The shift was dragging, and the dull ache in my feet was starting to spread. I wiped down the counter for what felt like the hundredth time, glancing at the clock. The bar was quieter than usual, a few regulars nursing drinks while the jukebox hummed in the background. It was almost closing time when the door swung open.
Logan.
My heart clenched as he walked in, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. His eyes scanned the room, landing on me. For a second, neither of us moved.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice steady as he approached the bar.
“Just wanted to talk,” he said, his tone cautious. “Thought maybe I’d grab a drink.”
“You know I can’t serve you,” I said, trying to sound indifferent. “And I don’t think there’s anything left to talk about.”
Logan ignored the jab, leaning against the counter. “Emma, I—”
The door slammed open again, cutting him off. Caleb stormed in, his expression dark, and my stomach dropped.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Caleb growled, his eyes locked on Logan.
Logan turned to face him, his posture tense but calm. “I came to see Emma.”
“You don’t get to do that,” Caleb snapped, his voice rising. “You don’t get to mess with her head whenever you feel like it.”
“Caleb, stop,” I said, stepping out from behind the bar. “This isn’t—”
“He doesn’t deserve you, Emma,” Caleb cut me off, his gaze still fixed on Logan. “You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Coming around, pretending like you care, but you always leave her in pieces.”
“That’s rich, coming from you,” Logan shot back, his voice sharp. “You’ve done nothing but drag her into your mess. At least I don’t treat her like something to control.”
The tension snapped like a rubber band. Caleb lunged at Logan, shoving him hard enough to send him stumbling into a table. Glasses clattered to the floor as the patrons scrambled to get out of the way.
“Stop it!” I yelled, rushing forward, but they were already swinging at each other.
Logan recovered quickly, landing a solid punch to Caleb’s jaw. Caleb staggered but retaliated with a brutal shove that sent Logan into another table. The sound of splintering wood echoed through the bar as they grappled, fists flying and curses spilling from their mouths.
“Enough!” Marie, the bartender, shouted, stepping between them with a broken pool cue raised like a weapon. “You two want to kill each other? Do it somewhere else. Not in my damn bar.”
They froze, panting and glaring at each other, blood trickling from Logan’s split lip and a bruise already forming on Caleb’s cheek. The silence was deafening, broken only by the murmurs of the remaining patrons.
“Out,” Marie barked, pointing at the door. “Now.”
Outside, the cold air stung my skin as I followed them, anger boiling in my chest. Logan stood by his car, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, while Caleb paced like a caged animal.
“What the hell is wrong with you two?” I demanded, my voice shaking.
“I’m trying to protect you,” Caleb said, turning to face me. “He’s the one screwing everything up.”
“Protect me?” I shot back. “By turning my life into a spectacle? By throwing punches in my workplace?”
Logan straightened, his expression grim. “I came here to talk, not to fight. But I’m not going to stand here and let him act like he owns you.”
“You don’t get to decide anything about me!” I snapped, my frustration spilling over. “Neither of you do.”