Page 58 of Hypothetical Heart
Logan shrugs, also not wanting to get into it. Instead, we make our way back toward the kitchen. I can already hear Jameson and Genevieve bickering—It never stops, even when he’s just been punctured with a dart.
“It’s not a big deal,” I hear him reaffirm to her.
“There is nothing small about this situation. Everything I said was completely warranted.”
When I round the corner and see Jameson’s face, I immediately notice his conflicted look. He doesn’t know where to side because he loves his girlfriend and wants to agree with her, but he also doesn’t want to be the cause of her and Eloise’s fight.
“I’m okay, Genova.” He uses his good arm to pull her into him, and her stiff-as-a-board posture begins to relax when he kisses her temple. “Put down the pitchfork. You don’t have to go to war, not for me.”
She leans up, whispering something in his ear. It makes him smile down at her.
Luke is on the other side of Jameson, using a roll of gauze to bandage his wound.
“Is it still bleeding? How deep was the cut?” Logan asks, peering his head over to watch Luke.
“No,” Jameson quickly answers. “It’s not that bad.”
“Thanks for your input. I wasn’t talking to you,” Logan replies quickly, turning his attention back toward Luke.
“It stopped bleeding with a bit of pressure, and it didn’t seem that deep, but I couldn’t really tell.”
Luke and Logan both fiddle with Jameson’s arm, making sure it’s not starting to bleed again and that the bandage is secured properly. I look toward the clock on the stove, and it’s nearing two a.m.
“Guys, I think we need to get some sleep,” I say. We planned on having an early morning, but I don’t foresee that happening.
I hear Eloise leave the game room, still talking quietly on the phone as if she’s trying to go unnoticed as she walks up the stairs to where the bedrooms are.
“Come on, love.” Jameson wraps his arm around Genevieve, pulling her toward the stairway. “Let’s go to sleep.”
Luke follows shortly after, leaving Logan and I alone in the kitchen. “Water?” I ask him, opening the cabinet near the sink.
He lets out a sigh, resting his hands on the counter. “Yeah, water would be great.”
I pull down two glasses, using the dispenser on the fridge to fill them with ice and then water.
I set the cup in front of him, taking a seat at the island next to where he’s standing. “Thanks.”
It’s hard for everyone when people within the group are fighting because none of us ever want to feel pressured to pick a side.
We all know the foundation of our friendship is still intact, and yet it feels like the surface is beginning to crack, waiting for one of us to patch it back up. If tonight has taught me anything, it’s that the people who love you most are also the ones who have the most ammo against you. Sometimes, they use it for good, and other times, itputs you back in line. Both are necessary to forever friendships.
“I think I’m going to sleep on the hammock tonight,” I say, thinking out loud.
The circular hammock that is completely enclosed was our favorite thing to fight over as kids. To the point where most mornings, our parents would unzip the tent-like swing and find all of us packed in it, sleeping together.
To this day, it still hangs from the rafters of the back deck, and one of us usually ends up sleeping in it each night.
“Can I join?” Logan asks.
I almost choke on my sip of water, coughing as I pull the glass away from my lips. The question catches me off guard, not just because I didn’t expect it, but because of the flood of emotions it stirs up.
I think back to those nights when we were kids, crammed into that hammock together, our friendship so pure, so uncomplicated. But now, everything feels different—complicated in ways I’m not sure I’m ready to face. The idea of sharing that space with Logan, just the two of us, feels like it could tip the balance and make everything even more confusing. Yet, there’s a part of me that craves it, that wants to hold onto the closeness we’ve always had, even as the lines blur.
I clear my throat, trying to regain my composure. “Sure.”
The chest near the back door is already filled to the brim with pillows and blankets, so we collect our childhood favorites before heading outside.
It takes a few minutes to distribute our weight properly in order to balance the hammock, but once we do, it’s complete serenity. Between the swaying of the hammockand the sound of waves crashing behind us, there is nothing more peaceful than this.
