Chapter 800

Logan's POV

I let out a laugh, the sound bitter even to my own ears. “Sometimes.”

She didn’t flinch. Didn’t look away. She just watched me, her eyes searching my face. “Are you a bad man to me?”

I felt my chest tighten, the words cutting deeper than I thought possible. She was so... pure. So trusting. And I didn’t deserve it. Not after everything.

I forced a smile, one that felt hollow. “Are you scared of me?”

She shook her head, her hair bouncing softly. “No. But Maddie is.”

I laughed then, a genuine laugh this time. Of course, Maddie was scared of me. She was the only one who remembered who I really was. 

The only one who knew what I was capable of.

I looked down at my hands, my fingers curling into fists. “Maddie is a good friend. She’s just trying to protect you.”

Layla frowned, her brows knitting together. “From what?”

I looked at her, my heart aching. From me. But I couldn’t say that. Not without