Other Side

01 | Exes and Hell No's

There weren't many layers to Logan, Talia's ex-boyfriend.

No tragic backstory, no diverse life experiences, and surprisingly, no psycho ex-girlfriend(s).

He was nice, in that Hallmark-movie main character way, cheesy smile on a face that screamed readable and all. Looks-wise, he wasn't too bad on the eyes. He had medium-brown hair he kept cropped short, eyes that hovered somewhere on the blue-green spectrum, and large, defined arms from years of lacrosse playing. Everything about him seemed taken from the opposite coast, from his collection of leather boat shoes to his insistence on drinking Dunkin' Donuts coffee, even when the nearest store was half an hour from campus.

During the six months Talia had dated him, she'd voiced no complaints. He would call her pretty at least every other day and would always save her favorite specials at the dining hall. One time, he'd gone all "overprotective boyfriend" on a guy trying to ask her a survey question in the library. She'd laughed about it in her head for the next month, but Logan had never found out, still thinking he'd saved her from genuine distress.

Spring break sophomore year, Logan extended Talia a dinner invitation. His older brother, Brandon, was returning home from UPenn with his girlfriend, and apparently, his mother had encouraged him to invite her. Talia had never "met the parents" before—hell, dated someone for as long as she had Logan—but without mulling over the idea, she let him pick her up in his black Porsche and off they went to his estate.

Most homes in Napa had a certain charm to them, but the Summers had actual vineyards in their backyard, making Talia realize she knew nothing about this family, elevated financial status or not. Despite the perfect architecture and the sleepy cat lounging at the door, she had never felt more uncomfortable in the Summers household that night.

Laughs were awkward chuckles against the rim of a wine glass, tension so thick in the air that it made her drink taste odd. Olivia, Brandon's girlfriend, managed three sentences the entire dinner without being interrupted by another funniest story from Penn. Talia questioned his understanding of superlatives by the fifth "funniest" story, wondering which one was supposed to have them clutching their sides, because the only side-clutching she was doing was from the dry salmon, sitting mostly untouched on her plate.

For the most part, Will and Kathleen—the parents—were friendly people, like Logan, and didn't get too intrusive with their questions, sticking mostly to her college experience.

And then it came.

"So, how are you liking the US so far, Talia?"

Talia put down her fork with a clink against her plate, eyes widening. "So far?"

Brandon shrugged. "No, I was just curious; it must have been an unfamiliar experience coming here from—what was it again—Iraq?" As her face stiffened more, he sat back in his seat, taking a healthy sip of wine. "I mean, maybe that's a dumb question to ask. Anything is an upgrade from the Middle East, right?"

Olivia burned holes into the side of his head, while his two parents became ice sculptures, forks frozen in the air. Talia looked to Logan for a response, but he just ducked over his meal, muttering something to himself.

Brandon remained unfazed.

She swallowed hard, realizing she would have to come to her own defense. Her tone teetered somewhere between neutral and passive aggressive as she rejoined, "I was actually born here, Brandon. I'm not from Iraq either, but it seems like geography isn't a class at Penn."

He reddened to the color of his filet. "Oh, yeah, well, I mean I was just trying to understand your background a little better. Logan's never...dated anyone like you."