Page 121 of Cross the Line

She took my chin in her hand, turning my face from side to side. “Your hair is frizzy and overdue for a trim. Your skin is sallow and dry.” She released my chin only to pat my cheek. “I’ve taught you better.”

I couldn’t help but smile, but then my expression fell when I remembered why I was in this mess in the first place. “Did she tell you?” What happened? What I did?

Georgia’s lips twisted. “She told me enough.”

I nodded, trying not to cringe. There were so many things I wished I’d done differently—not just with Levi but with Logan. I could’ve divulged more about the past without outing Levi. Maybe if I had, Logan wouldn’t have been so caught off guard. Maybe she’d still be here with me now, working through our next steps with Levi—together.

“Do you hate me?” I finally asked.

“Carson,” Georgia chided, standing from the couch and stepping closer. “No.” She gave my arm a squeeze. “We all make mistakes. What matters more than the mistake is the steps we take to remedy it.”

I groaned, feeling at a loss. “I’ve tried apologizing. I’ve gone to therapy. I’ve cut off ties with my family. I’ve tried to educate myself and be a better ally. I don’t know what more I can do.” I buried my face in my hands.

Georgia placed her hand on my back. “Honestly, I don’t know either. But I’m proud of the steps you’ve taken and the man you’ve become. It’s not easy to do something different from your family.”

I glanced up at her, sensing she understood perhaps more than she let on. Before I could ask, she said, “I think we should start by cleaning you up. A trim, a moisturizing treatment for your curls, a face mask. Some TLC.”

I rolled my eyes. “You just want to have a makeover moment.”

“Of course. But also, I know that when we feel good on the outside, we can feel better on the inside.”

“Thanks, Georgia. For believing in me. For giving me a chance.”

“Everyone deserves a second chance.” She patted my shoulder and straightened. “Well, maybe not everyone,” she muttered. “Let me take Logan’s things to my place, and I’ll come back with some supplies.”

She reached the door to my room, and then I said, “Hey, G?”

“Yeah?” she asked.

I gnawed on my bottom lip. “How is she?”

“She’s…” Georgia paused. “Struggling.”

My heart twisted, begging me to go to Logan. To hold her. To fix this.

“Does she hate me?”

“I know you’re not going to like this advice, but…be patient. Give her some time to work through everything.”

That wasn’t a yes. But it also wasn’t a no.

As Georgia left my apartment, some of Logan’s things in her arms, my mind was spinning with questions. But at the forefront of them all was, What if I lose her?

“You look tired, sweetie,” Mom said as we exited the hotel lobby for the parking lot. “You sure you don’t want me to drive?”

“I’m good,” I said, needing the distraction.

I hadn’t slept well in days, and while I wanted to blame it on hotel beds or being off my routine, I knew that wasn’t it. I was on the road all the time for work, and I’d never lost this much sleep.

It had been a week since I’d talked to my brother. I hadn’t heard from him since our conversation in LA the morning after Cece’s party, and I couldn’t remember a time in recent years when we’d gone so long without communicating. Then there was Carson. I sighed. I hadn’t texted him since before I’d left for Minnesota, asking for space. A week of silence. A week of questions and hurt and worry.

Fortunately, I’d been busy during that time—packing up my apartment and saying goodbye to my teammates. Mom and I had left Minnesota yesterday morning. I’d been teary and withdrawn, and I hoped Mom was blaming it on the move. She knew I’d told Levi about my relationship with Carson, and she knew it hadn’t gone well. But she hadn’t pressed for details so far, and for that, I was grateful.

I missed Carson, and I felt guilty for missing him after seeing how upset my brother had been. I kept hearing Levi’s words on repeat, seeing that look in his eyes.

Anyone but him.

It had sounded like an ultimatum.