Chapter 10 – Brother Logan.
Maybe I shouldn’t have stormed off on Pearl a few days ago, but I don’t have time to focus on her. She hasn’t called or messaged since I gave her my number, so screw her. The wedding is a week and a half away. If it’s meant to be with me and her, then fate will make it happen, right?
Checklist in hand, I run through the last few things I need to finish.
●Pick up tuxedos for groom’s party.
●Organize bachelor party.
● Write speech.
● Pack suitcase.
● Find passport.
Passport, where the hell did I leave that? I could have sworn I put it back in my safe, but it’s not there. Fuck!
There”s a knock at my apartment door, so I stomp toward it.
Swinging it open, I’m ready to give the bellboy a mouthful for not leaving my mail downstairs as I’ve told him a million times. I really do not understand why he does that.
Surprisingly, I am greeted by Logan.
“You expecting someone else?” he asks, quirking a brow.
“No, no one actually. Thought you might have been that kid from downstairs who never listens to me about my mail.” I rub the back of my neck.
He half smiles. “Yeah, he was on his way up here but gave me your parcels.” He hands me the bag of letters and small packages. “So, can I come in?”
I open the door wide and turn toward my kitchen, rooting through the bag, hoping to find a gift I had bought Logan for his wedding day.
Over my shoulder, I say, “Hey, grab us some beers” before taking a seat at my dining room table.
He appears two minutes later, cold beers in hand, and sits opposite me. Things feel weird for the first time between us, and I pretend I’m interested in my mail for once, sifting through each letter.
“Learned something new about you,” he says, staring at me with a smirk playing on his lips.
“Yeah, what’s that?”
“Nothing, I just wanted your attention, so, what’s wrong, Colt?” I throw caution to the wind and tell him what’s wrong; he is my best friend, after all.
“Just feels strange between us.”
“Why, because I’m getting married or because of the other day at my place?” He takes a long swig of his beer, then wipes the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Both,” I whisper, then look down at the letters in front of me.
He sighs, then raps his knuckles on the table, so I look up.
“You remember that day Saffie left me, do you remember what you said?” I squeeze my eyebrows together, trying to rack my brain for answers, and Logan laughs. “Let me remind you.” He launches into the full story, and slowly but surely, I remember what he’s going on about.
Watching my best friend suffer like this is just unfair, especially since I can’t do anything to help him. I never liked Saffie, something about her was off from the get-go. The way I’d catch her glaring at Logan with pure disgust in her eyes when he wasn’t looking or how she batted her eyelashes when she needed his bank card. It was clear to me she only had dollar signs in her eyes.
And what did I do to protect my friend? Nothing … I did nothing. I thought the best way to help him would be to support him. If he’s happy, then that’s enough for me, even if I think he deserved more.
He downs another shot of whiskey. That’s enough. I move the glass and bottle out of his reach, and he slurs, “Fffuck you.”
Getting down to his eye level, I grip his shoulders and prop him up on the table. “You’ve had enough. Part of me wishes I never made you open that fucking letter, but here we are, and I’m not going to watch you drink yourself away, you want to know why?” I soften my features as tears brim his eyes. “We are an elite club of men, not boys. We are a team. A band of brothers.”
“Yeah, sssure thing, only boysss can join, you sssay?” He smiles.
“Does Brother Logan have something he wishes to bring to the meeting?”
“Brother what?” His head flops, and part of me is happy he will never remember this conversation. He hates cheesy things.
I laugh. “As the chairman, I want you to know I am listening, Brother Logan.”
He gags. “Please stop.”
“With what?”
“The brother thing, it’s weird!” This is what he needs to take his mind off that bitch and get his life back on track.
“No, never, it’s part of the rules. You’re in the club now, so get used to it, Brother Logan.” “Okay, fine, but we need girls in the club, lots of them,” he says with a wink.
I snap out of the flashback with a smirk.
“You remembered, then?” He chuckles, and I nod.
“Yeah, so, did you? I was certain you’d forgotten by the next day.” He shakes his head.
“Anyway,” he says, “just because I’m getting married, doesn’t change that you’re my best friend. We’re a team, and you’re right, we are a band of brothers.”