Page 35 of Fake Engagement with my Brother's Best Friend

I hesitate for a moment, glancing at Joseph and Emily, both of whom look slightly uncomfortable but curious. Part of me wants to pull Samantha aside, keep this private, but I know that’s exactly what she wants. She thrives on controlling the narrative, twisting things to her advantage. Not this time. If she wants an audience, she’ll get one.

“Fine,” I say, my voice steady. “We’ll do this right here.”

I take a seat, leaning forward, making sure she knows I’m serious. “Samantha, I’m sorry for what happened between us. I made mistakes. I kissed someone else, and I regret it. You and I both know that I wasn’t the only one at fault. You need to own up to your part of this too.”

Her smirk falters, her eyes narrowing. “My part? What part is that exactly, Logan?”

I keep my gaze steady, my voice calm. “You cheated on me. For months. You slept with one of my closest friends. Instead of dealing with the fallout like adults, we both made things worse. I’m willing to admit to what I did, but it’s time for you to take responsibility too.”

The tension at the table thickens. Emily looks shocked, her eyes darting between me and Samantha. Joseph, however, looks like this is news he’s been expecting.

Samantha’s eyes flash with anger, but she keeps her voice low and icy. “This is how you want to handle things? Bringing up the past in front of everyone?”

“I didn’t want to handle it this way,” I say, my voice hardening. “You gave me no choice. Ever since you showed up here, you’ve been stirring up trouble, trying to cause problems between Grace and me. You’ve spread lies, manipulated situations, and done everything you can to make this about us when it’s not. It’s about Joseph and Emily’s wedding.”

Samantha’s jaw tightens, and I can see her fighting to keep her composure. “I’m not here to ruin anything. I just wanted to—”

“To what?” I cut in, my patience wearing thin. “Get back at me? Make me pay for what happened between us? I get it. You’re angry, and you have every right to be. This isn’t the way to handle it.You’re hurting people who had nothing to do with our mess. You had better be gone by the wedding day, Samantha, because I won’t let you ruin things for me, for Grace, or for anyone else here.”

She starts to say something, but I hold up a hand, cutting her off before she can cause a scene. “No more drama. No more games. This should have ended a long time ago, but I’m ending it now.”

Samantha’s eyes blaze with fury, and I can feel the tension crackling in the air. For a second, it looks like she’s about to explode, but before she can say anything, Joseph speaks up, his voice calm but firm.

“Logan’s right, Sam,” Joseph says, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. “Logan doesn’t like people in his business, so I never spoke about what happened between you. I let it slide, but I’m done watching this play out. It’s over. You’re not welcome here if you’re going to keep causing problems.”

Emily’s eyes widen in surprise at Joseph’s admission, but she stays quiet, her expression a mix of discomfort and understanding.

Samantha’s face reddens, her anger barely contained. “You all think you can just throw me out like I’m some kind of villain?”

I meet her gaze, my voice steady. “You made your choices, Sam. So did I. We’re done now. You don’t get to come back into my life and mess everything up just because you’re still mad. It’s time to move on.”

She glares at me, then at Joseph, clearly furious that he’s backing me up. “You’re all pathetic,” she hisses, standing up abruptly. “I’ll leave, but this isn’t over.”

As she storms off, the tension finally breaks, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I glance over at Joseph, who nods slightly, as if to say,You did the right thing.

Emily looks at me with concern. “Logan, are you okay?”

I nod, though the weight of everything that just happened still sits heavily on my chest. “Yeah, I’m okay. I should’ve done that from the start.”

Joseph claps me on the back, his expression serious but supportive. “You did what needed to be done. She should’ve been gone a long time ago.”

I nod, still watching the direction where Samantha stormed off, the weight of the confrontation heavy in my chest. It feels like a long-overdue battle I never wanted to fight, but I should have seen coming. Samantha’s presence has been like a storm cloud hovering over everything, and now, at least, it feels like the worst of it is finally passing.

Emily shifts in her seat, offering a small smile, her eyes filled with concern. “We’ll handle it from here, Logan. Don’t worry about her anymore. Joseph and I will make sure she’s gone before the wedding. You need to focus on Grace.”

I nod, though my mind is already spinning with thoughts of Grace, of how everything has been unraveling between us. After what she blurted out earlier—about knowing I cheated on Samantha—I need to clear the air, need to make things right. Guilt lingers in my chest, not just about what happened between me and Samantha, but about what Grace must be feeling now, how this is all affecting her.

“I’m going to go find her,” I say, pushing my chair back.

“Logan, wait,” Joseph says, his voice quieter now, more serious. He runs a hand through his hair, his eyes full of something close to regret. “There’s something I need to say before you go. About… what I knew about Samantha.”

I stop, turning back to face him. “What is it?”

Joseph sighs, glancing briefly at Emily before turning his full attention to me. “I knew about Samantha cheating on you,” he admits. “I swear, I didn’t find out until after you two had already broken up. I didn’t know while it was happening.”

The confession lands with a dull thud, but it doesn’t hit me the way I thought it might. I had suspected Joseph knew more than he let on—he’s always had a way of figuring things out. Hearing it now, it feels… less shocking, more like a missing piece finally sliding into place.

“I didn’t want to get involved because I knew you hated people prying into your business,” Joseph continues, his voice filled with regret. “And by the time I knew the truth, it didn’t seem like my place to bring it up. I feel like I owe you an apology. I should’ve said something sooner, even if it wouldn’t have changed anything.”

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