Page 31 of We Were Something
And if I’m honest with myself, it’s easy to see that’s probably where I went wrong in the first place.
“Thanks for giving me a ride home.”
I turn to look at Logan where he sits in the driver’s seat, an amused smirk creeping its way onto his face.
“Well, I wouldn’t have wanted you to bestrandedat Ben’s,” he replies.
Giggling, I nibble on my lip. “Okay, so maybe Lennon went a little overboard.”
“A little?” He snorts. “I can safely confirm that she shouldn’teverseriously pursue a career as an actress.”
“Thankfully, she’s comfortable with a life outside of the spotlight. That’s more Lucas’ game,” I reply, settling into the warm leather and turning to watch as we slowly drive past the houses that line the opposite end of Ben’s street.
Dinner was going so well. Easy conversation all around, a delicious meal cooked by Remmy herself—who knew the girl could cook?—and plenty of beverages to keep things light.
Until I made the mistake of jesting that I was glad to have finally been invited to a family dinner.
“This isn’t a family dinner,” Hannah corrected, her jovial personality growing tight with discomfort. “Not without Ivy.”
My mind scrambled with a way to correct my misstep, some sort of joke or silly nothing to throw onto the table to take the mood back to what it was before I selfishly tried to make the meal about myself.
“We’ll have a family dinner with Ivy again soon,” Wyatt told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Dr. Becker is going to see to that.”
I looked over at where Logan sat next to me—a coincidencenotof my own design but simply the way the cards fell—and could see his own discomfort at having his upcoming work with Ivy highlighted in front of her family.
It was a tiny shift, so subtle I doubt anyone else noticed, but for whatever reason, I could see it. The way the skin around his lips grew tight even though he didn’t move. The infinitesimal wrinkles that appeared just around the outside edges of his eyes.
He took it in stride, though, lifting his glass. “My whole team will be doing everything we can to make sure Ivy gets to have family dinner with all of you again soon.”
And then we all followed suit, cheers-ing to Ivy and her—hopefully—healthy return home at some currently unknown distant future date.
But even with Logan’s attempt at resuscitating the evening after I popped it like a balloon, there wasn’t any kind of recovery to be found. The mood had been officially soured.
Hannah and Wyatt were the first to depart.
Then, as I placed my wine glass in the kitchen sink, I heard Lennon begin some kind of…strange monologue.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed, her eyes wide as she looked at her phone. “I completely forgot about a report I have to prepare for my boss, and I was supposed to put it on her desk today.”
“On a weekend?” I heard Ben mumble to Remmy.
Lennon turned to Lucas. “And Lucas, I need your help, too.”
Lucas glanced around in confusion, probably wondering why Lennon was speaking so loudly and in such an awkward staccato rhythm.
“Uhhh…sure. But couldn’t we just…”
“Thank you so much, babe! We should head out right now so we don’t waste a second.”
And then Lennon turned to look at me.
“Oh no!” she said again, and this time, I couldn’t help the quiet snort of laughter that flew out of my nose. “But I’m supposed to drive Paige home. What will I do now? I don’t want you to bestrandedat Ben’s!”
I shook my head and glanced over at where Ben and Remmy were giggling quietly in the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about it, Lennon,” Logan said, his voice warm and filled with amusement. Then he nodded his head at her. “I can give Paige a ride home.”
“Oh, phew!” Lennon continued. “I was so worried there for a minute.”
