“I know.” Claire forced a smile. “But it’s nothing. I’m just easily upset.”
Garrett rose and crossed the room, sinking down onto the cushion next to her. “I know you. I can see in your eyes that it’s more than nothing.”
“We had an argument,” she admitted, feeling more than just a little odd confiding in him about her relationship with Logan. “I was upset about it, but I’m fine now.”
Garrett slid an arm around her shoulder. “You know you can call me any time you need anything.”
“I know,” she agreed. “But it feels strange.” And it did. She’d been betrayed by him, hurt and angry with him at first, then detached from the whole situation. And now, it seemed odd indeed to be the recipient of kindness and concern from the man who’d broken her trust.
“We’re friends,” he reminded her. “I still care about you. I’ll never stop caring about you.”
“How sweet.” Logan’s acerbic voice intervened suddenly.
Claire started and turned to the doorway, surprised to find Logan hovering there, looking like a dark, avenging angel. Make that an angry avenging angel. She hadn’t even heard the front door open and close.
“Logan.” She rose from the sofa, staring at him. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
A snide grin kicked up the corner of his mouth. “Obviously.”
She noticed then that he sported a puffy upper lip and a black eye. “What on earth happened to you?”
“Derek,” he said simply, his gaze swerving to Garrett, who had risen and now stood by Claire’s side. “What the hell’s he doing here?”
“I came to talk with Claire,” Garrett said coolly. “Is that okay with you, or did you want to get your ass kicked a second time today?”
Logan’s grin turned feral. “Try me, pretty boy.”
“Oh for God’s sake.” Claire threw up her hands in disgust. “Would you two stop it? Logan, Garrett came to ask me about things I want before the divorce goes through. Garrett, please don’t antagonize Logan. I don’t need the two of you breaking into a fight right here in the middle of Sophie’s house.”
Logan crossed his arms over his chest. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, why don’t you tell pretty boy he has to leave, Claire?”
“Logan.”
“What?” Logan raised a haughty brow. “You want him here?”
Anger skewered through her. After treating her like an unwanted houseguest this morning, he wanted to simply reappear and demand her company? The man’s arrogance never failed to stun—or enrage—her. “You know what? Maybe I do want him here.”
Logan’s eyes glittered. “Fine. But I’d like to have a word with you. In private.” He gave Garrett a meaningful glare.
Garrett looked distinctly uncomfortable. He shifted his feet, tugging at his collar. “Claire, I’ll just go. I don’t—”
“No,” she said firmly. “Stay right here. You don’t have to leave just because Logan is being rude.”
Logan’s jaw tightened. “Just get him the hell out of here for five minutes so I can talk with you.”
Claire took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She decided the most expedient way to deal with Logan was to simply give in to him. No one knew how stubborn he could be better than she. She flashed Garrett an apologetic glance. “If you could excuse us for just a few minutes?”
Garrett looked from her to Logan, an odd expression on his face. “I’m going to go. I’ll call you later.”
“You can stay.”
“I’ll call you later,” he repeated firmly, his tone brooking no argument. Giving Logan a glare, he left the room.
Claire waited for the front door to click shut before she started in on Logan. “Are you happy now? You bullied him into leaving. You’re the biggest boy on the playground.”
His eyes darkened. He strode across the room, stopping uncomfortably close to her. “I don’t want him hanging around.”
“Excuse me, but I don’t really think you have any say in the matter.” Claire poked his chest with a finger.
