Logan Reynolds I’m fuming. The second we step out of the bar, I drag Viola behind me. My fingers wrap tightly around her wrist. I don’t care if I’m gripping too hard. I don’t care if I’m walking too fast. I just need to get her the hell away from that place, from Cameron and from the insanity she just threw herself into. Why the fuck would she do that? The salty wind rolls around us. The sky is starting to darken, I think a storm is coming but I barely notice. All I can hear is the pounding of my pulse and the adrenaline still coursing hot through my veins. I turn around the second we reach the car, dropping her wrist. “What the fuck were you thinking?” My voice is rough.Viola stares at me, breathlessly. “I was trying to save you.” I shake my head, running a hand through my hair. “I can fucking save myself, Viola. You didn’t have to put your life on the line.” My voice cracks slightly, but I don’t care. My throat feels tight and my is chest heavy. “I’d die if someth
Viola McCoyThe heat from the shower is able to relieve the tension in my body. I slip into Logan’s T-shirt and step out of the bathroom. I run a hand through my damp hair and walk toward the bedroom. Logan is standing by the window with his arms crossed. His gaze fixed on me in a way that makes my insides feel like jelly. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something intense in his eyes. I clear my throat as I try to ignore the sudden heat creeping up my neck. “Are you going to take a shower too?” Logan blinks, like he’s just snapping out of whatever thoughts he was lost in. “Yeah,” he says. Then, without another word, he disappears into the bathroom. I let out a slow breath, trying to shake off the strange tension in the room. Shaking my head, I climb into bed, pulling the duvet up to my neck. The fabric is soft. I grab my phone from the nightstand and click it open. No missed calls. No texts. Julian hasn’t even noticed I’m gone? Or maybe… he’s just not coming hom
Viola McCoy I nod quickly, still trying to catch my breath. “Yeah. Just a dream.” Logan doesn’t move. He watches me for a second, then steps forward, placing a glass of water on the nightstand. “Here.” I hesitate before reaching for it. My fingers tremble slightly as I take a sip. Logan’s voice is softer now. “Bad dream?” I swallow. “Yeah.” He holds my gaze. Then, after a moment, he says, “You’re safe. Okay?” Something in his voice makes my chest tighten. I nod. “Okay.” He takes the glass back from me. “Think you’ll go back to sleep?” I glance at the clock. It’s late, but I already know sleep won’t come easy tonight. “I’m not sure.” Logan nods once. “Just lie down,” he says, moving back to the couch. I do. But instead of sleeping, I stare at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Logan speaks again. “What you did today… that was brave of you.” I blink, turning my head toward him. “Thank you for acknowledging that.” A small smirk plays on his lips. “I saw that
Logan Reynolds Morning comes too soon. The storm has passed, leaving the sky clear as we pack our things in silence. I steal a glance at Viola as she folds the duvet back into place. She’s been avoiding my gaze all morning. I want to say something. Maybe about last night. Maybe about how I still remember every word of that poem because she is the only woman I’ve ever loved. But I don’t. Instead, I zip my bag shut and say, “Ready?” She nods without looking at me. “Yeah.” That’s it. No small talk, no lingering glances. Just a quiet tension that follows us all the way downstairs as we check out of the inn and head to the car. The drive to the airport is just as silent. The kind that crawls under my skin and makes my hands tighten around the wheel. I hate it. I hate that I don’t know what she’s thinking. By the time we board the flight, Viola is still distant. She doesn’t say a word as she settles into her seat, pulling a thin blanket over herself before turnin
Viola McCoy My heart is pounding as I drag Julian towards the parking lot. For some reason, reality hasn’t hit me yet. The humiliation I just faced, the way my colleagues looked at me like I was pathetic. Not about the way Logan’s eyes burned with disappointment, like I was some kind of weak-willed idiot who kept running back to the man who humiliated her in front of an entire office. Maybe I am an idiot. Julian stumbles slightly as we reach the parking lot, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. His expensive cologne is drowned out by the sharp, bitter scent of whiskey. The moment we stop walking, he yanks his arm out of my grip, stumbling back a step. “You’re trying to protect your lover, huh?” His voice is thick. “You should’ve let him punch me.” I exhale. “You’re drunk.” “I’m not drunk,” he spits, but his sway says otherwise. I fold my arms across my chest, trying to contain my exhaustion, my anger, my need to scream at him until he feels the embarrassment I
Logan Reynolds Today is the day.That unsettling day of the year. The day I wish I could erase.My birthday which is also the day my mother died. I’ve been out of the office for a few days in preparation for the small memorial service we have every year. A simple, private gathering, the way she would have wanted. But of course, my father had to ruin it. A celebration of life party, he called it. A fucking party. Like it was some gala event, another opportunity for him to play the grieving widower and shake hands with his wealthy friends. I didn’t even bother showing up. Which is why my sister, Bonnie is calling me non stop right now because the ‘party’ started a few hours ago but I’m home, staring out my window. A lot of family members would be at the party and they’ll all probably look at me with the “your mother would still be here if not for you.” eyes.So fuck it. I’ll pay respects to my dead mother at my own home and not at a fucking party my father is orga
Viola McCoyThe hum of the printer fills the office as it spits out copies onto the tray. I grab the last sheet and stack them neatly, smoothing out the edges with my palm before placing them on my desk. Logan has been out for days. The office feels too quiet without him, and I hate to admit that I’ve noticed. Only yesterday did I overhear that he was preparing for his mother’s memorial service. Today is the day. For the years we were together, this was always the hardest day for him. He’d shut down completely, withdraw, isolate, and drown in his own silence. I used to be the one pulling him out of it. The one who made sure he ate something, who forced him to leave his house even if it was just for a walk. I wonder if anyone is looking out for him now. “Are you done with the copies I asked you to make?” Linda’s voice jolts me back, snapping into my thoughts. She stands over my desk, arms crossed.I nod. “Yes, I’m done.” She glances at the stack of papers. “I guess you
Viola maccoyA slow blink. Then another. My eyes flutter open to the dim glow of the television. The black-and-white movie is still playing in the background. The volume is low in the quiet living room. My neck aches slightly from the way I’ve been curled up. As I shift, the warmth of the blanket on my lap registers. Wait. I don’t remember grabbing a blanket. I glance beside me and see Logan, still asleep on the couch. His head is tilted back, with one arm resting across his stomach. The steady rise and fall of his chest tells me he’s deep in sleep. I must’ve dozed off too.I take a slow breath, blinking away the sleepiness clouding my mind. My eyes shift to the large clock mounted on the wall, and my stomach sinks. Almost 11 PM.I exhale sharply. Damn it.Time moves too fast when I’m around him. It always has. It slips through my fingers like sand, rushing past before I can grasp it, before I can remind myself that I shouldn’t be here. I sit up and stretch slightly be
Viola McCoy The spoon slips from my fingers the moment I see him.Julian.Standing at the door. The warm laughter that had just filled the room with Bonnie and Logan dies. A coldness slips into the space between us. I can feel Logan’s body shift beside me, subtle but tense.“Vi?” Julian says softly. He takes a step forward.I don’t say a word.Because I’m not sure what version of him I’m getting today. The one who kisses me on the forehead and calls me darling? Or the one who locks doors and drags me by the wrist until my ankles feel like it’d crack?My body instinctively leans closer to Logan. I don’t mean to—it’s not intentional, not performative—but it’s like my ribs remember who was there when I passed out cold in the street. My skin still burns from where the masked man grabbed me, and all I can think is Julian didn’t save me. Logan did.“I didn’t know you were here,” Julian says, eyes scanning the room now. The flowers on the nightstand. The extra chair pulled beside
Logan Reynolds I watch the nurses wheel Viola away, her body limp against the hospital stretcher. Her hair matted, her skin is pale. There’s a smear of blood on her chin, a bruise above her collarbone, and my throat feels like it’s closing up. My heart slams against my ribs, wild, like it’s trying to tear through my chest to get to her.I keep hearing that sound—her body hitting the pavement right before I caught her. One second she was knocking on my door, the next she was collapsing into my arms. I remember the way she whispered my name right before she lost consciousness. The terror in her eyes. The tremble in her voice. I’d shouted her name, trying to wake her up, to keep her with me.God.I should’ve protected her.I carry that weight now, pacing the sterile white hallway of the ER like a madman. Everything feels wrong. Off. I run a hand through my hair and look down at the faint traces of blood still on my shirt. Hers.I should’ve taken it seriously when she told me ab
Viola McCoy I’ve been extra careful since the creeper incident a few days ago, locking every door twice, double-checking the windows, sleeping with the hallway light on even though I hate the glow it casts across the wall like shadows trying to crawl in. And hopefully—God, hopefully—Julian is finally coming back from his triptonight. I told myself I’d tell him about the man lurking outside the last time. Even though deep down, I suspected... no, I feared he had something to do with it. But I couldn’t doubt him. He’s my husband. Still is. And maybe that’s the problem. Maybe that’s why the thought ever entered my head at all—that he could be behind something like that. What kind of marriage do you have when you’re afraid of your own partner?A honk blares outside, sharp and sudden, and my spine stiffens.I glance at the clock. 8:02 PM. Of course. Julian. It’s got to be him. I rise from the couch, feeling the soreness still lingering in my back from being locked in that dam
Viola McCoy The house is quiet again. Too quiet.Amirah left a few minutes ago—after tea, a lot of pacing, and promises to talk to Kendrick face-to-face. I stood by the front door, watching her drive away, arms wrapped around my waist like that might stop the tremble I didn’t want her to see. As soon as her taillights faded down the street, I closed the door and leaned my back against it, my head tipping back until it hit the wood.Silence stretches through the house.Julian’s gone. Business trip, he said, though he never told me where. No proper goodbye. No apology. Just a warning disguised as a farewell—“Try not to make things worse while I’m gone.”Worse. As if I’m the one lighting matches.I move slowly through the living room, dragging my fingers along the edge of the couch as I pass. My legs are still sore from yesterday, from being yanked up the stairs like I was nothing but weight to be hauled around. I didn’t let Amirah see the bruise on my wrist when she came by. Th
Viola McCoy The door’s open now. I heard the click around 4 a.m.—not because I was waiting for it, but because I hadn’t slept. Couldn’t. My eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling while my thoughts clawed at the inside of my skull. I must’ve blinked a thousand times, hoping one of them would carry me into sleep, into some kind of dream where things didn’t feel this fractured. But it never came.And now, the door is just... open. Like last night never happened. Like the anger, the dragging, the yelling, the fear—I’m supposed to just erase it. Just walk out and go back to normal.I finally shift. My legs are stiff, my back sore. I’ve been curled up in the same position for hours. The wooden floor beneath me has left a dull ache in my hips, but it’s the numbness that gets me—the way I don’t even flinch at it. Today’s Sunday. No office. Not that it would’ve mattered. I don’t have the strength to sit behind a desk, smile at coworkers, pretend everything’s fine. I barely have the strength
Viola McCoy Logan and I continue to sit on his car as we stare at the horizon. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have let him sneak me out.But if I had stayed in that house one moment longer, I would’ve lost it completely. I would’ve screamed. Thrown something. Maybe told Julian’s mother exactly what I thought of her sad, tight little smiles and fake compliments. I would’ve told his cousin to keep her uterus-obsessed mouth shut and that the reason we don’t have kids isn’t her damn business. I would’ve said a lot of things I shouldn’t.So maybe sneaking out with Logan wasn’t the worst mistake I could’ve made today.The wind is gentle, cool against my cheeks. The view from here stretches endlessly and the sun has almost dipped past the horizon. I hug myself tighter.I wonder what Julian is thinking right now. Wonder if he’s pacing. Fuming. Wondering where the hell I am. I told myself I’d only be gone for a few minutes, just a breather, but it’s been over an hour. Maybe two. I
Logan ReynoldsI should’ve known something was up when Julian invited me over. Never thought he’d reach out to me. If anything, he should be wary of me, not shooting out casual texts saying we’re old friends. And yet, I showed up. Like an idiot. Thinking maybe—just maybe—I’d get to see Viola. Talk to her. See through the cracks in whatever illusion they’re trying to sell as a happy marriage.Now I’m sitting at this long-ass mahogany table, surrounded by a sea of fake smiles and passive-aggressive comments. I regret it already. The air is thick with roasted meat and tension. There’s a massive centerpiece of red roses and golden eucalyptus that looks expensive but smells faintly like mildew. Across from me, Julian’s cousin is twirling her hair around a manicured finger, eyes locked on me like I’m a steak she wants to sink her teeth into.“So… what do you do?” she asks, voice sugar-sweet and clearly rehearsed.I clear my throat, pushing the mashed potatoes around my plate with the
Viola McCoy For the rest of the day, my mind is a chaotic mess. I’m unable to think of anything besides the scene in the elevator. I tell myself it didn’t mean anything. That it was just tension—claustrophobia, proximity, fatigue. Anything but real. But it’s a lie, and I know it.Still, I manage to get through the rest of my workday without any more intrusive thoughts clawing at me. I focus on spreadsheets, keep my head down, smile at the interns like everything’s normal. Like I’m not completely unraveling on the inside.Julian hasn’t texted all day. Not a single word. But I’m sure he saw the missed calls, saw the timestamp when I got home, saw Logan’s car dropping me off. I wonder what’s running through his mind right now. I want to believe he’ll understand, but who am I kidding? Even I wouldn’t believe me.Even if I keep reassuring him that nothing happened, that it’s not what it looks like... deep down, I know it is what it looks like. Maybe worse.I drive home in silence, hand
Logan Reynolds She said it.She said not feeling seen isn’t enough reason to tear down a marriage. And maybe she’s right. Maybe that alone doesn’t justify lighting a match to vows and rings and promises made in front of people who believed them. But I know it’s not just about being seen. There’s more. So much more.Like the way her voice changes when she says his name. Hollow. Or how her hands shake when she thinks no one’s watching. Or the way she looks at me like I’m oxygen in a room that keeps running out of air.And now, we’re stuck. In a goddamn elevator.I lean back against the cold metal wall, arms crossed, trying to breathe past the heat pooling low in my chest. I can still feel the soft imprint of her waist under my hands. The tension in her spine when I touched her. The way her body moved without thinking, grabbing onto me when the elevator shuddered.She’s curled up on the floor now, knees pulled tight to her chest, like she’s trying to make herself disappear. Her he