My eyes meet hers. “Then why does he keep lying to me? No,” I shake my head. “I gave him his out. He’s eighteen and has his whole life and career ahead of him. I’m just an anchor. He will face so many amazing opportunities, ones he will knock back because of me. And now there’s a kid, Stef. A fucking kid. Sure, he didn’t know about it, but he knew he'd gotten her pregnant. He got a girl he didn’t even love, pregnant. The whole thing makes me feel sick. Someone else had his child inside them. I don’t know if I can get past it.” My eyes close again, the tears continuing to fall.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. But make sure it’s the right decision for you.”
Logan
Once I was out in the waiting room, my father stopped me. “What happened?” he asks as he grabs my shoulders, so we’re eye to eye. I feel like I’m going to hyperventilate. “Logan, take some breaths, and tell me.”
“She broke up with me.” I need to sit. I pull out of his grasp and drop into the first chair I see. “She was going on about me lying, and that there's a kid. She told me that she’d be holding me back from sleeping with other women and that I don’t know how to love someone.”
Dad takes the seat beside me. “She’s right, son. You have lied to her, you have been distant. Shit, you pushed her away just a few weeks ago. You pushed her to the point that she had to leave. You were lucky she came back, but a kid, that’s huge.” He shakes his head.
“What do I do?” it comes out as a whisper.
“You have to prove you love her and fast. If I know Hayley, and I think I do, she’ll be pushing you away because she thinks it’s what’s best for you. I’d place bets now that that girl is laying in there a wreck because she just let go of the man she loves.” He places his hand on my thigh. “She loves you too much to let go of you, but she also loves you enough to let you go because she thinks it’s for your own good. Do you love her as much as she loves you?”
My shoulders shrug. “I wouldn’t be as selfless as her. I need her just as much as I need air. She’s it for me. She is what I need. How do I show her? I need suggestions because my brain can't focus.”
“You go and find Callie. You find out what the fuck happened, asshole,” Lucas says as he enters the room. “And then you beg Hayley for forgiveness. I cannot believe how fucking selfish you’ve been. What the fuck, you’ve been treating her as if she’s just a fuck. No one would know you were in a relationship.” He also shakes his head before turning and walking away.
“Where the fuck are you going?” I bite out at him.
“I’m going to try and do some damage control. I’m going to tell her that although you’re a fucking asshole, you do love her before it’s too late.” And he disappears through the doors.
“Where do I start dad?” I ask.
He shifts forward. “You need to go and see Callie. Hayley won’t talk to you unless you find out either way what happened. And do it fast, I don’t want her upset for longer than necessary.” His hand cups my shoulder. “Welcome to the real world, son. When you fuck up, you have to man up.”
Hayley
The nurse gave me a shot of Pethidine, which left me feeling loopy. “Are you still in bed? What the fuck!” I chuckle when I spot Lucas. Carefully, he sits down on the end of the bed. “So, how can I make you two okay again?” he asks.
Shaking my head, I say, “Nothing, he’s free to fuck and get anyone he wants pregnant. I’m sure he’ll have a great time.” Yep, the drugs are kicking my ass.
“He really didn’t know, Hayley,” Lucas says softly. “He does love you. Granted, he sucks in the way he shows it, but I know he does. He doesn’t want anyone but you. You know I wouldn’t back him if I knew he was wrong, but this is different. I already know he'll be sued by The Met’s soon enough because he won’t leave this town knowing he could be working on trying to get you back. You are his heart.” My tears are now streaming down the sides of my face and into my hair. “Trust me when I tell you that the first chance I get, I will be beating his ass.”
“Where is he?” My chest aches. Logan could tell me he loved me, but right now it’s hard to believe. He got some random bitch pregnant. She was pregnant with his child, not me. It wasn’t me; it was her.
“He was talking with Dad. I’ll see if he’s still there.”
Right before that slut stabbed me, I’d made a promise, one I now need to keep. I won’t get mad at Logan. Yes, I’ve already broken it. But maybe I do need to face Logan. Whether we can’t work, fuck only knows.
Logan
I raced to my car, hopped in, and switched on the engine. I was going to sort this shit, now!
“Siri, call Zac.”
“Calling Zac.”
I hit the speaker button. “How is she, Logan?”
“She’s awake, but I need your help.”
“What happened?”
“She knows about Callie. She fucking broke up with me. I need to sort this shit out now, so I can get her back.”
“Shit, what do you need?”
“Callie’s address. Can you get it?”
“Give me five. I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks.” I feel defeated, I hang up. I know she’s out in Anaheim, so I’m going to head that way while I wait for an address.
I know I should be thinking about what happens next if there is a kid, but Hayley is my focus. She has to take me back. I couldn’t leave L.A. knowing she hated me. The Mets will have to sue my fucking ass. I don’t care. I’ll pay for it because I need to stay and fix things.
Not three minutes later, my phone rings. “Zac?”
“Got it, dude. I’ll text it through to you now.”
My phone beeps. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem. Just let me know you’re okay when you’re done with Callie. I’m worried about you.”
“Thanks, I will.” I hang up.
Siri pulls up the address and types it into my GPS. I’m an hour away. It’s going to be the longest fucking sixty minutes of my life.
Hayley
When Lucas came back in, I was still groggy and wanting to sleep, but I needed to know why it wasn’t Logan entering the room.
“Where is he?” I ask, my words slurring, but I don’t care.
He rests his hands on the edge of the bed. “He’s gone to Callie’s to find out what the fuck happened. Dad said Logan told him he will do anything to make things right, he wanted to start immediately. He won’t take no for an answer. He wants you, only you.”
The tears continue, and Stef gently places her arm under my head, cradling me. “Are you scared that there is a kid?” she whispers.
“Fucking oath, I am.”
Logan
As I pull up to the house, I begin to panic. I want to get this done, but I'm not sure if I can. Just then, my phone rings, it's Lucas.
“Yeah?”
“You okay?”
“I don’t know. I’m sitting outside of Callie’s house. I don’t want to go in.”
“Do you want me to come out there?”
“No, Hayley was right. I have to start dealing with shit.”
“Make it quick.”
“Why?”
“She wants to talk to you, but I told her where you were.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah. She said she let you go so you aren’t tied down. She’s worried you will resent her later on when you do face the women that will throw themselves at you. Hayley’s scared, that’s it, she’s scared she’ll be hurt, later on, Logan.”
“I love her.”
“I know you do. Now, go and find out what's going on because she needs you.”
“She’s going to let me back in?”
“Yeah. Don’t push her about the ring, I know she’s still planning on giving it back.”
“Why?”
“It’s like I said, she wants you to have an out. She won’t let you be stuck with her.”
“It’s not being stuck, Lucas.”
“I know that, fu
ck face. Now, go and find out what’s going on so you can get back here.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” We hang up.
Looking at the terracotta-colored, rendered home, I grab the door handle. After a moment, I bite the bullet and get out.
Taking a breath, I reach up and press the buzzer, and not one minute later, it opens.
Hayley
Lucas stayed by my side, even while I slept. When I woke, I asked him if he’d heard from Logan.
“Sorry, no.” he shakes his head.
I want to see him, to talk to him. “How long has it been?”
He glances down at his watch, “A couple of hours.”
I’m trying my hardest to remain calm, but he’s with the girl that fell pregnant with his child. And the very thought makes my stomach turn. “Lucas, what if there is a kid and he stays there? I fucking told him to go because I was groggy and mad. We need to know, but I’m scared.”
“There was no history between them. She wasn’t a girlfriend to him. He never had one before you. That is one thing he didn’t lie about.” Lucas is extremely pissed off at his brother. Who could blame him?
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shakes his head, “It wasn’t my place too. I fucking told him to tell you. You deserved to know, and you should have heard it from him, and only him.”
Logan
“What are you doing here, Logan?”
Callie looks the same as she did the last time I saw her. She still has choppy blond hair, bright green eyes, and a tiny body. “You didn’t get the abortion,” I blurt. I’m not here for small talk. I need to get back to Hayley before she changes her mind about talking to me.
Callie steps back, holding the door open. “Come in,” she sighs, so I do.
When she'd closed the front door, I follow her through the Tuscan-themed home until we’re in the kitchen. “Take a seat,” she offers as she points to the oak finish dining table.
So I do. I take a seat on one side while she is directly opposite me, her eyes on mine. “So, you dump me, hand me a grand in cash, you tell me not to call you again, and fourteen months later you show up on my doorstep out of the blue, and accuse me of not killing my baby?” Yep, I'm going to throw up. “Who told you I didn’t have the abortion?” she asks as she moves forward and laces her hands together on the table.
“Ashleigh.”
Callie rolls her eyes and laughs. “I should have known.”
I'm desperate for information, and I can’t be here all night, so I ask, "So, what happened?” I soften my tone, being pissed off isn’t going to get me anywhere.
"She was fucking with you, Logan," she answers as she shakes her head.
I give her a sideways glance. “What?” I press.
"I miscarried before I had a chance to go through with it. And it was probably for the best because I was struggling with the decision.” She gazes down at her joined hands. “I didn’t think it was up to me to take a life. I would never have told you if I had decided to go through with the pregnancy. I knew how mad you were, and you were such a fucking asshole about the whole thing.” Her eyes are still focused on her hands.
My head drops in shame. I have been horrible to her in the past. "I’m sorry I was such a dick to you, I should have been there. I should have supported you.”
"Umm, who are you? Because this isn’t the Logan, I remember.”
My eyes meet hers. “I’ve done a lot of growing up in the last year.”
She smiles, “I like this Logan much better.”
I nod, "So do I. I’m sorry to barge in, but I have to get going.”
"You’re leaving?” Her hand covers mine.
"I have to. Ashleigh stabbed my,” I pause because I don't even know what Hayley is to me anymore. Is she still my fiancé? My girlfriend? Or an ex? I hate the thought of her not being with me. I hate the fact that she broke up with me because she wants me to be open to sleeping around. Then I feel Callie’s hand squeeze mine.
"You’re what, Logan?”
"Honestly, I don’t know. Until a few hours ago, she was my fiancé, but now, I have no idea what she is to me.” Parts of me want to give up, but I know I can't.
"Why isn’t she now?” her hand is still on mine, and I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable, so I try to pull away, but she keeps a firm hold on me.
"Because, right before she was stabbed, Ashleigh told her you never had the abortion.” Then I think for a moment, “No, I’m wrong. She was mad that I hadn’t told her about the pregnancy in the first place. That and I haven’t been open with her. It’s not that I don’t want to be, it’s just that I don’t think she needs my problems to be piled on top of her own, and it pissed her off.”
Quickly, Callie ducks her head to meet my gaze. “She’s pissed because you wanted to protect her? I’m sorry, but that makes no sense?”
I let go of a laugh that's filled with sadness. “If you knew her, you’d understand.” I miss Hayley. I miss her so much, already.
"She sounds high maintenance, to me,” I know that voice, it's Callie’s seductive tone she’s always used on men.
Successfully, I manage to pull my hand free from hers, and I abruptly stand. "I have to go," I tell her as I push the chair out from behind me.
As I begin to walk towards the front of the house, Callie races ahead and barricades the door. “What are you doing?” Good god, she's giving me her sex face. “I like this new Logan. He isn’t an asshole.”
She takes a step towards me, and I take one back. “Why are you moving away from me?” but the psycho keeps trying to close the distance between us.
“Because I have to get back. I’m not here for sex. I did just come to see what had happened. That’s it, Callie. I have to get back to the hospital.” I shift sideways, and so does she. I hold my arms out, I not going to let her get any closer.
"But she broke up with you.” She moves towards me again. “She doesn’t want you, I do.” Believe it or not, but she begins unbuttoning her shirt.
I shake my head. “I will get her back. I love Hayley, and I’m not going to just give up her and sleep with you. I’m going to leave here because she told Lucas she wants to talk to me. I have to be with her, no one else will ever get a look in," I explain as I push past her and exit the house.
As I head for my car, so does Callie. She starts yelling something, but I choose to ignore it. Once I'm behind the wheel, I lock the doors, slip the key into the ignition, turn the car on and get the fuck out of there just before she is able to bash on the window.
THE MOMENT I'VE PARKED my car, I race into the hospital. Lucas and my father meet me just outside the ICU doors. “Well?” Lucas takes a step towards me and asks.
Dad moves up behind him and reaches up, resting his hand on my brother’s shoulder? "Give him a minute to catch his breath?” Dad tells him.
I hadn’t realized I was panting. My hands rest on my knees, and I take a few deep breaths. I feel like I just ran a marathon. When my breaths have evened, slowly, I stand. And then I begin to explain the Callie situation. "She miscarried before she went to have the procedure. Ashleigh, the whore, was fucking with us.”
My father lets go of the breath he'd been holding. “Okay then.” He looks as relieved as I feel.
"I’m going in. Is Stef still with Hayley?”
Lucas nods and comes towards me. “Yeah, she’s still sitting with her.” He then leans in and hugs me. “Go and tell her," he urges.
“Thanks," I sigh as I pull out of his embrace. I give my father a swift nod and walk through the doors to Hayley’s room.
When I enter her room, Stef turns. The moment she registers who I am, her eyes widen, and she gives me a nod. I know my sister's looks, she's silently asking me what happened with Callie. “All a lie,” I whisper. “Dad will explain. Can I sit with her?” I ask.
Stef nods and gently lets go of Hayley’s hand, but before she leaves the room, she reaches out, taking me in her embrace. “She loves y
ou. You must stop fucking shit up. The one thing I can tell you for sure is that she still wants to be with you, but I doubt she’ll put that ring back on,” Stef whispers in my ear.
I feel like she just punched me in the gut. I guess we’ll have to work through it. “Okay,” I whisper in return.
As soon as we're alone, I take the seat beside her and gently take her hand in mine.
Hayley
My body wakes when I feel that familiar hand touch mine. My eyes flutter open, and he's the first thing I see. "What happened,” I whisper. The pain is back.
He comes closer. "You’re hurting. Let me call the nurse,” he soothes as he stands and brings his face close to mine.
Desperate to kiss him, I hold back, the pain worsening. Giving him a tight nod, he leans over, and he presses the buzzer.
A moment later, a young woman enters the cubicle, “Everything okay?”
"She’s in pain,” he tells her, but his beautiful blue eyes are immediately back on mine.
"I’ll get some painkillers," the nurse answers and leaves the room.
He presses a kiss to my cheek. “Ashleigh lied, baby. There is no kid.” Relief floods my body as the words hit me, my tears well in the corners of my eyes. His hand reaches up, cupping my cheek. “I love you so much. The minute you’re better, I swear everything will be put on the table. Anything I’ve held back because I thought I was protecting you, will come out. I can’t lose you. I couldn’t go on knowing you didn’t want me.” But the instant I see Logan’s eyes are also welling with tears, I break.
“No more secrets, I can’t do it. It’s all or nothing,” I manage to tell him over the lump in my throat.
He pulls away just enough so I can see his smile. That damn smile always melts my insides. “I swear to you, no more secrets.”
“Even if you think you’re protecting me?” I question.
He nods. “Even if I think it’s for the best.” His lips meet mine, but when we hear the nurse return, he pulls away, but he stays close.
Once the morphine is in my system, my head begins to feel groggy, but at least, the pain is gone, for now.
When the nurse has left the room, Logan goes to take a seat in the chair that is beside the bed, but before he does, I grab the hem of his shirt and pull on it until he turns to face me. “What’s the matter?” he asks in a low tone, his features full of concern.
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