Logan had spent years trying to leave his past behind. He thought burying it would keep him strong. But after Derek's unexpected visit, it was clear—his past wasn't dead. It had just been waiting for the right moment to resurface.
And now, it threatened everything.
Emilia hadn't pulled away after learning the truth. If anything, she was closer than ever, her presence a steady force beside him. But Logan couldn't shake the feeling that she deserved more than a man carrying the weight of a broken past.
So, he did what he had always done.
He tried to push her away.
It started with small things—keeping conversations short, staying at the workshop late, avoiding moments that felt too intimate. But Emilia wasn't blind. She noticed. And she wasn't the kind of woman to stay silent.
One night, after another long shift at the forge, Logan returned home to find Emilia sitting on his porch, arms crossed, her eyes filled with quiet determination.
"You're shutting me out," she said bluntly.
Logan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Emilia—"
"No. You don't get to make excuses," she interrupted, standing. "I've seen this before. You think pushing me away will protect me. But all it does is prove that you don't trust me enough to let me stay."
Logan flinched. She wasn't wrong.
"Do you want me to leave?" she asked, her voice softer now.
His heart clenched at the thought. "No," he admitted.
"Then stop treating me like I'm temporary," she said, stepping closer. "You told me once that you weren't going anywhere. Now I need you to prove it."
Logan swallowed hard, emotions tightening in his chest. He had always thought love was something fragile, something that could be easily shattered. But standing here, looking at Emilia—he realized something.
She wasn't fragile.
She was steel.
And maybe, just maybe, they could be forged together into something stronger.
He reached for her hand, gripping it tightly. "I don't know how to do this," he admitted.
Emilia smiled, squeezing his fingers. "Then let's figure it out. Together."
Logan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. And for the first time in a long time, the weight on his shoulders didn't feel so heavy.
He wasn't alone anymore.
And he never had to be again.