Page 33 of Because of Logan

“Exactly. Nothing remotely romantic has ever happened between us, and it never will. We have a few of our classes together since we share the same major, and we hang out often as well. He’s my best friend.”

Logan takes a moment to think it over while taking a sip of his water bottle.

“Is Bruno interested in your sister then?”

The thought of Bruno and River together makes me burst out laughing.

“Oh, God, no. Bruno is in a long-term relationship with someone who lives out of town. That’s where he is today. He spends most weekends away.”

I can see how from the outside, someone might think Bruno and I are more. But friends with benefits, we are not. I know all of Bruno’s secrets, and he knows mine. We’re each other’s rock.

Bruno is the kind of guy everyone loves and wants to be friends with. Having people think we have some sort of fuck-buddy relationship is sometimes mutually beneficial. It keeps guys from badgering me and keeps most girls off his back too. Not everyone cares that he’s in a relationship. It’s easy to ignore it when no one but me has met his person.

“So, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“Work in a magazine or newspaper as an editor. I’m doing a double-major. Communications and English.”

My real dream is to be a writer, but I don’t tell him that. I take a sip of my water before shifting the conversation back to him.

“What about you? Who are your friends?”

What I want to ask is what a guy who looks like him is doing with me. He could have anyone.

“I stay in touch with a lot of the guys from college. We have an alumni hockey team and play all year long, just for fun. RU gives us some ice time a few times a month. Less so during the season. I’m the youngest at work, so the older guys like to call me rookie and pull pranks on me. I don’t have anyone like Bruno. I guess I have to agree with River. Most of my female friends wanted more. I dated some over the years, but nothing serious.”

“No one serious? Ever?”

He hesitates before he answers. His blue eyes go stormy at my question, but he covers it up so fast, I wonder if I imagined the whole thing.

“There was someone I dated for a long time, but it didn’t work out. We wanted different things. I’ve been single for the last four years.”

I’ve been single for almost four years too, with the exception of those three weeks I was with Jon—I don’t know what I was thinking back then. I’m glad his relationship ended a while ago. It must mean he’s over her, right?

“And what about your family? You mentioned a brother before. Is he your only sibling?”

“No other siblings. Just Liam. He’s two years younger than me, and he’s a marine deployed somewhere in the Middle East.”

“A police officer and a marine. Your parents must be so proud.”

“Not exactly. Our parents don’t approve of our career choices.”

There’s a thunderstorm is his eyes. Then I remember what he said earlier about not being close to his parents. I want to smack myself in the head and kick his parents in the ass.

“Why the hell not?”

I’m so mad at myself and put off on his behalf, the words are out of my mouth before I have a chance to think them over.

Logan laughs and the storm clouds leave his eyes. They’re sky blue again.

“They had different ideas for what our lives should be. We don’t get along that well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I sometimes forget not everyone is as lucky as I am. Holiday dinners must be difficult.”

“They would be if I attended any. I haven’t been back home in four years.”

That surprises me and touches something inside my chest. I feel for him. I’m not so naïve as to think everyone has a loving and supportive family, and even then, there are always differences. But to have no one? That’s heartbreaking.

“What do you do for Thanksgiving? Christmas?”

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