Chapter 14
When Veronica arrived at school the next day the first thing she noticed was the large crowd around Logan's locker. Frowning, she approached the locker and shoved her way to the front. Her eyes widened at the myriad of tabloids and newspaper articles taped to Logan's locker and all saying the same thing: Lynn Echolls, 40, committed suicide after jumping off the Coronado Bridge.
Veronica angrily ripped the tabloids from the locker and balled them up, launching them roughly at the murmuring crowd.
"Bitch!" one shouted loudly, going to step closer.
"One more step and you'll be missing all your teeth." Dick towered over him and pushed his way to Veronica.
"Did you know about this?"
"I heard it on the radio this morning. Have you talked to Logan? He's not at school and when I called the cell is off."
Veronica looked down.
"We had a fight yesterday." She said softly.
"He needs you right now."
"I doubt he wants to see me."
"Who else would he want?"
"Get the English notes for me." She said, already preparing the words she'd say to Logan when she saw him.
"Will do." He helped her pass the mobs of students to her car.
"Oh and tell Wallace I can't be at his game after school."
"He'll understand."
She hugged Dick briefly and made the drove to the Echolls estate.

Everything seemed so dark and foreboding from outside the estate. Gray clouds loomed overhead, threatening rain, and all the lights of the house were off. Veronica punched in the security code for the gate and then the house.
"Logan?" she called tentatively, praying Mr. Echolls wasn't home.
No one answered. Not even the servants could be heard bustling around the house. The X-terra was parked outside, which meant Logan was in the house somewhere. She searched his room and the guest rooms, but they were empty. She made her way to the pool house and stopped when she saw him fully clothed in the pool. He was clearly drunk as he floated on his back near the edge of the pool.
"Logan! Get out of the pool, you might drown!"
"elax. I can wim" he slurred, coughing and losing his balance in the floating position.
Time seemed to stop as Logan's arms splashed the water and his head went under. Veronica screamed his name and dropped her bag on the floor before jumping in after him. She pulled him out, choking on some chlorinated water since her petite form has to support his larger frame completely. Gasping for breath, she managed to get them both out of the pool.
"Logan!"she pressed on his chest to force the water out and gave him mouth-to-mouth. An agonizing minute later he spit out water and coughed heavily, sitting up and finally seeing Veronica there.
"Oh God, Logan. I almost lost you." She pulled him to her and cried into his damp hair.

"Take off your shirt." Veronica commanded.
She had half-carried Logan into the pool house's bath tub and drew him a hot bath. He was shivering uncontrollably and she was concerned about possible pneumonia.
"I can't" he said, voice steady and surprisingly sober.
"Why not?" she asked frustrated. "You need to get warm. I have to get those wet clothes off you."
"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." The innuendo was said flatly.
Logan was so shaken he couldn't even make his usual dirty jokes or stand up straight, though the cause wasn't large amounts of alcohol.
"Logan, please. You could have died out there. Even if you don't think it's worth it. I do. I need you in my life. Let me in yours, Logan. Please." She begged, cerulean eyes shining.
Logan was silent, deliberating.
I can't hide it from her anymore, he thought and unbuttoned his shirt, letting it fall to the floor.
Veronica discovered there were real monsters in the world after her hazy night at Shelley's party and the rape. Now, seeing Logan's scarred back and chest she was reminded monsters came out in daylight, went to Hollywood premieres and hid behind a rich movie star façade.
"Is this what you wanted to see?"
"I won't let it happened again." She vowed.
He scoffed in disbelief.
"This isn't the first time someone's made that promise. That fucking lie."
"I'm serious."
"So am I. This isn't the first time it's happened. It's been 11 years of hell, Veronica. How are you going to make a change?"
"I don't know yet, Logan. W-why did it happen?"
"This time? Or all the others?"
Veronica tried to reign in her emotions because she had to be strong for this battered boy in front of her. Breaking down into hysterical sobs would be unhelpful.
"When I was 6 I broke his glass sculpture of France. It was the first time I felt his belt mark my skin. Not the last, obviously. Last night I pissed him off good. Blamed him for my mom's… departure. Screamed and tried to punch him. He made me pay for the attempt. Sometimes I come home too late or drink too much and he hits me. He said I was always embarrassing him, so he'd beat me until I learned to be a man."
"Logan, it was never your fault. Aaron abused you."
"Nothing's ever my fault, is it?" he said bitterly.
"Does anyone else know?"
"My mom did. Trina, various emergency room doctors and house staff. Duncan."
Veronica's eyes flashed with anger. How could anyone allow this torture on Logan?
"I'm sorry."
"Everyone always is. My mother said it often, when she wasn't completely drunk or high on pills. Sorry you're fucked up and in the hospital, but I can't change anything. My mother never had the guts to leave him. Instead, she jumped off a bridge."
Veronica closed her eyes at the mention of her suicide.
"I should have known. There were times…I should have known." She whispered as memories of Logan walking stiffly or appearing with random cuts and bruises to a party or gathering.
He would blame surfing mishaps and his clumsiness, but the truth was in front of her face the whole time. She was too blind to see it.
"I'm here now, Logan." She said firmly. "Take off your pants and shoes and get in the tub." She sat on the lowered toilet seat as he silently followed her commands.
Once he was soaking in the hot water, in only his boxers, she knelt next to the tub and stroked his hair.
"I think you should know something." She said.
Logan's usually vivid eyes were a dull, muddy brown.
"Did someone else die while I was unconscious?"
"No. I think you should know I love you. And because I love you I'll use everything in my power to save you."
Logan couldn't contain his tears. He'd wanted a better time for this, but it hadn't worked out the way he'd planned.
"I love you so much, Veronica."
"Good. You'll be seeing so much of me you're gonna feel sick."
"That will never happen."
She smiled gently and got a washcloth from the closet to soak some of the blood from the cuts on his back.
"Veronica. There's something you should know."
"What's that?"
"With the guidance counselor. I'm assuming you didn't hear the rest of the session after the 'what's so great about living' line."
She shook her head.
"After I said it I immediately thought of you. I told Ms. James the old me would be dead already, but something in my life was changing everything. I was feeling love again. She tried to ask me more, but I walked out. The relationship between you and me isn't open to the public. I'm sorry I made you cry over that one stupid thought."
"I'll forgive you…only because I love you so."
"I'm lucky guy." He had a genuine smile.

Veronica lay on the pool house's bed stroking a sleeping Logan's hair. Sleep would bring nightmares for her and she had an inane fear that if she closed her eyes someone would take Logan away from her and hurt him. Logan had told her everything. The particularly awful beatings. The passive reactions from his mother. The helplessness he lived with. After the bath she'd wrapped a towel around him and left him on the bed. She took off her wet clothes and found a robe to wear. He told her his life story and knocked out, still in the towel and his boxers.
Veronica was thankful it was Friday. She was thankful Logan's father was in New York for a month filming a movie and bullshitting interviews about his "loss" and "grief". Veronica was also thankful her father wouldn't be back until Tuesday since he was chasing a bail jumped in Ohio. Veronica couldn't bear any separation from Logan at the moment.
Her attention turned to her vibrating cell phone. She took it out of her bag and answered in a whisper.
"Hello?"
"Ronnie?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are we whispering?" he asked.
She gave a silent laugh.
"I'm whispering because Logan is asleep."
"How'd it go?"
"It was worse than I thought. I saved him from drowning in the pool."
"Damn."
"I'm spending the weekend here. Can you do me a favor?"
"It's why I called."
"I have a spare key to my apartment at my neighbor, Sarah's apartment. Tell her who you are and she'll give it to you. I need someone to walk and feed Back-up. I'd also love if you brought me some clothes and toiletries."
"I'll do the first part, but Mac can handle the second. I don't want to touch your undies."
She grinned.
"I don't believe you."
"Take care of yourself and Logan."
"I will. I'll call you again tomorrow."
"Love you."
"Me too. Bye." She hung up and wrapped an arm around Logan's waist, a place not bruised.
She stared into his serene face in sleep so beautiful and innocent.
Never again. He won't touch you again, Logan. I won't fail you like everyone else has. I swear it.