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“Dani!” Liam comes running out of the house with his backpack in hand, only stopping when his little arms are wrapped around me. This little ball of shining light is my everything. The only family I have in my life—despite my mom being alive and well—and I’m so grateful that I found him. I hate that secrets and lies kept him away from me but am so thankful that, despite his flaws, Liam’s dad somehow found out about me, and he and Liam’s stepmom got in touch. Liam’s stepmom, who also happens to be Logan’s mom.This is too much.
Shaking off my thoughts, I bend down and hug Liam, conscious of Logan’s eyes on my every move.
“Liam Bear. It’s so good to see you.”
“Can we go ice skating?” he says, without any other greeting.
“Ice skating? It doesn’t get that cold in Cali.”
Logan chuckles beside me. “How long have you lived here? Everyone knows there’s an all-season rink about forty minutes from here.”
“Yes,I knowthat. I didn’t knowLiam knewthat.”
Logan’s smile turns into a smirk, seemingly understanding the meaning behind my words. I’m not a fan of ice skating. Can’t stand it, actually. It’s not that I’m bad at it; I’d just prefer to spend my time on solid ground instead of the slippery stuff.
“Well, have fun with that. I’m going to head home. It was good to see you, little man. Have a good day with your aunty.”
He says aunty with a strange tone, and I’m not sure what it means, so I do it back. “Bye, Logan.”
“You know Peanut?” Liam asks, and my jaw drops.
“Thisis Peanut?” I thought Peanut was a dog. All this time he’s been talking about Logan. About how much he loves him. My heart warms as I look between the two of them.
“I call him Peanut, and he calls me Booger,” Liam says proudly, and I hold back my squirm. That word. Ew. Also, Goddammit, I could have known about Logan weeks ago.
Hiding my annoyance, I smile. “That’s lovely. We better get going.”
“Can Logan come?”
Huh?
“I’m sure Logan has other plans, but I’d be happy to take you skating.”
“Peanut, pleeease.”No, Peanut.
Logan’s lips pull into another smirk, and I know what his answer is about to be. Before I even get a chance to internally groan, he announces, “I’d love to,” with a quick wink in my direction.Did he plan this? He didn’t seem shocked to see me.
Liam cheers and runs toward his dad’s car just as his stepmom walks outside. “Dani. I see you’ve met my son, Logan. I hope he’s behaving.”
I bite back a sarcastic laugh as Logan says, “Always, Mom,” and smiles.
Jenny shakes her head as she pulls Liam into a hug and hands me the car keys. “Thank you, sweetie. Did he ask about skating?”
My nose crinkles as I laugh. “He sure did. Is that okay?”
She chuckles, and it sounds exactly like the way Logan does it. Similarities you don’t notice until they’re staring you in the face. “Of course,” she says. ”Better you than me.”
Liam and Logan spend the car ride singing while I concentrate on the road. When we pull into the parking lot, Logan jumps out of the car and runs around to my side before I’ve had a chance to open Liam’s door. “Is your boyfriend going to be pissed that you’re out with me?” he whispers, his body pressing against mine. Externally, I don’t react, but inside me, everything comes to life. Thinning my lips, I push Logan back and open Liam’s door without dignifying him with an answer. The sound of Logan’s chuckle reverberates through me from close behind.
We make our way inside, and it only occurs to me as I’m helping with Liam’s skates that this might be his first time, and if it is, I’m so far out of my element.
“So, Liam…”
“Dani wants to know if you’ve ever been ice skating before?”
Huh?My eyes shoot to his, a puzzled expression on my face.Does he read minds now?
“Your face said it all,” he answers my silent question, as if he already knows me so well.
