Chapter Eight Logan
Chapter Eight
Logan
I spot Grace just as she’s stalking out of the dining area, her face set in a stormy expression that sends alarm bells ringing in my head. I’m too far away to catch up with her, and before I can call out her name, she’s already gone, disappearing through the doors with a determined stride. Something’s up, and I’ve got a sinking feeling I know exactly who’s behind it.
My suspicions are confirmed the moment I step into the breakfast area and see Samantha, perched at a table, looking far too pleased with herself. Her eyes flicker to me as I approach, and that familiar smug smile curls on her lips. I don’t even have to ask—I can tell she’s been talking to Grace, and whatever she said, it wasn’t good.
“Samantha,” I say, my voice clipped as I stop in front of her table. “What did you say to Grace?”
She takes a sip of her coffee, feigning innocence, but the glint in her eyes gives her away. “Good morning to you too, Logan. Such a pleasant way to start the day.”
I grit my teeth, trying to keep my frustration in check. “Cut the crap, Samantha. I saw her leaving, and I know you were talking to her. What did you say?”
She raises an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the way she’s getting under my skin. “I just had a little chat with her, that’s all. She seemed a bit… tense. I was only trying to help.”
“Help?” I repeat, incredulous. “You’re here to mess with me, with us, and we both know it. So don’t pretend you’re doing anyone any favors.”
She sets her cup down, leaning back in her chair with that same irritatingly confident expression. “Logan, you’re being paranoid. Can’t a girl have a friendly conversation without being accused of ulterior motives?”
I glare at her, my patience thinner by the second. “Not when that girl has a history of stirring up trouble. What’s your game, Samantha; why are you really here?”
She shrugs, still annoyingly calm. “I told you, I’m here as a friend of Emily’s and Joseph’s. I didn’t realize that was a crime.”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” I snap. “You and I both know you’re not here just to catch up with old friends. You’ve been trying to get in my head since you showed up, and I’m done with it. Whatever you’re planning, it’s not going to work.”
Her smile widens, and there’s a dangerous edge to it now. “You always were so suspicious, Logan. You’re right about one thing—I can tell something’s up with you and Grace. There’s a certain… tension, wouldn’t you say?”
My heart skips a beat, and I can feel the unease creeping in. Does she know? Has she figured out that the engagement is fake? The last thing we need is for her to start spreading rumors, to plant seeds of doubt in everyone’s minds.
I force myself to stay calm, to not let her see how much her words are getting to me. “There’s nothing up,” I say, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “Grace and I are fine.”
Samantha tilts her head, studying me with those sharp eyes of hers. “Are you sure about that? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like things are a bit more… complicated. Then, you always did like to keep things interesting.”
I clench my fists, fighting the urge to say something I’ll regret. She’s fishing for something, trying to push me into a corner, and I can’t afford to let that happen. “Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong. Just stay out of it, Samantha.”
She stands up, brushing imaginary dust from her dress, her smile never faltering. “Relax, Logan. I’m just making observations. But if you’re so sure everything’s fine, then there’s nothing to worry about, right?”
She walks past me, her perfume lingering in the air, leaving me standing there, seething. I watch her go, the tight knot of frustration in my chest growing tighter. She knows something—maybe not everything, but enough to make her dangerous. Now, with Grace already on edge, the last thing we need is Samantha stirring the pot even more.
Samantha’s perfume lingers in the air as she saunters away, leaving me standing there, seething. The knot of frustration in my chest tightens with every step she takes. I can’t let her walk away like this, not when I know she’s up to something. I catch up to her just before she reaches the exit.
“Samantha,” I call out, my voice low and controlled, but there’s a hard edge to it. She pauses, turning to face me with that infuriatingly calm expression.
“Yes, Logan?” she replies, her tone syrupy sweet, as if she’s just been having a friendly chat rather than playing her mind games.
I step closer, keeping my voice firm. “Listen to me. Don’t mess with Grace. Don’t mess with us. This is Emily and Joseph’s wedding, and I won’t let you ruin it over something so petty. Whatever you think you’re doing, stop. Now.”
Samantha raises an eyebrow, her smile never wavering. “Ruin the wedding? Logan, you’re overreacting. I told you, I’m just here to catch up, enjoy the festivities. I wouldn’t dream of causing trouble.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t believe you,” I snap, not bothering to hide the distrust in my voice. “So I’m warning you—stay away from Grace. Leave us alone.”
She tilts her head slightly, as if considering my words, but there’s a glint in her eye that tells me she’s not taking this seriously. “Relax, Logan. I’m not here to cause a scene. I won’t do anything to disrupt the wedding. You have my word.”
Her smile, her whole demeanor, doesn’t give me any confidence. I know Samantha too well, and I know when she’s lying. She might not plan on ruining the wedding outright, but she’s definitely playing some kind of game, and Grace and I are caught in the middle.
I watch her walk away, the frustration inside me boiling over. I need to find Grace, to make sure she’s okay and to figure out how to deal with this mess before it spirals out of control. But when I head back to our suite, the place is empty. The bed is neatly made, the room untouched since we left it this morning. No sign of Grace.
Panic gnaws at me, and I force myself to think clearly. I make my way to Joseph and Emily’s suite, hoping she might have gone there. I knock on the door, trying to keep the worry out of my expression when Joseph answers.
“Hey, man,” I say, forcing a smile. “Have you seen Grace?”
Joseph raises an eyebrow, glancing over his shoulder at Emily, who’s sitting on the bed, flipping through a wedding planning book. “Nope, haven’t seen her today. Why? You guys have a fight or something?”
I hesitate, not sure how much to reveal. “Something like that. Just a little disagreement. She left early, and I can’t seem to track her down.”
Joseph chuckles, clearly thinking this is just a minor lover’s quarrel. “Don’t worry about it. She’ll come around. It’s probably just wedding stress getting to her. You know how it is for her, being maid of honor.”
Emily looks up from her book, her expression sympathetic. “Just give her some space, Logan. She’s probably just cooling off somewhere. You two will be fine.”
I nod, even though every part of me wants to keep searching until I find her. I can’t exactly tell Joseph and Emily the whole truth—not without blowing this whole fake engagement wide open. So I keep up the charade, smiling and thanking them before heading back out into the hall.
Inside, I’m anything but calm. I’m tired of this game, tired of pretending like everything’s fine when it’s not. Grace is out there somewhere, probably dealing with whatever crap Samantha threw at her, and I’m stuck here, playing the part of the clueless fiancé.
I pace the hallway outside our suite, running a hand through my hair in frustration. The longer Grace is out there, the more the unease gnaws at me. I can’t stand this feeling of helplessness, of knowing that she’s dealing with whatever crap Samantha threw her way, and I’m stuck here, unable to do a damn thing about it.
Just as I’m about to head out again, determined to find Grace no matter what, I hear the sound of footsteps behind me. I turn, and of course, it’s Samantha. Her heels click against the tiled floor as she approaches, her eyes lighting up with that familiar, predatory gleam.
“Logan,” she purrs, stepping closer than I’m comfortable with. “I was just thinking about you.”
I stiffen, immediately on guard. “What do you want now, Samantha?” My tone is sharp, but she doesn’t seem to care.
She tilts her head, letting her hair fall over one shoulder in that calculated way she always used to. “I’ve been thinking… about us. About what we had.”
I grit my teeth, already tired of this conversation. “There is no us, Samantha. Not anymore.”
She doesn’t back off, instead placing a hand on my arm, her touch too familiar, too presumptuous. “I know things ended badly, but we had something special, didn’t we? Maybe we could… I don’t know, rekindle what we had. Start fresh.”
I pull my arm away, stepping back to put some distance between us. “Samantha, look, there was a time when we were good together—”
She doesn’t seem to hear me, or if she does, she’s choosing to ignore it. Her smile widens as if she’s just heard something promising. “So, you’re saying there’s a chance? Logan, we were great together. We could be again.”
I open my mouth to correct her, to make it clear that she’s completely misinterpreting what I’m saying, but before I can get the words out, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn, and my heart sinks.
Grace is standing a few feet away, her face pale, her eyes wide with something that looks a lot like hurt. She’s overheard everything—or at least enough to jump to the wrong conclusion.
“Grace,” I start, my voice cracking as I take a step toward her.
She backs away, shaking her head, the look on her face breaking my heart. “I—I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she says, her voice shaky and distant. “It’s fine, Logan. Really. If you want to be with Samantha, I get it.”
“No,” I say quickly, but the panic in my voice only seems to make her retreat faster. “Grace, come on—”
She doesn’t let me finish. She turns on her heel and starts walking away, and I can see the way her shoulders tremble, the way she’s fighting to keep it together.
I turn back to Samantha, who’s watching the whole thing unfold with a smug smile on her face. “What the hell did you do?” I snap, my anger flaring.
She shrugs, clearly enjoying the chaos she’s caused. “Nothing, Logan. I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who keeps playing games.”