Page 122 of Becoming Selfish

“Please.” He takes the seat next to Logan.

I set a plate of perfectly grilled pancakes in front of my brother and my girl before grabbing the syrup I heated up out of the microwave.

“Thanks, baby,” she says as I set the sticky sugar in front of her, but her eyes aren’t as bright as they typically are when she calls me that.

“Good morning, friends!” Ali exclaims as she bounds down the stairs wearing her workout clothes, her headphones draped around her neck.

“Logan, you look beautiful as always,” she says, right as Logan takes a mouthful of her breakfast. “Maddison, you done being a little bitch?”

“Jesus, Ali,” Marc says under his breath, shaking his head.

I look to Logan as she bites on her bottom lip, trying to hold back her amusement. But I can’t help it as I let out a chuckle.

“Yes, ma’am.” Ali is a ballbuster for sure, but I’m glad she has Logan’s back, even when it’s me that her anger is directed towards.

“Good, stop being mean to my friend,” she adds. “Logan, I’m going for a run. Want to come?” Ali rips a banana off the bunch from the fruit bowl in the center of the island.

“No, I’m going to stay in. I think I’m going to take a nap.” I walk over to Logan with a fork in hand, ready to help her polish off her plate of pancakes.

“Alright, see you guys when I’m back.” Ali puts her headphones over her ears and turns to leave. She quickly and slyly squeezes Marc’s arm before running out the door.

After breakfast, Marc reaches his hands up, stretching out his stomach. He grabs Logan’s empty plate along with his own and places them in the sink.

“I’m going to be watching the Clemson and Auburn game if you guys are looking for me.” He makes his way towards the living room. If I happen to have a Saturday off from hockey, our favorite thing to do is to watch college football all day.

Logan stands from her seat. “I’m going to go get some sleep.” She heads towards the stairs, and I follow her like a lost puppy dog, needing her to tell me that everything is okay between us.

“Want me to come with you?” I pathetically ask.

She shakes her head. “No, you should hang out with Marc. Thanks for breakfast.” She turns to face me halfway up the staircase.

I give her a poor little half-smile in return before she continues up and out of sight.

“She hates me,” I tell Marc as I plop myself down to lay on the couch opposite of him in the living room.

“Stop being so dramatic.” He can’t help but roll his eyes. “Logan will come around when she’s ready.”

“Okay, let’s hear it.” I keep my eyes on the TV, watching the opening kickoff of the football game.

“Hear what?” Marc asks.

“The lecture you planned out for me for treating your best friend the way I did last night.” I hate every word that comes out of my mouth as I remind myself of what I said to Logan yesterday.

“I’m not saying anything about it.”

“Well, that’s a first.”

“I already know you’re beating yourself up over there right now. You love her too much not to be.” Marc turns to give me a sympathetic smile.

I nod my head in agreement because he’s right. I am.

“But Mom will literally kill you if she ever finds out that you spoke to Logan that way.”

“Fuck,” I say as the realization hits me. “I know. No joke, she’d disown me.”

“So, you going to tell me what caused you to have a panic attack and be an asshole to everyone yesterday?”

I once again keep my gaze glued to the TV. “There was a scout at the Penn State game on Thursday. I played like shit, and he left after the second period.”

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