Page 103 of Bad Love

The man in the back drums his fingers on the side of the car. “It still doesn’t sound like a slamdunk.”

Logan starts to respond, but I turn in my seat before he can. “Slam dunks are for NBA players. The rest of us do the best we can. Logan and I are working our asses off. Did he make a mistake with that bet? Maybe. But we all make mistakes. We can all rise abovethem.”

I’m not sure where the fierceness came from, but Monty blinks at me for a moment. “Fairenough.”

After that, the three of us chat the rest of the drive. It’s like I passed atest.

Monty indulges me with stories of them growing up. How they dive most weeks. Pranks Logan pulled over the years. But more than that, how they covered for eachother.

It makes me warm inside hearing how they had each other’s backs through school, dating, every mishap. And it makes me feel as if I’m part of a club. Deliberate or not, when they let me into Logan’s car and when Monty let me into this conversation, they let me into their relationship. I get to experience it. To be with people bonded together not by accomplishment, but by the fact that they care about one another and are loyal to theend.

It’sbeautiful.

“You must’ve missed him when he left after school,” Icomment.

“I did,” Monty says. “If he leaves again, I’ll kick hisass.”

I cut a look at Logan, who says, “Not planningto.”

That makes me feel better and worse. Better because hearing that he’s planning to stick around New York long term makes my chest tighten with excitement. Worse because I can feel my expectations rise everysecond.

When Logan stops and gets out at a gas station on Long Island, I shrink against theseat.

"You okay up there?" Montyasks.

"Great."

"Bullshit." But there's no malice in it. "I’ll be straight with you. It's a Hunter party,” he says, mistaking my nerves for being solely about tonight’s event. “Everyone who's anyone will be there. You might make it into the stylesection."

My jaw drops. "You'rekidding."

"I've been in it twice, which is a joke. One year I wanted to wear overalls just to see if they'd still take my picture. Hunter's mom had seersucker brought in inretaliation."

I chew my lip, my gaze landing on Logan. He winks at me through the window, but it doesn't ease mynerves.

"What do you want from him, Kendall?" Monty sounds genuinelycurious.

"Nothing," I reply softly as I watchLogan.

"That's a shame. Because if he brings you home, he wants something fromyou."

* * *

The house emergesfrom the distance. It's a beautiful colonial with ten windows along the front. I have time to count them all as we go up the graveldriveway.

"It's all lies," Logan murmurs as he grabs my bag from thetrunk.

"Whatis?"

"Whatever Monty toldyou."

The man in question is already ambling up the steps to the house, looking atease.

I find a smile somewhere. "Noted."

"We'll have fun. Promise." He kisses my hand before starting up thesteps.

"Are we meeting your familynow?"

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