Eternal Temptation

❥ 04| torment

Shit. "Okay? You saw me? How's that a big deal?"

He laughed. "Seeing you there was like an eye-opener, Faithe. It made me realise how all these other women were replacements for you. They were chances I gave myself at trying to move on from my feelings, Faithe. But I'm done hurting you. I told Aden everything."

I frowned. "You're speaking in riddles, Logan. I can't read your mind. Speak English."

"Do you honestly not see it, sunshine? Have you seriously not noticed it?"

"Notice what?" I scowled. He was genuinely speaking another language at this point.

He pulled back and put both his hands on my shoulders. "The fact that I'm completely infatuated with you. Obsessed. Besotted. Head over heels. In. Love. With. You. Have you honestly not noticed it before?"

I stood there, struck speechless. He was in love with me? What? How? Since when?

But the only thing that left my mouth was a mix between a strangled gasp and a cough.

He shook his head. "I've been enamoured with you since the first time I saw you, sunshine. Almost fucking forever, and I thought it was so obvious. I knew Aden would never accept us being together and so I tried so hard to get over you, Faithe. So hard. But nothing worked and I was completely terrified of making it obvious how lovesick I was in front of you."

He let out a frustrated breath. "But I'm sick and tired of it, Faithe. So done with it. I told Aden how I felt about you last night, even though I had an inkling he already knew, and told him that even if he had a problem with it, I wanted to be with you. I had a feeling if I didn't tell you how I felt soon, I would lose you forever and I don't ever want that to happen. It would gut me if I ever lost you, Faithe. It would be utter hell."

I blinked, feeling my throat clog up, cursing the timing of everything. Oh, Logan. Why couldn't you have told me this sooner? I started to shake my head before I even knew it and choked out, "I'm sorry, Logan. I'm so sorry but it is a little too late." A day too late.

His brows furrowed but before he could get a word out, the sound of keys at the door and the lock unlocking came through and I shoved Logan away, forcing a fake composure I didn't feel. Logan was in love with me. Holy shit. He returned my feelings; I wasn't dreaming, was I? Well, if it was, this was soon turning out to be a nightmare I didn't need.

The door pushed open and Aden sauntered in, his eyes immediately moving to the kitchen, flicking between me and his best friend.

"Faithe, hi. You're here. Why didn't you call me?" His jaw was tight and he looked back and forth between me and Logan again. "Whatever. I need to talk to you."

No one moved. If anything, Logan only inched a little closer to me. Was he trying to guard me from my own brother?

"Alone, please, Fatimah."

I gave Logan a grim smile, already knowing what Aden wanted to tell me at this point. Using my real name was a big enough tell: it was serious. As if it wasn't already obvious though — he wanted to talk to me about Logan's confession. I might have been a complete fool in love, but I wasn't a cheater; I wouldn't completely forget about my promise and run off with another man the second he paid any attention to me. Aden needed to get that through his thick skull.

"The garden?"

Aden nodded briskly and walked out, presumably down to the garden that was at the back of his flat block. It was a small, green space for everyone in the building, for whenever they wanted some fresh air or a mini walk.