Page 45 of Fighting Happily Ever After

“Forgive me,” he said when he had a cup and was seated at the table across from the distressed actress. “I overheard a bit of what you were talking about and I can totally understand how it would all get in your head, but if I may, can I offer a quick piece of advice?”

Both women looked up and waited for his wisdom.

Logan took his time as he sipped his coffee before putting the mug down again. “If there is anything you’re unsure about, Stephanie—anything that is giving you doubts, anything at all…it’s not an awful idea to postpone the wedding.”

“What?” Stephanie put both hands on the table and stared at Logan as if he’d lost his mind, which he clearly had if he was suggesting such an insane solution.

They’d never, ever advised a bride to call off a wedding. It wasn’t their job to decide who should and should not get married.What was he thinking?

“You think I shouldn’t marry Dax?”

“Yes. Well, no. I’m just saying…” Logan looked to Faith for help, but she just shook her head and glared at him.

He truly was losing his mind.

“I was just saying,” Logan tried again. “That if there is any doubt or anything that is going to prevent you from having the best day of your life, you should deal with it beforehand. That’s all.”

His explanation seemed to settle her. At least for a moment.

Stephanie sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping her coffee and seemingly contemplating Logan’s advice before she finally declared, “You’re right. I’m going to talk to Dax right now. I need this all to be clear. Bad luck seeing the bride before the wedding, be damned. I need to be right in my mind. You’re right.”

Faith could see by the look on Logan’s face that there was still something he wasn’t saying, but she waited until Stephanie had left the room to go talk to her fiancé before she asked. “What’s going on, Logan? Why would you ever suggest something like that to her? Are you crazy?”

He shook his head and pushed his coffee away. “Not at all. I don’t think she should marry him. I told you yesterday, he’s an asshole.”

“Logan!” Faith hiss-whispered his name before she grabbed his arm and hauled him out on the porch where they couldn’t be overheard. “What the —”

“I stand by what I said, Faith. Ask Levi. He’ll agree with me. The man doesn’t deserve her. He was a total douche at the airport, trying to get as much attention as he could when we were supposed to be subtle. And then when we got in the car, he was talking about Stephanie as if she were nothing more than a media opportunity. He doesn’t want a quiet wedding. He wanted the big event because it would earn them a photo spread inPeoplemagazine and even more fame. I’m telling you, Faith. He’s a total ass.”

“No way.” She shook her head. “I saw the way he greeted her. He loves her and missed her. I know he’s excited about the wedding.”

Logan crossed his arms. “He’s an actor, Faith. He’s acting. It’s all a show. He’s just really damn good at acting.”

No way.

A man couldn’t put it on like that. No way could he act as if he were madly in love with a woman when he didn’t have real feelings. And make her believe it, too?No.No one was that good of an actor.

Her head snapped up and her eyes locked with Logan’s as the reality of what was going on hit her.

A mancouldbe that good of an actor. Logan had been.

Oh my God.

Maybe she’d been right all along and she was nothing more than a game to him? She couldn’t bear it. Not now. Hope was wrong. She wasn’t strong. Not when it came to this. She blinked hard, willing herself not to cry. She couldn’t let herself lose control. Opening up her heart was only going to cause hurt. Hell, she hadn’t even let him in yet, and the pain was already almost too much.

Her stomach roiled, the coffee she’d drank going sour in her gut as it all became crystal-clear. As much as she wanted her feelings to be reciprocated, her first instinct had been right.

“Just like you, you mean?”

“What?” Logan dropped his arms and stared at her. “What do you mean?”

She took a breath and all of a sudden wanted him to feel what she was feeling. She wanted him to hurt, too. “Dax is a really good actor,” she said, each word a dagger shot in his direction. “Just like you are, right, Logan?”

“What the—”

“You actually made me believe it was real and that we might really have something together. And the worst part is, for a minute, I even wanted it to be.”

“Faith, I—”

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