From the Heart (A Valentine's Day Anthology) (7 page)

Logan smiled as he remembered how happy he was that night. They were happy together. He thought that they would be happy together forever.

He walked to the bed and took her hand.

“Ella,” he whispered. “I’m here.”

He stared at her, as he memorised every tiny detail on her face. He loved her so much, he could barely breathe.

“Look at me, Ella,” he begged the as the tears welled in his eyes from the grief that was almost suffocating him. “Open your eyes and look at me, damn it. You can’t do this. You are my family, you are my world, and maybe I am selfish, but you can’t do this to me, you can’t leave me.”

Logan dropped down onto the chair next to the bed as lay his head down next to her. He held her hand tightly and let go of his grief.

He wanted her back. He wanted them back. Losing her was not part of the plan.

“Logan, Logan, wake up,” Andrew, Logan’s father whispered and he woke with a start.

“Ella!” He called out as he sat up in the chair, confused by his surroundings for a moment.

“She’s okay,” Andrew reassured him, as he pulled a chair over and sat down next to his son. “She’s still here, still fighting hard.”

“Dad,” Logan said as he finally got his bearings. “How long was I asleep?”

“I don’t think very long,” Andrew replied. “I just got here, but the nurse said you had only just closed your eyes.”

“Oh, okay,” Logan sighed as he turned back to Ella.

“How is she?” Andrew asked, as he too stared at her lying there in the bed and his heart broke.

“She is getting weaker,” Logan whispered. “They said we are running out of time.”

“Oh, Son,” Andrew said as he placed his hand on Logan’s shoulder. “I am so sorry.”

“I can’t lose her dad,” Logan whispered as he tried hard to fight back the tears. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

“You need to believe that we will get a miracle,” Andrew replied, as he gave Logan’s shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t give up on her.”

Logan sat and watched her sleep as he tried to do as his father said. He wanted to believe that everything would be okay, but in his heart he knew time was against him. He knew he was getting closer to losing her.

Then he remember the last time he thought he was going to lose her.

It had been six months since Ella had crashed into his life, and he loved her more than he had ever believed he could. She had become the centre of his world.

They spent as much time together as they possibly could. After the show had finished its successful run, Logan decided to return to teaching, while Ella landed a lead in another show.

Logan finally decided it was time for them to take the next step. He knew how he felt about Ella and he was sure she loved him too, so it seemed like the right thing to do.

He had arranged everything. A romantic night for them. Dinner for two, roses, champagne, the perfect night to ask the woman you love to marry you.

When Ella arrived at Logan’s, she looked surprised to see Logan all dressed up, and even more surprised when she saw the table he had set for them. They’d had dinner before, he cooked for her before, but this time was different and she knew it.

“What’s going on?” She asked nervously as she walked into the dining room and looked around.

“I just wanted us to have a special night,” Logan replied, sensing something wasn’t right with Ella. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I…I just,” Ella said looking uneasy. “I don’t…what is this for?”

“Well,” Logan said giving her a cautious smile. “I had this whole night planned, but seems as you have asked, there was something I wanted to ask you.”

He walked to the table and lifted up is napkin and picked up a small velvet box, before he turned and looked at Ella.

She just stared at him as he walked towards her, then with a deep breath, he dropped down to one knee.

“Logan,” Ella said as fear filled her face. “What are you doing?”

“Ella,” he began and gave her a nervous smile. “I love you. I think I have since the first time I saw you.”

“Logan,” she whispered. “Please don’t.”

“I know it’s only been six months…” he continued.

“Don’t,” she pleaded again.

“Ella?” Logan said, giving her a questioning look. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I…I can’t,” Ella replied before she turned around and headed for the door.

“Ella, wait!” Logan called as he hurried after her. He reached her before she reached the door and stopped her from opening it. “What’s wrong? Why are you leaving?”

“I just…I need to go,” Ella said as she closed her eyes and pressed her head against the door.

“You can’t leave until you talk to me,” Logan replied. “What have I done? What is it?”

“If I stay,” she replied without looking at him. “You will asked me the one question, that I don’t want you to ask me. The one question that you can never ask me, because I will have to say no, and it will hurt you. Please don’t make me hurt you like that Logan.”

“Why not?” He asked feeling completely thrown by her reply. “What is so wrong about me wanting to spend the rest of my life with you?”

“Because everyman that I have ever known, that made a promise like that,” Ella said as she turned to face him finally. “Broke that promise, and didn’t care who they destroyed when they did.”

“I don’t understand,” Logan replied, but in his stomach he could felt a knot of fear forming. “Who hurt you like this? Because I need to know.”

“ADAM!” Ella shouted suddenly.

“Who the hell is Adam?” Logan asked not having a clue who she was talking about.

“It…it doesn’t matter,” Ella sighed as she reached up and softly touched his face.  “All I know is, maybe I am not the girl for you. Maybe I am not the one that can make you happy, because I can never give you the answer you want.”

She turned and opened the door, but Logan slammed it back shut.

“NO!” He exclaimed angrily. “You don’t get to tell me you are not the one for me, and walk away. I don’t care who broke their promises. I am not them.”

“Logan, please,” she begged as she pressed her head to the door and fought hard to hold back the tears, but it was no use. “Just let me go.”

“Not until we talk,” Logan said, this time his voice was calmer, despite the fact, inside he was anything but calm. He was so terrified he was going to lose her. “Who is Adam?”

“He was my fiancé,” Ella replied with a sigh, as she lifted her head, but she didn’t turn around. She didn’t want him to see her cry. “We were supposed to get married. He was supposed to love me forever.”

“What happened?” Logan asked, stunned that there was this whole new side to this woman he loved more than anything.

“A week before the wedding,” she said as she turned slowly and looked up into Logan’s eyes, as the tears trickled down her face. “I found him in our bed with my best friend. He had been sleeping with her for months.”

“I am so sorry this happened to you,” Logan whispered as he softly brushed the tears from her face. “But I am not Adam.”

“And that’s what he said about my dad,” Ella sighed. “My dad done the same thing to my mom, and Adam swore he was nothing like him.”

“And he is a fool,” Logan replied. “But I am not him.”

“I don’t know if I can take that chance,” Ella whispered. “I should just go. I’m sorry.”

“Please, Ella,” he begged as he took hold of her hands. “Please don’t write me off. I am not Adam, and I am not your dad, I am me. Let me prove that not every man is like them. Let me prove that I love you.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Ella replied sadly.

“Look me in the eyes,” Logan said as he drew her into his embrace. “Look at me and tell me you don’t love me, as much as I love you and I will let you walk away.”

Ella stared into his face as Logan held his breath. She was his world, and losing her would destroy him.

Suddenly she smile through her tears.

“Please don’t break my heart,” she whispered as she stepped closer to him.

“I give you my word,” he replied. “I will spend the rest of my life showing you just what you mean to me. I love you Ella, more than you could ever know.”

“Okay,” she smiled as she leaned up and kissed him.

“Does that mean your answer is yes?” He asked hopefully.

“I guess it does,” she replied with a nervous laugh.

A huge smile filled Logan’s face as he leaned in and claimed her lips with his.