Believe Me ✔️

[23] Getting Physical

I stand in fear as Logan screams at me. I don't know what to say. There's a loud ringing in my ears and I block out everything he's saying. All I wonder is how am I going to explain this to him and how I hope to God he believes me.

"Say something, Addy!" Logan's voice tunes in and the ringing stops. I blink and focus on him, on his wide angry eyes and the vein almost bursting in his forehead. "Why do you have this? Why do you have three?" He grabs the bag and throws it across the room, still holding the one test. "We haven't... did you cheat on me?"

"No!"

"Then why do you have all these pregnancy tests? You don't take them unless you've had sex and we haven't yet!"

I grab his hand and try to explain, but he shoves me away. "Logan, I'm not cheating on you. I swear. They're all negative, anyway." 

"It all makes sense now." He grips the test in his hand. I scrunch my nose. Gross, I peed on that. He takes a sudden step forward and I stumble back and trip on my feet. My back hits the wall as he towers over me and gets in my face. "All those rumors at school about Paul are all lies! You had sex with him. You cheated on me when I went on that trip. You were afraid I'd find out, so you lied and said he raped you."

"Logan—"

He cuts me off. "Or maybe you cheated on me with that dork Douglas when he gave you a ride home the other day. What, he does you a favor so you blow him? Promise to fuck him as long as he keeps it a secret? Huh, Addy?"

"Douglas just gave me a ride home! You couldn't even bother to pick up the phone!"

Logan throws the test at my face. "It's the only thing that makes sense." He smacks my shoulders and shoves me into the wall. "After all I've done for you, after all that time wasted being on the sidelines." He pushes me again. "I watched for years as you ruined your life, but I will not let you destroy mine."

"You're not even listening to me."

"Because you're a liar!" I look away and he grabs my jaw and forces my attention back on him. "You will always be a liar, Addy. You are not capable of change."

I spit at him. "Get out of my face, Logan."

He doesn't budge.

"Move!"

Logan slaps my face and grabs my neck as he pins me against the wall. I scratch at his hands, but his grip is too tight. "I put up with a lot of your bullshit and what do I get out of it? Even more bullshit! Paul was right about you. You're crazy. You're fucking insane! I can't believe I stayed with you for so long."

I claw at his face, gasping, "Let go!"

The bedroom door flies off the hinges as Uncle Frank charges in. He grabs Logan's jacket and drags him away from me. I drop to my knees, coughing, and watch as Uncle Frank punches my now ex-boyfriend. He holds him by the collar and says, "You need to leave. Now!"

"Whatever, man!" Logan shouts as he steps back, laughing. "Fuck this. Fuck you, Addy!" He storms out and I hear the front door slam behind him.

Uncle Frank rushes over and helps me stand. "Addy, are you okay?" I start coughing again, crying, and he gently tilts my chin to see my neck. I peek in the mirror behind us and see Logan's handprints embedded in my skin. "I'm going to kill that kid. Stay here, Addy."

Uncle Frank was in the military. I don't know if he truly means that or not. I walk over to the window, leaning on the ledge as I look out. Logan stumbles to his car, screaming, and Uncle Frank runs over, twisting his arms and pinning him to the hood of his stupid, old, beat-up, good-for-nothing mustang and handcuffs him. Uncle Frank shoves him in the backseat of his black SUV as he looks back at the house. We make eye contact and I nod, understanding. He's arresting Logan and he'll come back later to check up on me.