Chapter One

After leaving Los Angeles, I thought I would never have to come face to face with Logan Sanders ever again. The last thing I ever expected was to open my front door and discover him standing at my doorstep.

He’s staring down at me with those crystal blue eyes; the same eyes I have gazed into so many times over the past four years. Only now, instead of getting lost in the love and desire burning in them, I look into his eyes and feel anger, betrayal, and disgust.

Cheating on me with half of L.A. was a deal breaker. After learning the truth about all of Logan’s indiscretions, I walked away and never looked back. All I see now as I take in the man before me is a pathetic excuse for a man, rather than the one I once dreamt of spending the rest of my life with.

My feet are frozen as my mind takes in the image of Logan standing before me. He has the audacity to come to Galveston. I ran all the way to Texas for goodness sake in order to get away from him.

Standing with one hand in his pocket, and the other on my cheek, Logan runs his eyes over my face looking for any sign that I’m happy to see him.

He can look all frickin’ day, but the only thing he’ll see is my annoyance with him showing up here. I can’t take him having his hands on me, and I step back away from his touch.

“Savannah, I know I’m the last person you want to see right now, but can I come in so we can talk?” Logan finally says snapping me back to the here and now.

“What? No!” He flinches at my words. Not missing a beat, I jump straight to the point, “What the hell are you doing here, Logan?” The annoyance in my voice is unmistakable. I want to make sure he knows I’m not thrilled one bit at his surprise visit. He’s lucky I’m allowing him to give me an explanation when the voice in the back of my mind is screaming at me to slam the door in his fuckin’ face.

I’m still trying to get over the shock that he is really here.

Dropping his eyes from me down to his feet, he rakes his fingers through his long blonde locks and lets out a sigh. The nervousness pouring out of him is only fueling my anger rather than evoking any sympathy out of me.

I’m actually taken aback by his nervousness, because I’ve never witnessed Logan nervous before. He’s always Mr. Calm and Collected.

I have to hold back the urge to kick him in the balls. I tried so hard over the last few months to move past everything that happened, but he is making that extremely difficult. Especially with him constantly talking to the press and now by showing up here; he really has some guts.

“I had to see you. I saw Brooklyn earlier this morning at Starbucks. She said you guys are moving here permanently. Is that true?”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “If you must know, yes it’s true, but what I do with my life is no longer any of your business, Logan. So why are you here?” I take a deep breath reminding myself to breathe and maintain my composure.

Running both of his hands through his hair, he stares at me pleading with his eyes.

Remaining emotionless, I rest my hands on my hips and wait for him to answer me.

A deep moan of frustration resonates in his throat, as he spins around and walks over to the railing of my deck; gripping it he bows his head and lets out a sharp breath. I can see the veins pulsating along his arms as he tries to control his anger. 

Lifting his head he stares out at the ocean, “Savannah, I never thought you would leave L.A. I was hoping…” He stops mid sentence spinning back around to face me, “I was hoping we could find a way to fix this.”

Is he smoking crack? Does he believe there’s a chance in hell that I would ever get back together with him?

“Logan, you need to get it through your head, we are finished. I cannot move past the fact that you fucked pretty much anything with a fucking vagina!”

Logan takes another step towards me; I quickly step around him towards the railing he was just leaning on. The last thing I want or need is him touching me. I swear to God I will snap, and the last thing I want is to turn violent with him and have that all over the tabloids.

I still cannot believe he has the nerve to come here! Kayden is going to be here soon. The last thing I need is for them meeting, especially on the deck two stories high, where things could turn ugly very quickly. Logan has a big mouth, and I don’t think Kayden would hesitate to shut him up.

“I won’t accept that Savannah I…I love you. These last few months, being away from you has been a living hell. I am going to get help; what I did, it had nothing to do with you. It was my addiction to sex.”

I burst out laughing.

I’m about to lose my mind right now. Does he think I believe his bullshit story of suffering from sex addiction?

“Shut up, right now. I don’t want to hear your excuses. You cheated on me. Not just once or twice; you cheated on me for our entire relationship! That is not something I can just overlook, and say ‘oh well, it was because of an addiction’. That’s not love Logan!”

I can see the anger taking over his features; he truly believed I would buy his sob story and just take him back with open arms?

He has gone completely mental!

“Just like that! You will throw away everything we had?” He asks between clenched teeth. “Did you ever love me Savannah?”

I cannot believe he just seriously asked me that!

“Oh. My. God. Are you fucking serious right now!? Of course I loved you, you stupid asshole! I loved you with all my heart. Never had the idea crossed my mind to be with anyone but you. I was one hundred percent committed to you and the life I thought we were building together.” Stopping I take a deep breath, I’m about to smack him upside the damn head! Pointing at him I shout, “You, on the other hand, didn’t seem to think twice about sticking your dick into any whore who would spread her legs for you!”

I feel like I’m in the freaking Twilight Zone! He’s pushing all the wrong buttons right now, and if he keeps pushing me Logan’s going to see a side of me he’s never seen before, and then he’ll be wishing he never came to Galveston.

Stammering his words, Logan drops his gaze from me to the ground for a few moments before locking his piercing blue eyes back onto mine, immediately causing my stomach to do flip flops. My entire body is humming with anger; all I want is for him to drag his ass back L.A. and never speak to me again.

“You’re not listening to me Savannah; I didn’t want to sleep with those women! I couldn’t control myself…I’m going to get better; I can be that man you loved and give you the perfect life.” He stops speaking for a few moments as he searches my eyes looking for a sliver of hope that his words are affecting me. When I do nothing but give him a stone cold stare, he slides his fingers through his hair and lets out a defeated sigh, “Just come back to Los Angeles and give me a chance to prove it to you. Please…all I’m asking for is a chance, Savannah.”

Taking a few steps he stops in front of me, leaving only a few inches between us, I stand firmly in the doorway. Reaching out he puts his hands on my arms, grips them and stares down at me with pleading eyes.

Even though a small part of me still loves him, and wishes what he said was true, I know deep down it’s not reality. He can paint me this beautiful picture of a life we could have together, but I know it’s a fantasy. The truth is I could never forgive, or forget. There’s no possible way I can ever consider trying again with him.

Then there’s Kayden; he has awakened feelings inside of me that Logan could not even begin to stir up.

What I felt for Logan seems like puppy love compared to the intense feelings I have for Kayden. Which is completely insane, I have only known Kayden a few days compared to years with Logan, but when we’re together it just feels right. It’s like we’ve known each other our entire lives.

Needing to create space between us, I push Logan away from me. I simply can’t deal with him touching me. His touch, that I once craved, now turns my stomach. “Logan you need to go now. We. Are. Done. The sooner you come to terms with that, the faster we can both move on with our lives.”

The sad Logan I just had before me instantly vanishes and is replaced as anger consumes his body, “This is about that Kayden guy isn’t it? Did you fuck him when he came to L.A. for his Envy interview?” He spits at me with anger laced in his words.

What the fuck?!

“You did not just ask me that? You are seriously a world class douche bag!” My entire body is shaking as adrenalin begins coursing through my veins. “NO, I didn’t fuck him when he was in L.A.! Unlike you Logan, I actually understand what an exclusive relationship means!” I shove him away from me harder this time; “You can leave now; I have nothing else to say to you.” I hiss at him as I swing my hand pointing towards the stairs leading down to his rental car.

Ignoring my demands, his eyes turn ice cold sending chills down my spine, “I’m not going anywhere.”

I take another step backwards to create a safe distance between us; I’m shaking on the inside, but not letting Logan see that. I glare at him and point my finger towards the stairs again, “I will not ask you again Logan, leave now.”

An eerie laugh escapes him as he flashes me a small smile. Logan slides his eyes slowly over my body, immediately making me feel uncomfortable, “You think that Kayden Knox, the Playboy of Houston, is actually going to commit to you? What a joke!” He laughs under his breath, “He’s going to use you Savannah, then toss you aside and move on to his next conquest. I’m in love with you and couldn’t stay faithful; do you really think a man you hardly know will?”

I cut him off, I can’t listen to this crap he’s spewing for a second longer, “You don’t know Kayden, or our relationship. What’s a joke is you professing your love to me! You don’t love me Logan, and I don’t think you ever really did. The person you love is yourself. You’re wasting your breath, because nothing you say will change my mind. So why don’t you drag your ass back to L.A. and beg one of your little sluts to give you love and affection, because baby you ain’t getting anything from me!”

Ignoring my pleas, Logan continues, “I’m right about him Savannah, you’re just ignoring the facts that are staring you straight in the face. Hell, he may give it his best shot, but believe me, when he goes out of town for business, don’t think for a second he will be able to resist temptation. There are always a million girls willing to do whatever he wants and will keep their mouths shut.”

I don’t even think before reacting; I swing my arm back and connect my fist with Logan’s nose. “Shut up!” I shout, feeling his nose crack and blood squirt everywhere. I have never punched anyone before in my life, but I just lost control listening to him spew his poison. I had to shut him up.

I cannot believe I just punched him! Shit my hand is throbbing. I cradle my fist in my left hand, as tears sting my eyes. My knuckles are instantly swelling.

With a look of utter shock and anger, Logan cups his nose in his hands as he stumbles backwards.

“You stupid bitch! You broke my fucking nose!” He yells staring at the blood in his hands.

“Oh, my God...I’m so sorry! Why couldn’t you just shut up and leave? I don’t know why you even thought you could show up here and convince me to take you back.” Panic is consuming me. This is so not how I wanted this to go.

The look he’s giving me has me backing away from him with fear. “Just stay here and I will get you a rag for your nose.” I say, needing to get away from Logan and give him and myself a few moments to calm down.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I retrieve a washcloth from the bathroom and run warm water over it.

Stepping back onto the deck, my eyes land on a man standing next to Logan. He looks to be about six feet, slender build, with slightly styled short brown hair.

I hold my hand out handing Logan the washcloth, “Here…for your nose.” My voice comes out shaky.

Great. Now some stranger gets to see firsthand what I did; just freaking fantastic.

Extending his hand out to me, the mystery man shakes my hand, “Hi I’m Jacob Williams, my boyfriend and I are renting the beach house next door.” He introduces himself with a thick British accent, “I heard shouting, so I came to see if I could be of any assistance.”

He’s gay? What a shame for the female population, because he’s extremely handsome. Brooklyn would have loved him.

“Hi, I’m Savannah. Thank you for stopping by, but everything is fine, Logan was just leaving.” I turn towards Logan, shooting him a death glare. He best be leaving, or I will not hesitate to call the cops and have his ass escorted off of my property. “Again, I am sorry about your nose Logan, but I need you to leave. We have nothing left to talk about.”

“Savannah, are you serious? You just busted my nose for fuck sake! You won’t even consider anything I just said?” He shouts at me while still cupping his nose.

I have to hold back a laugh. Seriously, I just broke his nose, and he still thinks there’s a chance I’m going to just say, sure Logan come on in, sit down so we can talk about everything.

I think I knocked the last ounce of common sense out of him with that punch.

Spinning on my heels, I stare at him, hoping my words finally sink into his damn head, “Yes, I am serious. I want you to leave NOW. There is nothing left to discuss or for me to think about. My mind was made up the moment I caught you in that hotel room. Kayden is going to be here soon, so unless you want another busted nose, I suggest you get the hell out of here. While you’re at it, do me a favor and head straight back to L.A.; I’m sure there are plenty of women waiting there to help you forget all about me.”

Storming past me, he stops at the top of the stairs, ignoring the fact Jacob is standing here witnessing this entire thing, he shouts,” You are making a huge mistake. Kayden Knox is only going to break your heart. Just wait and see; I’m right about him.”

Completely fed up, I let out a small sigh, “It’s kinda hard to break something that is already shattered. You seem to forget you broke my heart months ago, and that I will never, or ever forget. Please just go! I don’t want a scene, especially in front of my new neighbor.” I waved my hands towards Jacob, who was standing there looking every bit as uncomfortable as I felt. The pain in my voice is unmistakable.

Jacob clears his throat and steps in front of me focusing his attention on Logan, “Sir, I believe the lady asked you to leave. We don’t want to have to get the police involved.”

I’m grateful that Jacob showed up, because I don’t think Logan would’ve agreed to leave without causing a scene or having the police escort him off of my property.

Huffing out a loud sigh, Logan briskly makes his way down the stairs to his car, avoiding Jacob and the tense situation.

I’m happy he is finally leaving. I just hope he takes my advice and goes back to Los Angeles; I don’t need this right now. My life is finally starting to get piece back together, and Logan comes barreling into town trying to knock it back down again.

I let out the breath I’d been holding as I hear Logan speed away down the road.

Hugging myself, I look from the crashing waves as I speak, “Thank you for your help Jacob; I really appreciate it. I just wish you didn’t have to witness that. It’s not exactly the best way to meet your new neighbor.” I say nervously rocking on the heels of my feet; too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

“Don’t be, I am just happy I was nearby and able to help. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. If I am not there, my boyfriend Zak should be. We will be at the house next door for the month.”

Walking towards the front door, I stop and lean against it, finally looking Jacob in the eyes, “Thanks. I just hope there will not be a next time. I need to get back inside before my lasagna burns. It was nice meeting you.”

He flashes a mega-watt smile at me before disappearing down the stairs.

It’s such a shame he’s not straight, because Brooklyn would be all over that like white on rice.

I watch him walk back towards his beach house before heading inside. I head straight into the kitchen to check on dinner, and am thankful to find that my timer still has thirty minutes until I have to take out the lasagna.

I still have time to shower and finish setting the scene for our romantic evening before Kayden gets here. Of course, my hand is throbbing and slightly swollen. Hopefully it won’t put a damper on our evening together. I am dreading having to bring up the whole Logan fiasco when Kayden gets here.

~~~

Stepping out of my bedroom, ready for the evening ahead, I hear my laptop beeping, alerting me of an incoming Skype call. Plopping down onto the couch, I turn my Skype on and am greeted with Reagan’s gorgeous smile.

“Hey stranger, what’s up?” I say smiling back at him.

I already know why he’s calling me, Reagan more than likely saw on a gossip website that Logan was spotted at LAX, and then a short while later here at the Houston Airport.

“Don’t, ‘hey, what’s up me’, Savannah. Why is Logan in Houston? Please don’t tell me you lost your damn mind and are taking him back.” Reagan says with an irritated tone. 

I let out a moan and prop my chin in my hands. “Oh, my God, no! I’m just as shocked as you are that Logan came here. He has lost his freaking mind. He actually thought he could show up here, promising me everything under the sun, and I would be stupid enough to take him back!”

The drama and chaos I’ve endured over the past few months is enough to last me a lifetime. Now Logan showing up here has just piled on a whole boatload more. Reagan should know me well enough to know I’ll NEVER go back to that asshole.

I instantly notice Reagan relax as he sits back in his office chair, looking as if a humungous weight has been lifted off of his shoulders.

Running his hand through his sandy brown hair, he lets out a small chuckle, “You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that. I thought I was going to have to jump back on a plane to Texas and knock some sense into you!”

I can’t help but roll my eyes, “I would never in a million years take Logan back. I don’t care what excuses he has for cheating on me. I am done with him; he is my past, and hopefully Kayden Knox is my future.”

Sliding his hands behind his head, Reagan sways his chair back and forth with a big smile stretched across his face, “You don’t know how happy I am to hear that, because if you took him back, I’d have to commit your ass!”

Shaking my head, I let out a small laugh. “Believe me; I’d beg you to commit me! Oh, and it gets better! He had the audacity to tell me I should move back to L.A., so we can work things out.”

Reagan lets out a loud chuckle, “Thank God you told him no fucking way in hell!”

I nod my head in agreement, “Mmhmm, and it doesn’t stop there. He then tried to scare me with Kayden’s past, throwing his well-known playboy ways in my face. He told me he still loves me, and that Kayden will only break my heart. I literally snapped; I was beyond pissed off already that he was arrogant enough to show up at my house, but then trying to use Kayden’s past to get me back…that was my breaking point.”

Reagan shoots up in his chair sporting a shit eatin’ grin, “Oh, do tell! Now this story just got interesting. So did you put the King of the Douchebags in his place? Did he run off with his tail between his legs?” I can’t help but enjoy the look of pleasure and excitement on Reagan’s face as he fires off his questions. He’s dying for the nitty-gritty details.

I’m glad he called; talking with Reagan just for these few minutes has helped me relax. All the tension built up inside of me was slowly seeping away.

“Well, sort of.” I finally answer holding my hand up in front of my laptop, showing Reagan my swollen red knuckles. “I kinda, sorta, punched him...and possibly broke his nose.” I slap my hand over my eyes laughing with embarrassment.

Reagan’s eyes practically pop out of his head as realization hits, and he sees my hand.

“Holy shit, Savannah! You’ve been in Texas what...seven days!? You’re already turning into a bad ass! I am going to call you Chuck Norris from now on.” He teases. “I am so pissed I missed that! What happened after you punched him? Did he go ape shit? If he laid a hand on you, I will break his fucking neck.” The words are pouring out of his mouth so fast; I can barely process them, let alone answer.

For the next ten minutes, I explain to Reagan everything that happened with Logan. I let him know about Jacob showing up after overhearing us argue, and how I think him coming over helped me get Logan to finally leave.

Reagan was happy to hear that I had shown Logan the door and told him there was nothing left for us to discuss. I just hope Logan stops being selfish and returns to Los Angeles so I can finally move on with my life.

Reagan had to end our call because he was about to film an episode for his show. It was nice talking with him about everything because it helped me feel better, but at the same time it made me miss him. However, I don’t regret my decision to leave L.A. Deep down I know moving is one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.