Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.
“Oh, it’s literally a gathering of friends,” Logan said, bouldering through the silence. She pushed in front of Ashley with a broad smile and hoisted a box of beer over her head. “Greetings, rednecks. I come in peace.”
Ashley braced herself.
The silence in the cabin stretched for one more excruciating moment before Fran jumped up from the couch with a bright grin. She took the beer from Logan and pulled her into an awkward hug. “You look cute. I hope we’re not too boring for you.”
Logan laughed, short and sharp. “Anything’s better than the motel.”
Fran laughed too, brushing a curl behind her ear. She didn’t want Logan here, clearly, but she was putting on a good face and trying to make it work. Ashley hoped everyone else would do the same.
They made their way back to the ratty sofa with the beers, Elexis and Nick trudging along behind Logan like they were lost. Ashley sat on the arm of the sofa, and Logan, Elexis, and Nick sat on the floor. There were usually six people, but now there were eight. Ashley wasn’t sure how it was possible for the cabin to feel so empty and so overcrowded.
“I should probably introduce everyone,” Ashley said once everyone was settled in. “Logan, this is Bug, Paul, John, and you know Fran.”
Logan nodded with the vacant stare of a person who has not retained anyone’s names. She gestured to Elexis and Nick. “Do you guys all know each other?”
“Yeah, kinda,” Elexis said. “We go to school together.”
John checked the time on his phone.
The tension was so thick Ashley could cut it with a knife. She pulled a beer from the pack in the center of their little circle and popped it open, eager to wash away some of her discomfort. Bug eyed her and shook her head, but Ashley didn’t need the reminder. She’d caused this by inviting Logan. By not putting her foot down about Elexis and Nick. A Barton would’ve found a way to make this whole thing run smoothly. Her mother would’ve made this work. Country music thumped from John’s Bluetooth speaker on the piano, not quite playing loud enough to cover up the awkward silence. Logan pulled a beer free and took a long drink.
“God, why is it so awkward?” Fran laughed uneasily. “Let’s talk about something interesting.”
“What kind of guys do you like?” Bug asked Logan.
Logan traced the lid of her beer can with her pointer finger and didn’t look up. Somehow, Ashley understood the answer before Logan said a word. Logan’s nose wrinkled up and she said, “Uh, none?”
Fran and Bug looked at Ashley with the quickness of vipers.
“Like…” Fran drawled.
“Like none. I’m a lesbian.”
All at once, everyone took a drink. Blood rushed to Ashley’s cheeks. For a moment, she thought Logan was kidding, but it felt true. It felt right in a way Ashley couldn’t quite untangle. It was probably normal in LA, but people in Snakebite just … weren’t gay. Ashley bit back her surprise and donned a smile.
“Wow, that’s—”
She didn’t have time to finish. John folded his arms over his chest and asked, “So, what, you like girls?”
“Yeah. That’s generally what a lesbian is.” Logan took a drink of beer without breaking eye contact. How she’d gone so quickly from semiembarrassment to unrelenting bravado was a mystery to Ashley.
“Is it … like, do you think it’s a genetic thing?” Fran asked. She wrinkled up her nose and looked around. “Is it okay to ask that?”
“First, I’m adopted,” Logan scoffed. “Second, no, it’s not.”