Page 83 of Catnip, Claws, and Chaos

I hear Logan and Nathan exchanging words, but I've stopped listening. Something about Sophia helped me make a decision. Whatever happens with Logan, I will have this child. I will love and protect it. Somehow, we'll manage.

“So what exactly is there between us, Logan?” I ask again once the door closes. My voice carries newfound certainty.

He studies me intently. “Why is it so important? We're good as we are. You said it yourself, we don't need labels.”

“I changed my mind.” I step closer, fixing my eyes on his. I need to see his reaction. I need to know if there's hope for us, for all three of us.

“Do you want this to end? Is that what you're saying?”

“No.” I shake my head vigorously. “No, I?—”

“I like being with you, Emily. I like you. But that's all I can offer.”

“Why?” The word emerges small, plaintive.

“You already know why.”

“No,” I whisper. “I know you're scared. I am, too. But living in fear, it's not living at all.”

“I can't do it.” His thumb brushes my lower lip with heartbreaking tenderness. “Whatever you're asking, I can't give it to you. I lost everything once and won't survive doing it again.”

Tears spill down my cheeks. Logan backs away, widening the space between us into an unbridgeable chasm.

“I'm going out. Don't wait up.” He grabs his keys and jacket, disappearing without another word or glance. The door closes with finality.

He lacks even the courage to stay. I collapse to my knees, sobbing. How can I continue living with him, working for him, while carrying his child? Logan doesn't want a family, doesn't want me or our baby. He's too scared, and I can't wait for him to find the courage to start living again.

I dry my tears and stand. I have to leave. This was never my home, just a temporary shelter on my journey elsewhere.

In the guest room, I throw everything into my suitcase. Demon saunters in accusingly, amber eyes fixed on me.

“Shit, I guess you're coming with me.” Abandoning the cat seems unfair, though tempting.

I manage to stuff her into her carrier despite her protests, then survey the room once more. My eyes linger on the bed where we made love, the bathroom where we showered together. So many memories in such a short time.

I'll miss this place and my sexy vet. No, notmine. Logan Price was never mine. He gave me butterflies. It was wonderful while it lasted. But butterflies live briefly. They're beautiful and delicate, reminding us some things aren't meant to last.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Logan

As soon as I open the door, I'm overwhelmed by the loud music and the sound of conversation. The place is packed tonight, and it takes me a few minutes to navigate through the crowd to find Stephen.

My friend sits at a table next to the pool table with his shoulders slumped forward. He's got a beer in front of him, and he's so lost in his own thoughts, he doesn't even look up when I arrive.

“Hard day at work?” I slide into the chair across from him.

He jolts when he hears my voice, and for a second, his eyes widen as though he's just seen a ghost. Something flashes across his face, but it's gone before I can identify it.

“More or less,” he mumbles, then grabs his beer and takes a long swig. “So what's this sudden urgency to go out? You usually never go out for a drink on a workday. Is everything all right?”

I sigh and signal to the waiter, then ask for a beer. He's right, of course. I never break my routines, especially not on a work night, but I couldn't stay home knowing Emily was in the otherroom, no doubt angry with me. The walls of my apartment felt like they were closing in on me, and I needed an out.

“It's complicated,” I say.

“It always is in these cases,” he murmurs, almost to himself.

“What do you mean?”

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