Chapter 302

Logan

“Do you want to get lunch?” I ask Megan when she comes back from her run. She blots the sweat from her neck with a towel.

“What time is the meeting?” she asks as she unclips Max’s lead and fills up his bowl with fresh water.

When she left for her run, she left me to look after Ella and set up the school’s meeting. I’m not sure if it was to give me a chance at a bit more responsibility with Ella or if it’s because she’s too upset to deal with it.

“Three,” I tell her.

“Ok, I need to take some pictures for my Instagram, and then I’ll get ready,” she says as she takes some water out of the fridge.

“What do you mean? You don’t have an Instagram,” I state with a frown.

“Someone's a little internet stalker,” she teases as she sips her water. “It’s for work,” she says. “I’m working tonight, so I need to do some promotion, plus I get paid when I post a sponsored photo,” she tells me. “I’m going to go get a shower. Where’s Ella?”

“She’s in her room. She said she wanted to do something for you to say sorry,” I explain. Ella came out of Courtney’s room when Megan left to talk to me. “She thinks you’re still angry with her for calling you a bitch,”

“I am. She shouldn’t have said it,” she says and then looks at me. “Are you ok to look after Ella for a little longer? She’s not usually here when Courtney and I do promo photos, and I don’t want her seeing what we’re doing,” she asks.

“Sure,” I say with a frown.

“It won’t take long, about an hour,”

“You don’t have to rush. I can order us lunch if you want,” I offer. I don’t want her to think I’m offering lunch as a date. She’s made it clear that she wants our relationship to be strictly platonic, only friends. Hard as it might be, she’s right to desire just that. I have to prove myself to her.

“Yeah, that will be better. I’ll ask Courtney if she wants anything,” she says and walks off towards the bedrooms.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve only been in the kitchen dining area, the living room area, and Ella’s room. I know the layout due to the whole building’s blueprints, but that’s not what I want to know. It’s probably a bit creepy of me, but I want to know what her bedroom looks like. It’s going to be her whole personality, no one else’s. Her grandfather probably decorated the room she had before, and the room at the home she grew up in was her teenage room. She’s different now.

Everything about Megan has changed. She’s not the girl I fell in love with. She’s someone much better; strong, independent and her own woman. Every decision she makes is for a reason; her emotions do not lead her. The other day I watched her talk on the phone to a guy I’m guessing she’s seeing, they’d argued by the look of things, and she just ended things like she was updating someone about the weather. Courtney told me it was because he wanted to meet Ella, and she didn’t want him to. It was as simple as that. She does what she wants and what’s best for Ella. For once, she’s thinking about what she wants and what’s suitable for her.

Courtney walks out of her bedroom and smirks at me before walking towards the kitchen. I frown at her. She’s covered up now, not dressed but covered.

“Lunch?” she asks. I tilt my head. “How hard are you going to try to get back in her pants?” she asks.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I’m not stupid, and neither is she,”

“I’m not,” She holds her hand up to stop me.

“Save it. She was a mess when you left. I was the one who helped her pick up the pieces; you stay in your lane. You are not what she needs; you’re what Ella needs. Just know that if it weren’t for Ella, we’d be gone right now. The last thing she needs is you trying to weasel your way back in and breaking her,”

“I have no intention of breaking her,” I state.

“Say that to your fiancé, Megan may not have stayed up-to-date with what was going on with you, but I did. I knew you were in New York way before she did. You can tell her all you want that this engagement of yours is fake, but your fiancé thinks it’s genuine. As long as you keep your dick in your pants around her, you get to keep it. Do I make myself clear?” she threatens. I nod, not wanting to anger her any more than what I seem to have. I’m not sure if I’m pleased she has Courtney to look out for her or frustrated. Courtney will most likely persuade Megan to keep me at arm’s length. The front door opens a couple of seconds later, and Yasmin comes into view. “You dirty little stop out,” Courtney says with a chuckle.

“Fuck off,” Yasmin snaps as she takes her high-heeled shoes off. Her green eyes glance at me as she walks to the coffee pot. “Have you told him yet?” she says to Courtney.

“Just now,” Courtney replies, and I know they’re talking about me.

“Good,”

“Listen, I’m not out to hurt her,” I state. Yasmin shakes her head as she pours herself a coffee. “It’s true,

“Why are you here, then?” Yasmin asks.

“For my daughter,” I’m not lying, but it’s not like I don’t think about Megan. “Ella is my priority,”

“And Megan?” Yasmin asks. I shrug and look down. “The way you look at her says different.”

“I love her; she’s the mother of my child. I’m always going to have some feelings for her.”

“Well, she doesn’t need it. When she loves, thinks or sees you, it hurts her, so you make sure all you’re after here is Ella. Be a dad and nothing more,” Yasmin says. “God knows none of us needs love anymore,” she mutters and walks out. I hear Ella greet her. I wonder if Carl knows she has such a bleak outlook when it comes to relationships.

“It just took Megan a long time to get to where she is,” Courtney says. I sigh and look at her to see the sadness in her eyes. “I’ve never seen anyone hurt like that. I don’t want you to do it to her again. I think you leaving her broke her more than what Jonathon did. Ella was the only thing in her life that kept her together,” she quietly tells me.

“I get that,” I say, drawing a small smile from her before she looks away.

“Don’t tell her I told you; she’d hate for you to know.”

“I won’t.”

“Courtney,” I hear Megan call and then she walks into the kitchen with a black wavy wig on and a pale pink silk dressing gown. “C’mon, I don’t want Ella to see me like this,” she says.

“Where are we going, the terrace?”

“No, change of plan, we’ll do them in the bathroom,” she says and walks in, and it’s then I see she’s wearing transparent platforms that have the word ‘Tips’ drawn on and a slot for coins. “I’m starving,” she says as she opens the fridge. “What food are you ordering?” she asks, looking at me from over her shoulder. I tear my eyes from her pert arse and look at her.

“What do you want?” I get my phone out of my pocket.

“Greek?” she asks. “I kind of want some halloumi; Ella likes wraps, she’s really into eating foods that she can eat with her hands, I think it’s just her being lazy,” she says with a grin.

“Mommy,” Ella calls and runs in from her bedroom. Megan tightens her dressing gown and kneels to Ella. Ella hands her a card she’s made her. I notice it says ‘I’m sorry Mommy,’ in large red writing and drawings of other things. Megan opens the card and reads it to then look at her. “I’m sorry, mommy,” Ella sheepishly says.

“I forgive you,” she says and hugs her.

“I love you, mommy,” she says, hugging her tightly. I smile a little when I see the tension leave Megan’s face. Courtney is right. Ella is the person who keeps her together, keeps her happy. Ella is her world.

“I love you too,” she pulls back and looks at her. “Mommy has to do something for work, so I need you to be a good girl for Daddy. I’ll be in my room if you need me, but I won’t be long,” she tells her. “Daddy has some things to ask you anyway,” she says, and I frown. She looks at me and stands up. “Tell her about the new schools,” she says to me. I nod.