“Lee and I overlapped my freshman year and her senior, and then she stuck around for grad school.” I hadn’t considered anywhere else for college: Lee had gone to UT, so I’d followed. Not that we’d been close back then, despite how much I’d longed to be. Those were the dark ages when Lee was still reeling from our father’s betrayal and pushed everyone away, me most of all. “I always knew being a librarian wasn’t going to make me rich, but it’s been gutting to see the state of schools from the inside. You have all of these talented, well-meaning educators, and it’s like the system is determined to bleed them dry. It’s really hard to give kids your best when you’re worried about getting laid off all the time. Did you know a ton of schools don’t even have a library anymore, let alone a librarian?”
“Wow,” he said, wide-eyed. “What can we do—”
“Alexis?” asked a familiar voice. The sound of it stopped me cold.
No. What were the odds?I looked up—and sure enough, Chris Tuttle himself was striding to our table. The sight of him was a punch to the gut. He was slimmer now than when we’d dated, and growing out his hair, which gave him a bohemian-accountant vibe. He clearly hadn’t transformed into an ogre overnight, despite the many pennies I’d thrown into the school fountain wishing for it.
“Chris,” I gulped. I could feel Logan’s eyes on me. “What’re you doing here?”
He nodded behind us. “Out to dinner with my folks. They insisted I come say hi. Sorry.”
I followed the direction of his gaze and found his parents, waving at me from a corner table. I’d forgotten the Tuttles were both doctors and had fine-dining money. Dutifully, I waved back. Unlike their son, Chris’s parents had always liked me.
“So what, you two used to date?” Logan asked, with his usual tact.
“Oh, sorry—Chris, this is Logan, my, um...”
“Boyfriend,” Logan said, giving me a quizzical look. He stretched out his hand. “Nice to meet you, mate.” Chris shook Logan’s hand with a smile, though when Logan released him, he winced and discreetly flexed his fingers.
“So, how are you doing?” Chris asked. “It’s been, what...over a year?”
Logan’s eyebrows perked up.
I cleared my throat. “I guess it has been. Who’s counting, though? Time, it flies. Can’t keep track of it.”
Chris rocked on his heels. “I’m still dating Kim, by the way. The woman from, uh...” His voice trailed off.
Right. Kim. The woman he’d cheated on me with (the second time around). I felt my cheeks heat. Apparently, I was supposed to congratulate Chris on his accomplishment. “That’s—I guess—I’m happy for you.”
I felt Logan’s warm hand close over mine and looked up at him. He was leaning across the table, wearing the sappiest face I’d ever seen, practically batting his lashes. It was so un-Logan-like that I actually had to bite back a laugh.
“I was just saying to Alexis that I can’t believe we only met a year ago.” Logan shook his head. “And dating for six months. I feel like I’ve known her forever.”
“Oh.” Chris swallowed. “I guess you guys got together pretty soon after we...” He cleared his throat but didn’t finish.
Logan turned his sappy face on Chris and lowered his voice like he was sharing a secret. “I keep trying to bring up marriage and she keeps saying not yet, we’re not in any hurry, let’s enjoy the honeymoon phase. You know, that rip-each-other’s-clothes-off part. She’s a cheeky little devil. I can barely keep up. But I’m sure I don’t have to tell you.”
Oh, lord. He’s really going for it.I felt my face flame and dared a glance at Chris. His face was the portrait of shock.
Logan gave my hand the briefest squeeze, though his eyes stayed trained on Chris. “Ihappen to think, when you know, you know. And who could spend ten minutes with Alexis Stone and not want to keep her? I mean, you’d have to be a supreme fucking twat to letherget away. A colossal, gigantic, ruinous level of nitwit—”
“Okay,” I said quickly, tugging his hand.
“A ne’er-do-well fuckboy,” Logan finished, smiling in satisfaction. “Don’t you think?”
“Uh,” Chris stammered. He looked over his shoulder. “Oh, shoot, my mom’s calling me back. Gotta go.”
I looked over Chris’s shoulder at Dr. Tuttle, who was calmly eating her soup, and felt the most absurd streak of joy.
“Great to see you,” I said, sitting taller. “I’m glad we’re both in better places now. Sometimes a breakup really is a blessing in disguise, don’t you think?”
“Sure. I mean—yes.” Chris turned to flee, then stopped and glanced between Logan and me. “Thanks for not punching me this time.” He darted away.
Logan’s eyes gleamed. “Well, well, well. Don’twehave a lot to unpack?” He rubbed his hands together in anticipatory glee, then nearly shouted when a long, disembodied arm slid his lasagna in front of him.
“Your meal, sir,” said the waiter.
Logan pointed his fork at the waiter as he rounded the table to place my salad in front of me. “You know what? I’m not mad this time. Your timing’s impeccable. I just worked up an appetite running laps around that guy.”
