Page 19 of Fighting Happily Ever After

She spun on him. It took a great effort, but she kept her voice low, aware that they were in the middle of a wedding. “And what is it that I always do?”

“You run, Faith. As soon as something starts to get good, you run.”

She bristled.

“You’re allowed to feel good,” he continued. “You’re allowed to feel love, to feel—”

“This isn’t love,” she hissed.

He recoiled and she instantly regretted her choice of words. Maybe it wasn’t love. Maybe it was just…fuck.Either way, she’d hurt him and she could see it.

“I don’t know what happened to you,” he spat. “I don’t know who hurt you or what went down that was so bloody catastrophic that caused you to shut the fucking door on your heart, but it’s a goddammed tragedy, Faith. You and I, we could be—”

“Nothing, Logan.” She steeled herself and looked past him. “We could be nothing, Logan. We never were, and we never could be.”

She felt every word in her gut as she spoke them. Felt every word as they hit him hard. When Logan took a step away from her with a look of bewilderment on his face, she had to force herself not to react. Because she’d meant what she said. They could be nothing. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, Logan knew she was right. They’d only ever been adversaries. Flirts…nothing more. Never a relationship. How could they?

Faith watched as he shook his head, not even bothering to hide the wounded expression on his face. “You don’t mean that, Faith.”

She swallowed hard. A vision of her parents—who were supposed to be more in love than anyone else—flashed in her memory. They were yelling at each other. Saying terrible, awful things. Was that love? Was that what it was supposed to be?

No thank-you.

She’d sworn right then never to subject herself to that kind of hurt. She’d seen the way her mother had recoiled at her father’s words. The pain in her chest. The hurt he’d caused her. All because of words from the man who was supposed to love her more than anyone else in the world.

No.

Faith vowed never to let herself feel that way. Never let herself be that kind of vulnerable.

Never.

She looked at Logan and her heart seized. Things had changed.Shehad changed. And there was more than once that Faith had questioned why she’d be holding on so long to her long-ago beliefs on how terrible it would be to release her heart to someone else. She’d considered more than once that she’d actually been wrong all this time to keep her heart closed off. And for a moment, Faith thought she might give in and tell Logan that she did care about him. That she did…

He waited and watched her, his expression vulnerable and even a little hopeful, but ultimately, she couldn’t do it.

Faith shook her head and looked away. “I’m sorry, Logan.”

“It’s so good to see you, Levi.” Logan pulled his cousin in for a hug and slapped his back. It had only been a few months, but itwasgood to see him again. They’d been so close once, and despite years apart when Levi had left home to work on fishing boats on the ocean, the two of them were like brothers. “But I’m so sorry your trip got cancelled early. I know you guys were hoping to see—”

“Doesn’t matter, man.” Levi waved away his concern. “None of it matters except having Hope healthy and safe with our baby.”

“Oh, shit. That’s right.” Logan smacked his palm to his forehead. “With everything, I completely forgot. Congratulations are definitely in order.”

His cousin’s face lit up and Logan couldn’t help but smile, too. Levi and Hope had taken the long road to get back to each other, but it was great to see them finally together and married the way they always should have been. And now that they were starting a family, everything was that much more perfect.

“Thanks, Logan. And honestly, I know what the doctors said, but I think I’m a whole lot more comfortable being back in town for Hope’s pregnancy. There’s just too many things that can go wrong. I feel better here.”

That’s right.Logan had largely forgotten about Hope’s cancer diagnosis. It was easy to forget, because just looking at her, it was hard to reconcile the bright, outgoing, full of life woman he knew so well was dealing with a life-altering cancer diagnosis. It was a fight that would resume full force as soon as the baby was born. But Levi was right; it was probably best to have her home and in close reach of the doctors. He knew that’s what Faith had always wanted as well.

Faith.

His mood changed in a flash at the thought of the woman. She was infuriating. How one woman could be so goddammed conflicted about what she wanted was beyond him.

“Hey, what’s up?” Levi looked at him sideways. “You are happy to have us back, right?”

Logan nodded. “Yes,” he said pointedly. “Very happy. But, man, do I have a lot to fill you in on.”

Levi laughed. “Is that going to include why exactly you’re living here right now? And maybe why Faith looked like she was ready to stab you a minute ago when you both walked in?”

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