Fighting Fate (Granton University #1)(79)

“He’s your son,” she said simply.

When Mrs. Xander covered her mouth with her hands, clearly affected, Paige turned beseechingly to her. “He might’ve messed up and made a few wrong decisions that night. But you’re his parents. His family.”

She glanced toward his two brothers who’d crowded together at the end of a curving staircase. “It was your job to help him get back onto his feet and move past this tragedy. I just can’t understand how you could turn away from him. He’s not a bad person, and he paid for what happened. More than he should have. And he’s still paying for it. He needs you, but you treat him like he’s dead. And that’s wrong. If I had the chance to see my brother just one more time, I’d take it in a heartbeat. Do you want to lose any chance you might have to ever see Logan again? Honestly?”

“How dare you!” Logan’s father rumbled as he reached for his silently sobbing wife and pulled her into his arms. Glaring at Paige, he sneered. “How dare you come into our home and tell us what to feel. You have no idea what our lives have been like these past three years. You know nothing, little girl.”

Paige cowered a step back, sufficiently put in her place. “You’re right,” she said, wiping her damp palms on her thighs. “I don’t know what you have been through. I’m sorry for barging onto your property and insulting you. But I needed to say that.” She began to turn away. “I’ll leave you alone now.”

No one stopped her, no one contradicted her, no one argued with her opinion or even thanked her for coming. They merely glared after her as she strode down the sidewalk.

She wasn’t sure if she’d accomplished anything from her visit, but at least she felt better about saying her piece.





Chapter Thirty


PAIGE BARELY MADE IT back to Granton in time to make her evening shift at the juice bar. She clocked in and was wrapping her apron around her waist as she breezed into the front.

Seeing Logan made her pull up short. She usually worked Saturday nights with Bella. “What’re you doing here?”

He looked as equally shocked to see her. “Gus called me in to work because he said someone else couldn’t make it. I thought that someone else was you. What’re you doing here? After last night, you should take some time off.” He sounded very stern and fatherly. “You need to rest.”

“Last night?” She stared blankly until it struck her what he meant.

Wow, for a while, she’d actually forgotten all about Dorian Wade. At least there was one bright side to her busy day. With so many other things to deal with, she could forget for a couple minutes about being attacked less than twenty-four hours ago.

“I feel fine,” she said. Brushing past him, she smiled at the approaching couple and took their order.

Logan hovered behind her and hurried to make the smoothies the customers wanted before she could. As soon as they paid for their order and walked back out the door, leaving Logan and Paige the only two people in the shop, she turned back to him.

“Has it been this quiet all evening?”

He shook his head and sputtered out a sound of confusion as if he couldn’t believe she wanted to talk about work. “I’ve only been here ten minutes, but yeah.”

She frowned. “Huh. That’s strange. I wonder where everyone is.”

As if to ease her worries, the bell over the door rang, admitting new customers. A group of about half a dozen students entered. But when they saw Paige and Logan at the counter, they quieted immediately and appeared almost leery about approaching.

“Welcome to The Squeeze,” Paige called with an overly friendly smile, inwardly wincing because she sounded way too syrupy-sweet. “What can we get you?”

Most of the group got into her line, but a couple stragglers went to Logan’s register. Logan and Paige filled their orders within a couple of minutes. After paying, the group moved as one big cluster to a high round table, but no one sat. They whispered among themselves for a few minutes, casting glances toward the counter before they exited the shop en masse.

Once again, The Squeeze was left empty.

“Okay, this is beyond bizarre,” Paige said, watching them flee. “What the heck is going on?”

Logan sighed and rubbed at the center of his forehead. “I think word has gotten out about me.” Ducking his head, he added, “About my past.”

Paige whirled to gape at him. “What? What makes you think that?”

Though he kept his face lowered, he raised his eyes. “The campus cops. They brought it up when they were questioning me last night after the fight. They inferred that if I was involved in another physical altercation on campus, the university would…expel me.”

Paige’s heart felt like it literally plummeted into her stomach. She covered her mouth, unable to believe her ears. “Oh my God. Who do you think told them?”

He shrugged, glancing away. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.”

Why wouldn’t he look at her? “You don’t…you don’t think it was me. Do you?”

Blue eyes veered back. “No. Not at all. You would’ve said something a long time ago if you were going to talk. It must’ve been someone from the grief group.”

At the front of the store, the door swung open. Paige whirled around to watch two girls begin to enter. But when they saw Logan, their eyes grew large. Jarring to a halt, they gawked at him before scurrying backward and out the exit.