B L A I R E

For the whole day, Gio was trying to talk to me. It was clear that Astrid spoke to him about it, which I understand. She knew the risks of telling me, so sending Gio to 'comfort me' or whatever was a good thing on her part.

I can't face her after this because she was right. I do know. I've known for a while. I didn't have any proof because almost everything with us is the same. Our sex life is the same. Our dates are the same. Laughing and joking together are the same. But something shifted between us. Something was different.

But a woman always knows when their significant other is cheating. It's like an ancestor is whispering the secrets of our relationship in our ear. I could never find any evidence to prove his infidelity but I knew.

As soon as work was done, instead of driving home with Noah, I took a cab and went to the bar. Every girl needs a relief and tequila is mine.

So here I was, sitting in the bar, drinking my liver to waste.

"I think you've had enough for the night." A brassy smooth voice resonated beside me. The person pulled up a chair and I could feel them watching me.

"And I think if you knew better you would leave me alone," I slurred, knocking back another drink, welcoming the burn in my throat.

"I would but you've been drinking for the past three hours, so I can't," he replied. In annoyance, I rolled my eyes and turned to look at him and was awestruck by how majestic this man looked.

His silky black hair, the way his beard was trimmed perfectly to fit him, how dark yet shiny his eyes were. His navy blue shirt folded at his elbows making his biceps bulge. The prominent veins on his hands were doing something to me. This man had an aura that could make a man shake in his boots and a girl wet her panties with one look.

There was something familiar about him though. I must be too drunk but I'm almost sure I've seen him before. I squinted my eyes in slits to try and identify him while he watched in amusement as I examined him. It was then I remember.

He's Astrid's hot brother. The one that came the day to arrest the human traffickers. Wow, it's a small world. I remember telling her that he was attractive but I didn't think I would ever see him so soon.

"Well thank you for your service, Mr. Bloom," I saluted, which made him smile.

"Logan. So you remember me. I didn't get your name last time," he pointed out.

"Blaire." I shook his hand while signalling for more drinks. I saw when his eyes noticed the ring on my left hand.

"Why are you here, Blaire?" he asks, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

I shrugged. The bartender was refusing to give me more shots. "Hey! If I had a dick, I bet you would give me the bottle!"

"No, I wouldn't," the bartender replied and I groaned, flipping him off.

"Hard day at work, y'know," I lied. Apparently he knew it was a lie because he shook his head.

"No one sits at a bar drinking for three hours about work. Death in the family?" he asks, staring into my eyes, shaking his head again. "No. Cheating fiancé."

Maybe my face gave it away or something because he nodded, "There it is."

"Is this a Bloom thing? Because your sister can take one look at you and know everything you're hiding," I told him and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Except my mom, she hates it. Drives her crazy. Astrid was always better than us when it came to reading people though." The way his eyes shone when he talked about her made my chest pang in guilt. "So, what happened? Was she the one who told you?"

"Yup. She said she saw it too. She knows that I know Noah's been cheating. I couldn't look at her knowing that she knew the truth, so I've been avoiding her and my cousin all day," I confessed.

"You know she did it to look out for you, right?"

"Of course, I know that. It just hurts, you know. It makes me look like an idiot because even though I know, I love him so much that I'm still willing to marry him." Beyond my control, the tears started flowing. He reached into his pocket, took out a handkerchief and wiped my tears away.

"You shouldn't subject yourself to that kind of pain. Marriage will not stop it. He'll just do it more. You're a beautiful girl with an even more beautiful soul and if he doesn't see that then he's not worth it," he compliments in a soft and tender voice.

I didn't know I'd wanted someone to say that and mean it in so long. It was then I realized that that was the evidence. Noah would say the sweetest things and it didn't make me feel the way I used to feel.

How Logan spoke and treated me made me feel more than I've ever felt with Noah. It's not butterflies in my stomach, it was warm and comforting. A sense of familiarity like this was where I belonged.

"I'm sure you don't want to go home tonight, so you're free to come to mine, if you want. I promise I won't touch you." The strange thing is that I believed him. I was waiting for a dead relative to tell me I shouldn't but there was nothing.

"Well, aren't you a good officer?" I stood to my feet, patting his chest in gratitude and slung my bag around my shoulder which he took from me immediately. An indistinct scent of leather and an unfamiliar cologne on his shirt brushed my nose.

I was wobbling like a baby learning to walk but he caught me by wrapping his arm around my waist to steady me.

"I'm off duty but thank you," he chuckled, helping me out of the bar. And that night, he was a true gentleman and kept his word. He gave me my space and made me feel comfortable.

I had this overwhelming feeling of not wanting to leave.

15/01/22

Au revoir...

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