“He apologized after the bar incident,” I continued, voice low. “Said he’d misunderstood. That he wanted to make things right. So, I agreed to meet him at his place for dinner. I planned to set things straight, to tell him I just wanted to be friends.”
I paused, drawing in a shaky breath.
“But he wouldn’t let me. He avoided the conversation, brushed me off every time I tried to bring it up. And then… when I finally did, when I told him no, that I didn’t want more, he snapped.”
I sat up straighter, spine stiff as steel, eyes fixed on the far wall, as if speaking it into the air made it less terrifying.
“He grabbed me,” I said quietly. “Threw me against the kitchen counter. Screamed in my face, shouting about what had I done for him, how I’d led him on.”
Gasps echoed around me.
“I ran,” I whispered. “The second I could break away—I ran. And I went straight to Logan.”
“Holy shit…” Theo breathed, her hand flying to her mouth, eyes wide in horror.
“Hehurtyou?” Penny asked, her voice breaking, head tilting as she studied me like she was checking for visible proof.
I nodded. “I had bruises. On my arms. My back.”
The room erupted. Questions, outrage, disbelief. The girls were livid—fiercely protective—and every bit of their anger fell in defense of Logan’s actions tonight. And I couldn’t blame them.
Because I agreed.
Logan’s reaction hadn’t been about pride or bravado. It had been instinct—pure, raw,protectiveinstinct. His fury came from a place of love. Of imagining another man putting his hands on me. Of knowing he hadn’t been there when it happened.
He hadn’t thought about the optics, or the consequences, or what people might say. And how could I expect him to?
I knew what it was like to black out in a moment of fear or fury. To be ruled by instinct, by fight or flight, before logic could ever take hold.
I told the girls everything. About the trip. That we left because I needed space, and Logan couldn’t bear to let me navigate it alone. I hadn’t wanted anyone to see the bruises or ask questions I didn’t yet have the answers to.
But now… I did.
Now, I had clarity. And closure. I had processed my pain instead of shoving it down. I hadsharedit with Logan. And in doing so, I’d found something more.
Something real.
“Logan loves you,” Aspen said gently, eyes shining with conviction. “I think he always has.”
“I know,” I said, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.
The memories came rushing back. The warmth of his hand in mine, the laughter echoing under starry skies, the salty kiss we shared in the ocean, the dancing, and the night we made love. It had all been tender. Healing. Real.
When I told them about the kiss, the softness, the passion, the way he looked at me like I was whole, it wasn’t met with judgment.
It was met with support.
Encouragement.
Love.
The contrast between where I’d started and where I was now was stark. But it was beautiful. I was no longer the girl hiding behind silence and shame. I was standing in truth, surrounded by women who didn’t let me fall.
I hadn’t chosen to run this time.
I’d chosen tohealand to let love in.
“I think it’s time we get you home,” Aspen said gently.