Page 52 of The Fake Affair

The city lights blur below us. Somewhere out there, Bella’s on a train, thinking she meant nothing. Thinking she was just another conquest gone wrong.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I admit.

“Yes, you do. You’ve been taking care of people your whole life.” She squeezes my shoulder. “But if you don’t go after her now, you’ll regret it forever.”

“What if?—”

“What if you miss your chance to be happy because you’re too scared to try?” She heads for the door. “You’re not Dad, Logan. You’re stronger than he ever was. But right now? You need to prove it. After which, you can seek professional help.”

“I’m not crazy, Audrey. I don’t need a shrink.”

“Yes, you do, Logan. Take a look at yourself. This will never go away if you don’t get help. Promise me you will? For the sake of your unborn child and its mother? And me?”

I rake my hands through my hair. “Alright, fine. I will.”

She pauses at the threshold. “Oh, and Logan? Two other things.”

I pause, waiting for her to finish.

“One, she's decided to resign, so you're going to have to pull out all the stops if you want her back in your life.” She stares into my eyes and I nod briefly. “And two,” she finishes, folding her arms in front of her chest. “If you ever pull this disappearing act again, I’ll kill you myself. Pregnant or not.”

I dip my head briefly. “Aye aye, Captain.” She's right. If I want Bella back, I'm going to have to go the extra mile. And God, I want her back.

Audrey blows me a kiss and closes the door, leaving me with the mess I’ve made—both literal and metaphorical.

I pick up my phone and stare at Bella’s number. Three days of silence stretch between us like that hospital corridor from my childhood, filled with fear and things left unsaid.

But maybe Audrey’s right. Perhaps it’s time to stop running from ghosts and start fighting for what matters.

Starting with a trip to Cedar Grove.

FIFTEEN

HOME

Bella

The Uber winds through Cedar Grove’s familiar streets, each turn taking me further from Manhattan and closer to a life I thought I’d left behind.

Bradford Avenue’s maple trees create tunnels of red and gold—October in New Jersey, exactly as I remember it.

“That turn up ahead,” I tell the driver. Though he has GPS, giving directions feels like speaking a childhood language I’d almost forgotten.

Mom’s waiting on the porch, probably has been since I texted that I’d left Penn Station. She’s still in her hospital scrubs—must have just gotten off her nursing shift—but she’s already got that look. The one that means she knows something’s wrong.

“Baby.” She wraps me in a hug that smells like home and antiseptic. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” I try to smile. “Can’t a girl visit her mom?”

“A girl who hasn’t taken a day off work in two years?” She helps with my suitcase. “Honey, I know you’ve been too busy with your fancy CEO boyfriend.”

I wince. I’d recently told her about dating someone to stop her constant worry about me being alone in the city. The stories were vague—successful businessman, serious relationship. Never mentioned he was also my boss. Never imagined I’d end up here, carrying his child.

“James called,” she says, referring to my high school friend who works at the train station. “Said you looked like you’d been crying.”

Small towns. Can’t even have a breakdown in peace.

“Work stress,” I lie, following her inside. The house smells like fresh bread—her remedy for everything since Dad died twelve years ago.

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