{~~Avery Sterling~~}I sat in the bathtub, thinking about my life and how I'd gotten to this point. Thinking about what Logan and I had just done, and the angry way it happened. The thoughts swirled around my mind like the water around me, uninvited and relentless. Perhaps there were things I could do differently to change it, but I forced those thoughts away. Tonight was not the time for regrets or self-recrimination. Tonight was for me, for finding a moment of peace amidst the chaos. I focused on the bath, letting the warmth and tranquility wash over me. It had started with the decision to treat myself, to carve out a slice of time just for me. After I cleaned up the living room, bare ass naked, I decided I needed to sleep. I got to the room, and just threw on a nightgown. I was standing there when I told myself I deserved some time of peace. A bath seemed like the way to achieve that. besides, sleeping without showering after sex would be madness.I had chosen my favorite nightgo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}This week blew by without anything else memorable happening. I was exhausted, but that didn't matter. It was a Saturday. No work, nothing. So I could come up with something else to keep me busy besides being a nurse, and dealing with crazy patients.I woke up with the kind of excitement that only comes with the promise of a free Saturday, completely shoving the events of last night away. Refusing to let my happy mood fade. The early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the room. I stretched lazily in bed, savoring the feeling of not having to rush anywhere. Today was going to be a good day. I had been looking forward to spending time with Logan, maybe going for a walk in the park, grabbing some lunch, or just lazing around together. I want to try and work out a friendship. Because if he could at least smile at me, then last night won't make me feel like a whore.It had been a while since we had a day to ourselves without the pressure
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The bad thoughts were starting to get worse, and I let them run free. If I keep thinking of the barbeque as a bad thing then I won't end up feeling butt hurt when they toss me back aside. The barbeque wasn't bad, but I was glad to be away from my parents. Thank goodness. The smell of overcooked meat and the drone of endless small talk had been suffocating, yet a welcome escape from the constant scrutiny of home. My parents had a way of making even the most mundane gatherings feel like high-stakes social performances, and I'd played my part long enough for one day. Because for once, I was invited. While I drove back home, the fading sun casting long shadows across the road, those uneasy feelings I'd managed to forget all day began to resurface. It was as if the closer I got to home, the heavier my chest felt. The relief the pain, ugh I'm over the thought. I waited by the door, if I heard a sound then Logan was back. It was like I'd stepped off from pain and was
{~~Avery Sterling~~}I made it to my room just as Logan's silhouette appeared at the end of the hallway. I closed the door quietly, pressing my back against it as I tried to calm my racing heart. The letters were now safely documented on my phone, but the questions they raised were overwhelming. What did Logan know? And what would he do if he found out I'd been snooping? The unease that had crept back into my heart on the drive home now felt like a permanent fixture.I know the man that Ava was talking too. Do I even want to tell Logan? I ran that piece of shit out of town and he knows it was me who did. Do I even tell Logan? Do I explain why I did it? I helped, I thought she would get over him. She had bloody Logan Grey with her. I ought to strangle that bitch!Okay, play it cool. Play it cool.I went downstairs to say hello to Logan, trying to mask the guilt that gnawed at my insides. I’d just snooped through his room, invaded his privacy, and now I had to face him as if nothing ha
{~~Logan Grey~~}I woke up feeling gloomy, a heavy weight pressing down on my chest. The events of the previous night still clung to me, their echoes haunting my thoughts. I quickly shut down my emotions, pushing them to the back of my mind. I couldn't afford to dwell on them. Not now. Not ever really. I dragged myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The steam from the hot shower enveloped me, offering a brief respite from the turmoil inside. I stood under the water, letting it wash away the remnants of sleep and the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm me. I shaved the stubble that had begun to grow on my face, each stroke of the razor a small act of control in a life that felt increasingly out of my grasp.After drying off, I ran a towel through my hair, the repetitive motion soothing in its simplicity. My phone buzzed on the counter, a message from my mother lighting up the screen. With a sense of resignation, I picked it up and read the text.Mother: Come over for dinner to
{~~Logan Grey~~}Dinner two was bland and disappointing, much like most things in my life these days. My parents, in their never-ending quest to cheer me up, had invited some of my old friends from college- the worst thing they could ever do. They were in town for the weekend, and my parents thought a little reunion might lift my spirits. I doubted it, but I didn't have the energy to argue. After dinner, we all decided to sit outside for a beer while my family stayed inside to have dessert.Ryan was there too, of course. He was my best friend, practically family, and we had gone to college together. If anyone could drag me out of my funk, it was him, but even he seemed at a loss these days with his case. I cracked open my first beer of the night, hoping it would take the edge off the hollow feeling inside me.My friends started talking about their lives, and I could feel myself sinking deeper into my chair. Some were discussing how they were engaged, how love was the best thing to eve
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The next morning, a Sunday, dawned with a sense of dread hanging over me. When I tell you I didn't even want to get up, it's not an understatement. I wanted to be in bed, doing absolutely nothing. I did not want to see the face of the man that continuously broke my heart. But that would not be the case. According to our contract, Logan and I were supposed to have dinner together. It was a part of our agreement, a forced semblance of normalcy in a situation that was anything but, we spent the whole day avoiding each other. It's like we both knew the contract, signed by the both of us, a lawyer and stamped my a judge, obligated us to spend the evening together and that was going to suck. I buried myself in my room, working on my computer, trying to lose myself in the tasks at hand- which unfortunately wasn't much but my sadness made me pretend it was. Logan, as usual, was nowhere to be found. It was clear he didn't want to be around me. The hours ticked by slo
{~~Avery Sterling~~}The next day, Tuesday, the first rays of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, golden hue over my bedroom. I lay in bed for a few moments, staring at the ceiling, willing myself to summon the strength to face the day. The weight of yesterday's events still pressed heavily on my chest, a constant reminder of the rift between Logan and me. With a deep, steadying breath, I finally pushed myself up and shuffled to the bathroom.The warm spray of the shower provided a temporary reprieve, washing away the remnants of restless dreams. I let the water cascade over me, hoping it could cleanse not just my body but also the ache in my heart. As I scrubbed and rinsed, I mentally rehearsed the day's tasks, trying to anchor myself in the familiar routine of my work at the hospital.After drying off, I pulled on my scrubs with methodical precision, each movement a small act of defiance against the sorrow threatening to overwhelm me. I pinned my hair back, taking ex