Damage Control
Logan was waiting for Vanessa in the cafeteria, his jaw set and his hands clenched into fists. I didn’t see the start of their confrontation, but I heard the rising tension in his voice as I walked past, drawn to the sharp edge of his words.
“You crossed a line, Vanessa,” he growled, his anger barely contained. “You didn’t just hurt Emma. You humiliated her in front of everyone.”
I lingered near the doorway, half-hidden behind the wall, my chest tightening at the raw fury in his voice. Part of me wanted to leave, but something kept me rooted in place.
Vanessa, predictably, didn’t look fazed. She leaned back in her chair, her smirk firmly in place. “Oh, spare me the lecture, Logan. She’s a big girl. If she didn’t want anyone to see those messages, she shouldn’t have sent them.”
Logan slammed his hand on the table, making Vanessa and her friends jump. “You’re unbelievable,” he spat. “This wasn’t just some petty prank. You’ve ruined her reputation for what? Because you’re jealous?”
“Jealous?” Vanessa laughed, shaking her head. “Of Emma? Please. I’m just reminding everyone where she really belongs.”
“She belongs wherever the hell she wants,” Logan snapped, his voice rising. “And she’s better than you’ll ever be.”
Vanessa’s smirk faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, leaning forward with a gleam in her eyes. “Careful, Logan,” she said, her voice low and dangerous. “You’re getting awfully defensive for someone who didn’t even bother to stop me last night.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. I felt my breath catch as the memory of Logan’s silence flooded back. He hadn’t stopped her. He’d stood there, horrified but frozen, while she tore me apart in front of everyone.
Logan’s face darkened, and he stepped closer. “You think this makes you powerful?” he asked, his voice cold. “You’re pathetic, Vanessa. And everyone knows it.”
“Do they?” Vanessa said, standing up to face him. “Because from where I’m standing, Emma’s the one who ran out crying, not me.”
Her words sent a ripple of laughter through her table, and I clenched my fists, my heart pounding. I wanted to storm in and confront her myself, but I couldn’t move. I was too torn—part of me wanted to believe Logan’s anger was real, but the sting of his earlier silence still burned.
Logan turned to leave, his shoulders tense with frustration, but Vanessa called after him, her voice dripping with venom. “You can defend her all you want, Logan, but we both know she’ll never be enough for you.”
I felt my heart drop at the words, and for a moment, I thought Logan might turn back. But he didn’t. He walked away, his steps heavy with something I couldn’t quite name.
I stayed hidden, my mind racing with everything I’d heard. I wanted to believe Logan cared, that his anger was genuine, but the cracks in my trust were too deep. And as much as I hated Vanessa, a small, cruel voice in the back of my mind whispered that maybe she was right. Maybe I’d never be enough.
