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The words crash around me like a wave. “What truth?”

Meredith sighs. “Youknowwhat truth, Logan. Why did you leave me? You said you wanted to see other people, but Beatrice?—”

“Aunt Beatrice should learn to keep her mouth shut.”

“You don’t mean that. You love her.”

I sit down heavily on the chair across from her bed. “I do, it’s just… She shouldn’t give you all my secrets.”

“Whatsecret, Logan? What are you even talking about?”

I finally let out a long breath and look Meredith in the eye. “I’ve never been with any woman but you.”

She stares at me for a moment and then bursts out laughing.

I narrow my eyes at her. “See? This is why I didn’t tell you.”

“You’recrazy, Logan. You think I believe that a guy who looks like you, with the resources and money you have, has only ever had sex with one person?”

“It’s the truth.”

She’s still laughing, but it slowly fades, her mouth turning down in a frown.

“So, it wasn’t someone else. Back then. You didn’t leave because you wanted to explore your horizons, like you said?”

“No,” I admit finally, and it feels like the whole world is lifted off my shoulders. “That’s not why.”

“Thenwhy,Logan?” Her voice shakes. “You just didn’t love me anymore? Tell me.”

“I can’t,” I choke out, taking her hands in mine.

She pulls them away instantly, her bottom lip trembling.

Christ. She’s going to cry.

I hate it when she cries. It tears me apart.

Tears stream down her face. “You could have told me that, you know? That you didn’t love me. It might have hurt, but it would have been better than imagining you happy with someone else.”

“I could never be happy with anyone else.” The words just keep coming out, and I can’t stop them. “I always loved you. Love had nothing to do with the reason I left.”

“Thenwhy, Logan? What did I do to push you away?” Her voice shakes, and I close my eyes and take a shuddering breath myself.

“Not here.”

Meredith stands up too fast, getting dizzy and bracing herself on the bed.

I reach to steady her. “I need you to sit until this IV is done. Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down.” She glares at me, but she does let me help her back into bed at least. “You lied to me for years, and now you won’t tell me the truth.”

“I’ll tell you the truth.” And I mean it. We’ve come too far for me to continue to keep this from her. It doesn’t matter anymore, anyway.

“Now?”

“Later. When you’re feeling better, and you can get mad at me in peace.”

Meredith snorts out a laugh. “Okay, fair enough.” She glares at the IV in her arm. “How long does this thing take?”