“I’ve got eighty grand in student loans. Haven’t even seen my first interest payment yet. So yeah … I said yes.”
I let her school loan debt settle for a moment before replying.
“Sounds like you’re carrying more than just trash bags and bleach.”
She laughs softly, surprised. “Pretty much.”
The sky begins to darken and the insects get louder. I clear our plates and hand her a paper towel to wipe her fingers. She takes it, then goes still. Her gaze is on me, a little more serious now.
“Liam?”
“Yeah?”
“I meant to ask earlier. Logan ... is he around. I haven’t seen him in so long.”
Her voice is soft. Careful, almost like she knows something’s amiss with me and my family situation. How can I break this to her? I’m quiet for a few moments, not knowing how I should begin the story. She looks at me like I didn’t hear her the first time.
“Liam, where is Logan?”
Chapter 6
Tessa
The question hangs between us like a stray ember, floating in the air. Liam doesn’t answer right away. His gaze shifts from mine to the lake, then down to his hands. The slight movement is enough. My stomach tightens.
He exhales, slow and steady. “Logan’s gone.”
I blink.
“What do you mean?” I ask softly, though I fear Ialready know.
“Four summers ago. He went out on the lake late at night by himself after drinking heavily with friends. The canoe flipped. He didn’t make it.”
He says it like he’s repeated the facts enough times to keep the grief at bay. Like he’s built a dam inside himself and he’s afraid what happens if it breaks.
My chest constricts. “Oh, God. Liam …”
He nods once, still not looking at me. “I wasn’t there. I was at a coaching clinic in Colorado Springs. If I’d been home, maybe …” He cuts himself off. His jaw clenches, a muscle twitching near his temple. “By the time they called me, the dive team had already been out. It was over.”
I don’t sayI’m sorryyet. The words feel too small, too late. I sit still, letting the truth settle over me. The last time I saw Logan, he was teasing me about jumping off the cliff into the lake. He looked invincible. Sunburned, laughing, daring me to be brave.
Now he's a memory … and I didn’t even know.
“I didn’t hear,” I say finally. “No one told me. I wasn’t in touch with anyone here.”
“I figured,” Liam replies quietly. “You weren’t at the service.”
“No.” I press my palm to my chest, as if I could hold back the ache. “But I would’ve been. If I’d known.”
His eyes finally meet mine. The pain there isn’t loud. It’s quieter, but very deep.
“My parents left the following fall. They couldn’t stay after …” He swallows. “But I did. I couldn’t leave. It felt like abandoning him all over again.”
I reach across the small space between us and place my hand on top of his. His hand is warm, skin rough from labor.
“He mattered so much,” I say. “A lot. You staying here … that’s not weakness, Liam. That’s love.”
He closes his eyes briefly. When he opens them, the rawness hasn’t gone, but something softens.
