Chapter Ten

 

  A month passed, and they were now in October and all was going smoothly between the two. They often exchanged ‘I love you’. Logan was enjoying working at the high school and he appreciated his time even more with Emilia and Robbie. Emilia was working between Robbie’s naps and when Logan was home, but they saved time for all of the and still visited places.

  Emilia had gone to a few more girl’s night and was enjoying them more now she got to know them. They realized she was really good for Logan, so stopped giving her a hard time.

 

  One day in October, Emilia was sorting out the clothes. Washing, ironing, and putting away. Logan was doing some marking and watching Robbie. She was in Logan’s wardrobe, sorting the array of plaid shirts and t-shirts. As she was putting his jeans in his drawer it came off its rails and fell on the floor.

  ‘Damn.’ She sighed. His jeans fell out onto the floor and a box tumbled out of the drawer.

  ‘Love? Is everything alright?’ She heard him call.

  ‘Yeah! Don’t worry!’

  She picked up the drawer and put his jeans back and then she noticed the box. She opened it and inside was a gold, ruby ring. What the hell was this? Was he planning on proposing? They’d only known each other four months.

  ‘What?’ She whispered. Then she got annoyed. How could he do that? How could he propose knowing she hadn’t even made up her mind about leaving? They hadn’t even discussed marriage, or anything that comes with it. She had never even considered marrying him.

  Logan was half way through an essay when Emilia slammed something on the table.

  ‘What the fuck is this, Logan?’ She demanded.

  His eyes widened when he realized what she had found.

  ‘W-where did you get that?’ He sounded nervous.

  ‘In your drawer. It fell out on me, along with this.’ She was angry he could tell.

  ‘Emilia, let me explain.’ He cast aside the essay and stood up.

  ‘You best explain. How could you be so selfish to even consider proposing before I made up my mind? I mean what were you-’

  ‘It’s not for you!’ He shouted. Robbie started to cry. ‘Now look what we’ve done.’ He walked over and picked up the crying baby. ‘Shh, shh. No need to cry. I’m sorry we’re shouting.’

  ‘What do you mean it isn’t for me?’ All this time. Had he been lying to her? Was he with someone else? All her fears hit the roof and her walls went up. ‘Is there someone else?’ She screamed.

  ‘Stop shouting!’ He stressed. Robbie was still crying, and he was trying to calm him.

  ‘Not until you explain what’s going on.’ She was mad. Her blood boiled, and she didn’t know what to do. She loved Logan and hadn’t loved any man more. Was all this about to be over for them because she wasn’t ready?

  ‘There isn’t anyone else, Emilia-’

  ‘Then why do you have a ring-’

  ‘Shut up and let me explain, will you?’ He snapped. She did. ‘There isn’t anyone else, Emilia. Only you. I only want you, Emilia. But there was someone else, a long time ago. Before I knew you.’ He looked as if he didn’t want to talk about it. But it was time.

  ‘And?’

  She was called Sophie. She was quite a bit older than me, though that never bothered me. I was in love. Young, stupid, reckless love. I was crazy about her. I wanted to spend all my time with her. She was smart, attractive, funny, how could I not like her? Anyway, we were together for about two years and even though I was young, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. So, I bought an engagement ring.’ He sighed.

  ‘On the night I was going to propose, I found her crying. Then she explained to me that she had a ten-year-old boy and a husband. I didn’t know what to do. I told her to get out of my sight.’

  ‘Logan… I am so sorry. I don’t know what to say. What happened?’

  ‘She went back to her husband. She never told him about me. A few months later, she died in a car accident.’ He looked as though he were about to burst into tears. He sat down, Robbie still in his arms. Robbie looked at him in a confused matter. ‘The last thing I told her was to go away, and she did. And she never came back. The last thing she saw of me was anger and gate. I couldn’t go to her funeral. I never ever saw her again. She would never take pictures. I don’t have one. Sometimes I lose her face and that destroys me even more.’ He was crying now. She went over to him and wrapped him in her arms. ‘None of the lads know she died. Only Adrian.’ He was sniffling and holding Robbie close.

  ‘Shh, it’s okay. I’m sorry you had to tell me this way. I should have been so forward.’ She felt really guilty. She had reduced him and Robbie to tears.

  ‘It’s not your fault.’

  They sat cuddling in silence after that. None of them knew what to do, so she just let him cry. He calmed down after a while.

  ‘I never knew you would be so offended at a proposal.’ She heard him laugh weakly. ‘So, against marrying me.’

  ‘It’s not the proposal, and it’s not because I don’t want to marry you. It was because I thought you weren’t letting me choose what wanted fairly. Pressure to marry you would make me stay. His head was tucked under hers. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to marry you. I mean, I don’t want to marry you… at least not yet. I need to decide what’s best for Robbie. I do want a future with you, Logan. I really do. I just have to decide how to go about it.’

  ‘I know. I just don’t want to be without you, and if it means coming to America. I will.’ He muttered.

  ‘You can’t. Your family is here.’

  ‘I want you to be a part of my family. You already are. We all love you, but I’m losing a second chance on a good life with someone.’

  ‘We’ll see.’