Page 62 of Riding the Sugar High

Primrose

Logan standsbefore the imposing white picket fence that encases Aaron and Josie’s house. The midday sun casts a golden hue across the perfectly manicured lawn, infusing the scene with tranquility, but not Logan. I’ve known him for less than a week, yet I can tell there’s turmoil brewing under the surface.

I join his side, and though his expression doesn’t shed light on how he’s feeling, the fact that he’s been motionless for several minutes now can only mean he’s dreading this lunch as much as I am, maybe more. “You okay?”

He blinks. “Just need a minute.”

I nod, turning to the house nestled between its neighbors on a tree-lined street. Its brick facade exudes a timeless charm, and the entrance steps lead up to a polished wooden door. A trimmed garden frames the front, featuring bursts of vibrant flowers in carefully arranged pots.

Perfect, if it wasn’t for the fact that this lunch will mostly likely be a shitshow that will land us both in prison.

As a gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the nearby tree, Logan finally turns to me. “List?”

I look at his open hand and extract the list from my bag. “What for?”

He pats his pants, then pulls a pen out of his pocket. “Number thirteen.”

Introduce me to his family.

Has he been...reading my list? I’ve left it on the bookshelf overnight, next to my plane ticket, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s studied it. Unless he’s been seeing it online, the one time he’s read it, he had it in his hand for a handful of minutes—there’s no way he’s memorized every single item. But why would he even care?

“At least this shitshow gets you to check one of the items off your ridiculous list,” he says as he strikes through number thirteen, then hands the list back.

“Is there any way we can not do this?” I hush out.

“No. I promised Josie we’d come, and if we bail, she’ll get suspicious. But I wouldn’t worry if I were you. With me and my brother in the same room, the focus won’t stay on ourrelationshipfor too long.”

With a resigned nod, I follow him up the paved path to the front porch. Once he stands at the door, he straightens the collar of his black shirt and exhales. “You good with everything?”

“Yup. Act affectionate butdon’tuse words like ‘obsessed,’ talk about our sexual life, or mention kicking,” I say, repeating the speech he gave me back home word by word.

“Great.” He knocks at the door, and nerves get the best of me too. “This is a great chance for us to convince her we’re madly in love. Let’s take it home.”

I nod, but he’s too ill at ease for me to relax. I’ve seen him uncomfortable before—at the mall, or every time I fire my questions at him. Sometimes, just seeing me seems to make him tense up. But he looks downright terrified now, and I can’t help but wonder if the issue is his relationship with his brother, or if he knows there’s a high chance I’ll screw this up.

How can I put up a convincing show? I’m a shitty liar, and Josie is trained to sniff out the truth. She and Aaron know Logan much better than I do, and I’m sure it won’t take them more than a couple of pointed questions to find out this is a sham.

And once they do, the police will piece together everything else.

After what feels like an eternity, the door opens and Josie appears wearing a simple yet tasteful black dress. “Hey, guys! Come in, come in.” She gestures at us to enter, the excited twinkle in her eyes matching the fiery red hue of her hair.

The aroma of a home-cooked meal wafts through the air, instantly making my stomach rumble with anticipation as Logan and I step into the entryway. After exchanging a glance with him, I offer Josie the bottle of wine we bought for today. “For you. It’s?—”

“My favorite. I can’t believe you remembered, Logan,” she says with a grateful smile. Then, she puts a hand on my arm. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course. I also made some candy.” I hand her the small transparent bag with a shrug. “For you or—Logan said you have a daughter.”

She turns the colorful candy in her hands. “Sadie is going to lose her mind over this. Thank you so much.”

A moment of awkwardness settles, and turning the bottle in her hands, she says, “Look, I know these circumstances are...peculiar. But I’m off the clock, and we won’t discuss anything related to Derek or the piglets, okay?” She squeezes my shoulder. “Let’s just have a nice family lunch.”

Logan and I both nod and follow her into the large living room. The walls are painted in soft, earthy tones, complementing the gleaming hardwood floors that reflect the light streaming through lace-curtained windows. In the center of the living room, there’s a vintage wooden coffee table displaying books and a vase of freshly picked wildflowers, and an inviting armchair sits by the fireplace, its mantle adorned with family photos and knick-knacks.

Aaron rises from a plush sofa, his tight-lipped smile accompanied by a doubtful expression. He and his brother look astonishingly alike, with their gray-blue eyes, dark hair, and strong jaws—it’s almost like watching the same person before and after a five-year gap.

“This is my husband, Aaron,” Josie says as she walks past him to a small table. “And this is Sadie.” She ruffles the brunette child’s hair, and her big brown eyes stare back at me as if she’s seeing something incredible. “Look what Prim brought you.”

Sadie’s eyes become bigger than the moon as she reaches for the bag of candy, and as I turn to Logan with a grin, I notice his hateful glare is set on his brother.