“Not true. I told you I’d get your ticket out here. I didn’t say anything about sending you back.”
“Fuck off,” I huffed once. I turned to face my brother, confusion in my stare. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” I glanced at Jacob. “He’s freaking serious, isn’t he?”
“I’m just saying, brother. This is your home. And you’re always welcomed home.”
“You’re holding me hostage,” I replied, bewildered.
“We’re offering you a job,” he replied. “Listen, if you really want a one-way ticket back to Iowa, I’ll buy it in the morning. But the offer is always there for you.” Kellan was really pushing the idea of me staying, and for the life of me I couldn’t understand why. True Falls wasn’t a place I considered home anymore. It was just the past demons of my life.
“I’ll take the one-way ticket. No offense, Kellan. I love you, I do. But this town? I can’t stay here and stay sane. I just can’t.”
He nodded in understanding. “I get it. Just thought I’d offer.”
I thanked him.
“So, you ran into Alyssa earlier? What’s your plan of attack if that happens again?” Kellan asked.
“I’m going to ignore her, and push her away. She and I can’t go backwards. I can’t go down that road anymore, and she is definitely better off without me. But,” I said, changing the subject, “It’s good to see that you got clean, Jacob.”
He nodded. “It wasn’t that long after you left town, actually. One day I woke up and just couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t go to rehab, but I did the church thing for a while, which helped. I haven’t been to church in years now, but it did affect me enough that I became an ordained minister.”
I chuckled. “No way.”
He smirked, pointing his thumbs at his chest. “If you’re ever looking to get married, keep this handsome dude in mind.” Out of nowhere, Jacob leaned forward with the most solemn expression I’d ever seen him have before. “Logan, on a serious note, I do have to ask you something really important…”
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t avoid the questions that a lot of people probably had for me. The same kinds of questions Sadie shot my way at the motel. How was rehab? Have you slipped up? Do you still think about using? “Yeah, Jacob?”
“How the everlasting-fuck do you keep your hair so perfect? It’s shinier than anything I’ve ever seen. And that volume! Shit. I have a damn receding hairline, and had to buzz cut it just to look semi-decent.”
“Oh my God,” Kellan moaned, rolling his eyes. “Don’t get him started on his hair.”
“I told you, Kel, that envy is a sin.” I snickered. “Once a month, deep condition with egg yolks and avocados.”
“For real?”
“For real. But when you wash it out after forty-five minutes, don’t use hot water. Otherwise you’ll have scrambled eggs in your hair that you’ll be picking the pieces out for a week. Plus, the splash of cold water is good for your hair follicles, helping it grow in healthier and stronger. I can make you a list of all of the products I use if you want.”
“No shit? You’ll do that?”
“Sure, no biggie.”
“I can’t believe this conversation is seriously happening right now,” Kellan sighed, rolling his eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck in the back of his head. He might’ve had a better life than I did growing up, but the joke was on him nowadays—because at least my hair was fucking amazing while his was ceasing to exist.
We stayed at the restaurant for a while longer, not talking about the past, not talking about the future, but just enjoying the current moment.
“I hate to break this reunion up, but we better get back to help Erika set up for the dinner,” Kellan said.
I stood up from the booth and held my hand out toward Jacob, and he gripped my hold. “Good to see you, Jacob.”
“You too, Logan. You look good. Really good, man.”
“You too. And um, I never was able to say this, but I’m sorry about what I said so long ago. About your porn addiction and the fork comment.”
He laughed. “I forgive you, buddy. Even though it wasn’t a fork, it was a chilled spoon. And hey! Don’t forget to get me that list of hair products!”
I didn’t know if that made it more normal, or more awkward, but either way, it was good to be around a familiar face.
Chapter Twenty
Logan
“You guys are late!” Erika whined as we walked into the house—which looked completely different than when we left. Everything was moved around, the dining room table, the sofas, the television. I felt as if I’d walked into the twilight zone. “Mom will be here soon.”
“I’m going to go shower before dinner,” I said.
“Good. I left a set of towels and extra items that you might have needed in the guest room.” Erika gestured her head to the back room. “Now, Kellan, come taste the mashed potatoes I made.”
“Wait, time out. Erika is cooking dinner?” I asked, fear in my throat. I felt another stab in my side from Kellan, but I couldn’t hold this one in. “Last time I ate food that she made, the chicken was still clucking, Kellan!”