Page 14 of Forget Me Not

I turn around to say hi with a polite smile on my face that immediately falls when I see who stands in front of me.

“Lo, this is my brother, Kaden, and his friend Asher.” She smiles. I can feel the nerves radiating off her as we all stand theresilently, not knowing what to say. Thankfully, Asher breaks that silence.

“Logan,” Asher shouts, coming over to hug me. I pull myself together and return the gesture. “I had no clue you were Kade’s little sister’s roommate.”

“Wait, you guys know each other?” Demi says, confused, looking pointedly at me.

“Oh yeah, we go way back.” Asher smiles, and it’s hard not to smile with him. He’s got a contagious personality. “We met at Carl’s earlier in the week. I hit on her and she broke my heart when she turned me down.” He fake pouts and I can’t help the laugh that comes out of me.

“The other night when I was there with you?” Demi looks at me to ask. “You were there too?” She directs the second question to Kade.

“Yeah, when I went to get my drink from the bar. I didn’t know he was your brother.” I say, trying to judge how the situation is affecting her. She looks at me, confusion still written all over her face.

“Oh, okay. Well, that’s fun,” she says, the smile returning to her face as she lets the subject go. “Also, I told you my brother’s name is Kaden. I’m surprised you didn’t put it together.”

“You said your name was Kade,” I say, looking at said brother. He still hasn’t said a word since he entered the kitchen. Those deep-blue eyes that I now realize I recognize because they’re the same as Demi’s are burning a hole through me as he glares.

“My family are the only people who call me Kaden,” he says. His voice is rough, as if he hasn’t used it much lately. “I thought you said your name was Logan?” He fires the question back at me.

“My friends call me Lo.” I raise my eyebrow at him as if to say, anything else? He stays quiet, his attention never waveringfrom me until Asher clears his throat. Kade’s attention snaps away from mine, landing on his friend who chuckles under his breath. Kade glares at him in return.

“You guys can go sit at the table in there.” Demi points around the corner to where the kitchen table sits, all the places set neatly. “Dinner will be ready in a few. Lo, help me?” She smiles at me, and I can tell she has questions about the staring contest that just ensued between me and her brother.

I smile and nod at her just as the boys leave the kitchen and head to sit down at the table. The second they’re out of view, her questioning eyes meet mine. I know then, my long workday will be nothing compared to this dinner. It’s going to be a long night.

CHAPTER

EIGHT

Kaden

Lo is Logan Hart. I didn’t question my sister’s roommate’s name when we spoke on the phone, but now I’m thinking I should have. How my past and present got so completely intertwined like this is beyond me.

From what Demi has told me, she’s been living with Logan for the past five years. It doesn’t escape me that a little over five years ago was the last time I heard from L. Had her twin sister been living barely twenty minutes away from me with my little sister this whole damn time?

If I had connected with my sister sooner, would I have met Logan and connected the dots sooner? The what-ifs rack my mind as I try and ignore Asher looking at me with a smug grin on his face. It doesn’t work for long. Asher is like a puppy looking for attention, he doesn’t give up until he gets it.

“What?” I say, annoyed before the words even leave his mouth.

“You know what.” He laughs, leaning back in the kitchen chair. If he thinks I’ll admit to all the crazy thoughts going through my head about the tiny blonde, then he’s wrong. Instead, I lean back in my own chair across from him and glare.

“Fuck off,” I say, and he only laughs harder.

The idiot laughs so hard he leans farther back into the chair, causing it to fall backward. He hits the floor hard just as Logan walks into the room.

“Fuck,” he says.

Logan takes one look at him and bursts out into laughter herself. She throws her head back, her long blonde hair cascading down her back. A wide smile takes over her face as the laughter flows out of her. It’s the most carefree I’ve seen her. Like just for a second, all her worries are gone and she’s just a normal girl. She’s fucking gorgeous. I can’t help the grin pulling at my own lips just from looking at her.

“I don’t even want to know,” she says as she calms down. She shakes her head at Asher who is still sprawled out on the floor. Her smile never wavers.

There’s a part of me that is pissed at Asher that he’s the one who’s making her laugh, making her smile. Even if it was at his own expense, I want all her reactions for myself. I want to make her feel the lightness that she’s undoubtedly feeling right now.

I sit up straighter at the realization. It’s the exact opposite of everything I should want. She doesn’t deserve me coming in and fucking up her life. Not to mention, she’d end up fucking my life up just as bad if not worse. Yet staring at her now, happiness shining in her eyes, it’s all I want.

Asher stands from the floor, picking the chair back up with him and her eyes turn toward me. I’m not sure what she sees on my face, but whatever it is causes her to clear her throat, a mask sliding over her features. Her guard sliding firmly back into place.

“I just came to see what you guys wanted to drink,” she says, pulling her attention away from me to look at Asher.

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