figuratively. That’s when I realize he’s in his tuxedo pants and nothing on top. The black material stretches across his thighs and my mouth waters. As I lift my head, each ridge and valley of his abdominal muscles sends dirty thoughts streaking through my mind. Somehow I manage to speak. “What happened? Did she finally get tired of being one of many?”
He steps back into the hallway and stuffs on hand into his pants pocket and sighs. “It’s between Josie and me. I’m going to get dressed. You two talk about it and let me know.”
When he walks away, I ogle his back while my mouth hangs open. Like my brother has any say in the outcome. As the thought appears in my mind, Hagan says, “You’re not going on any kind of date with Logan.”
“Hagan Chatham, you do not get to make decisions for me. He’s your best friend. And tell me how many times has he asked you for a favor?”
Hagan, fully dressed in his formal wear, reaches for my hand. “He hasn’t.”
“I remember sitting downstairs after Joe’s surgery and you said, ‘Logan was your lifeline.’ That was six months ago and maybe it’s time we do something to repay him.” My voice shatters thinking about those four awful days when Hagan wouldn’t speak to me. It was the longest I had ever went without hearing his voice. And when you’re a twin it’s devastating. “If he wasn’t here looking out for you. Making you listen. I don’t even want to think about…”
Hagan forces a laugh. “Come here.” He pulls me into a hug.
“We’ll call it a date publicly but it’s just roommates who are both already going to the same Awards Dinner and sitting at the same table anyway.”
He kisses my the top of my head. “I love you Hap and I don’t want you thinking you can change Logan Warren.”
“I don’t think of him that way.” Lie. “He’s way too… egotistical and argumentative. But Hagan, do you think I look bad in this dress? Mom and Adalee thought it fit me perfectly,” I say, as my skin begins to itch and red waves wrap around my neck like a scarf.
His face softens and a half-smile appears framed by the dimples and bow tie. “Because you’re my baby sister and—"
I cut him off. “By three minutes.”
“I can’t turn it off and on. You’ve always wanted me to lead. If that’s not what you want anymore, I’ll… I’ll need some time to adjust.” His voice sounds like he’s falling off a cliff.
“I just want to have a fake date with my roommate to repay him for keeping you from jumping off of said cliff. What’s the big deal? You’ll be right there along with Adalee, Mom, Dad, Logan’s mom, dad, sister and brother-n-law.”
