My Ex’s Army Brother Is Off-Limits

Vivian Hart I unlocked the front door and stepped inside, balancing a small cake box against my hip. “Logan?” I got no answer. A smile tugged at my lips anyway. Today was our one-year anniversary. Logan had texted me an hour ago saying practice had worn him out and he was probably going to sleep. I hadn’t thought much of it. Hockey had been keeping him busy lately. If anything, it made surprising him even easier. I kicked the door shut behind me and slipped my shoes off. The house was unusually quiet. Logan wasn’t exactly a clean freak. There was usually a hockey stick lying around or one of his jerseys tossed over the couch. Today, everything looked… normal. Maybe he also wanted to surprise me. I adjusted my grip on the cake and headed toward the kitchen. “Logan?” I still got no answer. His truck was outside, so he couldn’t have gone anywhere. Just as I reached the stairs, a laugh floated down from the second floor. A woman’s laugh. I stopped. Maybe one of his teammates brought a girl over. He would’ve told me. Right? Another audible sound followed quietly. Then… a man’s voice. I couldn’t make out the words, but I recognized the voice instantly. Logan. I stood there for a second, waiting for my brain to come up with an explanation. Slowly, I climbed the stairs. The closer I got, the clearer the voices became. It was so obvious even a kid could tell what was going on behind the closed door. The cake box suddenly felt heavier in my hands. “No…” I had to calm down. Maybe I was overthinking it. I forced myself to stare at the narrow gap where the bedroom door wasn’t fully closed. My heart pounded so loudly, but I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The room was dimly lit, but I could still make out Logan’s silhouette over a woman on the bed. From the way he moved, the way she clung to him, it was obvious what I had walked in on. He was thrusting harder into the blond on the bed, deeper and deeper. His head suddenly snapped toward the door, and so did the blonde beneath him. Logan looked like he had just seen a ghost. I had a whirlwind of emotions. I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. That was the same bed I had slept in last weekend, with Logan whispering promises to me. The cake I had been holding slipped from my hands and hit the floor with a dull thud before the box burst open. Logan looked toward it before looking back at me, as if only then realizing I was real. He quickly pulled out. “s**t,” Logan swore under his breath. “Vivian…” I laughed. It wasn’t funny but I just didn’t know what else to do. “I knew you would forget our anniversary,” I said quietly. “I just didn’t think this was how.” The girl hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself. “Oh my God…” She looked more embarrassed than he did. Logan dragged a hand through his hair before climbing out of bed without bothering to put on a shirt. “Vivian, listen…” “No.” “C’mon baby. You don’t understand a man’s need.” Another laugh escaped me. “I don’t?” He took a step closer. “It isn’t what it looks like.” I looked past him at the woman still sitting on the bed. She looked like she hadn’t expected this to happen either. Then I looked back at him. “So…” I nodded slowly. “Can you explain what it looks like?” Logan didn’t have an ounce of shame in him. If anything, he looked annoyed that I had interrupted. Well, I didn’t blame him. I blamed myself for not listening when Sara warned me about him. She was definitely going to laugh after she found out. I mean, Logan was a well known hockey legend. Everyone on campus saw him as a god, and so did I. I guess I finally understood why I never and would never fit into his world. He was practically a celebrity, while I was just a journalism student trying to survive. “Look, Viv…” Logan ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Can you just leave for a bit? I’ll come find you, and we’ll talk.” He couldn’t be serious. I had just walked in on him cheating, and the first thing he cared about was getting rid of me. Another frustrated laugh escaped my lips. “f**k you.” Logan flinched at that. “You’re an asshole.” My voice shook despite how hard I tried to keep it steady. “You didn’t even try to explain yourself. You just want me to leave because it’s inconvenient for you.” “Vivian, calm down—” “Don’t.” I pointed at him. “Don’t tell me to calm down. You…” My eyes drifted to the bed again. The blonde was still wrapped in the blanket, staring at us probably enjoying the drama. “I guess I was the idiot.” I let out a bitter laugh. “The i***t who believed every stupid promise you made.” My chest felt so hollow saying the words out. “Do you remember what you told me after your last game?” Logan’s expression shifted. “You said I was the only girl you’d ever bring into this house.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Guess that didn’t last very long.” “Vivian, please. Can you leave for now. I can explain this later to you.” “Explain what?” I spread my arms. “That you accidentally cheated?” I nodded to myself because he couldn’t even say a word. “We’re done.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small box I had been saving all week as our anniversary gift. I looked at it for a second before placing it on the table. “Have fun.” I turned around before he could say another word. “Vivian!” I didn’t stop. My vision had already started to blur by the time I reached the front door. I yanked the door open and walked out into the pouring rain. My hair and clothes were drenched but I didn’t care. I just kept walking down the empty streets. I branched in the opposite direction with no idea where I was going. My chest hurt. A car horn blared somewhere behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I realized I had wandered right to the edge of the road. I muttered a quick apology, giving the driver a small bow before my eyes drifted to the bright neon sign glowing across the street. …OBSIDIAN BAR I stared at the entrance for a long moment. Then, tightening my fingers around the strap of my bag, I stepped off the curb and crossed the street. I might as well do the same as Logan.