Page 95 of Ever With Me

She gulped a breath. “Because I like Brooks.”

There. She’d said it aloud.

To someone.

To herself.

Compassion dawned in his eyes.

Tugging her into his arms, Logan gave her a tight hug, which was just what she needed.Big brother hugs.No one hugged better than Logan, although her grandfather was probably a very close second. “I thought you might. I take it he doesn’t return those feelings?”

“I have no idea. But he’s a freaking rock star, Logan. I was googling him, and he...he’s got a life I can’t even imagine. The Met Gala, Grammys, red carpet appearances . . . even members of the Royal Family went to his last concert in London.And then he met with them.Why would he be interested in me?”

“Because you’re real.” Logan released her. “And you’re wonderful. He’d have to be a dimwit not to see that. He probablydoessee that, considering he’s been spending time with you.”

“Not everything about him looks good on paper. Mom and Dad would freak. The press likes to present a rough side of him that isn’t entirely accurate.”

“Maddie, you’re a smart girl. You can talk to him and judge for yourself if he’s worthy of you.”

Funny how different he was being about this than Naomi had been.

Then again, Naomi had been given reasons not to like Brooks from the start.That’s my fault, too.

She hugged her arms in tighter. “Yeah, because I did such a great job judging that with Josh.”

“You can’t throw the entire crop out because of one rotten apple,” Logan said, a smile in his eyes. “Forget Josh. If it’s any consolation at all, Kayla and I have talked about Brooks, and she’s told me how wrong the media is about him. Said there was a whole incident in Vegas last year after a concert where his band threw this party and some people ended up arrested. The media highlighted the prostitutes and drugs and made it a big scandal. Brooks wasn’t even there, but he still got dragged for it, even after he released a statement.”

“No, that doesn’t make me feel better.”Poor Brooks.He’d really had a rough go of it with the media. It made her want to take a flamethrower to all the powers that be on his behalf. Burn it all down.

Why doesn’t he fight back harder?

Then again, the guy had been fighting all his life. Maybe he’d decided some things he didn’t want to fight about.

“Brooks is one of those classic cases of walks and acts like a duck but is probably a goose. According to Kayla, anyway,” Logan said with the kind of smile that recalled a conversation that had made him happy.

Dammit.

“When did you get the chance to talk so much to Kayla? Last night?”

Logan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Actually, I asked for her phone number on Sunday. We’ve talked and texted every day since then.”

Oh. My. God.Logan mustreallylike her.

Maddie’s heart fell. “That’s great, Logan. I’m glad you’re happy.” She wanted to feel it as much as she meant it, but her own worries and disappointments ate away at her.

But what was she imagining anyway? Brooks didn’t live three hours away—he lived on the other side of the country. And despite the attraction between them being mutual, the chance of them having any sort of relationship was ludicrous. Brooks didn’t seem like a relationship guy.

Logan gave her a sympathetic look, as though he understood what she was thinking. “You should invite Brooks to come to the Applepalooza tomorrow. You never know, with Kayla and Audrey going, he might show up.”

Maddie swallowed hard. Unlike Kayla with Logan, Brooks wasn’t texting her at all. Or calling. She hadn’t even heard from him after dropping him off last night.

And now that he’d said he wouldn’t play at the fair, who knew when she would see him again? His rental was up on Sunday.

Lowering her shoulders in defeat, Maddie smiled sadly. “It doesn’t matter if he shows up. I’ve got to put on my big girl pants and accept the situation for what it is. Brooks is just passing through this town . . . and my life. And my little crush won’t change that fact.”

She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll be fine, Logan. Don’t worry, according to you guys, I’ll find someone else to develop feelings for soon enough.”

She walked away before he could respond, her heart aching.

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