Page 102 of Logan

“If he’s scared off by me, then he’s not worth your time,” I say, my protective instincts flaring to life.

“Logan, everyone is scared of you,” she points out.

I watch her in silence as she prepares our tea, trying to gather my thoughts, to find the right words.

“I fucked up,” I say, the admission weighing heavy on my tongue.

“Of course you did. I didn’t think otherwise.” She lifts her head and grins at me, her eyes soft with understanding.

“Why is that so obvious?”

“Because otherwise, you wouldn’t be desperate enough to come here and talk to me.” She hands me a cup, the porcelain warm against my palm.

I take a sip of the scalding liquid, welcoming the burn. “I didn’t think I was that bad of a brother.”

“You’re not a bad brother, you just don’t like to share your life with us. You’re very closed off. But I’m glad you came.Start from the beginning. And don’t leave out any details.” She settles back in the cushions, her full attention on me.

I tell her about Sloane, about London, about our time together. “I’m going crazy. I can’t get through a day without thinking about her. I miss our conversations, even her silly chatter.” The words spill out of me like a flood, a torrent of pent-up emotion.

Cora gets up and moves to the seat next to me, placing her hand on my knee. “Logan, you’re in love.”

I shake my head, denial rising, swift and sharp. “It’s not love.”

“You wouldn’t recognize love if it hit you in the head.” She laughs, squeezing my knee. “Honey, you just described to me exactly how it feels to be in love, point by point.”

I rub my face, my mind reeling. It can’t be. I can’t be in love. “Is that how you feel?” I ask, grasping for a lifeline, for something to make sense of the chaos in my head and my heart.

“Arlo and I aren’t there yet,” she says. “But when I was in love in the past, that’s exactly how I felt. Did you tell her this? Everything you just told me? She needs to hear the words.”

“I’m not in love,” I insist, but even to my own ears, the protest sounds weak, hollow.

“Okay.” She smirks, clearly not believing me. “But did you tell her you miss her? That you want to be with her?”

“I was planning to ask her on a date,” I admit, my heart clenching at the memory of the carefully laid plans, the hope that had filled me at the thought of a second chance. “I planned everything, thought of every detail to make sure she would give me a chance.”

“And did she agree?”

“I didn’t get to ask. She’s seeing someone else.” The words taste like ashes in my mouth, bitter and acrid.

“No.” Cora’s eyes widen.

“Yes. I walked into her office, and she was on the phone with him. Asked him to come with her to the company gala, to go shopping with her for clothes. She’s already moved on.” I clench my jaw.

“Oh, Logan.” Cora wraps her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug, her warmth and softness a balm to my battered soul.

I surrender to her embrace, hugging her back, the contact only reinforcing the lonely ache in my chest, the yawning emptiness that only one person can fill.

“So, sherefuseda date with you?” Cora asks, pulling back to look at me.

“I didn’t ask her.”

“Why?” She searches my face, her eyes sharp and assessing. “You’re giving up before even asking?”

“She’s seeing someone else, Cora.”

“But she doesn’t know you’re interested. She doesn’t know she has a choice. Give her the option to choose Logan. Go chase after your girl.” Cora grips my shoulders, her gaze fierce and determined. “Fight for her.”

I stare at my sister for a long moment, her words sinking in, taking root. She’s right.