In Which Bev has a Backbone
Immediately realizes what Kevin planned on doing, Logan dashed back out the door, bounding off the porch and setting out down the drive before the door slammed shut. He wasn't think about what her reaction would be. He wasn't thinking about he was going to say. He wasn't thinking; just running.
He paused for breath as he reached the turnoff to Green Ridge farm. Headlight blazed towards him and Kevin's cop car careened past, the driver occupied with making a left turn didn't notice Logan in the shadows by the roadside.
Logan started up the front drive, taking a brisk pace at first but slowing as the realization hit him that he had no idea what he was going to do if Bev opened the front door. He bounded up the front steps two at a time and slammed into the front door, stepping back and knocking furiously. Bev came around the corner as though he were expected, walked slowly to the front door and hesitated a moment before opening the solid inside door. The screen door remained as a physical barrier between them.
"Who are you? You show up here for no reason, take a job when you could do better anywhere else. You say you were in the Marines. Are you a stalker or something?" She crossed her arms over her chin tank top and leaned on the door frame.
"No, I haven't been lying, I've been me the whole time. It's just... it was what I was trying to tell you when I first got here, but I didn't know how to. And then I got to know you and it hasn't come up. I've been trying to forget about the past few years and it would just bring it all up again. I don't want that. And I don't want to hurt you." Logan paced back and forth as he said this, his head bent, not looking at Bev. He stopped and looked up at here.
"I think it's time you told me." Bev's voice was calm, controlled and emotionless. it bit into Logan and he frowned.
"Well. Ok, I owe you. But hear me out, ok? let me finish before you yell. Then you can tell me to go and I'll leave, right now. And never come back." He took a deep breath and covered his face with his hands.
"So, on my last mission, we had an overnight raid. But, it was a trap. We were trampling through civilian apartments. There were children and mothers and people were crying and screaming. It's always terrible when the locals are afraid of you. They think of you as a monster. It happens, they get killed but I never killed any civilians!" He pounded his hand on the side of the house and gasped for breath, trying to calm the images rising behind his eyes.
Bev had stood still as Logan spewed these words at her. She felt that he was speaking honestly and it hurt her to hear the pain in his voice. But she stood firm and waited for him to continue, not encouraging but keeping her promise to let him finish.
"We were wandering around, half blind in pitched black tunnels, getting deeper and deeper until we ran into another Platoon. We also shot them! We were all so jumpy and they were jumpy. We realized there was nothing there and thank God or else we would have shot each other. But we were stupid, weren't paying attention and a sniper on the roof shot down a man from the other Platoon. It was so crazy, everyone running, trying to hid, trying to organize a return fire. The leader of the other Platoon went to help his wounded man. Didn't think about himself at all, just that a man was down and needed help. He was shot and died instantly. I was lucky to get out of there. That was your bother. Aces they called him. And then as we stood waiting for the convoy I noticed a piece of litter on the ground and went to pick it up, it was out of place with the rubble. That was the picture of you. As I turned around, a bomb went off exactly where I had been, killed my best friend." Logan fell silent and walked away down the veranda, slumping into the swinging chair and leaning back, his eyes closed.
Bev waited a moment, but he didn't move, so she pushed the screen door open and stepped onto the porch. "Are you done?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I shouldn't have survived. Everyone else died. But I didn't. It was because of your picture. Your brother must have dropped it the night before. It kept me safe. I told people about it, tried to find anyone who knew who's picture it was, but no one knew." Logan sighed and sat up. "So when I got back home, I had no home to go to, so I decided to find the girl who had saved my life." He paused. "It should have been your brother, I know. Not me returning home but him."
"Logan, no. It's not your fault. You didn't steal his place, I'm just lucky that you were lucky enough to make it out, to come tell me how he died. Now I know." Bev walked over to stand infront of Logan, her arms shaking as she tried to absorb this revelation. "It's ok, I'm just glad I got to know you. It's like my brother sent you to make sure I was ok."