Page 92 of Hypothetical Heart
We stand there for a moment, not knowing what to do now that she’s left.
Finally, Logan breaks the silence. “It’s going to be different, but we’ll get through it. Together.”
I want to believe him. I really do.
After Eloise leaves, the rest of us linger in Logan’s living room, reluctant to break the bond that still holds us together. But one by one, they start to go.
Luke is the first to speak up. “I should probably get going too,” he says as he stands up, stretching his arms overhead, before grabbing his keys off the counter. He gives us all a quick, tight smile. “I’ll see you guys soon.”
Genevieve and Jameson follow after, hands clasped together. They linger by the door, sharing one last look with the rest of us. “We’ll text tomorrow,” Genevieve promises, her voice soft. She smiles, but it’s tinged with a sadness we all feel.
“Definitely,” Logan replies, his voice steady but a bit quieter than usual.
When they’re gone, the house falls into a stillness that feels both heavy and comforting at once. For a moment, neither Logan nor I move. It’s just the two of us now, standing in the quiet of the now empty house.
I take a deep breath, turning toward him. “I shouldprobably go too…” I start, but the words feel wrong, like I’m not meant to leave just yet. I don’t want to. Not tonight. Not when it’s just us.
Logan looks at me, his expression softening. “You don’t have to go,” he says gently, and there’s something unspoken in the way his eyes hold mine. “Stay.”
I hesitate for a moment, but the truth is, I don’t want to face an empty house tonight. Not after everything. I nod. “Okay. I’ll stay.”
He gives me a small smile, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Good.”
We move toward the couch, settling into the same comfortable familiarity we’ve always had. But tonight, it feels different. There’s no one else here to break the quiet, nothing to mask the weight of what’s happening. It’s just us—Winnie and Logan—facing the truth we’ve been avoiding all summer. Everything is changing, and neither of us knows how to stop it.
For a while, we sit in silence. Logan flips through the channels on the TV, but we both know neither of us is really paying attention. It’s just a distraction, something to fill the quiet.
After a while, I speak up. “It feels weird, doesn’t it?”
Logan glances at me, his brow furrowing slightly. “What does?”
“All of this,” I say, gesturing vaguely around the room. “Everyone is leaving. The fact that after tomorrow, nothing will be the same.”
He exhales, leaning back against the couch. “Yeah. It does feel weird. We’ve been together so long, it’s hard to imagine what things will be like without them around all the time.”
I pull my knees up to my chest, wrapping my armsaround them. “I know we’re all going to stay in touch, but it still feels… final.”
Logan nods. “It won’t be the same, but it’s not the end, Winnie. Not for us.”
His words hang in the air. I meet his eyes, feeling a familiar warmth spread through my chest, the same warmth that’s always been there when it’s just the two of us.
He’s right—it’s not the end for us. Even with everything changing, Logan and I have always found our way back to each other.
We stay there for a long time, letting the night stretch out as far as it will go. Eventually, the weight of the day catches up with me, and I lean against his shoulder, my eyes growing heavy.
“You can sleep here if you want,” he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
I nod, too tired to argue. “Okay.”
He shifts slightly, resting his arm along the back of the couch, and I settle in beside him. It’s quiet, peaceful, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I’m not thinking about tomorrow or the goodbyes waiting on the horizon.
It’s just Logan and me in the quiet of his house, the world outside fading into the background.
As I drift off to sleep, I feel his hand lightly brush against mine, a soft touch that lingers in the space between us. And for the first time tonight, I believe him.
It’s not the end—not for us.
27
