“Hello, Logan. Long time no see,” she says, her voice slurring just slightly, though she tries hard to stand steady. Her eyes darted around, as she swayed in her step.
I know we have unfinished business between us. The last time we crossed paths, she’d threatened me-furious when those pictures of her tangled in bed with Elliot Jones surfaced.
And then, it hits me. Elliot Jones… Elliot Jones. He’s Ethan and Mason’s brother. How did I miss that? The smallest, most crucial detail-suddenly clear.
She glances over her shoulder, eyes looking around with unease and my gut twists. Something is off. Instinct kicks in.
“Are you okay?” I ask, stepping closer, in a low voice.
She glances around again, with nervous energy. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?” she asks, in a tight voice, though she still scans the crowd.
“Come here.” Without waiting for a response, I grab her arm and pull her outside, away from the lights and deafening music. We step into the cool night air, where the bass from the club is now just a distant thrum.
“Nathalie, look at me,” I say, my voice tense, a knot of worry tightening in my chest.
“What’s wrong?” Desperation creeps in because I know whatever this is, it’s going to spiral toward Nadine, and I can’t let that happen. Not to her.
She snaps her gaze to mine, eyes burning. “What do you care, Logan? You pulled that stunt, and now you think you can ask me what’s wrong?” Her voice sharpens, each word slicing through the night. “You need to fix it, you dimwit.”
Her words hit hard, but they don’t shake me. I’ve done things-ugly things. Some I regret. Others? I’d do it again without hesitation.
“You’d be surprised that I care, Nathalie. What’s going on?”
She locks her eyes on mine, searching my face, testing my sincerity. I let her see it-the concern, the hurt that mirrors her own. After a moment, she breaks away, her gaze dropping.
“That picture of me and Elliot Jones that went viral… I know you’re responsible for it,” she snaps, anger sharpening her words. “So why the hell am I even talking to you?” She steps back, fury in her eyes.
I reach for her hand, gently but firmly keeping her from retreating further. “Nathalie, look at me,” I say, holding her gaze as she struggles against my grip. She wants to pull away, to escape, but I hold her steady, not letting go.
“I had nothing to do with that. I swear on my life,” I say, my voice low and intense, desperate to convince her of the truth.
She jerks her head toward me, her eyes narrowing. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m fucking sure I didn’t have a hand in it.”
Nathalie’s eyes were on mine, with suspicion, but something softened-just a little. She stops pulling away, though her body stays tense.
“If you didn’t do it,” she says slowly, the edge in her voice still there, “then who did?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, feeling how badly this could spiral. “But I’ll find out. I promise you that.”
Slowly, she pulls her hand away, but it’s different now. She’s not running.
“You don’t get it, do you?” she whispers, her voice suddenly quiet, almost fragile. “That picture didn’t just ruin my life. It’s driving a wedge between me and Jake. I know I love him.” She hesitates, the shame in her eyes as if admitting it out loud is too much. “I agreed to conspire with you-”
I can see she doesn’t want to finish the thought. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that happened. Is there anything I can do to help?” I offer, genuinely wanting to ease her burden. After all, if it weren’t for her, I might not have Nadine in my life.
“Nothing, Logan,” she replies, the edge in her voice returning. “I’m happy for you. You have your happily ever after with Nadine, while I’m stuck here, watching Jake drift away without being able to help him.” She brushes her hair back from her face.
If only she knew the truth.
“So, what are you doing here at the club?” I ask.
“I’m here to meet a friend. It’s nice to see you again,” she replies, with a clipped tone, before she turns and walks away.
I stand there, watching her retreat, the crowd swirling around me as if she’s the only thing that matters.
My phone buzzes, breaking the moment. It’s Asher. I don’t need to check; I know he’s wondering where I’ve been. I swipe to answer. “Coming right up, Asher,” I say, hanging up without another word.
I weave through the dance floor, the bass thumping in my chest, until I spot Asher, lost in the rhythm. He sees me and jumps up, pulling me into a quick shake. “I’ve missed you, bro!”
“Me too,” I replied, snapping my fingers to catch the bartender’s attention. My usual drink arrives, and I gulp it down in one go.
“Slow down, young man! What’s got your pants on fire?” Asher laughs, giving me a friendly pat on the back.
I chuckle, trying to play it cool.
I raise my head, the club light circling above me, pulsing with the beat of the music. Asher thinks I courted Nadine the right way, that our marriage was a fairytale. He has no idea it’s all a contract, a facade.
I know I need to confide in someone.
“You know you can talk to me,” Asher’s voice cuts through my thoughts, grounding me.
“Okay, but I don’t want you to judge me. Just hear me out,” I say, with a tense voice.
That piques his interest. “You know I won’t do that.” He raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.
I roll my eyes, fighting the urge to laugh. “Just listen.”
Asher leans in, genuinely curious, the noise of the club fading into the background as I brace myself to share my truth.
“So, here’s the deal,” I begin, with a steady voice.
I explained everything from the start: the day I saw Nadine shopping with Sydney, her friend at that time. I’d watched her closely ever since.
“I did some digging,” I continued, the words spilling out. “I found out her sister is in love with her fiance, Jake. It hit me: if I could conspire to get them together, I could keep Nadine for myself. I couldn’t be with her knowing she was about to marry someone else. So, I had to act.”
Asher’s brow furrows, and he leans back in his seat; the expression on his face feels like he’s trying to understand the magnitude of what I’ve just told him. The lights of the club flash across his face, but for a moment, everything feels still between us.
“So, let me get this straight,” he says, voice lowered but steady. “You manipulated the situation so Nadine’s sister could be with her fiance, all so you could end up with Nadine?”
I nod. “Yeah… I know it sounds messed up. But at the time, it felt like the only way. I couldn’t lose her.”
He rubs a hand over his jaw, clearly working through the mess I’ve dropped on him. “And now you terminate the contract hoping she will stay?”
“Exactly,” I say, my voice strained.
Asher’s eyes meet mine, serious now. “Logan, this… this is huge.”
I swallow hard. I’ve known that all along, but hearing it out loud is different. “I know,” I admit. “But I don’t know. I care about her. I do. I just-”
“You just thought you could control everything,” he finishes for me. “But people aren’t pieces on a chessboard, Logan. They’re gonna react, and not always the way you expect.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair.
“I’m not here to judge you,” Asher says, his voice steady. “People do crazy things when it comes to matters of the heart. But don’t worry-she’ll choose you again. I’m sure of that.”
His words catch me off guard. I snap my face toward him, searching for any hint of doubt, but he nods, confident in what he’s saying.
I raise my glass and gulp the drink, letting the burn settle in my chest. Somehow, I cling to the small hope Asher has just handed me.
“She’ll choose me again,” I murmur as if saying it out loud might make it true.