Forbidden Desire

Chapter 8: Torn in two

The morning after was a blur of emotions.

I stood in the middle of my bedroom, the sunlight barely peeking through the blinds, and I could still feel the phantom heat of Logan’s body on mine. The memory of his lips on my skin, the way he whispered my name like a secret prayer, and the reckless way I gave in—all of it came back like a slow, burning flame.

But so did the thought of Daniel.

He had sent me a sweet good morning text, calling me his sunshine. He was probably preparing breakfast in his apartment, thinking of me like he always did. And I… I was still wearing the shirt Logan had pulled over my head last night. I hadn’t even washed it. I pressed the fabric to my face and inhaled the scent.

Logan.

God, he smelled like temptation. Like cedarwood and sin. My knees weakened at the scent alone. And then the shame would crash over me again.

I was torn in two.

Logan had awakened a part of me I never knew existed. It wasn’t just the physical passion—it was how he looked at me, like I was the only woman who ever mattered. With Daniel, there was love. Steady, patient, beautiful love. The kind that had grown over time. But with Logan, there was fire. Wild, dangerous, uncontrollable.

I walked to the mirror and stared at myself.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

My phone buzzed.

Daniel: “Dinner tonight? I miss you.”

And just as I was about to reply, another message came in.

Logan: “I can't stop thinking about last night. Can I see you again?”

Torn. Completely torn.

I went to work that day in a fog. The restaurant was bustling, customers chattering away and waiters moving in a coordinated dance. I went through the motions like a puppet. Smiles. Service. Clean-ups. But my mind was stuck between two men. My heart ached for answers.

During a break, I sat in the alley behind the restaurant, the only quiet place I could find. I had just pulled out my phone to call Daniel when I heard footsteps.

"Hey, gorgeous."

My heart skipped. Logan.

He leaned against the wall like he belonged there, wearing that wicked smirk that could undo a woman with just one look.

"You shouldn’t be here," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"Why not? I needed to see you. You left without a word."

"Because it was a mistake," I said, though even I didn’t believe my own words.

"Was it? Then why do you look at me like that? Like you're remembering every single thing I did to you."

I swallowed hard.

He stepped closer.

"Emily," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You can't tell me you don't feel this. I know you do. You felt it that night when I kissed you in the kitchen. You felt it in my bed."

I hated how right he was.

He cupped my face and kissed me. Soft. Slow. But it set me ablaze. I clutched his shirt, torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away. When I finally broke free, I turned away.

"I have a boyfriend, Logan. He loves me. I love him."

He scoffed lightly. "You keep saying that, but you don’t look like a woman in love. Not when you’re with me. You look alive. Hungry. Like I’m the only one who really sees you."

He wasn’t wrong.

That evening, Daniel picked me up for dinner. He wore the blue button-down I liked and brought me a single rose. His eyes lit up when he saw me, but mine couldn’t meet his fully. Guilt clung to me like perfume.

Dinner was at a quiet Italian restaurant. He held my hand across the table.

"You’ve seemed off lately. Everything okay at work?"

I nodded. Lied.

"Just tired, I guess."

"Well, maybe we should take that vacation we’ve been planning. We could go to the mountains. Just you and me, no distractions."

Just you and me.

But all I could think of was Logan, pressing kisses down my spine, whispering how no one would ever touch me the way he did.

"That sounds amazing," I forced a smile.

Daniel leaned over to kiss me, and it felt... different. Not wrong. Not bad. Just… different. I missed him, but I couldn’t shake the weight of what I’d done.

On the ride home, I stared out the window while Daniel hummed to the radio. My phone buzzed again.

Logan: "Still thinking of me? Because I haven’t stopped thinking about you."

I closed my eyes.

I was breaking.

The next few days were chaos.

I tried to distance myself from Logan. I ignored his texts, avoided the alley behind the restaurant. But temptation has a voice—and Logan’s voice was thunder in my mind. Every song reminded me of him. Every touch from Daniel reminded me of what I was missing. I hated myself for it.

One night, Daniel stayed over. We curled up on the couch, watching old movies. He ran his hand down my arm, and I flinched.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I lied.

He kissed me softly and started deepening the kiss. I let him, I wanted to feel normal again. But all I could see were Logan’s eyes. All I could hear was his growl when he buried his face in my neck. All I could feel was him.

I pulled away. "I’m sorry. I’m just tired."

Daniel nodded, concerned but kind. "You sure everything’s okay?"

I nodded again. Another lie.

He kissed my forehead. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me. You know that, right?"

I did. But I couldn't. Not yet.

Days later, I found myself outside Logan’s penthouse.

I hadn’t meant to go. My feet moved on their own. I just needed clarity. Closure. A reminder that what happened was just lust.

But when he opened the door and looked at me with those stormy eyes, I forgot what I came for.

"I knew you'd come back."

He pulled me inside before I could answer.

We didn’t speak. Words were too fragile. Too dangerous. Our bodies spoke instead—fire on skin, hands grasping like we were starving.

It wasn’t just s*x this time. It was desperate. Unapologetic. Devastating.

And when I lay there in his arms, heart pounding and soul unraveling, I knew it wasn’t just lust. It was something more. Something I didn’t have with Daniel.

Something that was going to destroy me.

I got dressed in silence.

"You’re going back to him, aren’t you?" Logan asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I nodded.

"Why?" he asked. "You don’t love him the way you love me."

"Because it’s safe. Because it’s what I know."

He stood, walked over, and lifted my chin. "I’ll wait. But not forever. One day, you’ll stop running. One day, you’ll choose the fire."

I left, my heart breaking into two equal parts.

And I had no idea which part would survive.