Page 85 of Breathless

Jesus, what is goingon?

A bad feeling settles over me, and all at once, it dawns on me. Those texts Logan’s been getting for the past several days. The ones he got this morning fromSam.

No, not Sam.Samantha.

I never bothered to read those messages. Didn’t think I needed to. Even if I was concerned, snooping isn’t mystyle.

But nowSamhas definitely piqued myinterest.

“Did you say you saw Logan on Sunday?” I hear myself ask as I lean against the wall. Bracing myself for her response, I cringe when she smilesagain.

“Sunday night.” A giggle shakes her ample chest. “I can’t turn him away when he wants to get some, you know? He’s insatiable. He sure does like his bootycalls.”

My stomach lurches because she’s talking so confidently, with so much assurance, it rattlesme.

“I… Can you tell me what time he… visited on Sunday?” I feel like I’m clinging to a life raft in the middle of a storm. Maybe this woman is a nut job. Maybe she’ll tell me the wrong time, but all the hope I have burns to ash when sheresponds.

“It was after he stopped at the pharmacy for Zach, so it was late. Like almost midnight. Poor Zachy got sick and needed some soup, and Logan drove to my apartment in the middle of the night, bless his heart. And then he tucked me in, if you know what Imean.”

Bile crawls up the back of mythroat.

Sunday night. When Logan left for several hours to allegedly refill his mother’s prescription and came back well after midnightexhausted.

My brother’s warning rings loud and clear in my mind. That Logan’s a cheater. That he’ll toss me away once he gets what he’s looking for. That I’ll never keep hisinterest.

I shake my head. I’ve known Logan my whole life, and he might be irresponsible from time to time, but I can’t see him sleeping with another woman right in myface.

“Is he gonna be home soon?” Samantha curls a shiny lock of hair around her finger. “I figured he’d be here since his truck is parkedoutside.”

“I borrowed his truck. He took his brother’s. He was supposed to be home for dinner, but I guess he’s running late…” I trail off. I’m not sure why I’m telling herthis.

She takes a step closer. Samantha is really beautiful, I admit ruefully. Tall and buxom with gorgeous longhair.

“Logan’s so proud of Zach. Want to see somephotos?”

I have no clue who Zach is, but this doesn’t seem to deterher.

Without invitation, she sidles up next to me and pulls out her phone. She’s so much taller than me, her being this close is freaking me out. When she taps on the screen, several texts from Logan pop up. She swipes it, but not before I see him asking where she is. That he’s been trying to reach her. That he really needs to talk toher.

My unease deepens. God, am I being a complete idiot? Is she telling the truth about dating him or hooking up or whatever they’re doing? I cover my mouth with my hand, afraid I’m going to besick.

She smiles at me like my world isn’t on the cusp of destruction. “Here we have a photo from last summer at thelake.”

“La-lastsummer?”

“I have some from the year before, but last summer’s shots areadorable.”

“So you guys go back years?” I askweakly.

Nodding, she looks at me like I’m a moron. “Well, Zachary is seven, so you do themath.”

My heart thuds painfully in my chest, and I swallow back the acid in the back of my throat, my eyes finally focusing on the image in front ofme.

It’s a pic of Samantha and Logan. He has his arm around her shoulders, and they’re bothsmiling.

And they’re standing behind a little blondboy.

One who’s the spitting image ofLogan.

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