Chapter 100
Riley points to the stage where Gigi and her sisters are starting off the karaoke.
“Lord have mercy,” Daddy says.
When the song begins, I widen my eyes as soon as I hear the “leave your hat on” lyrics. That song will always remind me of Logan and me parked in his truck on an empty dirt road.
Last summer feels like a lifetime ago tonight. But in some ways, the song makes that night feel like it just happened. Over a hundred degrees out, the windows open all the way as we went all the way, and then drove off before the cops ever saw us.
I turn my head toward Logan. He shifts in my direction like he can feel me looking. And he blushes. I can see it from here.
He’s remembering the same night. For some reason, that’s enough to soothe me. I smile at Mama and lean back, relaxing for the first time all evening.
The karaoke has gotten way out of hand. Mama actually got up and sang a song by Johnny Cash. She was so off-key, and then Daddy went up and joined her in the chorus, which made the whole mess worse.
I’ve got my cheek in my palm and my elbow resting on the table, wondering if I can leave soon, when I sit up straight.
Mrs. Phillips is grabbing Daddy on his way off the stage.
I lean forward to get a better view as she whispers into his ear.
He turns red and says something as well, but then she glances back to the front door. I turn around to see Mr. Phillips walking in from the outside, and by the time I return my gaze to Gigi’s mother, she’s disappeared.
What the hell was that about?
I tell Ginny I’m going to get some air. I’m not outside five minutes when a warm hand touches my shoulder.
“Your mama’s still making the Henwood clan proud,” Logan says in his slow drawl.
“She sure is.” I laugh. “Why do you think I’m outside?”
He takes my arm. “Come with me to the pasture out back.”
We walk until we reach the chain link fence separating us from the horse farm next door. Then, we stop and take seats on the grass.
I pick up an errant stick and dig it into the earth until I hit the hard limestone.
I know Logan’s dying to learn the details behind Skip’s story, and I wonder how he’s going to ask me. Is he still frustrated that I turned off my phone, or is he upset I never told him about the curse? What I don’t expect is what comes out of his mouth…
“So what does he have on you?”
I jerk my head up and look at him. His piercing eyes are focused on me intently.
I try to sound casual. “Nothing.”
“I know you.” He leans closer. “And I know that Macey Henwood would never give her hand away to anyone—much less a two-bit reporter, unless—” Logan stops and stares at me. “It’s us, isn’t it? He’s got something on us.”
I shake my head, but Logan’s glaring now. “He blackmailed you? I’m going to fucking kill him.”
“Logan, please.” I grab his arm before he can stand up. “Don’t worry about it. You’re getting married tomorrow. I’m okay. I swear.”
He shifts gears. “But you believe you’re cursed? And you have since—when?”
“Since Mama hit me with the bottle. She showed me Vivian’s diary page that night.”
I suddenly realize how exhausted I am. I’m exhausted from keeping the secret for so long. Somewhere along the way, Mama’s shame became my shame, and I don’t know when I actually started to believe her, but the truth is that part of me did.
“You really think you’re cursed,” Logan says incredulously. “You seriously believe that crap.”
When I start to cry, he puts his hand on my arm and turns me to face him.
“Macey Henwood, you are not freaking cursed. God has not jinxed you. You hear me? The whole legend is a fairy tale gone horribly bad. This town is so out of touch with real life it’s ridiculous.
Your mother’s basing her daughter’s future on a hundred-and-fifty-year-old diary! ”
I nod. “I know. Skip just got me really…thrown off. But in some ways, I’m glad. At least all my secrets are out there now. It helped me to let go.”
We go silent.
“So you gave him the story to protect—”
I save him from having to continue. “So you and Gigi wouldn’t have any drama.”
He doesn’t say anything, just looks at me. But his eyes tell me everything—thank you, but why would you care so much? You don’t even like Gigi.
“I didn’t think it was fair to you.” I pull at the thread in my cut-off shorts until it severs. “Skip strung a bunch of out-of-context pictures together to make a story look worse than it was. You weren’t doing anything wrong.”
“Macey.” Logan’s voice is strained. “You have no idea how much I appreciate you doing that. I wish I could explain to you exactly why, but someday you’ll understand.”
“It’s okay. I know your wedding means a lot to you, and I was happy to help make sure you get your happily ever after. Like you deserve.”
Logan’s gaze is knife-like, and as we stare at each other, I bite my lip and get lost in those dancing flecks of emerald surrounded by whiskey.
I know I’m not going to see Logan Wild unattached for much longer, and then I’ll have missed my chance.
So I stop biting my lip and go for broke.
“How much does Gigi know? About us?”
He blinks in surprise at my question and doesn’t answer me right away. Finally, he murmurs, “Some details.”
“How much?” I touch his knee.
No answer.
“How much?” I push again.
Nothing.
I grab him by the arm and shake him. “Tell me!”
“What are you asking for? What exactly did you want me to tell her?” His raised voice cuts through the quiet night. “That I’ve been in love with you since we were eight years old but I never had the guts to say it?!”
He stops short then, but his heart’s on his sleeve.
And I’m scared speechless.
I stand up when he does, and the tortured look in his eyes is the only thing that stops me from grabbing him and kissing him. He pushes past me and disappears around the cypress tree. And I stare up at the stars and wonder how I got my heart into such a mess.
But I don’t go back inside and try to find him.
Instead, I force myself to get into my SUV and drive away before I stop myself in that moment with Logan forever.
Because that moment would be entanglement, not love.
That moment would be my mother hanging on to my father because she doesn’t know what else to do with herself, because she’s not even sure it’s about him as much as it’s about not being alone. That moment would be me holding on to moments filled with pain.
All I know is that it’s hard, and I’m sad, and I wish I’d done more than screw around with Logan all these years. I wish I’d had more strength and more courage and more heart, rather than just making a teenage vow and holding onto it for dear life.
Because then who knows.
Logan
I let out a string of curse words as I disappear around the corner.
That is the absolute last way I ever planned to tell Macey I loved her.
And it is the absolute worst way I could have done it, spontaneously shouting it at her and then fleeing. Nice, Logan. Just fucking perfect.
The minute I round the cypress tree, I smack into Gigi.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I gesture her to follow me as I walk clear across the property to the front of Brick’s.
She stares at me with big eyes. “Are you backing out?”
“Why do you say that?”
“I heard what you said to her.” Her voice is quiet. “That you love her. That’s the first time you’ve told her, right?”
I look her in the eyes. “I’m not backing out of this. Okay? But I am moving things around.”
“What do you mean?”
“No wedding in Darcy. Just Florida. ASAP.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s what I need.”
I can’t see Macey again before the wedding. If I do, no way in hell will I be able to go through with it. And if I can just get out of the state, maybe I can avoid her.
“What will we tell my parents?” Gigi’s asking me.
“Tell them we can’t sit through two weddings and that we need to get to Florida right away. Tell them whatever will work.”