Page 168 of Becoming Selfish

“You’re kidding me,” Logan says with wide eyes as she leans forward to look out the window, taking in the massive house in front of her. “This is where you guys grew up?”

“Logan, it’s Indiana.” Marc sits forward in the space between our seats. “Houses are practically free here compared to California prices.”

“But still, this place is...this place is massive.”

She’s not wrong. Our childhood home is huge. It’s a six-bedroom house with a den that may as well count as a seventh, not to mention the pool out back or the firepit and half basketball court.

Yes, my parents are financially very well off and can afford a place like this. But more than anything, my parents bought this house so that our families could get together under one roof. Family has always been at the forefront of any plans they made, and that idea has been passed down to Marc and me. It’s the most important thing to me.

“Ready?” I ask Logan.

I don’t see any of the extended family’s cars in the driveway, so they probably won’t be here until later. At least Logan won’t be bombarded the second she walks through the door.

“Logan!” Mary exclaims, throwing open the front door before bounding towards my girl. She wraps her arms around Logan, keeping her held tightly against her short body. “I missed you.”

Even though Mary has only met Logan once, she’s not lying about missing her. Every time I’ve spoken to her since, the first thing she asks is how my girl is doing. When Mary and my dad came to my game at Purdue a couple of weeks ago, the only topic they wanted to discuss was her. Not that I mind. Logan is my favorite subject, after all.

“Fuck us, right, mom? You know us, your actual children,” Marc sarcastically says, noting the total lack of attention the two of us are getting right now.

“Yes.” Mary holds on to Logan, rocking her back and forth in a hug. “Fuck you guys,” she adds with a smile.

“Thank you for having me,” Logan says to Mary, once released from my stepmom’s embrace.

“Oh, sweet girl, thank you for coming. I’m looking forward to you being here this weekend.”

Mary gives Marc and me a hug as we walk into the house. A quick hug, definitely nothing compared to the one she gave Logan.

“Oh my god!” Logan shrieks, bending down to say hi to our dog as Max almost tackles her to the ground. “Hi, sweet boy! Hi, Maxy boy!” Logan says in her puppy voice, giving him pets, as Max wiggles his golden butt and licks her face repeatedly.

‘Hi,’ huh? I see how it is.

“Hey, Max!” I say in my same high-pitched voice, bending down to his level and opening my arms for him to come to me.

Instead, he completely ignores me and continues to give Logan all of his attention.

“Damn. First my stepmom, and now my dog? No love.” I stand and give up.

“Where’s dad?” I ask Mary as I set our bags by the base of the stairs.

“He ran to the grocery store, that saint. I forgot green beans, and your dad is now at his third store looking for some.”

“Logan, can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, wine?” she offers.

“Oh, I’m good right now. Thank you, though,” Logan says with a smile as she walks up behind me.

“I’ll take some wine,” Marc chimes in.

“You know where it is,” my stepmom states, brushing off Marc and turning back to the kitchen.

“Damn, Mom. Do you want to at least pretend you’re happy that EJ and I are home this weekend?”

“I’m sorry,” Mary says with a laugh. “I love you boys, and I’m so happy you’re home. But I’ve never—”

“We know. You’ve never had a girl here before,” I add, causing Mary to flush in embarrassment as Logan chuckles along.

“EJ, will you show Logan to your room?” Mary asks me. “Logan, we have a bit of a full house this weekend, so I have you in EJ’s room. But I can kick him out and put him on the couch if you’d prefer.”

I look at my girlfriend with a pointed glance. She already asked me where she was staying. When I told her my room, she got so uncomfortable thinking about sleeping in the same bed as me in my parents’ house, but my parents don’t give a fuck. In fact, they’re probably hoping we make them grandparents this weekend. And if she thinks I’m sleeping anywhere else besides next to her, she’s lost her goddamn mind.

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