I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest, the tears I’d been holding back slipping free despite my best efforts. His words cut through every doubt, every fear, and left me bare. My mind screamed of all the reasons why it couldn’t work, why it was safer to stay with Caleb, to keep the fragile peace I’d been clinging to. But my heart—it knew the truth.
“If I choose you,” I whispered, “everything falls apart.”
“Then let it.” The words sent a jolt through me. “Let it fall apart, Em. We can deal with it together. I’m not afraid of the fallout, but I can’t do this without you.”
The world seemed to narrow. All I could see was him. His presence consumed everything else, grounding me even as I felt like I might break apart. All the words seem to disappear from my head.
“I’m a mess now,” I said finally.
Logan’s jaw tightened, his eyes searching mine. “I’m not asking for perfect, Emma. I’m asking for you.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.” I feel my voice cracking. “I just need—”
Suddenly I felt how overwhelming everything was. It felt like I was drowning. I took a step back, breathing hard, looking down. Logan’s frustration was clear. “You okay?”
“I just need to be out of it all,” I said, moving backwards to my car. “Just for a while. To take a break. To be… alone.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to hold back whatever emotion was threatening to break through. “If that’s what you want,” he said finally, his voice low, “then I’ll let you go. But it’s a mistake, Em. You know it is.”
I sat into my car and drove away as fast as I could, leaving him standing there, his expression etched with frustration and regret.
It’s a mistake. It’s a mistake. It’s a mistake.
His words stayed with me long after our conversation, but I told myself it was for the best. I need to concentrate on work. And school. My future is all that should matter now.
At home, I was sitting in front of my laptop at home, staring at yet another rejection email. But the memory of Logan’s touch, his voice, lingered, no matter how hard I tried to push it away.
The silence was broken by the buzz of my phone. Another text from Caleb.
You okay?
I couldn’t bring myself to reply. I needed space to think, to figure out how to fix the mess my life had become.