Chapter 15

Veronica was released from the hospital the following day but only after promising to take better care of herself. Her dad got a call about a bail jumper he'd had his eye on for a while but he didn't want to leave Veronica alone at the apartment. She wasn't ready for that yet. Logan offered to stay with her so Keith could go. In the end Veronica decided it would be better for her to stay at Logan's while her dad was gone.

Logan had gotten back in touch with the security company and had his system upgraded. The fence was being put up around the property and the gate was being installed at the end of the driveway. Veronica knew she'd be safe there and she'd have to face what happened eventually. She was just thankful that the rape had occurred in one of the guest rooms and not Logan's bedroom.

They stopped at her apartment after she was released from the hospital so she could pack a bag. On the way to his house they stopped at a pharmacy to fill the prescription for sleep medication that Dr. Cooper left with the ER doctor who treated Veronica. Logan made one last stop for food before they finally made it to his house.

"So, do you want to eat in the kitchen or the living room?" Logan asked as they made their way into the house.

"Kitchen," Veronica said veering in that direction.

Logan could understand her not wanting to go into the living room. He'd avoided it for a few days after the rape. It was the last place Veronica had been safe and that was taken from her. Logan had forced himself to go into the living room and hang out with Dick one evening. He decided that he wasn't going to let what Mercer did cause him to avoid places in his own house. He hoped Veronica could do the same. He wasn't sure either of them would ever be comfortable enough to go back into the guest room though.

They sat at the kitchen counter and dug into the massive amount of food Logan had ordered for them at Del Taco. He wasn't sure if Dick would be home when they got there so he'd ordered extra food just in case.

Dick came in not long after they finished eating.

"Hey," Logan said as he entered the kitchen. "We picked up stuff at Del Taco. There's a bunch left if you're hungry."

"Thanks," Dick said avoiding looking at Veronica. Logan had told him what happened and Dick didn't know how to act around her. He'd felt awkward around Logan once he found out all the details but Logan was his best friend and he needed to be there for him.

"I'm gonna go up to your room," Veronica told Logan. She got up and grabbed her bag before making a quick exit from the kitchen.

"Is she ok?" Dick asked pulling a taco out of one of the bags sitting on the counter.

"Not really," Logan told him as he threw away the trash he and Veronica had on the counter. "I was at the hospital with her again yesterday. She almost passed out at her apartment when I went over there yesterday afternoon. She was just released a little while ago."

"Wow," Dick said sitting down at the counter. He didn't know what else to say. He felt bad about what had happened. He'd blamed himself for not locking the back door, but there was no way he could've known Mercer would try something so stupid while out on bail.

"The ER doctor sent a psychiatrist to talk to her and Veronica didn't want me to leave the room," Logan told him. "I think she's scared that I won't want to be with her because of what happened. I can't even imagine what's going through her head. Mercer brought up all the insecurities she had in high school."

"You should get Parker to come talk to her," Dick told him. "Mac said they've both been worried about her because she hasn't returned their calls."

"Wallace is the only one she's talked to since it happened," Logan told him. "I don't think she wants to have to tell everyone what she went through that day."

"I kind of told Mac," Dick said, hoping Logan wouldn't get mad at him for that.

"Since when do you and Mac talk?" Logan asked. He hadn't seen the two of them have a conversation ever.

"We started talking when she helped Veronica pick out stuff for the house," Dick told him. "I needed to clear the air with her after all the crap I said to her when she was dating Beaver."

"Your brother really did a number on her," Logan commented.

"What are you talking about?" Dick asked, unsure of what Logan was referring to.

"That night at the Grand," Logan said. "I'm not really sure I should be telling you this. If Veronica found out I think she'd beat the crap out of me."

"Dude, you have to tell me now," Dick said. "You can't leave me wondering what my brother did to her. I said something to her last semester that probably cut deeper due to whatever happened that night."

"Cassidy got a hotel room so they could have sex," Logan told him. "From what I could tell afterwards it didn't happen. He had performance issues. Anyway he took her phone, texted Veronica to meet him on the roof and then grabbed everything from the room and left. I'm talking everything: the clothes she'd been wearing, her overnight bag, even the sheets and comforter. When Veronica and I got the manager to open the door she was sitting huddled next to the bed wrapped in the shower curtain crying."

Dick was shocked to hear the number his brother had pulled on Mac. No wonder she looked like he'd sucker punched her when he told her she was just his brother's beard.

"I need to go talk to Mac," Dick said getting up and throwing away the taco wrapper.

"Wait," Logan yelled. "Why don't you invite her over here instead? That way she can hang out with Veronica for a while before you apologize."

"Yeah," Dick said pulling out his cell phone. He called Mac and left a message telling her to come over. He told her that Veronica was there and could use a shoulder to lean on.

Logan went up to check on Veronica and Dick went to his room.

"How come I had to hear from Dick that you were back in the hospital yesterday?" Mac asked Veronica as she entered Logan's living room.

Veronica turned to where Dick was sitting in one of the arm chairs. "You told Mac I was in the hospital? Since when do the two of you talk?" Veronica asked him.

"We started hanging out when you brought her around to help pick out stuff for this place," Dick told her.

"You didn't answer my question Veronica," Mac pointed out as she flopped down in the other arm chair.

"I just got out of the hospital earlier today," Veronica told her. "My dad and Logan were the only two who knew I was there."

"What were you in for?" Mac asked worried about her friend.

"I wasn't taking care of myself and Logan was worried about the baby," Veronica explained.

"So I'm guessing since you're out you're better," Mac said, still worried about her friend.

"I'm working on it," Veronica said. "I'm sure Logan's going to keep his eyes on me a lot more than ever before."

"Damn straight," Logan stated. "I'm not letting you work through this alone. We're gonna be a family soon and family supports one another."

"I still can't believe the two of you are having a baby," Dick said.

"You'll start believing it soon," Veronica told him. "I'm already starting to get a baby bump."

"Is that why you're always wearing Logan's shirts around the house? Or is that because of all the sex you two have?" Dick asked jokingly.

Veronica froze at the mention of sex. Logan noticed. He moved to place his right hand on the bump. "I love you," he whispered in her ear. "Don't let the memories of that day take over your mind. Think about all the times we've made love. Remember when this baby was conceived."

"I'm trying not to think about it," Veronica said quietly but the tears started to fall. All Logan could do was pull her into his arms and comfort her.

"Sorry," Dick said when he saw that Veronica was crying.

"You don't have to apologize," Veronica told him. "Damn hormones," Veronica said, playing off her crying as though it was pregnancy related.

"You don't have to pretend that's why you started crying," Mac said. "Dick told me what happened with Mercer. I think he thought you'd told me already when he started talking about it."

Veronica started crying even more. She wasn't upset that Mac knew what had happened. Mac was one of her best friends and Veronica should've told her what happened. She just didn't feel up to talking to pretty much anyone after the rape. The only reason she'd told Wallace was because her dad had called him to stay with her for a little while the day she was released so he could do some work at the office. He didn't want her to be alone.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I'm always around if you need me," Mac told her. "It's the least I can do after all the times you comforted me after what happened graduation night."

"Speaking of that night," Dick said, "I owe you an apology Mac."

"For what?" she asked.

"For telling you that you were just a beard for Cassidy," Dick said. "I didn't know what had happened that night then, but I do now. I was an ass and still hurting over his death. I never should've said that to you though. I think he might have loved you. I know he was different after you started dating. I just wish he would've let go of the past and moved on with you. He might still be here if he had."

"You told Dick what happened to me?" Mac asked Veronica, shocked that her friend would divulge that information to Dick.

"I did," Logan interjected. "I know the two of you have been hanging out and I thought he needed to know."

"It wasn't your place to tell him!" Mac yelled getting up. Dick jumped up to stop Mac when she started storming out the room to the front door.

"Don't go," Dick said.

"Let go of me," Mac demanded.

"No, I'm not letting you leave," he said. "I'm glad Logan finally told me about that night. You are the only other person who actually knew Cassidy. I hate that he did that to you. You didn't deserve to be treated that way. I'm sorry that he hurt you and I'm even sorrier that I hurt you. I wish I could take back those words because I know you will probably never forgive me for what I said."

"Why do you care if I forgive you for that?" Mac asked after a second.

"Because I think I might have feelings for you," Dick said honestly finally letting go of her arms.

"You have feelings for me?" Mac questioned. "What kind of feelings?"

"Not the brotherly kind," Dick said walking back to slump in his chair.

Veronica and Logan just looked between the two of them. Neither of them could believe what they were hearing.

"If they're not the brotherly kind," Mac said, "then what kind are they?"

Dick didn't say anything at first. He wasn't sure he wanted to reveal his true feelings for Mac in front of their best friends.

"Dude, just tell her," Logan prodded after the silence got to be too much.

"I think I might be in love with you," Dick told her.

Mac's eyes got big and she slowly moved back to the chair she'd been sitting in prior to her attempt to leave. "Wow," Mac said after she took some time to let it sink in. She'd felt things change between the two of them, but she hadn't been able to pinpoint what it was. Hearing Dick profess his love for her was not something she ever expected.

Veronica figured the two of them needed some time alone to talk. She nudged Logan and they both got up and silently left the room. They headed back up to his bedroom both curious as to what would happen now that Dick had told Mac he loved her.