And it’s not Jaxon standing there.
It’s Logan.
His expression falters the second he sees me, his grip tightening on the doorknob. He blinks once, like he’s surprised to see me. And then, just like that—his face falls.
My stomach clenches. “They already left, didn’t they?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
Logan exhales, nodding once. “Yeah. About twenty minutes ago.”
A sharp, painful weight slams into my chest, knocking the air from my lungs.
I’m too late.
I missed him.
Jaxon is gone.
I swallow past the lump in my throat, pressing my lips together to keep from completely falling apart.
Logan shifts, rubbing the back of his neck. “Madison, I—” He stops, hesitating before he sighs. “Look, before you go, I just… I need to say something.”
I don’t move.
I can’t.
My whole body feels locked in place, frozen in this moment—this horrible, gut-wrenching moment.
Logan takes another step forward, guilt written all over hisface. “I was a dick that night, at the party. The things I said…” He shakes his head. “I never should’ve run my mouth like that. I didn’t know anything about you, and I had no right to judge.”
I just stare at him, barely able to process his words past the dull, pounding ache in my skull.
Logan exhales, his shoulders sagging slightly. “I know I caused a lot of the shit that happened between you and Jaxon, and I don’t expect you to forgive me for it. But, for what it’s worth…I am sorry.”
I close my eyes, inhaling a shaky breath. I swallow hard, nodding slightly. “Okay.”
Logan shifts his feet, his brows pulling together. “Okay?”
I exhale slowly, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I accept your apology.” My voice is quiet, even, but I mean it. There’s no anger left—not for him, not for what happened that night. The only thing inside me now is regret.
He nods, like maybe he wasn’t expecting me to actually say it, to accept it.
“Do you mind if I just…sit here for a bit?” I ask, my throat tight.
Logan studies me for a moment before stepping back. “Yeah. Yeah, of course. Take your time.”
He hesitates, like he wants to say something else, but instead, he gives me a small nod and closes the door behind him, leaving me alone on the porch.
I sink down on the top step, wrapping my arms around my knees as the weight of everything crashes down around me.
Jaxon is gone. I had one shot to make things right, and I blew it.
The first drops of rain fall softly against the pavement, the scent thick in the air. I tilt my head back, letting the cool droplets kiss my skin as I try to breathe past the tightness in my chest.
But it only gets heavier.
The sky opens, the rain falling harder, soaking through my t-shirt, my shorts, my hair.
And I let it.
