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“I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I should have known better.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “You should have.”
Then he left the room.
Gabby’s chest felt tight as she watched him go. She wished she could rewind the clock and start this morning over. She’d have thanked him for checking on her and asked him for cuddles. He was right. She did know him. Better, perhaps, than anyone else, even though they hadn’t been close for long. He let her see a side of him that no one else did. But her fear and insecurities had gotten the better of her and she’d ruined it. She rested her head against the pillow and closed her eyes.
When she opened them next, Shane was sitting beside the bed. Her heart sank.
“Logan has gone into town,” he said. “Can you tell me what my name is?”
* * *
Logan’s conscienceraged at him as he drove into Haven Bay. He shouldn’t have left Gabby when she was vulnerable, even if he’d waited for Shane to arrive first—and what an awkward conversationthathad been. Still, he was Gabby’s partner. The father of her unborn babies. Ergo, it was his responsibility to take care of her. But damn, her accusation had hurt, and he’d worried about what he might say if he stayed, especially when both of their emotions were heightened by what had happened yesterday.
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He could have lost her. For that, she did have the right to be angry with him. He should have been there. But as for her comment about Peach, that was way off base. He’d promised not to do that and thought that promise meant something to her. This proved otherwise. It felt like his reputation was an albatross around his neck and he’d never be able to get rid of it. Everyone expected the worst from him. Couldn’t someone just believe he was capable of more?
He cruised a loop around the town square, unsure where to go. He didn’t feel like surfing because no one would be able to get in touch with him if Gabby’s condition worsened. On instinct, he turned towards Kyle’s place. He and Charity shared a small home on the outskirts of the commercial area. As Logan parked outside, it occurred to him that he and Charity now had something in common. They both knew how it felt to have a reputation follow them around, and to not be trusted by a loved one because of their past. His stomach formed a hard ball at the thought of how he’d contributed to Charity’s problems in that area. Without his interference, Kyle might never have worried about Charity’s loyalty. Now the shoe was on the other foot. Maybe he deserved this.
As he walked up the path, he considered how charming the place looked from the outside and smiled. It was perfect for Kyle. He knocked on the front door and waited for his brother to open it.
“Hey.” Kyle looked surprised to see him. “You want to come in?”
Logan entered, and Kyle led him to the living room, where he’d clearly been gaming with Charity. Charity greeted him with a smile and a nod. Kyle flopped onto the sofa and she stretched her legs across his lap. They both seemed to feel at home. He was glad they’d obviously settled in well.
Logan sat on the armchair.
“So, what happened?” Kyle asked. “After last night, I wouldn’t have thought you’d want to be away from Gabby unless it was life or death.”
Logan winced, wondering if that was a passive-aggressive reprimand. “Gabby asked if I was with Peach when she hurt herself.”
“Peach?” Kyle frowned. “The new bartender?”
“Yeah. Apparently Gabby heard Mum mention that she thought I might be with her while she was at the hospital yesterday.” A fact that stung. Surely Corinne knew he’d never let Gabby down like that. They’d talked about his insecurities. She knew how much it meant to him to be a good partner.
But then, other than the past few months, what did she have to compare his behavior to? A lifetime of flirting and sleeping around? Shame curled through him. There was nothing wrong with keeping things casual, but somewhere along the way, even his own mother had begun to doubt his integrity. If she couldn’t look past his reputation, how could anyone else?
Kyle winced. “Mum shouldn’t have said that around Gabby.”
“She probably thought she was asleep.”
“Still.”
Logan raked a hand through his hair. His shoulders slumped. “Gabby doesn’t trust me, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
Charity smirked. “It’s rough when the people you love don’t trust you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t blame her for taking a shot at him. This probably seemed like karma to her. “It feels like shit. How did you get past it?”
She shrugged. “I had to stop and take a look at what I’d actually done to change people’s perception of me, and accept that I couldn’t wipe the slate clean overnight.”
Logan mulled over her words. What had he done to change his reputation from playboy to devoted boyfriend and father-to-be? Definitely not nothing. He’d told people he was off the market. He’d treated Gabby well—or at least, he thought so, anyway. He’d prioritized her and setting up a future for their babies. But this had all occurred over a short period of time. Perhaps it had been a radical change, but it would take time for the people around him to start seeing the new version of him as normal Logan versus a phase he was going through. After all, if Jonathan had moved home and started saying he wanted to be a good dad out of nowhere, Logan would have been suspicious too. Trust took time to build.
“I get what you’re saying,” he allowed. “But don’t I deserve the benefit of the doubt too?”
“Maybe,” Charity agreed. “But you have to take her past into account. I don’t know her full relationship history, but her ex wasn’t faithful, right?”
“Yeah,” Logan said.
