Page 52 of Rhythm Of Redemption

“I'm a friend of Lou's,” Logan asserted warningly. “And you need to show her some respect when you speak to her.”

“Yeah, well, I'm her husband, so butt out, pal,” he retorted, his entitlement obvious in his tone.

Pal? Who did this idiot think he was talking to?

“Ex-husband,” Lou corrected, her voice steady and composed. “Can we discuss this later? You're making a scene.” As she turned away, Steve lunged, attempting to grab her arm, but Lou's reflexes were faster, evading his grasp.

“Hey, back off,” Logan intervened, swiftly placing himself between Lou and her ex. “You heard what she said. You can talk about it later.” He lightly rested his hand on Steve’s elbow. “Why don't you go outside to cool off before you ruin Dani's big night?”

With a sudden jerk, Steve forcefully yanked his arm away, his movements unbalanced as he stumbled backwards, colliding with a display of delicate ceramic sculptures. The crash reverberated through the room; the sound punctuating the tension and splintering the silence.

As the shattered fragments settled and the gravity of the moment lingered in the air, an unsettling stillness draped over the room. The hushed atmosphere wrapped around the space, casting a tangible sense of unease, as if the room itself held its breath.

“Oh, my god. Dad!” Dani's gasp escaped as her hand instinctively covered her mouth. Taking in the shattered fragments scattered across the floor, she spun on her heel and raced from the room.

Amid the uneasy silence, a voice suddenly pierced the air. “I hope you realise that someone is going to have to pay for the damage?”

Steve sprang to his feet, jabbing an accusatory finger towards Logan. “He pushed me,” Steve asserted, his voice filled with righteous indignation. “You all saw it, didn't you?”

Logan's discomfort escalated as he became acutely aware of the collective weight of everyone's gaze fixed upon him. This unfamiliar scenario sent ripples of unease through his nerves, unsettling his very core. Normally, when he found himself in the limelight, the eyes that met his were filled with adoration, not tinged with embarrassment or pity.

Lou's voice sliced through the air like a razor-sharp blade, her words piercing his consciousness with unwavering precision. “Why is it that whenever something goes wrong, you are always right in the middle of it?”

Logan's thoughts whirled in a tumultuous storm of emotions as Lou's words reverberated through his mind. A surge of conflicting feelings surged within him, blending regret, concern, and a deep-rooted desire to justify his actions. “I was just trying to help, to protect you,” he insisted, his voice sincere.

Lou's tone dripped with incredulity, her disbelief slicing through the air like a sharpened blade. “Protect me? From what? From Steve? Did you really think he was going to hit me?” Her eyes flashed with astonishment and irritation.

Interrupting the tense exchange, Steve interjected, his voice firm. “Look, I've never laid a finger on Lou, or any other woman, for that matter.”

Reluctantly, Logan accepted the weight of his own actions, grappling with the realisation that his concern might have been misplaced. “Yes … I suppose I did,” he admitted, his voice tinged with a touch of resignation. Deep down, he knew his motives had been pure, but now he questioned the extent of his own judgment.

Lou's head shook in a display of exasperation, her face etched with a mixture of cynicism and frustration that sliced through Logan's heart. “I can take care of myself, you know? And Dani too. I don't need you swooping in like some knight in shining armour and treating me like a fragile princess in need of saving.”

Logan's heart sank as Lou's words struck a painful chord within him. He had never intended to be perceived as a saviour, yet it seemed that his well-intentioned actions had been misunderstood. “I don't think that, and I wasn't trying to save you,” Logan replied, his voice heavy with genuine regret.

Lou scoffed; her disappointment apparent in the lines of her face. “Weren't you? Look, just because you couldn't save Amberlene, don't think you can absolve your guilt by interfering in my life and acting like some big hero.”

Her words pierced through him, exposing a vulnerability he hadn't expected. The weight of his unresolved guilt over Amberlene mingled with the sting of Lou's accusations.

Seeking to mend the damage, Logan offered in a voice tinged with sincerity and a genuine desire to make amends, “Well, if there's anything I can do to make things right, please let me know.”

Lou's expression hardened, her tone final and resolute. “You know what? There is something you can do. You can stay the hell away from me and my daughter.”

Chapter twenty-five

Outside the café, the weight of her words pressed down upon her, suffocating her like a heavy blanket. The air felt dry and oppressive, as if it mirrored the intensity of her guilt, clawing at her lungs and stealing her breath. Each inhale carried the burden of her betrayal, while every exhale whispered the weight of her remorse. The magnitude of what just happened hit her hard—Logan had entrusted her with his deepest, most vulnerable secret, and she had callously discarded it as if it were a hell-hound’s chew toy.

Her mind spun in an unyielding loop, replaying the scene with excruciating clarity, each repetition intensifying her agony. The image of betrayal etched on his face seared into her soul, branding her with a pain she could hardly bear. Every flicker of hurt and disbelief struck her heart like a hammer, threatening to shatter her fragile resolve. The weight of her thoughtless words burrowed deep within her, twisting her insides with an anguish that seemed insurmountable.

Logan's departure, fuelled by her thoughtless actions, left an unfathomable void in her chest—an ache that echoed the emptiness she felt without him. Desperation consumed her, as she yearned for the impossible to turn back time and erase the pain she had caused him.

“I've been looking for you.” Steve's voice sliced through the air with annoyance and a sense of self-importance.

Lou's heart sank as she reluctantly slipped her phone back into her bag, putting her apology to Logan on hold. It was time to confront Steve's manipulative games head-on. There was a weariness in her voice as she braced herself and asked, “What do you want?” She was determined to get this confrontation over with as quickly as possible.

A mixture of confusion and irritation furrowed Steve's brow as he spoke. “I want to know what the hell has been going on. Do you have any idea how foolish I felt when Des asked me how Dani was doing after the shooting, and I had no clue what he was talking about? I looked like a complete idiot.”

Disbelief washed over her. “And now you know exactly how I felt when I discovered your affair and realised that everyone knew about it except me.”

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