Page 8 of The Star

I give him another forced smile, trying my best to look more confident than I feel. He closes his eyes for a millisecond, then slides his hand to the door handle. “Ready?”

I mirror his motions, pulling on my own handle to pop my door open as well. “Ready.”

A woman appears in the doorway of the house the moment my feet hit the bricks of the driveway. She’s short and thin, with blonde hair cascading down her shoulders perfectly, and she’s dressed in a clean white dress that stops at the knee, paired with heels that are higher than I ever saw my mom wear.

Her lips pull into the same big ass smile that graces my father’s face as he jogs across the driveway to pull her into a hug.

I avert my gaze when he presses his lips to hers, his arms wrapped firmly around her waist. I’ve never seen him with anyone but my mom, and I feel like I’m witnessing something far too personal and intimate to keep my attention on it.

“Logan!”

My father’s voice pulls my attention back to the front of the house, and my eyes collide with Sara’s. I try to hold in the groan that sits in the back of my throat as I make my way to meet her with a tight-lipped smile.

Once I’m close enough to get a better look at her, my throat starts to swell a little. A wave of anxiety washes over me as I look into her pale blue eyes, so I try to swallow through the feeling.

“Logan,” my dad says, “this is Sara.”

I clear my throat. “Hi, Sara.”

Her face spreads into a huge, welcoming smile. “Logan, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

She steps into me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. I just stand there like a mannequin, unable to move my limbs to return the gesture. I feel a little guilty in my gut, but mainly I’m just overwhelmed.

She pulls back, giving me another good look into her mesmerizing eyes, and I feel a string pull at my heart again. My mom had blue eyes too, but they were darker. More like the depths of a freezing cold ocean, whereas Sara’s are crystalized – like a clean river you just want to roll around in.

“Why don’t you come inside and see the house. Carson is looking forward to meeting you.”

My eyebrows furrow in question. “Carson?”

“I told you about Sara’s son,” my father says. “Don’t you remember?”

I rear my head back, my eyes bugging out. “You definitely didn’t mention him, Dad.”

“I’m sure I did.” He flexes his eyebrows just enough for me to notice, a motion that saysbe nice.

“Well,” Sara interjects, still smiling warmly, “you know now. Come in and meet him, Logan.”

My stomach turns to lead, making the breakfast I had this morning churn around inside of me. I take a breath, because what else can I do, and follow Sara and my dad into my new home.

four

LOGAN

I’m not sure why I’m surprised at the interior of the house when the exterior looks the way it does.

But I’m still caught off guard when I walk through the front door.

My gaze trails across every inch of what I can see from the foyer. The floors are a clean white marble with faint black swirls running through each panel, the walls are also a bright shade of white, giving the whole home a modern feel. The foyer opens up to a sitting area with a staircase sitting at the entrance, the steps and railing a deep, black marble.

I swallow through the nerves sitting in my chest, turning to my father with a look. He grins, his cheeks pulling up. He thinks I’m impressed, but he’s wrong. I’m just overwhelmed.

I grew up happy, but it hurts to know there’re people sitting across town in homes like this when I know so many families in Franklin that are struggling. Imagine how many meals, warm clothes, utility bills, and school supplies could be paid for with the amount of money that was poured into thisonehouse.

I shake my head a little at the thought.

“Carson?” Sara calls out. “Come and meet Logan!”

My shoulders lift a little, almost as if I’m getting ready to protect myself. I’m unsure why, but there’s a creeping feeling in my bones telling me that this is the beginning of a very, veryunhappily ever after.

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