Page 99 of Becoming Selfish

Fuck, I love that smile. And my parents love her, which is not surprising in the least. The fact that my dad just invited her to our biggest family get-together of the year says a lot. Marc’s ex was never invited to these kinds of things.

“I’m going to make a drink and go watch the fourth quarter. Anyone want anything?” Marc stands from the table.

“Yeah, I’ll do a whiskey neat,” my dad requests as he also gets up and heads towards the living room.

“EJ?”

“Fuck it. Yeah, I’ll have just one.” I grab Logan’s hand, bringing her to the living room with me.

“I’ll take a glass of wine. Thank you, sweetheart,” Mary chimes in as Marc makes his way to the bar cart.

“Logan, you want a glass?” he asks as I take a seat on the couch and pull Logan as close to me as possible before swinging my arm around her shoulders.

“Sure, that sounds good, actually. Just a small pour, though, please.”

“Do you like red or white?” Mary asks her.

“Red would be great if you have it.”

“That’s my girl. Marc, open up that Pinot, would you?” Mary says. If anyone is going to be allowed to call Logan ‘their girl’ besides me, it’s these three people right here.

Mary sits on my dad’s lap as Marc hands us all our drinks. My stepmom clinks her glass with Logan’s and I laugh to myself at how much my family likes her already.

The game has been over for at least an hour, and the five of us have been sitting around, talking, as my parents get to know Logan a little better. It’s obvious that Mary is swooning over her, and my dad is clearly impressed. My parents and Marc are on their second drink when Logan uses my leg to push off of as she stands up from the couch.

“Well, I should get going. It’s getting late.”

“Are you sure? You can just crash here,” Marc offers.

“I can’t. I have an early morning tomorrow,” she says, but I know she’s full of shit. I’m pretty sure she feels guilty that my parents haven’t been alone with my brother and me yet, but she doesn’t realize that they would rather her be here with all of us. They’re happy to have her a part of our family. In fact, I think they’re stoked.

“It was so great to meet you.” Mary stands to hug Logan. She squeezes my girl so tightly that I’m not sure Logan can breathe. “I’m looking forward to our next visit. I need to take you to the Mall of America to do a little shopping next time. And I can’t wait for you to come to Indiana for Thanksgiving, of course.”

“Me too,” Logan tells her with a genuine smile.

“Keep my boys in check, will you?” my dad playfully instructs as he wraps his arms around her.

“Always,” she assures him, which makes me smile.

“I’ll see you in class on Monday.” Marc walks with us to the front door. “Love you,” he adds as he pulls her in for a quick hug.

I’ve heard him say those words to her plenty of times before, but today after that talk with my dad and seeing Logan around my family, I feel a little different when he says it. Not that I’m jealous or upset by it. In fact, I’m happy that my brother and Logan are so close. It’s just that I want to be able to say it too, with a different meaning, of course. But it’s too soon, and that’ll freak her out.

“Love you too,” she tells him.

Wrapping my fingers around hers, I walk her down the drive to her car. I turn and lift her up, placing her on her trunk as I stand between her legs.

“You’re the fucking best.” I brush a stray hair behind her ear.

“They’re great.”

Leaning down, I gently kiss her tattooed collarbone, realizing that I’m an idiot. I’ve loved this girl ever since she told me about her past, the same night she told me about this tattoo. I remember when she told me that the ‘I love you’ script was from the only two people she had ever truly loved and wanting to be the third. Every time I placed my lips on it, I was silently telling her that I was already there.

“You sure you can’t stay?” I ask, leaning in and lingering my lips just above hers, trying my very best to tempt her into spending the night with me.

“I can’t, baby. I have a workout with Ali in the morning.”

I playfully roll my eyes at her fib because I know that’s not the real reason she doesn’t want to stay. I know it’s because she’s trying to be respectful by giving my parents time alone with my brother and me. But she’s a cute little liar, so I’ll let her get away with it this time.

---