I felt a sharp pang in my chest just at the thought of anyone ever thinking I hated Logan. “I do not hate your father.”
“Then what’s going on?”
“It’s complicated, Maia. And it’s between your father and me. We’ve decided to spend some time apart, but that doesn’t mean my friendship with you has to change. You understand that, right? I’m not going anywhere.”
Although she looked no less upset, Maia gave me a reluctant nod.
I would have slumped with relief against the doorframe if I’d thought for one second that was the end of it. And I knew when she stiffly told me she’d like to read her book that she wasn’t quite finished being pissed off at me.
I left her to it, hoping her bad mood with me wouldn’t last too long.
CHAPTER 15
“Get back here!”
My head jerked up from my laptop and I stared at my sitting room wall. Logan was shouting. Loudly enough for me to hear every word.
I’d just put my feet into my slippers and had grabbed a cardigan, intent on investigating, when my front door slammed open and shut. Feet stomped down my hallway and came to a stop before me.
“Maia, what on earth…?” I stared, aghast at the sight of her tearstained face.
“I’m staying here. I hate him!”
I sucked in my breath. “Don’t ever say th—”
I was cut off abruptly by the sound of my door slamming open and shut. Again.
Logan’s stomping feet were louder. Maia scurried farther into the sitting room at the sound of his arrival. He came into the room, eyes dark with anger. “Don’t you dare walk out of the house like that, and definitely don’t ever bring Grace into this.”
“Logan…” I was shocked by his attitude. “What the hell happened?”
“Maia was caught with a boy in an empty media room at school.” His whole body bristled with tension.
My eyes bugged out as I turned to Maia. “Please tell me there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“We were only kissing,” Maia said belligerently as she swiped at her tears.
“The headmaster said it was a little more than kissing!”
“Logan, perhaps you —”
“It’s none of your business!” Maia yelled at him. “Stop pretending to care!”
“Maia!” I shouted.
She flinched, her eyes round with shock at my outburst.
I’d never used that tone with her before. But she’d never stepped over the line before. “Do not ever disrespect your father again by saying such nonsense. Apologize.”
The look she gave me was strangely assessing. She sniffled and said, “Are you saying you’re on his side?”
“Maia, fooling around with some boy in a classroom at school is wrong, and you know it. You’re a smart girl. Why on earth would you act like this? Is there something more going on here?” I took a step toward her.
She shrugged, looking unsure of herself now. “Layla dared me to do it.”
I glanced over at Logan, and I knew exactly what he was thinking before he said it. My expression told him I agreed with him. “Maybe we should curb how much time you spend with Layla.”
“Dad,” Maia whined, looking startled by his suggestion.