Move On and Break Down

Chapter Twelve

May 2008

Maxie fell asleep in Logan's arms, laying on the floor of Kate's office, but she wakes up alone. Glancing at the clock she sees its been about four hours. Her body aches. She gets up slowly, grabs her bra and shoves it in her purse, then slips her dress back on.

What in the hell? He didn't really just leave me here, did he? she asks herself. I'll claw his eyes out and then cut his dick off. Or maybe I'll do that while he still has his eyes, so he can see me doing it. Damn bastard.

She hears the elevator open and rushes out into the foyer, slowing down the second she sees Logan, and acting like she could careless that he is back. "Get the munchies? Run out for fast food while I was laying naked on Kate's office floor?"

He rolls his eyes at her, then pulls a hotel key out of his pocket.

Maxie says "Oh."

"Yeah, I figured my place is way too far to make it to tonight. I just want to crash ... and, you know, as great as that floor was to me, its not the most comfortable spot to sleep in. I thought my damn back was thrown out when I woke up."

"Well, you can get to bed after you help me make this place look like we were never here," she says as she heads back in the office. "Where are my heels? And we can't leave till we find my thong. You know, pulling it off with your teeth was really hot but where in the hell did you toss it?"

Logan yawns. "Come on, now. I'm tired. Leave it for morning."

"You must be joking. Like Kate won't fire my ass if she finds that. Look! You took it off. You should know at least what general direction you flung it in."

He shakes his head, wearily, and flips on the light. They manage to find the thong on a book shelf and the heels under the desk. A few minutes later they have everything cleaned up

Maxie says "No more stopping by my job for you. Got it?"

"You don't mean that."

"I like this job and I want to keep it. You aren't gonna mess it up for me."

"What if I promise to behave when I come by?"

She raises her eyebrow at him. "Sell that crock of bull somewhere else. I know you."

He smiles. "Fine. Whatever. No more late nights on your boss' floor. Got it. Now can we go to bed?"

Maxie walks past him. "Nighty night. Sleep tight. Call me tomorrow or else."

He reaches out, wraps his fingers around her wrists, and turns her back around to face him. "Where you going?"

"Home. Duh."

"Okay. What's your deal now?"

"What's yours?"

He lets out a long breath. "Girl, its three in the morning. Stop playing games."

"Its twelve-thirty."

"It feels later. I'm way too wiped out to go five rounds with you so lets cut this to the chase, all right?" He pulls her body right against his, causing her to give a little yelp of shock. "Aren't you? Say it. Damn you. That's what this is about, isn't it?"

"Look at you. A certified genius."

"What do you want to hear from me?"

"Not that." She struggles to get out of his arms but he only holds her tighter. "Forget it. Its too late now!"

"So...you're giving up? Just like that? This little thing between us...its done?"

"Ha! You're not getting off the hook so easy. I'm just pissed and I don't want to look at you right now." She pushes him away and he lets her go.

Maxie grabs her purse and heads for the door. Logan rushes close to her again, wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her body back against his. He whispers into her ear "You're not running out on me."

"I'll do whatever the hell I want."

"Not if you want to be with me you won't. Hey...look at me." He eases her around.

Her eyes search his.

Logan swallows hard and then says "You tell me something...what just happened in there...what did that feel like to you?"

She refuses to answer him, like he did to her earlier.

He sighs and looks up, exasperated."The death of me. You're gonna be the death of me, Maxie Jones."

She frantically grasps his face, titling it down to look at her, and cries out, with her voice breaking, "No, I'm not."

He whispers, as he leans his forehead against hers. "I didn't mean it like that. You just...drive me nuts."

Maxie smiles through her tears as she steps back from him. "I give you the best sex of your life. I make your little existence worthwhile. I let you rescue me from a psycho doctor so you can feel like my hero. And you can't even say you want me. Here's a clue, Logan. I'm not the one who messed up this time. Now, spit it out, do you want to be with me or not?"

Logan gives her a long look filled with confusion and pain.

This sets Maxie off and she rants "Don't even get me started on all the times I had to listen to you moan and groan and shout it from the highest roof tops how much you wanted Lulu. You would tell anyone who would listen. I bet the freaking mailman and pizza delivery boy know Logan Hayes hearts Lulu Spencer. But me? I can be naked on your lap and I get silence. Yeah, I'm so going home right now."

She walks over to the elevator and punches the button.

Logan calls out "All right, damn it, woman, I want you! Are you happy now?"

The elevator doors open. Maxie walks in. She flips him off. The doors close.

Logan just shakes his head and thinks Well, I could have handled that better.

XXXXXXXXX

"Idiot," Maxie mumbles to herself about Logan as she rides the elevator down to the lobby.

There is no way that man does not feel just as much for me as I feel for him. I won't believe it. He's just a stubborn jackass who won't admit it. Well, he will before I get through with his ass, Maxie vows, He can bet on that.

She leans back against the wall. Her head fills with images of them kissing and Logan hovering over her, his bitter light eyes locked on hers. She smiles as a tingling sensation dances up and down her spine.

God, I need him. I need to feel this much. I need to have something matter again. I need to be angry enough to scream and on fire enough to let him take me against a brick wall in some dirty alley if that's where we end up. I want to take deep breaths again. To hurt again. To stop hurting so much. To just be real, she thinks to herself. Logan isn't taking all that away from me. He better get his stuff together.

She steps off the elevator, walks over to the couch, sits down and crosses her legs. Maxie yawns as she thinks Well, hurry up already, Logan. I need my beauty sleep. I'm not getting bags under my eyes over you.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Logan rushes down the stairs. After twenty flights, he nearly passes out. Giving up on that, he heads to the elevator again and takes it to the lobby. On the way down, he thinks Okay, you know what she wants to hear. Just stop being a jackass. This is Maxie, for God sake's. Are you scared of her? Come on now! Just say it already. SAY IT!

The elevator doors open and he runs through the lobby. He hits the doors when he stops suddenly and turns around, realizing he just passed Maxie, who is sitting on a couch, filing her nails.

He lets out a short laugh as he walks over to her. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

She just looks up at him, giving him a steady stare that says Talk, buster, and make it good.

Logan kneels in front of her. He takes her hand, tossing the nail file on the couch next to her. He stares into her eyes for a long moment, not caring at all that the hotel desk clerk is gaping at them.

Maxie's breathing changes, getting more shallow.

"Me and you," Logan starts "we're like vodka and fire. You don't throw one on the other to put it out. I know that but I don't care. I don't care that we're both fucked up and that this will all be messy."

She keeps staring at him, wanting to hear more.

Logan says "I'm not playing a game on you this time. You know that and I don't get why I have to get down on my hands and knees and be making a fool out of myself to tell you what you already know."

"If you don't want to, then I can just leave." She starts to stand up. He yanks her back down.

"You ain't going no where." His voice grows very soft. "Maxie...I want to be with you and I want it to be for real this time. So stop giving me a freaking hard time and lets just try, okay? Can we just try?"

She tackles him, pushing him to the ground and kisses him.

The hotel clerk gasps.

Maxie smiles and tells Logan "I guess so." She shrugs. "I mean...whatever...if you want to. Doesn't matter to me either way."

He smiles. "What a freaking liar." Then he kisses her again.

Finally she crawls off of him and stands up. She grabs her purse. He stands up and before she can head for the door, he picks her up and tosses her over his shoulder. He heads for the elevator, shooting the clerk a dirty look and asking "What the hell are you looking at?"

Logan sets Maxie down inside the elevator. She giggles and leans against him. "Don't be dragging me around, loser."

He slaps her ass. "Us losers just don't know any better."

They get into the room and she says "Well I'm wide awake now so I'm gonna take a shower."

Maxie heads into the bathroom. A minute later the water comes on.

Logan stands outside the door, frozen in place, as he imagines the hot, sudsy water washing over her body.

She calls out "Hayes!"

"Yeah."

"What in the hell is taking you so long? Get in here."

With a grin, he pushes open the door and finds her naked in a shower that is just starting to steam up.

She was so worth going after, he thinks to himself. She is one crazy chick...but she's my crazy chick and I'm her walking disaster...and nothing is keeping me away from her from now on.

(Oh I watch you there
through the window
and I stare at you


You wear nothing but you
wear it so well


Tied up and twisted
the way I'd like to be
for you,

for me

Come crash into me) ( Dave Matthews Band)

Note- Just one more chapter left.