Chapter 179

When I told my friends about the transfer to Russford, they were less than thrilled. In fact, they were so upset that they ordered two more bottles of wine.

“It’s going to be a long night,” Rachel said, as she paid the bartender at our favorite wine bar. We were well enough known here, that the bartender swooped by our table every so often to see if we needed refills.

We were also very good tippers. That probably helped.

I was going to missing this place when I was gone. I’d miss the people too.

The minute the bartender stepped away, three sets of eyes returned to me.

“This is a terrible idea,” Maria said flatly.

“You have to move to a new city,” Megan said, scoffing in disbelief, “But he gets to stay here?”

“He better at least be paying the moving costs,” Rachel added.

“He is,” I told her. “He’s personally funding my relocation.”

“That doesn’t make it right,” Megan grumbled.

They were upset to lose me, and I wasn’t too fond of losing them either. We’d been friends a long time. Our nights out were practically a ritual at this point.

Leaving the city itself was sure to be difficult. I’d grown up here. Things might have always been tumultuous with my family, but the city was still my home.

“This is the plan,” I told my friends and myself. “Logan and I will have a long-distance relationship and it will be better for everyone.”

“Better for who?” Megan asked. “Because you don’t mean better for you.”

I shrugged. “It’s my chance to see the world, or at least a different part of it.”

“Russford is not Paris,” Rachel said.

Knowing she was right, I shrunk into myself a little. My friends noticed and backed off.

“Is Logan at least going to break up with Tina now that you aren’t going to be around to garner suspicion?” Maria asked. “That seems like the right thing to do.”

“He’s out to dinner with her right now,” I said. The girls gasped.

“To break up with her, I hope!” Megan said.

I liked to think so too, but honestly, I wasn’t as sure about it as I wanted to be. Logan had seemed cagey about it when we had spoken of this topic earlier.

“I don’t like this,” Maria said, reading my face.

“Neither do I,” I assured her.

Tina ordered the surf and turf, the most expensive thing on the menu. Logan had the money, he didn’t exactly care, but he’d never actually seen her eat a steak. He wondered if she ordered it only because it was so expensive.

He wanted to sigh but he held it in, knowing that she’d ask what was wrong and then make a show of him not telling her.

The steakhouse was busy tonight. Nearly every table was filled. Those that weren’t were reserved for members of high society who had made reservations… and then not showed. But the restaurants couldn’t give up the table on the off chance they walked in.

Who knew? Maybe they would.

Logan severely doubted it.

Ever since he had started spending time with Hazel, Logan had begun to see more and more cracks with high society and the flippant attitude they held for those of the lower classes. Before, he’d never been particularly fond of them, but he hadn’t given it much thought.

Now, he saw the way the high society’s indifference affected real people out here trying to make a living for themselves. That empty table was one less group the waiter would receive tips from tonight.

“I’m so pleased you invited me out,” Tina said, sipping on her cosmopolitan. “The way you rejected me the other night, I had assumed you were throwing some kind of temper tantrum. Who sends their little girlfriend assistant in their stead?”

Girlfriend assistant? “What are you talking about?”

“When I invited you over…” Tina said. When my face remained confused, hers broke out into a big grin. “Ah! She didn’t tell you. Allow me to, then. She showed up in your place. I imagine she wanted to warn me off of you, but we had a nice little conversation instead.”

Logan’s stomach turned. Hazel hadn’t mentioned this to him.

Leaning forward, Tina pitched her voice lower. “You should have told me the two of you were married.”

Immediately, Logan scanned the room, but no one seemed to hear her.

“Don’t say that here,” Logan said.

Tina leaned back. “So you aren’t denying it…”

Logan did sigh this time. “No.”

“Yet you are still out here with me. You naughty boy.”

“You know why this cover is necessary. Or… was necessary.” Logan needed to grab hold of this conversation and pull it back on track.

“Oh, Logan. Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Hazel is relocating to a different city. Since she won’t be around anymore to cast suspicion, your services are no longer needed.”

“Services?” she replied, her lip curling. “Don’t say it like I’m a prostitute.”

That wasn’t what Logan had meant at all. “I didn’t mean –”

“I know what you meant,” Tina snapped. “Fortunately for you, I am a forgiving sort and will continue this ruse regardless.”

Logan blinked once, twice, processing her words. “No, Tina. I’m telling you this is over.”

“It absolutely is not,” Tina said, with another sip of her drink. “Just because she isn’t around doesn’t remove your entanglement. If you plan on staying married –”

“Shh,” Logan hushed quickly.

Tina continued on, undisturbed. “Then you are going to need a cover. Marriage licenses are public record, Logan. All it would take is one wrong person to look it up. You need me, or you risk exposure.”

That sounded a hell of a lot like a threat. One wrong person? More like, a jilted Tina.

“Every time we are together it hurts Hazel,” Logan said. “I can’t do that to her anymore.”

“This is the nature of your situation,” Tina countered. “If she wants to stay with you, she has to buck up. Else, she can leave. No one’s stopping her from walking out the door.”

That wasn’t true. Hazel had thought to leave, but Logan had convinced her to stay. They cared so deeply about each other; Logan couldn’t lose her.

But now he was sending her away. At least their relationship would stay intact… he hoped.

Tina seemed satisfied with Logan’s silence. Before he could argue any more, their dinners arrived and the matter was dropped.

As they finished eating – Tina only ate her surf part of surf and turf, leaving the steak as Logan predicted – Logan tried once more.

“We have to end this, Tina.”

Tina just laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

She wasn’t going to listen to reason.

Speaking with Tina directly had failed, so Logan needed a different strategy. If he couldn’t do things politely, then he’d have to do them legally.

He’d depended on Dylan many times in the past. Since their falling out, he was loathe to do so again. Their friendship was mended, but it felt more fragile now.

Dylan obviously still cared for Hazel, and Logan was selfishly holding onto her. That wasn’t about to change.

But Logan didn’t know where else to turn.

On the drive home, Logan called Dylan from his car.

“This had better be good,” Dylan said when he answered the call. “My favorite show is on.”

Logan gathered his courage, pushed aside what was left of his dignity, and said, “I need a favor.”