Seven Years Earlier - Logan

I wasn’t planning to go home for Christmas this year. A group of my friends had planned a ski trip in Montana that sounded more fun that sitting around and staring at my family. But my mom laid the guilt trip on pretty hard until I finally relented.

Michael and Nick were both coming home despite being insanely busy with their company. I had been especially proud a week earlier when I found an article about the company online that profiled the young CEO. Even though Nick often annoyed me, he was actually a pretty decent guy. He was already really good to my brother and the rest of my family, so I was happy for his success.

As we all gathered in the living room to watch Christmas movies, I took a seat next to him on the couch.

“I thought you were going to see your dad this year,” I said quietly. Everyone else was too busy fighting over which movie to watch first to pay any attention to us.

“Plans changed,” Nick said grimly. He glanced at me. “When I called him to confirm plans, he told me that he had forgotten I was coming. He’s in Vegas.”

I knew that must have destroyed Nick. He always acted so tough and unaffected by things, but his father was his Achilles heel. No matter how badly he treated his son, Nick kept hoping that he would change.

“His stupidity is our gain,” I said, patting Nick’s knee before thinking better of it.

“I heard your mom guilted you out of your plans,” Nick said. “That sucks.”

I allowed myself to look right at him, something I rarely did. He was too stunningly attractive and I always turned into a puddle of girliness when our eyes connected. This time, I kept myself together. “I’m glad she did. There’s nowhere else I would rather be right now.”

With a flash of his killer smile, he said, “Me too.”