Chapter 133

Logan

The smell of cigars is prominent in my nostrils, the same smoky feeling trickling down my esophagus before it settles into my lungs before I exhale the plumes of smoke. I am surrounded by men, mainly my father and man he invited that we will be able to help me on my campaign trail. The cigar feels light in my hand, despite it being one of the thicker ones in the bunch.

The sounds of the men’s laughter and the tingling feeling I feel in the tips of my fingers, puts a smile on my face. Although I know that this is just another way for my father and I to network with other Alphas in the city, I cannot help but feel gratitude in this moment for their support. I did not receive the same support before emily got pregnant, so I am taking this as a good sign that this is the right path for us to take in our lives.

The door to the office remains open. It gives us, the men in the room, the ability to remain a part of the baby shower festivities well also being disconnected and in our own world. Baby showers are mainly meant for women, anyways, so I doubt that any of them would really want us to be around in the first place.

I glanced out of the door, quietly excusing myself to another part of the room. My eyes scan the area and I am unable to find Emily. She was sitting in the center the last time I checked in on her, but now she has seemingly vanished and thin air, gone and out of my sight. I wouldn't be too worried in the first place, seeing how she goes to the bathroom at least three times every hour, but an ugly feeling settles inside of my chest when I noticed that her stepmother and stepsister are not in the group as well.

I pass off the cigar to one of the men in the room, quickly coming up with some kind of excuse to go and find Emily, stating that I simply wish to check in on her and make sure that she is okay like the good husband I am. They all laugh and chuckle at me, making a comment about how I am head over heels for my wife and that the feeling will fade with time. I simply roll my eyes on my comments and turn to exit the office when I notice Emily standing in the doorway.

“Emily,” I breathe her name out, trying to wave away as much as the smoke as possible, knowing that it will either make her feel abnormally sick or it will not even bother her. I stepped towards her and immediately notice the look of disdain on her face, the way her lips are tugged downward. “What’s wrong?”

Emily simply rolls her eyes in response and turns around, exiting the doorway and heading towards the door to the backyard. I quickly follow her and smile on the wave at the woman, who are clearly drunk and tipsy from the mimosa bar that was provided, and follow my beautiful wife outside and into the backyard. She turns around and looks up at me with her arms crossed over her chest, and I can't help but feel like I have done something wrong.

Obviously, I knew that this was going to be something that she would not appreciate. I just thought that getting out of the house would be a good idea, to be something that she can distract her mind with instead of the thoughts inside of her head. I honestly just felt bad that she was stuck inside the house all day, unable to do a single thing except for taking care of herself in the baby as well as setting up their room inside of our home.

“Did something happen?” I ask, looking down at her. I slowly reach out and push her hair out of her face, gently copy her cheeks as her eyes filled with tears. “Did your stepmother do something? Was it Chloe? Do I need to go talk to them?”

“No,” Emily shakes her head, her voice, low and quiet.

I turn my head to look inside of the home, ready to confront the two women who have been nothing but trouble ever since Emily and I have entered each other's lives. They are not there, though, and have seemingly left the party before I could get to them. They are all slippery snakes, people who simply cannot stand to see others be happy, and successful just because they are not the same way.

“What happened?” I ask, desperate to know what has my wife so strong up and on the verge of tears. She shakes her head, but I simply nod, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You can tell me, you know that.”

“I am just tired, okay? Can we go home? I just want to get away from this place,” Emily says.

She looks at the windows and into the home. While the group inside is having the time of their lives, placing bets on the gender of the baby and reminiscing about their days changing diapers, Emily is standing in front of me with a miserable look on her face. This event, this party, is supposed to be something to uplift her and to help her feel excited for the birth of our baby, not to be something that fills her with dread and nervousness for what is to come in our lives next.

I can understand what it is that she is feeling. She is most likely feeling humiliated, her stepmother and sister, most likely finding a way to embarrass her in front of the people inside of the home. My heart aches with pain, squeezing in on itself as if it is ready to disappear forever.

I can't help but feel guilty. It was me who brought her here, nobody else. I was a fool to think that this was a good idea.

“Logan, please,” Emily’s voice cracks, “I just want to go home. Please take me home.”

I give her a simple nod. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, guiding her back inside of the home. She leans into me for support, her arm fixating itself around my torso, keeping me close to her.

As soon as we step through the doors, I gently remove my arm from her body, sliding my fingers into hers as we approach the group. Their attention turns onto us, loud and dramatic gasps overtaking the room. Carla and my stepmother are the first to stand up, approaching us as they give us hugs.

“Leaving already?” my stepmother asks me. I nod and give her a side hug, keeping my hand connected with emily's as she battles off the other woman in the room.

“She’s tired,” I quickly make up an excuse for us, Emily and I’s eyes meeting as she listens to me speak, “and, well, I have a crib to assemble that is waiting for me at home.”

The room erupts and the laughter as they pat my back, gently teasing me as I guide Emily away from the group, walking us towards the front door of the home. As soon as we step through the door, closing it behind us, I looked down and Emily and see a look of relief and exhaustion written across her face.

Person here to blame for this is myself. If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have interacted with her step family, and they wouldn't have ruined the good mood for the day.