Eternal Temptation

❥ 43| unrequited longing

"DO YOU LIKE DAHLIAS?" I patted a few leaves away from the cool, barely raised wood. "Personally, I think they look rather charming on you."

Some would call me crazy if they saw me now, almost two months after my brother's death, talking to his grave. But others would nod, agreeing that they could feel the presence of their loved ones whenever they talked to a block of either wood or stone.

I still wasn't over the fact that he was gone. Some days, I still woke up and took my phone out to text him about a dream I'd just had before I remembered that I wouldn't get a response. That I would never get a response. But I was slowly getting there. Baby steps.

That started with weekly visits to my brother's grave. I took him different flowers each time, broadening his knowledge even in death. Or maybe it just did mine.

"Flower talk aside, how have you been?" I asked conversationally. "This weather's been horrible, Aden. It was raining the other day and I thought I could finally go outside to buy myself a new pair of rain boots but then it started to hail. Freaking hail, Aden. One stopped and then another started. I still don't have a decent pair of rain boots, you know. Mum would have a coronary if I left the house after she repeatedly told me not to in this awful weather."

"Talk about the weather, huh," a deep voice rattled behind me. "Very original."

I startled and turned, swallowing when I saw the familiar figure walking toward me. "What can I say? It's ingrained in me. It's the only proper way to start any conversation."

Logan laughed. "I have to agree with that one. It would be a scandalous day where we don't mention something about the weather."

"Tell me about it." I focused on getting rid of any dirt from the grave.

"You've been avoiding my calls," he said after he settled down beside me.

"I know," I said quietly. "And you can't take a hint."

"Ouch." But he chortled. "I just wanted to talk, Faithe. Just talk. Nothing else. It just feels like there's been a lot of miscommunication between the two of us over the last few months."

"You think?" I retorted sarcastically, before coming to my senses. "You're right. We should've talked ages ago."

He nodded before blurting, "I'm sorry, Faithe."

I tilted my head, urging him to continue.

"I've been a horrible person ever since you got married. Hell, before that even. I should have just told you about my feelings point-blank. But no, I stalled and when I lost you, I tried to fight. I scrambled for ways to tether you to me in some way before I realised that it was a lost cause. You weren't mine any longer. You were never mine, to be honest. You were always his, even before he entered your life."

"I'm no one's, Logan," I corrected. "I belong to no one but myself. It just took you until this second to realise that."

"You're right," he agreed. "It's taken me a while to realise a lot. I should have realised ages ago that Aden's plight to keep us apart was for both of our good. I mean, you've managed to break my heart without ever being with me. I can't even imagine what you would have done to my sanity had you really been in a relationship with me."