Page 32 of Twisted Love

Logan’s eyes opened as the sound of the alarm broke through even the last remnants of the dream. At least he had work to help get him through this. If this was the start of a new dose of hell for him, he could bury himself in work. He could keep Keily and those memories off his mind.

He stared into the mirror as he shaved that morning, seeing a handsome face, a face that men and women both drooled over. But behind that face was the young man that had been too weak to protect himself from bullies, that was too weak now to let go of a woman that wasn’t meant for him.

Keily was meant to be a wife, a mother even. Motherhood would suit her, though he’d have never guessed that all those months ago when she walked into his office. She’d been too selfish back then, too self-centered and egotistical. Too hard to show love. Now?

Keily was a new woman, the kind that could be maternal, that could give love, that wanted to give love desperately. He’d seen it in her eyes when she wasn’t aware. He didn’t deserve her love. Didn’t want it, he reminded himself as he finished up with the shave. Men like him weren’t meant for love and marriage.

Fucking and moving on, that’s what he was meant for and somehow, he had to find a way to break it off with Keily. Find someone with eyes as cold as hers used to be. Someone that could match his black soul with the blackness of their own. Someone that definitely was not Keily.

17

Keily

“Logan’s a king in his world, Keily, and you have to face it, you’re just a commoner,” Rosa spoke as gently as she could, but she made her point.

“I guess you’re right.” Keily sighed and looked down at her phone. It had been three weeks now since Logan had left her silently in the night. Three long weeks of a text here and there and delivered gifts. Keily didn’t want his gifts, she wanted him.

“And stop looking at your phone, it’s making me sad.” Rosa gestured at the phone on Keily’s coffee table with a frown that did little to mar how pretty the other woman was.

“Well, how’s your life?” Keily asked, an obvious change of subject but one that needed to be made.

“No, ma’am, we’re going to talk this out, and then we can talk about my life.” Rosa shook her head and settled into the other end of the couch, her bare feet tucked under her bottom.

“I don’t want to talk about my life anymore.” Keily knew it came out as a whine but couldn’t help the tone. She felt lost, alone, without Logan.

“But you must, my dear,” Rosa said, putting on the airs of an old Hollywood actress. “You must release this negative energy and bring positive energy into your soul.”

Keily laughed and rolled her eyes. “Stop. He’s not all bad, you know.”

“I didn’t mean he was negative energy.” Rosa popped out immediately. “I mean the negative energy he brings to you. The negative responses you have to how much of a dick he is. You know he’s a dick.”

“But he’s my dick. And he’s not always a dick. I mean, look at all the positive he’s brought to King’s Hill. This place was dying a year ago and now it’s coming back to life. People have jobs, new places are opening up, and it’s not all bad you know? He makes me smile when he’s with me.”

“That’s because all you do is fuck, talk about work, and fuck some more. I’d smile too if I had that much sex.” Rosa was the one that rolled her eyes this time.

“That’s not all we do.” Keily protested, but Rosa wasn’t completely wrong. They did have a lot of sex. A lot. But there were times they talked. She was probably the only one in town who knew he was an only child, for instance. “Besides, what do you do with that couple of yours?”

She wasn’t about to spill anything that Logan had told her, not even to Rosa. Not about his private life anyway.

“I see you trying to change the subject again, honey.’ Rosa said with a smirk. Dressed in dark blue denim shorts and a white tank top, she was the epitome of summer fashion in King’s Hill.

Keily had on her usual oversized slouchy t-shirt, this time in a sapphire blue with silver stars dotted around it. She’d ordered dozens of them when she found out how soft and comfortable they were.

“I’m not, I’m just making a point. It’s not all sex and he’s not the ogre you think he is. At least, not to me.”

“Then why am I sitting on your couch and not him?” This time Rosa punctuated her point with a lifted eyebrow and pursed lips.

“I thought you liked that I was with him.” Keily couldn’t figure out why Rosa was anti-Logan all of a sudden.

“I do, I did, but he’s causing you pain now and that I don’t like.”

“Hmph.” Keily couldn’t argue with that.

He was causing her pain. Pain she didn’t want to admit to. She was supposed to be the player here, wasn’t she? She was the trophy-wife/mistress that she’d always wanted to be, but turns out, that wasn’t the life she’d wanted after all. She wanted more than that and deep down she knew she’d never have that with Logan.

“It’s hard to want a real relationship while maintaining your independence, isn’t it?” Keily mused aloud, knowing she’d get an answer, whether she really wanted one or not.

“It isn’t, not with the right person. Logan gives you the independent part, but not the commitment and that’s why you’re in trouble now.” Rosa leaned over to pick up the glass of wine that was left over from the dinner of delivery pizza they’d shared earlier. “You started out wanting nothing more than what he gave you. The trouble is you want more now. Logan isn’t that kind of man.”