WHEN LOVE FINDS YOU

Chapter 9: Let's End Things

That evening, as Alex sat alone in his living room, sipping what was left in the glass cup while on his phone. Sophia dropped by, unannounced. She waltzed in, a radiant smile on her face, clearly happy to see him.

“Alex,” she said with a playful grin, “it’s been too long. You’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you?”

Alex offered her a polite smile, though he couldn’t muster any real enthusiasm. “Sophia, I’ve been busy. You know how it is.”

But Sophia wasn’t deterred. She sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Come on, Alex. You know how I feel about you.”

He gently pulled away, his voice firm but calm. “Sophia, we agreed this would be… mutual. You needed the publicity, and I… well, you know what I needed. But don’t confuse things.”

Sophia’s face fell, a shadow crossing her expression. “I thought maybe… maybe things had changed.”

Alex shook his head, unflinching. "Don't try to make this thing hard, Sophia. You know where we stand.”

"Alex, can't you see? I love you, I want us to date for real, I don't want the deal anymore, I just need your love and attention". It was obvious she was trying to hold her tears.

Alex felt guilty and regretful, he didn't want it to get to this point.

He massaged his temple. "Sophia, we both agreed! No feelings". He tried to make his voice calm as possible. "I think it's better we end this thing".

"I'm sorry but I can't date you, I have no feelings for you, I would only hurt you more if I agree to be with you for love, please understand". He knew this would hurt her but maybe it was for the best.

She nodded, blinking back the disappointment. Without another word, she gathered her things and left, leaving Alex alone, feeling both relieved and oddly regretful.

----

As dusk settled in and the orange glow of the setting sun faded, Mia stepped through her front door, feeling exhausted after a long day. She glanced around, expecting to see her daughter Diva’s toys scattered across the floor or hear Mickel's music playing softly from the other room. But there was only silence.

“They should have been back by now…” she muttered, her pulse quickening. She set down her bag and went to the kitchen, hoping maybe they’d left her a note or something. She checked the time again. It was well past the hour Mickel usually brought Diva home from her after-school activities.

Mia grabbed her phone from her bag, only to realize that it was dead. She had forgotten to charge it at work. Feeling her anxiety build, she plugged it in, praying it would power up quickly. Come on, come on… she urged silently as her eyes darted nervously around the house.

But the waiting was unbearable. Mia’s heart raced as her mind started creating all kinds of worst-case scenarios. Her stomach twisted as an unsettling thought crept in—what if Alex somehow found out about Diva and… She forced herself to stop. No. That’s impossible. But the fear lingered, leaving her feeling helpless.

Unable to stay put any longer, Mia hurried to Logan’s place, thinking that maybe her brother and daughter had dropped by there unexpectedly. She reached the building in record time, barely aware of the streetlights blinking on overhead as evening fully set in. Logan’s apartment building was just a few blocks away, nestled in a cozy neighborhood that was bustling with city life. She rushed up the stairs to the third floor, Logan’s floor, barely pausing to catch her breath.

His apartment door stood there, familiar and welcoming, with a brass number hanging crookedly over the peephole. She pressed the doorbell first, but when there was no immediate response, she entered Logan’s passcode—a code he had given her long ago, saying she could use it “whenever she couldn’t wait any longer.” Today, that was truer than ever.

She opened the door and stepped inside. Logan’s apartment was unmistakably him: boyish but cozy, with books stacked in uneven piles on the shelves, vintage records scattered near his turntable, and a lingering scent of coffee and cologne. The living room was filled with an odd combination of modern furniture and old-school charm—a soft leather couch, a coffee table he had rescued and refurbished from an old shop, and a few scattered framed posters of classic films on the walls.

She always thought his taste was weird and old.

“Mia!” Laura’s voice startled her. Logan’s girlfriend, Laura, was sitting in the kitchen, sipping on a glass of juice. She looked surprised to see Mia but offered her a warm smile. “Hey! Everything okay?”

Mia tried to steady her voice, but the urgency was clear. “Hi, Laura. Do you know where Logan is?”

Just as Laura opened her mouth to respond, Logan appeared from the hallway, a towel draped around his neck and his damp hair slightly tousled as if he had just stepped out of the shower. He looked taken aback to see Mia, but his expression quickly shifted to concern when he noticed her worried face.

“Mia, is everything alright?” he asked, coming closer.

She took a deep breath, fighting to keep her composure. “I… I can’t find Mickel and Diva. They should have been home by now, and my phone was dead, so I couldn’t check if they tried calling me. I came here hoping they might be with you…”

Logan’s face softened with understanding. He grabbed his phone from the counter, immediately dialing Mickel’s number. “Don’t worry, Mia,” he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure everything is fine. Maybe they just lost track of time.”

As the phone rang with no answer, Mia’s heart began to race again, her thoughts swirling with anxiety. She bit her lip, her mind spinning with a new wave of worry. “Logan… do you think maybe… maybe Alex found out somehow?”

Logan chuckled softly, trying to soothe her. “Alex? Mia, come on, that’s… that’s a bit far-fetched. He doesn’t know anything about Mickel, let alone that Diva even exists.”

Mia exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. “You’re probably right. I don’t know what came over me…”

They stood in silence, waiting as Logan tried Mickel’s number once more. Still no answer. Mia’s anxiety returned, but Logan’s reassuring presence helped keep her from completely losing her cool.

Finally, Logan’s phone rang, breaking the tense quiet. It was Mickel.

“Hey, Mickel!” Logan answered, putting the call on speaker so Mia could hear.

“Logan? What’s up?” Mickel’s voice sounded casual, even cheerful, which instantly put Mia a little more at ease.

“Mickel,” Logan replied, his tone a mix of relief and amusement, “where are you and Diva? Mia’s been worried sick.”

“Oh, shoot!” Mickel responded, his tone apologetic. “We’re at the arcade. Diva wanted to play one more round of this new game, and we kind of lost track of time. I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”

Mia let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the tension drain from her shoulders. “Mickel, I was so worried,” she said, her voice carrying a mix of exasperation.

“Sorry, sis,” Mickel chuckled. “We’ll head home right now. I didn’t mean to worry you. We’ll be back soon, I promise.”

Mia nodded, feeling the last of her panic dissolve. “Okay, just… just get home safe, alright?”

After hanging up, Logan smiled and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “See? Nothing to worry about. They’re just having a bit of fun.”

Mia gave a sheepish smile, feeling slightly embarrassed for overreacting. “I know. I just… I don’t know, my mind went to the worst possible place.”

“Hey, you’re just being a good mom. And a good sister,” Logan reassured her. “Besides, it’s not like Mickel and Diva are exactly predictable. They’re probably having a blast together.”

Mia laughed softly, finally able to relax. “Thank you, Logan. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He grinned. “Well, that’s why I’m here.”

Laura, who had been quietly observing from the kitchen, chimed in with a smile. “You know, Mia, Logan talks about you and Diva all the time. It’s obvious how much you both mean to him.”

Mia blushed, feeling both grateful and a little embarrassed. “Well, Logan means a lot to us too.”

After a few more minutes of catching up, Mia thanked them again, giving Logan a quick hug before heading home.