Chapter 61: Chapter Sixty-One

LOGAN

I don’t have an answer to Rae’s question. ~Why would he, Logan? Why would Miles do that to me?~ She stares at me with pleading eyes, and I have nothing. Not a single thing to offer.

No comforting words, not the slightest fucking clue why her brother hates me so goddamn much.

This is not the shit I thought I’d be dealing with today. I invited Brady over to introduce Rae and see how she’d feel about making him Autumn’s godfather, but he really fucked up his chances.

Not only did he try to touch her belly, which drives her insane, he also cracked joke after joke about oops babies, asked Rae what her fucking salary is, and kept going off about the shit we got up to in college.

I’m not going to bother asking. Rae mentioned maybe having two godmothers, Zoe and Court, because she doesn’t want Miles to be Autumn’s godfather. It’s a little strange, honestly, but I think I’m on board after today.

Brady’s an acquired taste. The Buis lived next door to my family growing up. Mr. Bui worked for my father for a while before he left Quincy Ventures for an investment bank.

While my parents raised Zach and me to be seen and not heard, Court and Brady received the opposite message from theirs. They’re a loud-and-proud type of family.

Court leveled out and developed a filter in high school, but Brady never did. He’s my age, graduating dental school next year, and he still hasn’t figured out when to shut the fuck up.

Not really the kind of person Rae thrives around.

His visit would have been enough to send Rae over the edge—she’s been exhausted lately—so this letter is just icing on top of the fucking cake.

“Zoe will know,” Rae mumbles. “Can you text her pictures? I don’t want to read the rest of it.” She sniffles. “I don’t want to know what he has to say about my body.”

The asshole actually had the nerve to tell my pregnant fiancée that I’d find a side chick if she didn’t lose the baby weight immediately.

Jake must know—and Miles probably does too—that Rae’s self-conscious about her appearance.

She shouldn’t be, considering she’s a goddess, but she is, and he used that to try and drive a wedge between us. Between Rae and the person making her happy. The father of her fucking child.

“Of course, love.”

I snap a photo of the paper and text it to Zoe with a concise “Rae got this in the mail today.”

Zoe tends to jump to the worst possible conclusions, and I’m not trying to let her believe I wrote the note or some shit.

Zoe immediately calls me. Rae snatches the phone out of my hand—I love her take-what-she-wants side—and answers sharply, “Zoe, it’s me. Did you see that?”

There’s shrieking on the other line. Rae nods, then furrows her brows, then nods again. Then, the phone’s on speaker.

“Logan, can you tell Zoe what Miles said?”

I’d really prefer not to in front of Rae, who’s already feeling self-conscious and anxious, so I give Zoe the tamest rundown possible. She’s a captive audience; I’ll give her that.

She gasps at the right times and curses Miles out when I mention the ‘arm candy’ thing.

“Zoe, I don’t get it,” Rae groans when I’m done recalling that infuriating experience. “Setting aside Jake, why would Miles do that? He knows Jake cheated on me.”

“Maybe he buys into the shit Jake was saying about how you’re not like other girls and isn’t mad about it anymore.”

Zoe follows her theory with an exaggerated gag. “Forgiveness and shit.” She sighs, her sharp exhale also exaggerated. “Why are the Olsons so goddamn forgiving?”

“I don’t know,” Rae sighs. “How did he even get this— ~oh~ .”

Rae’s only quiet for a few seconds before Zoe groans, “Come on, Rae. You’re killing me with suspense here.”

Rae giggles. “Sorry. I was going to ask how Jake would even have my address, but I gave it to my parents, so they probably shared it with Miles. I don’t get why he’d send it here, though.”

“Because I know where he lives and Logan doesn’t,” Zoe growls. “He knows if he sent it to our apartment and I saw it, I’d show up with a baseball bat. No research required.”

I snort. I think she might actually have a point.

“Rae-bae, I think you need to have a family meeting,” Zoe continues.

“This is getting out of hand, and with your wedding coming up and Autumn due after that, your family needs to know that they can’t keep interfering with your life.”

Rae sighs.

“Be honest with me. Do you want them at your wedding?”

Rae bites her lip. “No.”

“I think that’s fixable. Your parents can learn. Brad likes Logan already. Your mom’s only holding off because the other man in her life doesn’t like him.

“Sorry, Logan. I feel like I’m talking about you like you aren’t here. I know you’re here. Anyway, Kim’s going to do what Brad and Miles tell her. We just need to smack some sense into your brother.”

Rae’s eyes are watering. “I’m not strong enough to do what— ~shit~ , sorry. I’ll take you off—”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Rachel Jean Olson, finish your sentence,” Zoe orders, eliciting a giggle from Rae.

“Alright. I’m not strong enough to do what you did. I can’t just tell my family to fuck off.”

I struggle to keep my face composed, not wanting Rae to feel obligated to explain, as curious and nosy as I am right now. Rae’s never mentioned anything about Zoe’s family.

It never crossed my mind, but… ~Damn~. Having to cut her parents off, that explains a lot. Her guarded personality, her overprotectiveness of Rae, who wears her heart on her sleeve.

“First of all, you’re going to push a human being out of your vagina in two months, so you’re strong enough to do anything. Second, it’s not going to come to that. They love you. Even Miles.”

An idea pops into my head. It’s dumb as hell, but I can’t stop myself from spitting it out. “Rae, remember the squash?”

Rae’s face breaks into a smile. “Oh, my God. The squash.”

“Pretend the shit they’re giving you is the squash. You’ll spend time with them and let them come to our wedding, but if they bring the squash, Zoe and I will escort them out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m all about being a bouncer for you, Rae-bae,” Zoe says, her voice stone-cold serious.

“Will you guys come?” Rae asks softly. “If I do it, I mean. If I have a family meeting?”

“Have it at your house. Your turf, girl. Also, duh. You know I was going to invite myself if you didn’t.”

“I had a feeling,” Rae laughs.

I think she knows already, but I tell her just to be safe. “I’ll be here.”

Rae smirks. “I know. You’re stuck.”

“I’m hanging up before you lovebirds start word-fucking each other,” Zoe announces.

~Word-fucking. That’s a new one~.

“Wait!” Rae exclaims. “Zoe, how much do you love me?”

“What do you want?” Zoe deadpans.

“Can you arrange it? The meeting with my family, I mean. I can’t… I can’t talk to them right now.”

“Of course. The Olsons love me. Nicole or no Nicole?”

“No Nicole. Please, no Nicole. Oh, God.”

“Alright, Nicole will not receive an invitation, and by invitation, I mean text. I’ll ask Brad to make sure she doesn’t come.”

“You’re the best,” Rae breathes.

“I know. How’s Saturday?”

I flash Rae a thumbs-up when she looks to me for an answer. ~Shit~. I got excited over a grill in the backyard the day we moved in, and now I’m giving thumbs-up… I’m a dad already.

I just need white sneakers and a baseball cap, and I’ll be ready to go.

“Thanks, Zoe. I love you,” Rae whimpers.

“Rae, if you’re crying…”

“I’m not crying,” she lies, wiping tears.

“ ~Sure~ , you’re not. Okay. I’ll let you know when my man Brad gets back to me. Love you.”

Zoe hangs up, and Rae rolls her shoulders back. “It’ll be okay,” she says somewhat confidently.

“It will be,” I assure her, “and it is already. You’ve got me and Autumn and Zoe.”

She nods. “Ride or die. Do people still say that?”

I don’t think they do. I pull her into my arms instead of telling her that.

“Logan, you didn’t answer,” she groans. “Does that mean no? Does that mean people don’t say ‘ride or die’ anymore?” She huffs. “I don’t know. I don’t have Twitter.”

I love her so fucking much.