Chapter 28: Chapter 28

LAUREN

Lauren’s eyes fluttered open. Music buzzed in her ears, but it was dull, far away. The event was still going, she realized, and she panicked, not wanting to abandon her party. Sitting up with a start, she was held in place on the soft bed.

She looked down at Logan’s arms around her, then at the modern features of the hotel room he’d brought her to.

“The guests will be fine for a few moments while you take a break,” he said, his voice gentle. Sitting her up, he grabbed the collar of her coat and tugged. “You’re burning up, let me take this.”

Lauren tugged it back. “I’m fine. I’m okay.” The words rushed out. Lauren went to move to the edge of the bed, but Logan put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her.

“Stay in bed and lie down,” he said, standing, taking off his jacket, and rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. “I’m going to get you some food, and there’s some water on the bedside table. Drink it.”

Swallowing back the vomit at the thought of eating, she clutched the edge of the bed as she swung her legs off it.

Logan clicked his tongue and sighed, shaking his head as he walked to the door.

A rush of fear and adrenaline swept through her, forcing out the words she’d been dreading. “I’m pregnant.”

He froze at the door, hand on the handle, the door ajar. Then he turned to her, tense as a board, eyes wide. “You’re what?” He stepped back to her.

Lauren was using all her strength to hold back her tears, so she had none left to repeat herself. She just held his gaze until it sank in.

The color drained from his face, and his lips pursed. “You weren’t on birth control?” His voice was just as icy as his glare.

“Hey, don’t put this all on me! You never asked—you could have worn a condom.” Trying to temper her growing anger, she took a sip of the water by the bed and cleared her throat. “But, yes, I was—or, I was meant to be.”

Logan gave her a look that told her to explain more, so she did.

Sighing, she said, “I’m on the shot, and I wrote the wrong date down on my calendar for my next one. I thought I was meant to get it in March, but it turns out I was due for it in February. On February fourteen, ironically.”

He swallowed hard as he ran a hand through his hair. His hand then went to his hip, and he let out a tense breath. Then he started pacing, and while he did, she waited, turning her hands in her lap, her leg shaking.

Finally, he turned to her. His body was still and his face stoic as he looked over her. His eyes landed on her stomach, and she hated how self-conscious it made her. She pulled her coat tighter.

“I’ll provide for you,” he said. “Financially, I mean. This child will want for nothing.” His hands moved back to his hips as he stared at her.

Lauren frowned at his response and stood on unsteady legs. “It wasn’t financial help I was looking for here, Logan,” she said, moving past him to the open door.

He grabbed her arm, spinning her to him, their bodies and faces suffocatingly close. “What are you looking for, then, Lauren?”

Her eyes going to his lips, she sucked in a breath, knowing she should pull away but not being able to resist how good it felt to be so close. Lauren spoke the only words that came into her mind at that moment. The truth.

“I want us to mean something to you,” she said, “more than a dollar sign.” Having spoken the words, she felt a weight lifting off her shoulders.

Logan’s eyes were so fierce on hers, not looking away as he answered, “You were the one who snuck out, the one saying no, ignoring every attempt at contact, not me, Lauren. It didn’t matter what kind of relationship I wanted to give you before, why should it now?”

The hurt in his eyes pricked her heart, and she hated she had put it there. But she had to keep telling the truth. “I want our child to have both parents in its life, yes, but…,” Lauren whispered, gathering the strength to keep going, go deeper, to the core of her worries.

“I rejected you because I’ve worked too hard to get where I am. I mean, you saw my dad, you see what he’s like to me. I went to college, I graduated, I lived on ramen and Cap’n Crunch, I started my business. I did it all to prove I could make it out from under him.”

Lauren pleaded with her eyes for his understanding, not shying away from his body pressed against hers. “I’ve worked so hard to get out from his shadow, and—”

“And when I came along, you saw another man with a shadow that you’d have to escape from.” Logan nodded, his eyes softening as he held her.

Relief that he understood sagged her shoulders down, and she nodded, letting her forehead fall against his chest.

“Lauren,” he continued, “I’ve never thought of you as someone who can’t hold her own. From the first time in the restaurant, I knew you could. I’ve also seen your events.” He grabbed her chin and tilted her face up. “You ~have~ made a name for yourself.”

“Thank you.” Lauren smiled, and wanting to lighten the mood, she said, “Just don’t call me Sweet Pea.”

Logan chuckled. “Well, I won’t call you that, but maybe our child. How abou—”

“You’re pregnant?”

Shana’s voice came from behind Lauren, and Lauren spun as the door swung open. Shana had hurt and betrayal all over her face, and Lauren winced, then nodded in response to her question.

A tremor in her voice, Shana said, “How long have you been sleeping together? That time I saw you in the lobby clearly wasn’t the first time.” She looked between them.

Lauren hung her head. “Since Valentine’s Day,” she said, earning raised brows from Shana. Feeling another release of truth coming on, Lauren continued.

“I’m so sorry, Shana, it was supposed to be one night, then it wasn’t, then I went to tell you, but you warned me away, but I couldn’t stay away, and then you found out and forbade me from seeing him, but then I saw him with Whitney, and now I’m pregnant, and it’s all fucked.”

Taking a breath, Lauren finished with, “I’m sorry, Shana. I didn’t mean to hide anything, and I never meant to hurt you.”

The room fell silent, and Lauren was grateful that Logan was staying out of her and Shana’s conversation.

Sighing, Shana said, “And you want to be with him?”

Lauren glanced at Logan, then back at Shana. “Yes.”

“Fine,” Shana said with a nod. “I can adapt.” She turned to Logan. “If that’s what you want too, I’ll have the contract signed and on your desk tomorrow.”

Stepping forward and raising a hand, Lauren shook her head. “What contract? What are you talking about?” Her eyes jumped between Shana and Logan, who were sharing a look. “You two already spoke about this? When?”

Shana cleared her throat. “After Whitney.”

The room spun, and Lauren staggered back a step, but she raised her arms when Logan and Shana tried to steady her. “Stop,” she said. “Just stop.” She locked eyes with Shana. “For three weeks, you’ve known about her, known she was his cousin.”

“Yeah, but—”

Lauren raised her voice. “For three weeks, your job has been protected.”

Shana’s eyes widened as Lauren stepped closer.

“For three weeks,” Lauren said, voice not yet at shouting level, “you’ve kept me from happiness, from building whatever we could be, knowing full well that was what I wanted, what would make me happy. And now that I know I’m pregnant?”

“Lauren,” Logan interjected, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Shrugging him off, Lauren shoved past Shana and stomped to the doorway. She turned back, meeting Logan’s gaze. “I want you, I want whatever this is, and I want to give this a real go. Let me know if you can handle that once you’ve had time to think all this through.”

She shifted her focus to Shana, locking eyes with her as she said, “You gave me a choice that day—a shitty choice, yes—but I made it, so I know this is on me too. But you didn’t give me all the facts, and that’s on you, on your selfishness.”

With nothing left to say, Lauren turned and went back to the party. She worked the rest of the event at half-mast, avoiding Shana and Logan, who were both experts at masking their emotions.

It was Logan who she cared about, though. Having no idea how he felt or what he wanted to do was breaking her.