Her thoughts were pulled away from her poor decor choices when she realized that Logan hadn’t paused, but was walking quickly down the hall, so she scampered to keep up.
He knocked firmly on one of the doors, holding the box with only one hand, and it only took a second for it to open. Bright, redheaded Chloe was there, and immediately threw her arms around Logan.
His face changed.
He smiled when Chloe wasn’t around, but it was always sort of cynical—at least in Sam’s presence. This was a real smile.
“What did you bring me?” she asked as soon as he let her go.
“Let me in to see if you’ve trashed the place yet and I’ll show you.”
She moved to the side, and Logan walked past her, and that was when Chloe’s eyes met Sam’s. “Hey!” Chloe moved out of the doorway and gave Sam a hug, and Sam felt fragile right then. Because Chloe reminded her of afternoons after school when she’d had all the kids home, and she’d made them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
She wanted peanut butter and jelly all of a sudden.
“Good to see you, Chloe,” she said.
“You too.” Chloe was about half a foot out of her room, and there was something hesitant in how she was looking at Sam. “Um. Why are you with my dad?”
Right, so, sadly for Sam, Chloe wasn’t the myopic, selfish nineteen-year-old Logan had tried to write her off as, and had simply realized her dad wasn’t fertile ground for interrogation.
Sam had always felt close to Chloe. She’d talked to her about periods and first dates and birth control. God, had she ranted at her about birth control.Even if you don’t think you’re going to do it, Chloe!
She didn’t have a daughter. Chloe didn’t have a mother.
They’d always been close, and of course Chloe was picking up on the weirdness here. Sam also wasn’t going to lie to her.
“I’ll tell you, but you can’t text Ethan about it. He’s overseas, and it’s just not…not a good idea. I’ll tell him when I get a chance to call.”
Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe they could go the whole summer without it coming up.
Chloe’s eyes went slightly round. “Um. Okay.”
“Will and I are separated. We aren’t getting divorced,” she added quickly. “We’re like…on a break. I needed something to do, and your dad hired me to do the cross-country drives this summer.”
Chloe looked oddly perplexed but also…relieved by the explanation.
“It’s nothing… It’s not personal. Me traveling with your dad,” she said, her stomach going tight. “He had a job opening, and I suddenly have a weird amount of time.”
“You’re not getting a divorce?” Chloe asked.
“No. It’s just…you know, we got married really young. We’re basically just taking separate vacations.”
When you put it like that, it didn’t even sound like a big deal. When she ignored the fact that he’d be sleeping with other women, it was like…so not even a thing at all.
“It’s going to be fine,” Sam said, trying to project a confidence she didn’t really feel. “I’d love to see your dorm.”
She smiled. “Come on in.”
The room was sparse, with beds against both walls, a small stretch of counter with a rice cooker and a hot plate, and brightly colored tapestries covering the walls.
“Looks great in here, and you don’t even have all my forks stashed in a cup on your desk,” said Logan, continuing to unpack the box he’d brought in.
“I’m not going to your house to get a fork,” Chloe said, “so obviously not.”
“Well, I still consider it growth. Do you have time to go to late lunch?”
“Sure,” she said. “If you have time.”
