Page 89 of Whatever You Want

“Trust me, I’ve had a punch to the chest that’s hurt worse than this.”

“I’m more concerned about your heart,” his mother said, and he cut his gaze to hers. “You need to follow up with your cardiologist.”

“Mom.” His eyes narrowed in warning. I tilted my head to the side, trying to figure out what was going on.

She sighed like she was losing patience with him. “You can’t take chances like that, you know better.”

I turned my attention to Logan, my brows pinched in confusion. “What’s wrong with your heart?”

He picked up the TV remote to pause whatever show they’d been watching. “There is nothing wrong with my heart. My mom is just being paranoid.”

“I’m sorry. You know how I worry.” Kelly wiped her eyes as Luke stood off to the side, curling his hands around the back of the loveseat. The expression on his face made no sense.

“Am I missing something here?” There was obviously something they weren’t telling me. I was trying to read between the lines, but I was so exhausted from the lack of sleep that I couldn’t get my brain to function properly.

Logan dragged a hand over his face. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Luke is a heart transplant recipient. My mom is extra cautious and freaks out about every little thing that happens to us.”

It took me a minute to register what he said. “I’m sorry. I did not know that.” I looked over to Luke. “Is everything okay? Are you having complications?”

“I’m fine.” He patted his chest. “The new ticker is doing great, actually.” While I appreciated his attempt at humor, I was still baffled as to why everyone in this room still seemed worried about Logan.

Patrick stood up, looking at his watch. “Why don’t we go home and get some rest. We’ll check in with you in a few hours.”

Kelly grabbed her purse and handed me a piece of paper. “Here are the instructions on his wound care and medications. His antibiotics and pain pills are on the table. Please call us if either of you need anything.” She squeezed my arm and flicked a glance over to her son. The guilt in her features threw me off.

Luke glanced at his brother and gave him a nod. I watched them all bolt toward the door like they couldn’t get out of here fast enough. I didn’t know that the hell was going on but it couldn’t have been good.

A thick layer of silence filled the room. “Is there a reason why you never mentioned your brother’s heart transplant?”

Logan brought his hand up to his jaw and scratched it aggressively. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Why would I need to worry?”

He was taking his sweet time answering me, and I was running out of patience. “Logan, I’m going to ask you one more time. Why would I need to worry?”

He hung his head and closed his eyes. “We share the same genetic heart issue. The only difference is, he has symptoms and I don’t.”

My world tilted to the side, yet somehow my body remained still. “What was wrong with his heart?”

“He was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. It’s a disease that can cause thickening of the heart muscle, which can lead to other complications. After his transplant, his doctor suggested we all get tested. We found out that the disease runs on my mom’s side of the family.”

“What about you?” My breathing was heavy, and I tried to slow it down so I could focus. “And what about Brina? Please tell me she’s okay.”

Logan was an adult, but Brina was so young. I couldn’t imagine if that were Madison.

He gave me a small smile. “She tested negative. She’s fine.”

I blew out a sigh of relief, but it quickly disappeared. “But you’re not fine, are you? That’s why your mom was so worried?”

He closed his eyes. “I have the gene, but I don’t have any physical symptoms. My heart function is completely normal.”

“Logan, I’m not a doctor. I have no idea what any of this means.”

“It means I can have the gene but never develop symptoms. I see a specialist once a year and have a cardio workup done to make sure there is no thickening of the heart muscle. Really, it’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal? Your brother had a heart transplant. How can you say that? Just because you don’t have symptoms now, that doesn’t mean they won’t develop later in life.”

He released a heavy breath, seeming frustrated with me. “Ava, my grandmother lived to be eighty-five without any heart issues until the last four years of her life. It’s not a death sentence.”

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