“So that was it?” Jared asked. “You guys broke up over comic book camp and an injury?”
The waitress came back to deliver a pitcher of deliciousness that I was suddenly craving.
I shook my head and watched as Jared poured a tumbler for me. “That fight over the camp was the catalyst. Once we got home from the hospital, Logan doubled down on the accusation that I wanted Noah out of the way, then he capped it off by saying it was my fault Noah fractured his arm because I wasn’t paying close enough attention to him.”
“Wait…” Beth wrinkled her nose. “You were at the park…together…and Logan is his frickin’father…”
“Bingo,” I agreed. “And yet I’m solely to blame, somehow.”
“What a dick,” Jared exclaimed. “Although I’m not totally surprised. It sort of tracks.”
We went quiet when the waitress came back with the chips and guac.
“Logan Ashford is officially canceled,” Beth said with her mouth full. “He’s the worst. Irredeemable. A plague upon humanity.”
“Maybe that’s a…little harsh?” Ashely suggested. She shot an apologetic look my way. “He’s not actually a terrible boss, if you think about it. We’re well paid. Our job expectations are clearly mapped out. We get raises and performance bonuses. He makes sure the guests don’t bully us. Crew excellence is acknowledged and rewarded.”
“Okay, so he’s fine to work for, but that’s not what we’re talking about,” Beth countered.
“And even if he’s a good boss on paper, he’s not a warm guy. He’s so closed off, you know? He always looks constipated. Even when he smiles, it’s like it takes real effort,” Jared insisted.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from welling up. I knew what his real smiles looked like. I’d been the beneficiary of them many, many times. And his warmth? Sure, it took some time to uncover it, but I was all too familiar with that side of him as well. There were times when he’d look at me, and I’d feel…so very special. Desired, yes, but also appreciated. Like just having me around made him happy.
All of that was tainted now, though. When I thought of his face, all I could see was the cold disdain he’d worn when I’d walked out of the house for good.
“Yeah, but did you interact with him toward the end of the cruise with Noah?” Beth asked him. “I swear I almost didn’t recognize him. He seemed lighter, you know? Noah wasn’t the only one who benefited from your magic touch.”
“Thank you,” I muttered, then took a huge gulp of sangria.
“You know what?” Jared leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “Fuck him.”
“Well,damn,” Ashley said under her breath.
“No, I’m serious. He had a really good thing with you, and so did Noah. If he can’t see that then he doesn’t deserve you,” Jared insisted.
“Agreed,” Beth said with a nod.
“To forgetting,” Jared held up his glass. “And to the future.”
My eyes welled again. I thought my future was starting to come into focus thanks to Noah and Logan. I wasn’t sure what it looked like now. HR had reached out to let me know that my old job on board the cruise ship was still available if I wanted it, a surprise concession from Logan. I wished I could be too proud to stay associated with anything Ashford, but the reality was that I needed a job.
And yeah, I loved working with the kids.
Ashley reached over to grab my hand, startling me out of my sad trance.
“I know how much you care about Noah. He blossomed because of you. So no matter how shitty things wound up, at least you can rest assured that you made a difference with a lost child.”
I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “Yeah, but what about now? Logan made me leave without saying goodbye to Noah!”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Beth screeched so loudly that half the patio turned to stare at her.
All I could do was nod and cry as the three of them freaked out. Their reactions highlighted the fact that my anguish over Logan’s choice was one hundred percent justified.
“He’s a monster,” Jared fumed. “That poor kid.”
“And poor Nina,” Beth added. “She losttwospecial people.”
I already felt the loss, deeply in my heart, and hearing them echo how awful it was just made me cry harder.
