It was well past midnight when the knock came. At first, I thought I was imagining things. But then it came again—louder, sharper.
I got out of bed and crept to the window, peeking out to see Logan standing there, his face pale and haunted. I threw on a sweater and hurried downstairs, opening the door to the cold night air.
“Logan,” I said softly. “What happened? How did the talk with Vanessa go?”
For a long moment, he didn’t say anything. He just stood there, his eyes hollow and his hands buried deep in his jacket pockets.
“Logan?” I prompted again, stepping closer.
“She’s pregnant,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.
My stomach dropped. “What?”
“Vanessa,” he said, looking up at me, his face filled with guilt. “She’s pregnant... with my baby.”
The words didn’t make sense. They hung in the air, heavy and unreal.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, that can’t be true.”
“It is,” Logan said, his voice trembling. “She told me tonight. She’s having my baby.”
I staggered back, gripping the doorframe as the world tilted around me. “But... how? You…slept with her? When, Logan? When?”
“It was just once,” he said quickly, his voice raw with desperation. “It was a mistake, Emma. It didn’t mean anything.”
“A mistake?” I said, my voice rising. “A mistake doesn’t make a baby, Logan! And you didn’t think to tell me? You didn’t think I deserved to know?”
“I didn’t know,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Emma, I swear, I didn’t know until tonight.”
“But you knew it happened,” I said bitterly. “You knew you slept with her. And you didn’t tell me.”
He was silent, his eyes dropping to the ground.
I felt my chest tighten as a realization hit me. “Tell me the truth, Logan. Why? Why did it happen?”
He took a shaky breath, his voice breaking as he spoke. “It was the night she broke down about Professor Mitchell. She came to me... she was a mess, Emma. He—he was harassing her, threatening her grades if she didn’t... you know. She didn’t know what to do. She thought no one would believe her.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding.
“I told her I’d help her, that I’d make sure Mitchell wouldn’t hurt her again,” Logan continued, his voice thick with shame. “She was crying, completely broken, and I... I tried to comfort her. But it went too far. I don’t know how it happened, but it did. And I regret it every day.”
My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat. “You safeguarded her,” I said, my voice trembling. “But not just safeguarded. You fucked her.”
“Emma—”
“Don’t,” I said sharply, my hands trembling. “Don’t try to explain it. You were supposed to protect her, and instead... instead you did this.”
“I know I messed up,” he said, his voice breaking. “I know I betrayed you. But it didn’t mean anything, Emma. I didn’t love her. I don’t love her.”
“Then why did you do it?” I demanded, tears streaming down my face. “Why? Do you know what you’ve done to me? To us?”
“I thought I was helping,” he said, his voice barely audible. “But I wasn’t thinking. I made a mistake, Emma. And I hate myself for it.”
The pain in his voice was real, but it did nothing to dull the sharp ache in my chest. Vanessa—Vanessa—was pregnant with Logan’s baby.
And I had lost mine.
The weight of it all crushed me, and I felt my legs give out as I sank to the floor.
“Emma,” Logan said, kneeling beside me. “Please. I know I can’t change what happened, but I don’t want to lose you. I love you.”
I looked at him through my tears, my chest heaving with sobs. “You already lost me, Logan.”
“Emma, please,” he whispered, his hand hovering over mine.
“Go,” I said, my voice barely audible.
“Emma—”
“Just go!” I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat as I clutched my chest.
Logan hesitated for a moment, his face crumpling. Then he stood, his footsteps heavy as he walked out the door.
As the door clicked shut behind him, I sat on the floor, my sobs echoing in the empty room.
The dream I’d been holding onto—the dream of Logan and me, of a future we could build together—was gone.
Vanessa was carrying Logan’s child. And there was no coming back from that.