The dinner went perfectly. The food and wine were delicious, and my mom outdid herself with the dishes. I used this opportunity to know more about their life without me. I asked a lot of questions about their work, about our family’s friends and their usual daily activities. My mom went to dancing classes and was very happy with her new skills. Dad was using these days to his favor. He was enjoying the silence of the house at days like this with a good book in hand and a glass of whiskey. She said that he was boring, but he only laughed at her. I love my parents so much. Without their support, I would have never decided to pursue my dreams in the first place.

Dad went to the bedroom almost at midnight, leaving mom and me to talk. We drank wine a little and then moved to the kitchen. I helped mom to wash the dishes. She was chatting non-stop, telling me what she planned for us when I would be back from the wedding. She said to me that she wants us to have dinner with Kate’s parents, and I happily agreed to it. I was always close to Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, and they were like a family to me. I was even expecting them to be here tonight, but mom said that Kate’s parents declined the offer to join us. They said it should be just us on my first night at home, while they will be happy to visit us the other day. There was truth to these words.

I climbed the stairs with my mom, and we stopped near my room. I was hesitating, and she saw it. She knew when she needed to be silent, so she was giving me time to make a decision. I looked her straight in the eyes and saw that she was smiling at me.

“Mom, can you stay with me for a little? I would like to talk to you.”

“Of course, honey.”

We went to my room and nestled comfortably on my bed. I sighed and placed my head on her shoulder. God, why was it so difficult to start this talk? Maybe, because until now, I hadn’t opened up to anyone? Chase tried to ask me, but I gave him very little information about what had happened. Kate and Lily also were in total darkness. It was confusing even me, what could I say to them that they will understand?

“Rebecca, tell me. Are you nervous about going to the wedding?”

“You have no idea...”

“Because of Drew? I honestly thought that you were able to discuss everything with him.”

“Drew isn’t a problem. Well... He is... Because... Fuck!”

“Sweetheart, relax. I won’t be judging you. I’ve made this mistake once, when you were 18, I learned this lesson. You could tell me everything.”

“It’s exactly that... I don’t even know where to start!”

“Rebecca, it was so long ago. Why don’t you start with the end of your relationship with Drew? You were heartbroken, and I wasn’t asking for details...”

“Probably you’re right. It will be the most rational decision.”

I started dating Drew when we were on our winter break in my first year in college. We were happy together, enjoying our dates, our talks, our passionate lovemaking. We loved each other, and I know for sure that these feelings were powerful. He even invited me to spend some time at his grandmother’s house in LA. Because I was important to him, we were important to him. We were cherishing our relationship, respecting each other, and giving space when it was needed. We were young, and a few times we had very heated arguments. But they always ended up with us, tangled in bed.

Logan became my friend. My best friend. Sometimes it was complicated for him to stay neutral because he was also Drew’s friend. But he tried to do his best. He was himself while he was with Melanie, even if they argued a lot. But after their breakup - he changed. The whole summer before his final year in college, he was partying, drinking, and hooking up with girls. It continued when we returned to college. He was acting like Drew before meeting me.

Everything changed one night. I was in Drew’s room when he received the call from one of the guys from the team. He only said that Logan was taken to the hospital. We rushed there in the middle of the night, trying our best not to freak out. When I saw him for the first time, I slid down to the floor and stayed like that for some time for sure. Drew was acting very differently; he was calm and collected. He called Logan’s parents, but they were already on their way to the hospital. He called Lily and asked her to come. I was surprised that he was so unaffected. Until I saw his hands trembling, it was just an act. He didn’t want to show how worried he was.

Logan was beaten almost to death. He was with some guys from the team, and well, one girl decided to show her interest in him. He even encouraged it until there was her boyfriend. She knew who Logan was, and she wanted him, no matter the fact that she wasn’t single. Her boyfriend took his friends and came to “talk” to Logan. They not only beat him, one of these guys cut his lower abdomen with a shard of glass.

All of his friends and family were worried about him. When the doctors said that there is no threat to life, we all sighed in relief. Drew and I, taking turns, were spending all of our free time at the hospital, cheering Logan up and talking to him. This situation wakened him up. He realized that he was going down the road, which could have destroyed his future. And he wanted to play football no matter what.

In a few months, Logan Jones was already on the top. With his good grades and success with his position on the field. As a reminder of this night, now he had a deep scar in his lower abdomen. He was even asked about this in one of the interviews, and he said it was a mistake of his youth. I don’t know the way to put it better.

He didn’t date anyone after that, hookups - yes, but nothing serious or scandalous. After this one kiss, we shared right after he broke up with Melanie, between us was only friendship. I always was attracted to him, but as I was in love with Drew, I never wanted to explore what could be between Logan and me. And neither did he.

After their graduation, I spent three weeks with Drew. He was starting to work for his dad in Autumn, so we were enjoying ourselves. Some team drafted Logan. I couldn’t even remember now what it was exactly. He went to live in another state, so our friendship was under a lot of challenges. While my relationship with Drew was blossoming. We were together for more than a year. And I started wondering what I would do if he will want to marry me. I was ready even to quit college, as soon as he would ask me to do that.

With the start of my third year in college, Drew and I couldn’t spend so much time together. Yes, his hometown was close to college, but he was busy with his work, while I was under a lot of pressure with my studies. We talked and messaged a lot these days, tried to visit each other on weekends. But when you were used to seeing your boyfriend daily, these changes were too hard for me. I missed him badly.

Drew suggested for me to come to his hometown on my winter break, and I eagerly agreed to his proposal. I was dreaming about spending time with him in his house, about going on dates and doing all the nasty things in bed we loved to do so much. Before this, we didn’t see each other for almost a month. We were going to celebrate being together for two years, and I was so excited!

So when Kate proposed to me to go there one evening earlier, I agreed. She wanted to surprise Tim, while I wanted to do the same to Drew. I dropped her at Tim’s place and drove my car to Drew’s house. I called him, just to know where he was, but he didn’t pick up his phone. I saw that his car wasn’t there, it meant that he was somewhere in town. So I just stayed in my car, reading a book on my iPad while waiting for Drew to come. Thinking back to this day, I am confident in one thing. I should never have come earlier.

My car was parked on the opposite side of the road from Drew’s house. I spent 2 hours before I saw his car pulling off. I put my iPad to my backpack, looked at myself in the rearview mirror, and was ready to leave the car when I froze on the spot. Drew wasn’t alone. He wasn’t even the driver. It was a girl - a girl with a stunning body in a black bodycon dress. He held her hand as they were walking to the house together. They were chatting and smiling at each other. When he was opening his front door, I saw as this girl leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Quickly. But he let her do that and just ushered her inside.

Fifteen minutes after, I was still sitting in the car. I wanted to drive back home. I wanted to go to Drew’s house and to look to his eyes. I did neither of it. I called Chase, but he didn’t answer my call. It was late, so it wasn’t surprising. And then I called Logan.

“Rebecca! It was so long...”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” I exhaled a heavy sigh. The last time when I talked to Logan was probably more than a month ago.

“It’s okay. I remember how tough the studies might be in our college when you are junior.”

“How are you, Logan?”

“Excited. Tired. I never thought that it would be like that.”

“Lily told me about your success. Who knows, maybe soon you will be drafted by one of the most famous football teams in our country? Maybe Philadelphia Eagles as you always dreamed.”

“Keep dreaming, babe.” He laughed, and I would love to join him, but I couldn’t.

“Rebecca, are you alright? You don’t sound like it.”

“I... It’s Drew...”

“Where are you?” Logan’s voice sounded demanding, and I almost automatically answered him.

“In my car. Near Drew’s house.”

“Stay there.” And he hung up. Was he going to call Lily? I had no idea. I just stared through the window at Drew’s house. It was dark. He was supposed to be home alone since he told me that his parents went to LA for the Christmas holidays. Well, alone, but not lonely. I couldn’t wrap my mind around what had happened there? I know he loved me. I felt it. But then, why? Was he so desperate because of a lack of sex? One fucking month without seeing me, and he decided to cheat on me?!

I heard a knock on my window and turned my head. When I saw who it was, I was stunned. It was Logan. He was wearing a black hoodie and black sweatpants. I opened the door and climbed outside. Without giving it a second thought, I just winded my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. His hands instantly wrapped around my waist. I hid my face in his chest and started crying.

All this damned time, I didn’t let myself to shed even a single tear, but in Logan’s arms, I broke down. I was sobbing, and my whole body was trembling, while I couldn’t even say the word. This situation broke me. It was tough for me to cope with my second boyfriend cheating on me. Was I that bad? Wasn’t my love for Drew enough?

“Rebecca, let’s bring you back to your car. Will you let me drive it?” Logan whispered to me, and I only nodded my head at him.

I went to sit at the passenger’s side, while Logan climbed inside behind the steering wheel. I bent down and hid my face in my knees. I felt Logan’s palm on my back; he was running his hand up and down. He tried to calm me down.

“Becca, tell me. What did he do?”

“I saw him with a girl. He brought her home, knowing that I won’t be there until tomorrow’s evening. He wasn’t expecting me to show up today.”

“Maybe she’s a relative?”

“Logan, I know what you are trying to do. So don’t. She kissed him on the lips, and he let her do that. Why, Logan? Why couldn’t he stay faithful to me?”

Logan was silent. He was staring at the road before his eyes while I was observing him. Then he just took his phone and called Drew. His call went unanswered. He cursed and hid his phone in his pocket.

Then he just started the engine and drove my car to his house. He didn’t ask me anything, hadn’t said a word in Drew’s defense. Logan just let me be, and I was grateful to him. After he parked my car, he took my backpack from the backseat while I was standing outside and was looking at this house. It was dark and silent. Where were his parents and where was Lily?