Page 162 of Riding the Sugar High

Logan

Too many?

Primrose

That was quick. Were you staring at the phone, waiting for an answer?

Huh. Maybe I’m not supposed to do that.

Logan

Yes.

The front door opens, and Primrose comes out in a beautiful yellow dress that makes her look like summer. Her hair is still wet from the shower, and she must have used all seven lotions I’ve seen her use during her...skincare routine, as she called it, because her cheeks are glistening.

“‘This is Logan, by the way?’”

I shrug. “You didn’t have my contact saved yet.”

She stands behind me, and as she gently pulls my hair back, I rest the top of my head on her legs and watch her.

“Though I do appreciate the sentiment and share the enthusiasm, I don’t think we can have sex.” She points at the house. “Your whole family is in the backyard.”

I know, but a man is allowed to dream.

Why did I plan this lunch? I guess I felt like Primrose deserves a proper send-off, and I figured that with everything that’s been going on with Aaron and Josie, we could all use a distraction.

But Primrose is leaving today, and I don’t think I have it in me to pretend I’m fine. I’m anything but fine.

Sure, now I have a smartphone, and Kyle promised to teach me how much I’m allowed to call and the type of conversations that are appropriate to have via text. Primrose has shown me how to turn it on and charge it, and her contact is saved, which is all I need it for. She even promised to send me “nudes.”

But it’s not the same as having her here, is it?

It’s not the same as waking up with her body on mine, not the same as cleaning up after her or knowing that she’s past the orchard, making candy inside the house.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

I take her hand and watch her try to pull me up. Instead, her shoes slide along the porch until she nearly tumbles back. With a chuckle, I stand and follow her to the back of the house.

She waves her beautiful fingers at Kyle before she takes a casserole off his hands and brings it to the big table we’ve set up in the backyard. Simon follows, then tells her something that makes her laugh, which causes the skirt of her dress to sway as her chest gently shakes.

God, I’m going to miss the sound of her laugh so much.

“Lono?”

I look down at Sadie, pull her up on my lap and sit. “Hey, pretty girl. I like your dress,” I tell her as I touch the pink sleeve. “Is it new?”

She nods, playing with a strand of my hair. “It’s the same as Prim.”

I nod, trying to hide the full extent of my anguish behind a smile. “You look just like her. Maybe she’ll give you candy after lunch.”

Her eyes widen, her face splitting with a full smile. “Really?”

“Uh-huh. Go ask her.”

She jumps off my lap, then runs to the porch, calling Primrose’s name. Once she crouches down to talk to Sadie, she looks back at me with a chuckle, and I swear my heart stops for a moment.

“Hey.” My brother joins my side, and my cheek-straining smile hardens.