Page 93 of Wild and Bright

Logan laughs humorlessly, and my chest is seized with a painful grip of longing as I realize he sounds so much like Lauren.

“Of course it wasn’t. You’re not going to win her back like this. Trust me. I’ve been in your position before.”

“How will I win her back?” I find myself asking. “How do you win someone back who wants something that you’re not ready to give them yet? Would you lie? Would you just tell them what they want to hear?”

His brows draw together. “Do you want a drink? This sounds complicated, and I feel like a glass of whiskey might help.”

* * *

Hot air blows from a kitchen vent, thawing my ice-cold nose. Logan reaches into a high cupboard and grabs a bottle of Macallan. “How do you feel about scotch?”

“Perfect. Can you pour me a pint glass of it?”

He chuckles. “Wow. She really destroyed you on that phone call, huh? I feel your pain. My sister can be fucking mean, especially when you’re mean to her first. But it’s because she’s really sensitive, and she doesn’t want people to know.”

I shut my eyes, exhaling as I hear the sound of ice hitting glass. A drink is shoved into my hand—not a pint glass, but at least a double of scotch. I take a large gulp, enjoying the burn as the liquid trails down my throat.

“I’ve been in your position before,” he says. “I know exactly how you feel. And it was way worse for me. Trust me when I tell you Leilani is ten times meaner than Lauren.”

“Logan.” The husky voice floats through from the kitchen. I glance at the entryway where Leilani stands with her hands on her hips. “What are you telling him?”

“I’m giving him advice.” He turns back to me. “Okay, here’s the thing. If you really can’t give her what she wants, you need to tell her that. Don’t lie to her. And I’m not only saying that because she’s my sister. I know how fucking miserable you are right now, and I would have told Leilani fucking anything to win her back. I would have lied out of my ass.”

“Oh my God, Logan.” Leilani places a hand on her brow, a faint smile twinging her lips.

He glances in her direction. “I’m just being honest. I was in a really dark place.” He turns back to me, his eyes growing hard. “I don’t want you to lie to my sister. Lying isn’t a good strategy. Not with Lauren. One thing that’s awesome about her is she’s really accepting of other people’s flaws.”

“Fuck,” I say, shutting my eyes tightly.

“What’s wrong?” Logan asks, and he sounds genuinely concerned.

“Nothing.” I shake my head. “I just fucking love that about her.”

When I open my eyes, Logan looks alarmed. “Dude, you’re really a wreck. Do you realize that?”

I sigh. “Yes.”

He pats me hard on the back. “It’s alright. I think it’s a good thing. In fact, I think this should be your strategy. I think you should humble yourself when you finally talk to her face-to-face.”

I frown. “How do I do that?”

“Easy. Keep doing exactly what you’re doing. Tell her the things you’re telling me right now. Give her examples even. What’s the most pathetic thing you’ve done since you haven’t been able to find her?”

I groan as I try to sort through the foggy haze of these last few miserable days. I’m not particularly optimistic about Logan’s strategy, but I can’t think of any alternatives. My head jerks up when a thought occurs to me. “I’ve been carrying her earring with me.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the dangling beads. “I found it in my bed after she moved out.”

Logan’s jaw drops, his eyes settling on the earring. “Oh my God.”

“That’s so sweet,” Leilani says.

“I’m literally crying right now.” It’s Brenna’s voice, drawing my attention to the kitchen entry, and she doesn’t sound like she’s crying. That choked quality to her voice sounds a lot more like laughter.

“Oh, Cam… That’s so sad, man.” He makes a gulping sound, as if holding back laughter. “I don’t think I ever did anything that pathetic, which is really saying a lot.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “Okay, here’s what you need to do. You need to show up at her doorstep looking exactly like you do right now, which is like absolute shit.”

“False,” Brenna cuts in. “He looks great. Like a lumberjack.”

“Well, whatever,” Logan says. “Show up looking like you haven’t showered, and lead with the earring. Make shit up if you have to. Tell her you’ve been wandering around your house kissing it or something.”

“I have been.”

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