Chapter Eight
EVELYN
The second day of the conference was a near-repeat of the first.
I stayed with the girls while Logan attended his panels and worked the room. (A petty part of me desperately hoped he was floundering without his Spanish translator). That night, I moved into the room next to his so the girls could sleep with me.
It might have been a mistake. They were growing more attached by the hour, and that would only make the eventual separation harder. I clung to the hope that they’d bond with their father before then, but given what I’d seen of Logan Turner, I wasn't holding my breath.
On Monday, I was finally free to leave.
Though our separation was temporary—I was due to travel with him to New York on Tuesday for his hospital visit—the brief return to my own life was a relief.
Jenna, my best friend’s grandmother who had taken me in, welcomed me with a warm hug and asked if I wanted to talk about "that weekend business." I told her I wasn't ready yet. She understood, kissed my cheek, and said I could count on her for anything.
I thanked her and asked for the day off from the bookstore. I promised I’d explain everything when she got home that evening, including why I needed to resign.
I still had no idea how I was going to explain it to this woman I loved like my own grandmother.
A fresh wave of anger washed over me as I remembered how flippantly Logan had dismissed it.
In his mind, it was simple: I wouldn't need my job because of the money, and Jenna wouldn't miss me because he’d hire my replacement.
He was practical and rational to a fault. But some things in life—like loyalty and love—couldn't be solved with cold logic. Maybe he’d learn that one day.
Or maybe not.
I was in my room, packing a suitcase, when I heard a key in the front door lock. It was only ten in the morning—too early for Jenna. That could only mean one person.
The only other person who had a key.
My suspicion was confirmed when a familiar voice called out, "Evy? Are you here?"
I sighed deeply. How long did I think I could avoid my best friend?
"In my room, Cami," I replied.
She appeared in the doorway, wearing the expression of an older sister about to read the riot act to her mischievous sibling. It might seem absurd, since Camila was a year younger, but she’d always been the more sensible one.
"Mother of Logan Turner's secret twins?" she said, cutting straight to the chase.
I sighed again. As Logan's brother's wife, I hoped she was already up to speed, saving me from having to recount the whole sordid tale.
"How much do you know?" I asked.
"That Logan has two daughters he knew nothing about until they were left on his hotel doorstep with a note. Since then, the internet has been a circus, he won't answer Michael's calls, and you won't answer mine."
"You got married two weeks ago. Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon?" I knew they’d only spent a week in Aspen and were back to their routines, but they should still be basking in newlywed bliss, not dealing with family drama.
More blame to add to Logan Turner’s tab.
"We have a daughter, Michael has an architecture firm, and I have a job with deadlines," she retorted, hands on her hips. "So, stop deflecting and tell me how you became the mother of Logan's kids."
“Did you know he went to UCLA?” I asked, stalling.
“I know. So did you… and so did I. But our college was miles from the Medical Department, and even if you had somehow met back then… Evelyn, I lived with you. I think I would’ve noticed you being pregnant with twins.”
“Well, you were always buried in your books. Maybe you missed it.”
“Can you just stop and tell me what’s really going on?” Camila pleaded, her patience wearing thin. “Michael went over to Logan’s to get the story, so I’ll hear it one way or another. But I want to hear it from you.”
I gave up and set the suitcase aside, sinking onto the single bed.
“He offered me a million dollars to spend two days confirming I was the girls’ mother and that he never knew about the pregnancy. It was supposed to be just the weekend, but… people started assuming we were a couple, and he ran with it.”
“That son of a bitch!” she cursed. Camila had a short fuse and a vocabulary to match when she was angry.
“Well… his lawyer is drawing up a contract for me to sign tomorrow, and I’m going with him to New York. He’s obsessed with this director position. Apparently, his personal image is a big part of it.”
“I know… I know that story.”
She thought she did, but the circumstances were wildly different. Before they fell in love, Camila and Michael had also faked a relationship, but his motive was noble: to win custody of his daughter. Logan already had his daughters; he just didn’t seem to want them.
Camila moved closer, sitting beside me on the bed. “I hope he at least offered you more money for the extended performance.”
“He did. But the initial million was already more than enough to pay off my debts and start over. I never wanted to lie about something this big.”
“Then why did you agree? You could’ve let his directorship dream crash and burn. His family is filthy rich, and he’s already a prestigious doctor. It’s not like he needs it.”
“I agreed for the girls.”
Cami’s expression shifted to one of confusion, and I understood why. I didn’t hate kids, but I’d never been maternal. I’d chosen to teach teenagers for a reason. The desire for motherhood had never been part of my plan.
“Their mother just… dropped them off,” I explained, the memory making my chest tight. “And Logan has spent the last two days treating them like a problem to be managed so they don’t ruin his career. One of the girls is deaf, Cami. And it took him over a day to even realize it.”
Camila shook her head, her face a mirror of my own shock and disappointment.
“It’s funny,” she said. “Michael was always seen as the irresponsible one. But the second he found out he was a father; he moved heaven and earth to be with Alice. He changed his whole life for her.”
“Yeah, well. Logan Turner is selfish. He can’t see past his own ambition. Is it any wonder the girls latched onto the first person who paid them any attention?”
“Poor babies… So, you’re going to New York with him. Are the girls going, too?”
“He said he’s leaving them with his mother.”
“And is Trinity aware she’s about to get two new grandchildren?”
“Honestly? That’s his problem to solve. He’s touring the hospital and meeting the board now. The actual interview isn’t until next month. It’s mid-December; the higher-ups will be on holiday break soon.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Of course not, Cami. But my options are limited. And you know this money will change everything for me. I just feel terrible about leaving your grandmother in the lurch at the bookstore.”
“Evy, you’re about to be a millionaire. No one expects you to stay a bookstore clerk.”
“Logan said he’d arrange and pay for a temp to cover my shift until our contract is over, and I can come back. If your grandmother will even have me. I won’t be a millionaire, Cami. I’ll be debt-free. I’ll buy a small apartment, maybe a car… and then I’ll keep working.”
“Grandma will miss you, but she won’t say no to someone else footing the payroll for a while,” Cami said with a wry laugh.
I managed a faint smile, more for her sake than from any real amusement.
“I’ll talk to her tonight. I hope she understands.”
“She will. She loves you like a granddaughter.”
This time, my smile was genuine, filled with a deep gratitude for having Camila and Jenna as my chosen family. Meanwhile, my own parents, who lived in an apartment in the very same building, had never been the type to care about my feelings.
All I’d heard from my mother after my breakup was that I was "incompetent at keeping a man" and was now an "embarrassment" as a newly single woman. She never once asked why the relationship ended. It was easier for her to just assume it was my fault.
Cami pulled me into a tight hug, whispering in my ear that I could always count on her and to please, for the love of God, answer my phone and keep her updated.
“And if that idiot treats you badly, you call me,” she finished, pulling back with a fierce look. “I’ll fly to New York myself to kick him in the balls.”
I had to laugh. I loved my best friend’s unique brand of affection. “Deal. But you know me. I’d make sure to get the first kick in myself.”
“Then he’ll get two,” she declared, standing up. “Alright, I have to run. I left Alice with Trinity, and I need to pick her up. My mother-in-law is at the hospital with Sebastian today. Michael’s meeting them there later.”
Oh, that’s right. Today was the day Bonnie Turner, the wife of the oldest brother, was having her heart surgery. From what I’d heard, it was a major, complex procedure.
I said a quick goodbye, and she left, the room falling silent once more. I was alone again with my half-packed suitcase and the whirlwind of my thoughts.