Fractured Connections
I thought I’d made it through the day without seeing him. After the gauntlet of whispers, stares, and half-hearted apologies from people who had watched me fall, the last thing I needed was to face Logan. But as I stepped out of the school, there he was—leaning against his car like he had all the time in the world. His posture was casual, but the tension in his frame betrayed him. He straightened the moment our eyes met, his dark gaze locking onto mine with a determination that made my stomach twist.
“Emma,” he called, his voice steady but heavy with something unspoken. The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. “We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” I replied, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag. I didn’t slow down, didn’t falter, even as my heart raced. “I’m done talking to you.”
He moved quickly, stepping into my path and forcing me to stop. “You can’t just ignore me forever,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, urgent tone. “Not after everything.”
“Watch me.”
The sharpness in my voice seemed to cut through him, but Logan didn’t move. Instead, he exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I never gave her those messages,” he said, the words tumbling out like they’d been rehearsed a dozen times. “She got them off my phone. I didn’t even know she’d seen them until the party.”
I stopped, my breath catching for just a moment before I forced myself to breathe again. “Then why didn’t you say anything?” I demanded, the disbelief and hurt in my voice clear even to me. “Why didn’t you stop her?”
“She blindsided me, okay?” Logan’s voice rose slightly, frustration flickering in his eyes. “She’s been trying to mess with me for weeks, Emma. Trying to—” He stopped himself, his jaw clenching as though he was choosing his next words carefully. “Trying to get me to choose her over you. I thought if I made it clear we were serious, she’d back off. I didn’t think she’d go this far.”
The words hit me like a hammer, heavy and jarring, but they didn’t break through the wall I’d built around my heart. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, glaring at him. “So, what? You just stood there while she ripped me apart in front of everyone?”
“Em—”
“No,” I cut him off, my voice trembling with the force of my emotions. “You let her humiliate me, Logan. And you didn’t do a damn thing to stop it.”
He winced, his expression twisting into a mix of guilt and frustration. “I didn’t know what to do!” he snapped, his voice rising. “I froze. I screwed up, okay? But I didn’t betray you.”
“I don’t believe you,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. It was the truth, as much as it hurt to admit. Trust was fragile, and Logan had shattered mine.
Logan’s frustration finally boiled over. “You don’t want to believe me,” he said, his voice sharp and louder than before. “You’ve already decided I’m the bad guy, so why would the truth matter?”
His words hit their mark, but I refused to let him see it. “Maybe because you made it impossible to trust you!” I shot back, the anger and hurt spilling out like a dam breaking. “You knew how much she hated me, and you still—”
“What?” he interrupted, his voice cutting through mine. “I’m the only one fighting for us, Emma! You’re so busy blaming me that you won’t even listen!”
The words stung, each one like a slap, but I wouldn’t let him have the last word. “Maybe because there’s nothing left to fight for,” I said coldly, the bitterness in my voice chilling even to me.
His face fell, the anger draining from his features and leaving behind something that looked dangerously close to despair. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, to fight for one more chance. But then he shook his head slowly, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “You’re wrong,” he said quietly, the softness of his voice cutting deeper than his frustration ever could. “And one day, you’re going to realize that.”
The vulnerability in his tone made my chest ache, but I didn’t let it show. I couldn’t. Without another word, I turned and walked away, my heart pounding as tears blurred my vision. I blinked them back furiously, refusing to cry until I was far, far away from him.
Behind me, I could hear Logan calling my name, his voice breaking slightly as he said it. But I didn’t stop, didn’t look back. I kept walking, each step heavier than the last, until his voice faded into silence.
