Chapter XII
XII
LOGAN
The waiting area of the divorce lawyer’s office was too sterile for comfort. From the black tubular chairs to the fake Areca palm to his right, it proved the saying, “True that money can’t buy taste.” Suddenly, the door swung open and Kate called his name.
“Logan?”
He turned, blinking slowly, and looked up.
Kate stood in the doorway, dressed in a dark green Stella McCartney coat, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, and a pencil skirt clinging to her thighs.
She looked as composed as ever, he thought to himself, but there was something missing in her eyes.
For as long as he’d known her, they’d always been so animated, but they had been emptied from either exhaustion or regret, he wasn’t sure which.
“Hey,” he said, giving her a half-wave. “Fancy seeing you here.”
She returned the gesture and sat down beside him without saying a word. Then, after a moment of silence, she sighed and clasped her hands tightly in her lap.
“I need to know something,” she said, fixed on the wall in front of them. “Is there anything…anything I could’ve done differently?” Her voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the weight behind the question.
Logan turned to face her, his lips pressed together in a thin line. He shook his head slowly.
She exhaled a breath that sounded like a mix of relief and disappointment before she seemed to shrink into herself. “Well, I’m glad. It means I still have a chance at a happy ending. You can’t blame me for wondering where it all went wrong.”
Logan couldn’t help but wonder either, and the guilt surged once again.
He wasn’t sure what he hated himself more for: making her feel like she was at fault or stringing her along.
She was a catch, and nobody could deny that.
Someone, somewhere in the world, would idolise her and give her everything she deserved and more.
It just wasn’t him; it would never be him.
They sat for a while, listening to the soft hum of David Bowie echoing from the speaker, when Kate nudged him again.
“So…” she began, her voice soft as if trying to avoid attracting the attention of the receptionist. “What’s next for you then? Tad said you might leave town for a bit.”
He stared down at his hands, his fingers absently tapping on his knee.
“Yeah,” he admitted, “I was thinking of travelling for a bit. Doing some locum work in the States like Tad. You know, just…get away for a while. Whether I will or not, that’s a different story entirely.”
Kate’s expression softened, and for the briefest of moments, she almost looked like she might smile. “That sounds like it would be good for you. Don’t get me wrong, I love London, but change isn’t a bad thing.”
“Maybe,” he muttered. He hadn’t expected her to say that; he’d actually half-expected her to challenge him about it. “What about you? Will you stay in Boston?”
She shook her head. “Paris,” she replied, almost to herself. “I’ve actually decided I’m going to Paris for a while. Just…get my life in order. Wine, pastries, and French men—you can’t go wrong.”
“Paris, huh? That’s a big move. Do you even know how to speak French?”
Kate shrugged and laughed. “No, but I’ll learn.”
“When do you think you’ll go?”
“Maybe in the new year.”
“You’ll have to learn fast.”
Kate studied him for a moment, her gaze steady. “You’re right. I will.” Then, after a pause, she asked, almost as an afterthought, “Are you still in touch with Daisy? You know, the reporter?”
The question caught him off guard, and his stomach tightened at the mention of her name.
“Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. Curiosity, I guess. I know you really liked her.”
“She wasn’t the reason we—”
“Only she was,” Kate cut in. “You don’t have to lie to me. It’s okay, Logan. I’m not angry about it anymore. I’m more annoyed that we both thought you and I were a good idea.”
“It wasn’t all bad.”
“It wasn’t great either.”
“I don’t know. I like to think we had some good moments. Kind of overshadows all the ugly.”
“Well, I’m glad,” Kate said, forcing a smile. “So, have you? Heard from her?”
He let out a sigh, his fingers grazing his lips before dropping away. “I haven’t,” he admitted, shifting in his seat. “And I don’t expect I will either.”
Kate’s gaze fell to the floor, and Logan could see the flicker of understanding in her expression. She didn’t press him, didn’t ask for more. She simply nodded.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
Logan hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond before reaching for her hand. “Me, too,” he said, his voice thick with regret. “And I mean that, Kate. Truly, I do.”
She didn’t say anything in return. She didn’t have to.