Page 19 of Secret Baby With My Brother's Best Friend

Logan seemed unfazed by my outburst, but instead of responding defensively as I expected him to. He let out an apologetic laugh, almost like he didn't mean to, but he couldn't help it.

"Do you think this is a joke?" I questioned sneeringly, my eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"No, of course not," Logan replied swiftly, composing himself.

"But you're laughing. Clearly, you're enjoying this," I accused, my tone laced with bitterness.

"It's not like that. It's just your reaction is a little—" he began.

"Unnecessary?" I quizzed, not letting him finish.

"I didn't say that. Stop concluding for me. It's annoying," he snapped momentarily, his frustration mirroring mine.

"Annoying?" I frowned. "You know what's annoying? You! Laughing at something as serious as this!" I exclaimed. "I asked you to do one thing, and you did something else!"

He shook his head. "I cannot say I'm surprised. I expected this, which is why it's so funny cause it is so typical of you to say this—you are so predictable.." he sighed heavily.

"Of course. I'm predictable, maybe even unreasonable- How else would you expect me to react to your absurd suggestion?..Tell me!" I exploded with rage, waiting for his answer.

"I know how it sounds," he responded, lowering his voice to almost a whisper to reduce the tension between us. "Just consider it for a moment is all I ask," he continued, maintaining his calm demeanor. "I know it's a lot to ask, but this rumor can do more good than harm for both of us, and what do we have to lose?"

Him? I suppose nothing. But I, on the other hand, had so much more. I had to be more careful for the sake of my daughter.

"How?" I asked subtly. "I fail to see how this would benefit me," I replied skeptically.

"Harper, listen," he said, picking up the newspaper from the couch. "We're on the front page of the entertainment section," he pointed out, again showing me the newspaper. Although I was already aware of that, I stayed silent and listened. "Carl thinks it's a good thing for us. I didn't realize it at first, but he may be right. This rumor has thrust us into the spotlight—the center of attention. It could be the perfect opportunity for us. Besides, the entire purpose of this trip is to garner extra publicity. This is a total win, and all we have to do is milk it a bit. We need to consider it—"

—You should consider it," he corrected.

I sunk into the couch behind me, giving it a thought. Logan's words resonated inside me, and I had to admit. He had a point. I understood well how these rumors could work in our favor, earning us the popularity and fame that would indeed give our career the boost that it needed. It was a method that had worked too many times for celebrities. I supposed if we played along as he had suggested, it could be beneficial to us. It was something to consider.

It was the sort of deal anybody in my place would readily jump at, but somehow, I hesitated. The plan was solid, but there was one factor that didn't quite sit well with me—Logan. If it was anybody else, I suppose the decision would be easier to make, but it wasn't just anybody here—it was Logan.

Everything was different where he was involved. There were too many complexities and emotional attachments between us. Our situation was complicated enough, and adding a fake relationship to it for the sake of our careers seemed like a huge deal, but somehow he didn't seem to be worrying about it. Why was I? Was I overthinking it?

"Do you need time to think about it?" Logan said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned my head in his direction, and our gaze met for the first time since I walked into his room. His gaze was gentle. "Yes, I do. I don't want to be too hasty with my decision and regret it later. I will consider your offer and give you my response by tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it's fine by me," he answered, his eyes not leaving mine.

We stared for a while without saying anything, and I could feel the intensity growing between us. The longer we stared, the more the tension grew between us. "I should return to my room," I mumbled more to myself than him, breaking the silence between us. It felt like I would never leave if I didn't say it.

Logan remained quiet. I could feel his eyes on me, watching my every move. I got to my feet, lingering for a second and resisting the urge to do anything stupid. My heart was pounding aggressively. I headed for the door, and Logan stopped me halfway, catching my hand in his and holding it gently. The subtle touch sent a wave of excitement through my body.

I turned to him, yanking my hand from his grip half-heartedly. "What are you doing?" I furrowed a brow, feeling the heat in my cheeks.

"Nothing," he stepped back, his eyes darted to my lips briefly, and I could see the hunger in his eyes. "I just wanted to say good night," he muttered, and we both knew it was a lie.

"Yeah. Good night," I whispered, holding his gaze for a minute before leaving his room.

I pondered over Logan's suggestion for a long time after I returned to my room. I considered his offer critically, debating whether I should or shouldn't. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't help but feel torn, loving yet equally hating the thought that if I agreed to play along, we would spend too much time together. My stomach churned at the thought of being around him all day and him being nice to me. I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle it or if I should even be doing this with him.

I had to admit that a tiny part of me was curious about how it would feel to have Logan as my boyfriend, even if he wasn't a real one—the thought of us together as a couple made my heart flutter. I let my mind explore the idea momentarily—Logan and I together, dating and being all cheesy around each other instead of the usual daggers we threw at each other.

I caught myself smiling suddenly, and the smile slowly died on my lips at the realization that it was merely a thought. Logan and I will never be together, but why does that make me sad?

Why does my heart continue to ache even when I don't want him anymore? What is wrong with me?

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