From the Heart: A Valentine's Day Anthology Read online

  “Ella?” Logan said, giving her a questioning look. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I…I can’t,” Ella replied before she turned around and headed for the door.

  “Ella, wait!” Logan called as he hurried after her. He reached her before she reached the door and stopped her from opening it. “What’s wrong? Why are you leaving?”

  “I just…I need to go,” Ella said as she closed her eyes and pressed her head against the door.

  “You can’t leave until you talk to me,” Logan replied. “What have I done? What is it?”

  “If I stay,” she replied without looking at him. “You will asked me the one question, that I don’t want you to ask me. The one question that you can never ask me, because I will have to say no, and it will hurt you. Please don’t make me hurt you like that Logan.”

  “Why not?” He asked feeling completely thrown by her reply. “What is so wrong about me wanting to spend the rest of my life with you?”

  “Because everyman that I have ever known, that made a promise like that,” Ella said as she turned to face him finally. “Broke that promise, and didn’t care who they destroyed when they did.”

  “I don’t understand,” Logan replied, but in his stomach he could felt a knot of fear forming. “Who hurt you like this? Because I need to know.”

  “ADAM!” Ella shouted suddenly.

  “Who the hell is Adam?” Logan asked not having a clue who she was talking about.

  “It…it doesn’t matter,” Ella sighed as she reached up and softly touched his face. “All I know is, maybe I am not the girl for you. Maybe I am not the one that can make you happy, because I can never give you the answer you want.”

  She turned and opened the door, but Logan slammed it back shut.

  “NO!” He exclaimed angrily. “You don’t get to tell me you are not the one for me, and walk away. I don’t care who broke their promises. I am not them.”

  “Logan, please,” she begged as she pressed her head to the door and fought hard to hold back the tears, but it was no use. “Just let me go.”

  “Not until we talk,” Logan said, this time his voice was calmer, despite the fact, inside he was anything but calm. He was so terrified he was going to lose her. “Who is Adam?”

  “He was my fiancé,” Ella replied with a sigh, as she lifted her head, but she didn’t turn around. She didn’t want him to see her cry. “We were supposed to get married. He was supposed to love me forever.”

  “What happened?” Logan asked, stunned that there was this whole new side to this woman he loved more than anything.

  “A week before the wedding,” she said as she turned slowly and looked up into Logan’s eyes, as the tears trickled down her face. “I found him in our bed with my best friend. He had been sleeping with her for months.”

  “I am so sorry this happened to you,” Logan whispered as he softly brushed the tears from her face. “But I am not Adam.”

  “And that’s what he said about my dad,” Ella sighed. “My dad done the same thing to my mom, and Adam swore he was nothing like him.”

  “And he is a fool,” Logan replied. “But I am not him.”

  “I don’t know if I can take that chance,” Ella whispered. “I should just go. I’m sorry.”

  “Please, Ella,” he begged as he took hold of her hands. “Please don’t write me off. I am not Adam, and I am not your dad, I am me. Let me prove that not every man is like them. Let me prove that I love you.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” Ella replied sadly.

  “Look me in the eyes,” Logan said as he drew her into his embrace. “Look at me and tell me you don’t love me, as much as I love you and I will let you walk away.”

  Ella stared into his face as Logan held his breath. She was his world, and losing her would destroy him.

  Suddenly she smile through her tears.

  “Please don’t break my heart,” she whispered as she stepped closer to him.

  “I give you my word,” he replied. “I will spend the rest of my life showing you just what you mean to me. I love you Ella, more than you could ever know.”

  “Okay,” she smiled as she leaned up and kissed him.

  “Does that mean your answer is yes?” He asked hopefully.

  “I guess it does,” she replied with a nervous laugh.

  A huge smile filled Logan’s face as he leaned in and claimed her lips with his.

  Logan smiled to himself and he remember that night. They spent the night in each other arms and he made a promise to himself that he would never do anything to hurt her.

  “Have you called her father?” Andrew asked snapping Logan from his thoughts.

  “No,” Logan replied as he took hold of Ella’s hand once more. “She wouldn’t want him here…”

  “He is her father,” Andrew cut in. “He has a right.”

  “He has no right,” Logan replied quickly. “After he turned up to her mother’s funeral with his latest bimbo, Ella said she never wanted to see him again, and I plan on respecting her wishes.”

  “That was before she got sick,” Andrew continued to push. “I know if it was my daughter, I would want to know.”

  “Dad, just leave it,” Logan told his father as he looked from Ella to him. “I know her, and I know this is not something she would want, so just let it go.”

  “Okay, Son,” Andrew said, but Logan knew that his father was less than convinced. Still he had to do what Ella would want and Robert Graham turning up in her hospital room, would be the last thing Ella would want.

  Chapter 4

  Logan spent another night next to Ella’s bed, hoping and praying that the miracle she needed, came true. He tried not to think about the part where, for Ella to get her miracle, someone else would have to lose the person they loved. That thought was almost as hard as to bear as the thought of losing Ella. He knew how much his heart was breaking, and he didn’t want anyone else to have to go through that as well.

  He sat and he watched the machines, watching as the numbers very slowly changed. He knew little by little her heart was beating slower and slower and her time was running out.

  “How is she,” Megan, Ella’s best friend asked as she stepped through the door.

  “Still fighting,” Logan said as he looked up at her friend and forced a smile. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Of course,” Megan said as she sat down next to him. “She is my best friend. I love her, I love you both.”

  “I know,” he nodded as he turned back to Ella.

  “She is going to be okay,” Megan said as she placed her hand on his arm, reassuringly. “She has to be.”

  “I don’t know what I will do if I lose her,” Logan whispered. “She is my world.”

  “She is Ella Bryce,” Megan said defiantly. “She is a fighter. After everything you guys have been through, this can’t be the end.”

  “Ella Bryce,” Logan repeated with a smile. “I still can’t believe she agreed to marry me.”

  “She loves you so much, Logan,” Megan tried to reassure him. “The day she married you, was the happiest day of her life.”

  “I still remember it like it was yesterday,” Logan sighed.

  “It was a wonderful day,” Megan replied.

  “You know,” Logan said. “I sneaked into her apartment that morning to see her.”

  “What?” Megan exclaimed. “I thought that was bad luck.”

  “Maybe,” Logan laughed. “But I needed to know, I needed to be sure she was going to show up.”

  “What are you doing here?” Ella exclaimed when Logan crept into her room. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

  “I needed to see you,” Logan said as he hurried to her and wrapped her in his arms. “I needed to know you are going to be there today.”

  “Have you lost your mind?” Ella asked with a laugh. “Of course I am going to be there. Now go, its bad luck to see me before the wedding.”

  “I just needed to be sure,” Log
an said as he drew her closer to him and kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you so much Ella. I need to know you love me too.”

  “More than you will ever know,” she whispered as she reached up and softly touched his face.

  “You are so beautiful,” he breathed against her lips. “I still can’t believe you are mine.”

  He claimed her with his lips once more, but this time the kiss wasn’t soft and tender, it was full of passion and desire. He pulled her closer to him, and Ella gasped when she felt his erection pressed against her.

  “Logan,” she whispered breathlessly. “We can’t, not right now.”

  “But I want you,” he growled against her mouth.

  “And I am yours,” Ella replied with a smile. “And I will be yours for the rest of my life. But right now, we have a wedding to get to.”

  “This is not over,” he sighed as he reluctantly released her from his arms and gave her a cheeky grin. Ella just laughed and kissed him once more before he turned and walked towards the door.

  Logan reached for the handle but stopped before he turned back to Ella, and gave her a strange look.

  “What’s wrong?” She asked, confused by his actions.

  “Are you still sure about your father not being here,” Logan asked as he stepped back towards her. “I know you and he don’t see eye to eye, but he is still your dad, your family.”

  “You are my family,” she smiled. “You, Megan and your dad are the only family that matter to me. He does not.”

  “Are you sure?” Logan asked as he took her hands.

  “I am,” she replied and gave him a reassuring smile.

  “Okay,” he said as he kissed her again.

  Two hours later they stood before their friends and family and promised to love each other the rest of their lives.

  When the time came for the father daughter dance. Ella looked at Logan in surprise. The band had been told there would be no father daughter dance, so when they announced it, Ella was stunned.

  Suddenly Andrew walked towards Ella, held out his hand and asked her to dance. She smiled as unshed tears glistened in her eyes. She reached out and took his hand before he led her to the floor.

  Logan sat and watched as his father moved around the dance floor with the woman he loved. He realised that despite the differences he and his dad had years before, he was lucky to have him now.

  By the time the song ended, there wasn’t a dry eye left in the room. Logan smiled as Ella hugged Andrew tightly and kissed him on the cheek. He knew then his life was perfect.

  “Thank you,” he said to his father when he and Ella walked over to him.

  “It’s my pleasure,” Andrew beamed as he turned to Ella. “I hope now you consider me your dad too, because I am honoured to call you my daughter.”

  “I would love to call you Dad,” Ella replied as her eyes welled up with happy tears.

  “I wish your mom was here,” he said turning back to Logan. “She would be so proud of you, Son, and she would love her new daughter so much too.”

  “I wish she was here, too,” Logan said as he slipped his hand into Ella’s. “But I am happy. I have never been happier.”

  The rest of the night past by so quickly, by the time it came to Ella and Logan saying goodbye to everyone, they were both tired but beyond happy.

  “I am so tired,” Ella said as they reached their honeymoon suite. She walked over to the huge bed, and flopped down onto it.

  “Not too tired I hope,” Logan said as he walked over to the bed and leaned down over her. “We have some unfinished business, Mrs. Bryce.”

  “Do we now, Mr. Bryce?” Ella said with a contented smile as Logan kissed along her neck. “And what do you have in mind?”

  “Oh, I think I want to get to know my beautiful wife,” Logan growl against her soft, velvet skin. “I want to get to know every inch on her body with my lips.”

  He pressed his lips to her throat.

  “And my tongue.”

  He kissed her again.

  “And my hands.”

  He moved up so that he was face to face.

  “I love you Ella Louise Bryce,” he whispered before he claimed her mouth with his.

  “Logan,” Megan said, pulling him from his thoughts. “Tell me that she is going to be okay. Tell me I am not going to lose my best friend.”

  “I wish I could promise you she was,” Logan sighed sadly. “But the truth is, I don’t know. I am so afraid I am going to lose her. Megan, I don’t know what I will do without her.”

  Before Megan could respond, Ella’s doctor walked into the room. Logan sat there and held his breath as he watched him checking the different machines, before he put his stethoscope in his ears and listened to Ella’s heart.

  “Can we talk outside for a moment, Logan,” Doctor Bennett said and Logan knew by the look in his eyes, this was a not a conversation he wanted to have.

  Logan stood up and followed the doctor from the room, followed closely by Megan.

  As the doctor turned back to them, he took a deep breath as Megan took hold of Logan’s hand and held it tightly.

  “Logan, I am sorry,” the doctor began. “But it seems that Ella’s heart has become very weak. I believe it just a matter of hours now. If there is anyone who should be here. Now is the time to call them, for them to come and say goodbye.”

  “Isn’t there something, anything you can do,” Logan pleaded as Megan just sobbed quietly. “There has to be more, we just need more time.”

  “Our only hope now is to get a heart,” Doctor Bennett replied. “And with Ella’s rare blood type, we knew it was going to be a long shot.

  “So that’s it?” Logan said as he choked back the tears. “She is going to die today!”

  “I am so sorry, Logan,” the doctor replied. “Ella is such a lovely, sweet girl, I wish there was more I could do.”

  “You have done all you can,” Logan replied with a nod as he tried to get his head around this information, but all he felt was numb.

  “We will make her as comfortable as possible,” the doctor said as he placed his hand on Logan shoulder. “I truly am sorry.”

  Logan just stood there as the doctor turned and walked away.

  “Logan,” Megan whispered from beside him. “I will call your dad.”

  Logan just nodded.

  “We should go back into her,” Megan said but Logan made no attempted to move. “Logan?”

  “I can’t,” he finally whispered.

  “What do you mean?” Megan asked, sounding confused. “You can’t what?”

  “I can’t go back in there,” Logan replied without even looking at her. “I can’t go back in there and watch her die. I can’t do it. I can’t do this.”

  “Logan, she needs you,” Megan tried to reason with him.

  “I know,” he said, as he finally looked up at Megan. “But I can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

  Without saying a word, he turned and headed towards the exit.

  “Logan!” Megan called after him, but he didn’t stop. “LOGAN!”

  Chapter 5

  When Logan stepped out into the crisp, spring morning, he could barely catch his breath. His stomach heaved so he ran to a nearby flower bed before he threw up. When there was nothing left in his stomach, Logan stumbled backwards until his back hit the wall, then he slumped to the ground and buried his face in his hands.

  I can’t do this again! He thought to himself. I can’t say goodbye to a person I love. Say goodbye to my life. I can’t do this.

  He closed his eyes and thoughts of Ella filled his head. He could see her standing there before him, smiling at him. Her soft blonde hair framed her beautiful face, her warm chocolate eyes crinkled at the side, the way they always did whenever she smiled, the smile he longed to see again.

  Logan felt like he had let her down. After what happened with the baby, he promised he would keep her safe and spend the rest of his life making sure they were happy.

  He remembe
red her face the day of they had the car crash, when the doctor came in and told them that the baby was too badly hurt, that she was unlikely to survive. He remembered how she tried to be brave, but the look of heart break in her eyes almost killed him.

  All it took was one moment for their whole life to change. But it had been Ella who had been strong, it was her who refused to let go. Now it was his turn to be strong, but his heart was just too broken. He closed his eyes and thought of Ella that day.

  “ELLA!” Logan cried out as the sound of sirens woke him up suddenly. He felt dazed and everywhere hurt. He turned slowly and looking over at Ella in the seat next to him. “ELLA, ARE YOU OKAY?”

  “Yeah…yeah, I think so,” Ella replied as she turned to face Logan. “My wrist hurts, but I think I am okay.”

  “Can you get out?” Logan asked as he undid his seat beat.

  “No,” she replied in frustration, as she pulled on her seat belt. “My belt is stuck!”

  Logan leaned across and tried to open the belt, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “It’s won’t open,” he said as he looked up at a worried looking Ella.

  He climbed out of the car as the flashing lights of the emergency services drew closer, and he ran around to Ella’s side of the car. He pulled on the door handle but the door was jammed shut.

  “OUCH!!!” she cried out suddenly.

  “Ella!” Logan shouted as he ran back around to his door and climbed back into the car. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” Ella said and Logan knew she was scared. “Something’s wrong with the baby. I got a sharp pain in my stomach.”

  “Don’t panic,” Logan said as he tried his best to appear as calm as he could. “Help is on the way.”

  “I...I think my waters just broke,” she said as she screamed out with another pain.

  Before Logan could reply, a firefighter appeared next to the open door.

  “Please,” Logan said as he jumped out of the car. “You have to help my wife. Her seatbelt is stuck, so is the door. She is pregnant and her water has just broken.”

  “Okay, Sir,” the firefighter said as he moved Logan back from the car. “If you could just step back, we will have her out in no time.”