Chapter 184

Ella

“Open your eyes, Ella.”

I hadn’t even realized it, but at some point during my panic, I had squeezed my eyes shut.

Slowly, I cracked my eyes open one at a time. I was still sitting in the passenger seat with Logan beside me. The air still smelled like leather and gasoline, and the engine was gently rumbling as it idled beneath us.

And nothing had happened.

I blinked confusedly as I looked at the expanse around us. Logan had shut off the headlights, and I could now see the desert landscape stretching out in all directions.

And the stars.

Oh, the stars.

The sky was a brilliant canvas of white specks, each one sparkling down at me. The Milky Way was visible from where we sat, its white hue like a painter’s brush stroke across the midnight blue sky.

“Do you really think I would harm you, Ella?” Logan’s voice broke the silence, his words a soft, reassuring murmur in the dark.

I turned to look at him hesitantly, his features barely visible in the dimly lit car. His eyes held a hint of concern, and there was something in his gaze that I couldn’t quite place. There was no longer that glint of anger, and suddenly, I felt like a fool for freaking out in the way I had.

And yet, there was still something strange in his gaze. I couldn’t quite figure out if it was that he knew what was going on with me and Marina somehow, or if it was something else.

“Why did you bring me here?” I finally managed to ask, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and confusion.

Without a word, Logan reached over and tossed a folder onto the seat between us. It landed with a thud, and I could barely make out the contents in the darkness.

“I know you’ve been lying to me, Ella,” he said, his tone calm but firm. “And I think it’s time we had a little chat.”

I stared at the folder, my heart sinking as I picked it up. Swallowing, I met Logan’s gaze again.

He nodded. “Go ahead. Open it.”

And so I did. My hands shook as I looked at the contents; copies of all the notes, all the information I had gathered against him to try to make him lose the case. My stomach churned with a sickening sense of dread.

“I... I can explain,” I stammered, my mind racing for a way out of this situation. But the truth was, I had no explanation that would make any sense. I had been so focused on protecting Daisy that I hadn’t thought about the consequences of my actions.

It had never even occurred to me for one single moment that Logan was smart enough to figure it out; and now, once again, I felt like a fool for being so nonchalant about my doings.

Logan leaned back in his seat, his gaze never leaving mine. “I brought us here because it’s safe,” he said. “I took us far away from the racetrack, where there’s no service. I had you leave your phone behind in case you’re being tracked. No one can hear our conversation here. So tell me the truth.”

I swallowed nervously. “You’re sure?”

For a moment, Logan was silent; but then he nodded. “I’m sure, Ella,” he said quietly. “It’s safe here. You can tell me everything.”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. Logan’s words were beginning to make sense. He wasn’t here to harm me like I had foolishly thought he was; he was here to confront me, to get to the bottom of all of this. And maybe, just maybe, he was giving me a chance to explain myself.

And maybe, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, it was finally safe for me to tell the truth.

“You have to understand,” I began, my voice quivering. “I was just trying to protect my little sister. I thought Marina was a threat, and I didn’t know how I could tell you.”

Logan’s expression softened ever so slightly, and he leaned in closer, his eyes searching mine. “Explain,” he said simply, his voice so low it was barely more than a whisper.

And so, I began to tell him everything. I told him about Marina and how she had approached me. I told him about her knife against my throat on the night of the engagement party.

I told him all about her threats and demands, about the hitman, the hidden cameras, the eerie phone calls. I explained how I had started gathering information on him to try to protect my sister.

I didn’t leave out any details, no matter how embarrassing or incriminating they might be.

“That was why I tore my apartment up that day,” I said quietly. “Because I knew she had my apartment bugged; she was listening to every conversation, watching my every move. But it was no use, because I didn’t find anything.”

Logan listened in silence, his expression unreadable as I poured out my confession. I felt a strange mix of relief and vulnerability, as if I were laying bare my soul to him.

“And she kept threatening my little sister,” I continued, licking my lips. “She… She sent me pictures of Daisy sleeping in her bed, Logan. She told me that if I didn’t obey, that if I breathed a word of this to anyone, she would torture and kill Daisy. I couldn’t let that happen… Even if it meant hurting you.”

Once again, Logan was silent for a long time. I could see his jaw setting and unsetting in the darkness, clenching and unclenching as though he was trying to find the right words.

“And Miles?” he asked finally.

I sighed, biting my lip.

“That was… her idea to get you off my trail when you started to suspect me,” I whispered. “She gave me those photos, which she fabricated. She gave me the story about Miles being a spy. I… I never wanted to hurt him. He never did anything wrong.”

When I had finished, there was yet another long moment of silence between us. The weight of my actions hung heavily in the air, and I couldn’t bring myself to meet Logan’s gaze. I didn’t know how he would react.

“I understand if you think I’m weak,” I finally said, my voice trembling slightly. “But Logan, I had to do what I had to do if I was going to protect my sister. I made a promise from the day she was born, and I plan on keeping it.”

As I spoke, Logan’s eyes began to soften. With a sigh, he leaned his head back against the headrest, his gaze lifting to the stars through the windshield. I watched him for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest, before I followed suit.

Hesitantly, I leaned my head back against my own headrest and followed his gaze. The stars stared back down at me, blinking in the sky like millions of distant eyes.

And I realized, in that moment, that it was funny; the stars didn’t care about the trivial goings-on of the living here on Earth.

After all, they had already been dead for millenia.