“You,” Maisie said without amoment’s hesitation.
Logan was better at thisthan I was.
“No one else in the worldlooks like me,” I tried. I knew better than to think I was going to get throughto her, suddenly find love and acceptance where there’d only been hostilitybefore.
Maisie snorted. “Never mind,” shesaid.
I got it. She’d taken one lookat Logan and wanted him, and she was mad she couldn’t have him.
The fact thatIcouldn’thave him either was probably a great comfort to her.
“Oh, and unless you want momand dad finding out about Logan? You can call it quits on your little YouTubechannel.”
What?
“Why?” I asked, knowing assoon as the word escaped me that I was straying into dangerous territory.
“Because you’re pulling yourweight with the horses while you’re here,” she said.
As though I wouldn’tjumpat the chance tohang out with the horses. Where was the hostility coming from?
Aside from the normal,baseline level of hostility I always got from Maisie. Until I’d seen Logan andhis sister together, I’d secretly thought siblings justcouldn’tbe friends.
But Logan loved his sister,and she adored him.
It didn’thaveto be like this.
“Of course,” I said. “I… Iwantto.”
“Good. You’ve been gettingaway with not helping out for too long,” she added. “Some of us haveresponsibilities, Ashley. You’re about to learn that.”
I opened my mouth to argue,but what could I say? ThatIhad responsibilities, that I’d been carvingout a life for myself, that my heart was breaking over having to leave it allbehind and what if she gave a break for one goddamn minute?
“You wouldn’t be in thismess if you hadn’t screwed some crazy guy who decided to stalk you,” she said. “Yououghta think about how you got here.”
I hesitated.
Since when did Maisie know Ihad a stalker? Had Grandma told her?
I couldn’t imagine whyshewould, but…
Maybe? Or maybe she’d overheard aconversation. How else could sheknow?
The sound of footsteps mademe look up, and relief flooded my tense stomach as Logan walked into the room.
“Hey Ash,” he said. “Maisie.”
Her face darkened, and ittook all of three seconds for her to scurry out of the room.
Good. Even a few minutes ofrespite was precious.
“She bothering you?” Loganasked, sitting down beside me at the kitchen table.
I snorted. “She’s never doneanything else.”
I wanted Logan to hold meand tell me everything was okay, but I knew he couldn’t. If we got caught…
“I’m sorry.”
