Chapter Twenty Logan
Chapter Twenty
Logan
I spot Samantha sitting at one of the outdoor tables, having lunch with Joseph and Emily. My stomach tightens as I walk toward them, but I know this confrontation is long overdue. The air is heavy with tension, and I can already see the calculated smirk on Samantha’s face when she catches sight of me approaching.
“Logan,” she says smoothly, taking a sip of her drink as if nothing is wrong. “What a surprise.”
I nod to Joseph and Emily before turning my attention to her. “We need to talk.”
She raises an eyebrow, pretending to be unbothered. “We can talk right here, in front of Joseph and Emily. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
I hesitate for a moment, glancing at Joseph and Emily, both of whom look slightly uncomfortable but curious. Part of me wants to pull Samantha aside, keep this private, but I know that’s exactly what she wants. She thrives on controlling the narrative, twisting things to her advantage. Not this time. If she wants an audience, she’ll get one.
“Fine,” I say, my voice steady. “We’ll do this right here.”
I take a seat, leaning forward, making sure she knows I’m serious. “Samantha, I’m sorry for what happened between us. I made mistakes. I kissed someone else, and I regret it. You and I both know that I wasn’t the only one at fault. You need to own up to your part of this too.”
Her smirk falters, her eyes narrowing. “My part? What part is that exactly, Logan?”
I keep my gaze steady, my voice calm. “You cheated on me. For months. You slept with one of my closest friends. Instead of dealing with the fallout like adults, we both made things worse. I’m willing to admit to what I did, but it’s time for you to take responsibility too.”
The tension at the table thickens. Emily looks shocked, her eyes darting between me and Samantha. Joseph, however, looks like this is news he’s been expecting.
Samantha’s eyes flash with anger, but she keeps her voice low and icy. “This is how you want to handle things? Bringing up the past in front of everyone?”
“I didn’t want to handle it this way,” I say, my voice hardening. “You gave me no choice. Ever since you showed up here, you’ve been stirring up trouble, trying to cause problems between Grace and me. You’ve spread lies, manipulated situations, and done everything you can to make this about us when it’s not. It’s about Joseph and Emily’s wedding.”
Samantha’s jaw tightens, and I can see her fighting to keep her composure. “I’m not here to ruin anything. I just wanted to—”
“To what?” I cut in, my patience wearing thin. “Get back at me? Make me pay for what happened between us? I get it. You’re angry, and you have every right to be. This isn’t the way to handle it.You’re hurting people who had nothing to do with our mess. You had better be gone by the wedding day, Samantha, because I won’t let you ruin things for me, for Grace, or for anyone else here.”
She starts to say something, but I hold up a hand, cutting her off before she can cause a scene. “No more drama. No more games. This should have ended a long time ago, but I’m ending it now.”
Samantha’s eyes blaze with fury, and I can feel the tension crackling in the air. For a second, it looks like she’s about to explode, but before she can say anything, Joseph speaks up, his voice calm but firm.
“Logan’s right, Sam,” Joseph says, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. “Logan doesn’t like people in his business, so I never spoke about what happened between you. I let it slide, but I’m done watching this play out. It’s over. You’re not welcome here if you’re going to keep causing problems.”
Emily’s eyes widen in surprise at Joseph’s admission, but she stays quiet, her expression a mix of discomfort and understanding.
Samantha’s face reddens, her anger barely contained. “You all think you can just throw me out like I’m some kind of villain?”
I meet her gaze, my voice steady. “You made your choices, Sam. So did I. We’re done now. You don’t get to come back into my life and mess everything up just because you’re still mad. It’s time to move on.”
She glares at me, then at Joseph, clearly furious that he’s backing me up. “You’re all pathetic,” she hisses, standing up abruptly. “I’ll leave, but this isn’t over.”
As she storms off, the tension finally breaks, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I glance over at Joseph, who nods slightly, as if to say, You did the right thing.
Emily looks at me with concern. “Logan, are you okay?”
I nod, though the weight of everything that just happened still sits heavily on my chest. “Yeah, I’m okay. I should’ve done that from the start.”
Joseph claps me on the back, his expression serious but supportive. “You did what needed to be done. She should’ve been gone a long time ago.”
I nod, still watching the direction where Samantha stormed off, the weight of the confrontation heavy in my chest. It feels like a long-overdue battle I never wanted to fight, but I should have seen coming. Samantha’s presence has been like a storm cloud hovering over everything, and now, at least, it feels like the worst of it is finally passing.
Emily shifts in her seat, offering a small smile, her eyes filled with concern. “We’ll handle it from here, Logan. Don’t worry about her anymore. Joseph and I will make sure she’s gone before the wedding. You need to focus on Grace.”
I nod, though my mind is already spinning with thoughts of Grace, of how everything has been unraveling between us. After what she blurted out earlier—about knowing I cheated on Samantha—I need to clear the air, need to make things right. Guilt lingers in my chest, not just about what happened between me and Samantha, but about what Grace must be feeling now, how this is all affecting her.
“I’m going to go find her,” I say, pushing my chair back.
“Logan, wait,” Joseph says, his voice quieter now, more serious. He runs a hand through his hair, his eyes full of something close to regret. “There’s something I need to say before you go. About… what I knew about Samantha.”
I stop, turning back to face him. “What is it?”
Joseph sighs, glancing briefly at Emily before turning his full attention to me. “I knew about Samantha cheating on you,” he admits. “I swear, I didn’t find out until after you two had already broken up. I didn’t know while it was happening.”
The confession lands with a dull thud, but it doesn’t hit me the way I thought it might. I had suspected Joseph knew more than he let on—he’s always had a way of figuring things out. Hearing it now, it feels… less shocking, more like a missing piece finally sliding into place.
“I didn’t want to get involved because I knew you hated people prying into your business,” Joseph continues, his voice filled with regret. “And by the time I knew the truth, it didn’t seem like my place to bring it up. I feel like I owe you an apology. I should’ve said something sooner, even if it wouldn’t have changed anything.”
I watch him for a moment, processing what he’s saying. Though there’s a flicker of disappointment, it’s not aimed at him. I understand why he stayed out of it. Joseph has always been the kind of friend who respected my boundaries, even when it meant staying silent about things that weren’t easy to hear.
“I get it,” I say, my voice steady. “You were looking out for me in your own way. I don’t hold it against you.”
Joseph’s shoulders relax slightly, relief washing over his face. “Thanks, man. I didn’t want you to think I was keeping secrets from you.”
I offer a small smile, clapping him on the shoulder. “You weren’t. Not really. Besides, it’s in the past now. I’ve moved on from all that.”
Emily smiles softly at the both of us, clearly relieved that the tension between me and Joseph is resolved. “You did the right thing, Logan. Samantha needed to hear that. Now you need to go to Grace.”
I nod, the knot in my chest tightening again as I think about Grace. “Yeah. I need to talk to her, fix this.”
Joseph gives me one last supportive look. “She cares about you, Logan. Don’t let what’s happened mess that up. Just be honest with her.”
I don’t say anything, but I know he’s right. I need to be honest with Grace—not just about Samantha, but about everything. How I feel about her, about us, and where I see this going.
Without another word, I turn and head in the direction of the suite, my mind already spinning with what I’ll say to her. There’s too much at stake now, and I can’t afford to lose her—not when everything we’ve been through is finally starting to make sense.
As I walk, I replay the moment with Samantha in my mind. I should have stood up to her sooner, should have drawn the line the moment she arrived.
I quicken my pace, the weight of what needs to be said pressing down on me. I have to make her see that this is real—that what we have isn’t just some lie we’ve been telling ourselves to get through the wedding. I don’t want to pretend anymore. I don’t want to hide behind the fake engagement or the mess with Samantha. I want Grace. I need her to know that.
I need her to believe me.