Invisible String

Chapter 8 -Not judging you

Logan has already seen you cry, he has even held you during your panic attack -a small voice inside my head reminds me of the events of this early morning. I wanted to gag that voice.

I shake my head, unable to articulate a word. How could I explain to him what I was feeling, the guilt consuming me?

"No one is judging you, Genesis," his words sounded comforting, but I knew it was a kind lie. No one could see what I had done and not judge me for it.

I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the tears threatening to escape. Why was he lying to me?

"I don't judge you," he repeats.

I open my eyes again when I feel one of his hands rest on my shoulder, as if seeking to comfort me through his touch. My skin burns where his hand is.

"Are you telling me that after seeing the photos you don't judge me?" I manage to verbalize.

"I haven't seen them, they're private photos that belong to you, I wouldn't betray someone's privacy like that. Never. Still, I don't judge you, that wouldn't serve any purpose... What you need right now is support and understanding."

His words are like a gentle breeze on my face.

"I don't know how it must feel for your trust to be betrayed in that way, but the good news is that you don't have to go through this situation alone."

"I don't want to drag anyone with me. It's a mistake that I have to fix on my own."

I could feel it, I was about to break.

"Not all battles are meant to be fought on your own. Asking for help doesn't make you weaker, it makes you human."

There was something in the way he looked at me, something I couldn't describe in words. But in that moment, his gaze full of empathy and understanding made me feel a little less alone in the midst of the darkness.

And then it happened, the moment I had been delaying since I opened my eyes. Tears began to fall down my cheeks, unable to stop them. I had no intention of doing so, I simply let myself be carried away by the avalanche of emotions that engulfed me, and I collapsed in front of the eyes of someone who, minute by minute, was becoming more of a friend than a stranger.

The tears fell freely, carrying away some of the weight I had been silently carrying. I felt a momentary relief in letting out everything I had been holding inside me, allowing myself to be vulnerable in front of someone who had shown unconditional support.

Logan extended an arm around me, pulling me towards him in a comforting embrace. I held onto him tightly, feeling his warm comfort enveloping me like a protective cloak.

"I'm here, Genesis. Cry as much as you need to," he whispered against my hair.

I clung to his shirt as if it were a lifebuoy.

And for a few moments, I allowed myself to believe him. For a few moments, I allowed him to be the one to hold me.

After spending an embarrassing amount of time crying on Logan's comforting shoulder, I finally decide to take a shower and start getting used to what would be my space for the next two weeks. That was the time Alexa recommended that I stay out of the public eye.

Logan had been incredibly kind to allow me to occupy one of the available rooms in his apartment. I was still surprised by his generosity, and I found myself thinking about how I could repay him when all this was over and I could return home.

It's absurd to think that just a week ago I was fantasizing about spending my mornings looking for my own apartment in the city, shopping in the afternoon with Veronica, and then going to the studio at night to compose some songs. All of that seemed so distant right now. Life really could change in an instant.