finding out about things, but then Logan made me realize that—”
She reaches across the table to put a soft hand on mine, halting my rambling. “I understand, hon.”
I sigh out the words, “Thank you.”
“But as much as I understand what’s going on, Logan does not. Do you want him to?”
“Very much so. I was wondering if you could help me?” I straighten my back like I’m about to discuss a business agreement, a merger of Guy’s Mom Inc. and The Potential Heartbreaker Company.
“What do you need?” I get the feeling she understands the seriousness of the situation, too, because she steeples her fingers together and props her chin on them.
“Do you have copies of the books for LARP of Ages? I need to read up on it before the next game.”
Her eyes widen. “You plan on being involved in the next game?”
“Yep,” I say, then check myself. “Yes, ma’am. I want… I don’t know… I want to feel completely free to be me for once. I want to get used to that feeling, too, because there’s no going back for me now. I don’t want to go back. Logan helped me see that, and I want him to know it.”
She smiles. “Then just reading those books isn’t going to help much. You need someone to explain it all, to give you pointers.”
“But I kind of want to surprise Logan.”
“I wasn’t talking about him. I know more about this game than he’ll know after another ten years.” She grins mischievously. “Go up to Logan’s room and get all the Ages books you see. There are about ten or fifteen. Bring them back down here, and we’ll get started.” She claps her hands together, rattling the multitude of bracelets on her wrists. Like mother, like daughter.
“Thank you so much, Mrs. Scott.”
“Call me Martha.”
My smile stays on the whole way up the stairs and down the hall until I’m standing in front of Logan’s door. I push it open slowly and take a look around like he might jump out of a corner. When I’m convinced he isn’t here, I try to take everything in as thoroughly as possible. His posters, his computer desk, his collection of Star Wars bobble heads. I try to burn it all onto my memory just in case this plan of mine doesn’t work.
I’m almost at the bookshelf when I glance at his bedside table. There’s my notebook. On top of it is a green pen. Has he been writing in my book? That has to be a good sign, right? I run over to it, but a voice from the open door stops me from snatching it up.
“Logan is mad at you,” Vera says, arms still crossed.
“I know, but I want to say I’m sorry.” I attempt a small smile.
“Then, why don’t you just tell him?”
“Because I don’t think he’ll talk to me. And I want to do something that might be even better than saying sorry.”
“Do you really like him?” She puts her hands on her hips.
“I really, really like him.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. Okay, I’ll help, but only because Logan still really, really likes you, too.”
“Really? Did he say that?” I know I’m asking a seven-year-old to confirm Logan’s feelings are still there, but I don’t know of anyone more brutally honest than a little kid.
“Yep.”
“Those exact words?”
“Gah, yes! ‘I really, really like her.’ That’s what he said when him and Dan were over here and Logan was being all mopey and Dan asked him why he was even still thinking about you. Now I know what Dan is talking about all the time. High school girls are seriously crazy.”
Happiness seems to rise from my toes, seeping into every cell of my body, all the way up to my brain. “Yep. We’re all bonkers.”
As Vera and I carry the books downstairs, I regret not looking to see what Logan wrote in my book, but I’m not going to push my luck. I got Vera to at least be okay with me. I’m not going to risk that by rifling through her brother’s belongings even if said belonging is technically mine.
We drop the stacks of books on the dining room table. Vera and I sit down and each pick out a book to flip through. I try to read from the beginning of one, but it turns out to be just a story about a fairy and a vampire who are in love. I turn a few more pages to get to the rules and stuff,