so we could try again.”
“Okay, then. That’s something.” Josiah bent to pick up a discarded napkin from the floor. “You just need to tell Ellery you talked to Allegra and turned her down.”
“I did that. It didn’t work.” Logan sat forward and propped his elbows on his knees, dropping his face in his hands. “She said that doesn’t prove anything. She told me I have to spend time with Allegra. She wants me to try her out, like a piece of furniture.”
“O—kaaay… I shouldn’t be surprised Ellery’s a little off the wall. She’d have to be if she’s willing to date you.” Josiah picked up a pizza box from the floor, folding the lid closed. “But I’d still like to recruit her for Remarkable Models. I hope you haven’t ruined my chances.”
“Is that why you’re here?” Logan sent him a searing glower. “You’re trying to figure out how to snag Ellery for yourself?”
“Of course not. I’m here to stop my friend from destroying the best thing that ever happened to him.”
Logan slumped again. “Doesn’t matter. It’s hopeless.”
“That’s too bad. It was kind of nice to see you smiling again. Guess I’m back to being stuck with Logan-the-Grouch.” Josiah added his pizza box to a stack on the coffee table. “Did Ellery end everything point blank? Like there’s no chance the two of you could get back together?”
“She said I had to prove I wanted to be with her.” Logan found that pocket of anger he’d been nursing for a week. “Like all the things I’ve done the past couple of months didn’t count for anything.”
A smile lit Josiah’s face. “It’s simple then. All you have to do to get her back is to go out with Allegra a few times. Then you can say you tried Allegra out, and you’re still in love with Ellery.”
“Nothing’s simple with Allegra. There’ll be strings attached. More like webs attached. I don’t think she does anything without her father’s blessing, so the senator probably has something up his sleeve. And somehow, Chester has his hand in all this, too.” Logan stood, yawning as he stumbled toward the kitchen. He poured yesterday’s leftover coffee into a mug and popped it in the microwave.
Josiah followed him and sat at the table, clearing away a pile of dirty dishes in front of him. “I don’t think they can hurt you, as long as you’re careful. You’re wise to them now. And you have so much money you’re untouchable. You have powerful friends, too. Unless you do something to screw everything up, like refusing to go to that fundraiser event for Limitless.”
“I’ve already decided I’m not going.”
“Logan, come on! You can’t do that.”
The microwave dinged, and Logan got his mug out, sipping the steaming brew. He grimaced at the strong bitter flavor, but he needed it. “I was supposed to go with Ellery. I can’t handle being there without her.”
“You’ll go with Allegra,” Josiah said, as if the matter were settled. “You’ll be in public, so she’ll be on her best behavior, no matter what her long game is. She’s trying to win you back, right? So take her to the banquet. You can kill two birds with one stone—you’ll keep the Phantom guys happy and tick trying Allegra off your list. Then you get Ellery back, and all is good.”
“There’s another possibility,” Logan said, acid roiling in his empty stomach. “It’s possible Ellery really doesn’t want me and she used Allegra as a way to get rid of me.”
“That doesn’t sound like her.”
“Hear me out.” Logan swallowed another swig of coffee. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what she said that night. She made a remark about how you can’t pick up every stray dog you see. At first I thought it was an allegory where she was the stray. But what if she meant it the other way around? What if I’m the stray and she only stayed with me because she felt sorry for me?”
“I doubt it, but I haven’t been around you guys enough to judge for sure.” Josiah frowned. “Do you mind if I look back through your text messages?”
“Sure. There’s not much to see. Pretty bland. Mostly working out times to get together.” Logan opened his texts and handed Josiah his phone. He drummed his fingers on the table as his friend studied the texts. “And every time I mentioned anything about feelings to Ellery, she ignored it.”
“You’re right. Ellery plays it close to the vest, doesn’t she? It’s hard to read