Lying in Logan’s arms, my body still warm from our love, I should have felt at peace. But as his steady breaths fanned across my hair, something inside me felt… off.
I turned my head slightly, watching his face in the dim light. He looked content, eyes closed, his chest rising and falling in a calming rhythm. But I knew Logan. Knew the way his fingers twitched even in sleep when something was wrong. Knew the way his jaw tensed when he was holding something in.
And I knew—deep in my heart—that as much as he had promised to stay, as much as he had meant those words, this wasn’t what he truly wanted.
He was sacrificing himself for me.
For us.
And for the first time in a long time, I realized I didn’t want that.
I didn’t want to be the reason he gave up on his dreams.
I didn’t want us to make another mistake just to hold on to something that shouldn’t require a sacrifice.
Swallowing hard, I traced a gentle circle on his chest, gathering the courage to say what I knew had to be said.
“Logan,” I whispered.
He hummed, his grip around my waist tightening slightly. “Mmm?”
I hesitated. “You need to go.”
His eyes fluttered open. “Go where?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “To the other school. To the music program.”
His brows furrowed. He shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow to look at me properly. “Emma—”
“No, listen to me.” I sat up too, wrapping the sheet around my chest. My heart pounded as I met his confused gaze. “You have to go, Logan.”
He shook his head, his jaw tightening. “I already told you, I’m going with you. I’ll wait, I’ll reapply next year. I—”
“And then what?” I cut him off. My voice trembled, but I forced myself to stay firm. “You spend the next year feeling like you’re stuck? Feeling like you’re watching your dream slip away?”
His mouth parted, but I wasn’t finished.
“I love you,” I said, my throat thick with emotion. “But we have to stop making choices out of fear. I’m not going to be the reason you don’t chase your dreams, Logan.”
His face darkened. “You’re not a mistake, Emma.”
“I know that,” I said quickly. “But I also know that staying here just because of me will turn into resentment one day. Even if you don’t feel it now. Even if you think it won’t happen—it will.”
Logan clenched his jaw, his fists tightening around the sheets. “So what? You want us to just break up?”
“No,” I said instantly. “I don’t want that at all. I just… I want us to trust each other enough to not hold each other back.”
He let out a sharp exhale, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Long distance, Emma? You hate being away from the people you love.”
“I hate losing the people I love more,” I whispered.
Logan flinched.
Silence stretched between us. The air was thick, heavy with unspoken emotions.
Finally, he looked at me, searching my face like he was trying to find a reason to fight me on this. But I held my ground.
Because this time, I knew I was right.
“This is the right thing to do,” I murmured, reaching for his hand. “We can make it work. We will make it work.”
He swallowed hard, his fingers lacing through mine. “Emma…”
“I believe in you,” I whispered. “Now it’s time for you to believe in yourself.”
Logan stared at me for a long moment. Then, slowly, he exhaled, his shoulders sagging.
And in that moment, I knew—he understood.
This wasn’t the end.
It was just the beginning of something stronger.