Not me. That’s almost all I experienced.

A wave of emotion rolled over me, a good emotion.

“Calihan, you can be angry with me for staying away from the family. You can be angry if I hurt Mom, or Graham, or yourself because of my absence. You cannot be angry with me for Valerie’s decision, and if you want to be angry with me for loving Nova, then you and I are done because I will never give her up.”

She sucked in her breath, blinking back some tears. “You weren’t there. You weren’t around—”

“I was, actually. Nova was born, and I reached out. A lot. I was there when Nico tried coming back around.”

Graham spoke up, “She was there when Valerie got one of Nico’s calls.”

Calihan blinked again, weaving backward from the table. “I didn’t know that.”

“You’re mad that Val is gone. Be mad. Fine. That’s part of your grief, I get that. But stop taking it out on Quincey. You know what it’s been like for her living with Duke. You know.”

Calihan looked effectively shut up.

I was ignoring what Graham said, and I was choosing to appreciate Calihan’s silence.

She looked down, and a moment later, she sat down. Reaching for her wine, she held it toward me and gave me a forced smile. “Let’s hear about the new production you’re in, Q. And then I’d like to see any videos or pictures you have of Nova. My aunt card is dying to be punched.”

Logan looked at the guy on his left. “Who are you?”

It lessened the air around the table. Most everyone chuckled, relaxing, but then I glanced at Nate.

Not Nate.

Nate was not relaxed.

Nate was pissed.

43

Nate

We ate.

We drank.

We laughed.

I stewed.

Quincey, Taylor, and Logan all knew I was pissed. The others didn’t, and if they did, I didn’t care.

Once we left and were in the vehicle, Logan opened his mouth.

I shot him a look. “Not yet.”

He closed it and sat back.

We rode back to the house. Taylor and Quincey went inside.

Quincey glanced back, concerned. I shook my head. “We just have something to hash out. I’m sorry he called your family without your permission.”

Logan was waiting in the kitchen.

Quincey grabbed my hand, giving it a slight squeeze. “Go easy. It was a good thing he called them. Calihan and I needed to have that moment. It’ll make it easier to reach out, to be honest.”

I lifted my head in a nod, but it was hard. Every muscle in my body was screaming to fight, but this was Logan. He was my brother, my best friend, and fuck if we hadn’t endured worse over the years.

He said good night to Quincey as she headed to the room, then locked eyes on me. “Where?”

I didn’t answer, just leading the way into the basement and into one of the back rooms.

He looked around, whistling. “Why haven’t you shown me this before now? This would be a sweet movie theater room.”

I ignored that. “You were testing her?”

He stood to face me.

Neither of us was sitting.

Anger and so many emotions were churning over in my stomach.

“Yeah.” He raised his chin. “I don’t give a fuck that you’re pissed. You’re sleeping with her. I know you. I know how you are as Nova’s father, and I know you wouldn’t start sleeping with her unless you had feelings. Do you love her?”

“Do I—HOW’S THAT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS?!”

He didn’t react. “Because you’re family to me. Because if it wasn’t for her, you’d have Nova in Boston already, and you know it.”

“What?”

“You love her, and you’re going to stay here, and I can tell.”

“I—” I held my hands out, feeling fucking confused. “You’re asking about shit that I don’t know myself. I can’t know. It was about Nova, then we went right into the fight to get her and keep her, and now… you’re way ahead of me.”

“I know.”

“Is there more going on here that I’m not seeing?”

“No.” But he stopped.

“Logan?”

“Mase, and now you, are both getting your own families. I can tell. It’s always been about our group for you. It’s not anymore. It’s about Nova and Quincey for you.”

“You’re getting way ahead of me. I’m not…” I was still at a loss here. “Logan, is this about you?”

I let that simmer, and then the answer was clear. It was.

Maybe?

No. It was.

I focused on him and said slowly, “I think this is more about you than me. You knew there was bad blood with Quincey and her family. You invited them on purpose.”

“I wanted to see if she’d fight or if she’d run. She can’t run forever—”

There was a wince there, and I got it. I got all of it.

He kept on, “If you’re going to be with her, and if she’s going to be Nova’s mom, then you need someone who’s going to fight.”

“She’s already Nova’s mother.”

“I’m getting that.”