Kayla's phone wouldn't stop ringing.
It sat on the table, buzzing endlessly, vibrating against the wooden surface like it was pleading for her attention.
She didn't even look at it. She already knew who it was.
"Kay, why don't you just pick up and hear what he has to say?" Brooke asked softly, sitting beside her. "You've been ignoring him for days."
"There's nothing to talk about," Kayla murmured, eyes drifting toward the window. The sky outside was heavy with rain, just like her heart.
Brooke sighed. "I know you still want to hear his side—"
Kayla cut her off. "It won't change anything, Brooke. So why bother?"
She stood up, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll be fine."
Brooke watched her walk away, shaking her head. "This guy's really going to make your phone explode," she muttered.
The phone buzzed again. Brooke bit her lip and picked it up. The screen glowed with Logan's name.
"Hello?" she whispered after a long hesitation.
"Kayla, please… please give me a chance to explain," Logan's desperate voice came through the line.
"This isn't Kayla," Brooke said quietly. "It's her friend, Brooke."
"Oh. Sorry. Where's Kayla?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Can we meet up?" Brooke asked suddenly.
There was a pause. Then, "Sure. I'm just a few meters from her place."
"Fine. I'll wait for you downstairs," she said, grabbing her hoodie and heading out.
***
Logan's POV
***
I parked in front of Kayla's apartment. A girl with short curly hair waved at me — Brooke, I guessed.
She had a confident air, a little tomboyish, but her gaze was sharp and protective.
She tapped on my window, and I rolled it down.
"Hey, I'm Brooke," she said flatly.
"Please, come in," I gestured. "I'm Logan."
"I know," she said, folding her arms. "Everyone knows you. Except maybe the one person who should."
Her words stung more than I expected.
"So… why did you want to see me?" I asked cautiously.
"It's about my friend," she sighed, glancing away. "I probably shouldn't say this, but I think you should know."
"What is it?" I asked, my chest tightening.
"Kayla loves you," she said simply. "She fought with me once because I told her not to get too close to you."
Her words felt like both a gift and a punishment. I sat there, stunned.
"Do you love her?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes," I said without hesitation.
Brooke's expression softened slightly. "I'm not going to ask why you did what you did. I know people like you… don't always get to love freely."
"Thanks for understanding," I muttered. "That's why I've been trying to explain to her, but she won't even give me a chance."
"What exactly do you want her to understand?" Her voice hardened again.
"That she's the one I love, not Vienna," I said. "I'm just being forced—"
"And then what?" Brooke's question sliced through the air. "You'll still marry Vienna and expect Kayla to keep believing in you?"
I froze.
"You say you love her," she continued, "but can you hold her hand in public? In front of your family? In front of the world?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't.
Brooke nodded knowingly. "If you can't, then stop calling her. Let her move on. I'll make sure she's fine."
"Brooke…" My throat tightened.
"Goodbye, Logan," she said, opening the door.
Her words echoed in my head long after she was gone.
Can I really hold Kayla's hand in public?
Later that evening, Vienna and I walked through the mall, her hand looped tightly through mine. It felt suffocating.
"Can you please not do that?" I muttered.
"We're in public, Logan," she said sweetly. "The press could be watching. You wouldn't want to upset the chairwoman, would you?"
I bit back the irritation burning in my chest. "Do whatever you want," I replied coldly.
After shopping, she dragged me toward a crowd playing a silly game.
"Let's check it out!" she squealed.
"I'm not interested."
"But I am," she said sharply, daring me to refuse.
I sighed and followed. The host handed her a folded paper and grinned.
"You are to kiss the person you came with," he read aloud, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
Vienna smirked. "That's easy," she said, turning toward me.
"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" the people chanted.
She leaned closer, eyes fluttering, but I stepped back, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her away.
The crowd went silent.
Outside, Vienna glared at me, fuming. "What the hell was that?"
"I'll marry you if that's what they want," I said quietly. "But don't ever expect my heart. It already belongs to someone else."
She froze, her expression falling.
"Next time, remember your place," I muttered and walked off, leaving her in shock.
***
Kayla's POV
***
The rain poured relentlessly, streaming down the glass walls of the store.
I glanced outside — and froze.
A familiar blue Porsche sat parked under the storm.
"Logan," I breathed.
"Isn't that Logan's car?" Brooke asked.
"I'll tell him to leave," I said, grabbing a black umbrella.
The rain was icy, but I barely felt it as I stepped into it. Logan was already out of the car, standing in the downpour, drenched.
"Kayla," he said softly, his hair plastered to his forehead.
"What are you doing here, Logan?" I asked, holding the umbrella over both of us.
"I needed to see you. You've been ignoring me."
"There's nothing to talk about," I said, trying to sound strong. "Go home before you catch a cold."
"I know you've heard the news," he said, voice trembling.
"It's an open secret," I whispered bitterly.
"Kayla…" he took a step closer, reaching for my hand. "You have every right to be mad. I just didn't know how to tell you."
The rain kept falling, the sound mixing with my heartbeat.
"I didn't want to lose you," he confessed.
"I was never yours, and you were never mine," I whispered, forcing back the tears. "Logan, congratulations on your engagement."
Before he could speak, I pressed the umbrella into his hand.
"I should get back to work."
I turned away, but his voice stopped me, raw and breaking.
"I love you," he said. "I have only ever loved you, Kayla. I tried to stay away, but every time I close my eyes, it's your face I see."
He dropped the umbrella, letting the rain soak him completely, and walked closer until we were inches apart.
"Please," he whispered, "just tell me you'll stay by my side."
I looked into his eyes — full of pain, longing, and helpless love.
For a moment, I almost broke.
But reality was cruel.
"You're engaged, Logan," I said, my voice trembling. "Don't make this harder than it already is."
I turned and walked away. Slowly. Deliberately.
Behind me, the thunder cracked, and Logan stood alone in the rain
"But even as I walked away, a part of me wished he'd run after me."