Chapter Four - September 18, 2024
Max pulled up in front of her town house, sighing as she climbed out of her car. Rolling her neck, she reached behind the seat and grabbed her oversized bag. Straightening her short black skirt and long white dress shirt and denim jacket, she dug around inside and pulled out a set of keys. Locking the car doors, she turned and walked around the front of her car.
Logan sat in his rental car across the street, staring at Max as she teetered up the stairs in her high heels. She slid the key fluidly into the lock, sliding inside and shutting the door quickly behind her.
Logan gripped the steering wheel, as if holding himself together, his breath caught in his throat after seeing Max. It didn't matter that he hadn't seen her in well over four years. She still took his breath away.
Logan considered his options. He could, one, leave now, go home, live his life like he had been for the past four years, without Max.
Or, he could go up there, completely disregard her wish not to see him, risk getting his ass kicked, risk getting completely rejected, risk finding out that she had some boyfriend in the house with her, risk finding out she was ten times happier with out him.
There was only one answer to Logan's question. Drive away now, or risk everything.
Then why in the hell was he getting out of the car? It's not to late to turn around, he thought as he locked the car doors.
Why in the hell was he walking up the stairs? 'What are you doing?' he questioned himself, even as he rang the doorbell. 'I can still run now. I can run real fast and not turn back.' He thought as he heard the chimes echo from inside.
But it was already to late, as Logan found his legs, once again, paralyzed.
"It's open!" He heard the shout from the inside. Something wasn't quite right about just walking in for this situation.
Max was digging around in the fridge, searching for the left over Chinese food she knew she had left in their last night. She was knocking one of Maddy's juice cups out of the way when she heard the door open.
Logan glanced down the dark hallway, only being illuminated by a dim lamp, seeing Max bent over behind the open fridge door, one leg bent as she poked around inside.
Max finally spotted the white cardboard container, then she grabbed it as she straightened, speaking as she stood. "Hey Caro--". She jumped back startled, dropping the container of brown rice to fall to the hardwood floor when she saw Logan standing in shadows of her front hallway. Her mouth hung open, her eyes dilated, and for a moment, Logan feared she was going to pass out. Finally, she snapped back into focus. "What are you doing here?" She asked, the frantically added. "You have to go, you need to go *now*." She said as she walked forward, her heeled boots clicking on the wood floor as she strode forward to shove Logan towards the door.
"Max, wait--" Logan was practically knocked off his feet as Max grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and drug him towards the door. "You have to go."
"Max, stop." Logan said as he pulled his arm out of his grasp and grabbed hers as she tried to open the door. "Max, I am just here to talk."
"Please, Logan, please you have to leave." Logan saw her hands shaking at her sides as she pleaded.
Logan was just about to protest when he heard the back door open and the pound of feet on the floor. "Mommy!!" Both Max and Logan's heads whipped around as a toddler with huge blue eyes ran into the hallway, her long blonde curls trailing behind her and a striking black woman followed behind.
Logan's whirled back to Max who moved to catch the little girl as she launched herself into Max's arms. The blood drained from Logan's face as the child turned her face towards him and he saw a face that was almost identical to his own.
Max pulled up in front of her town house, sighing as she climbed out of her car. Rolling her neck, she reached behind the seat and grabbed her oversized bag. Straightening her short black skirt and long white dress shirt and denim jacket, she dug around inside and pulled out a set of keys. Locking the car doors, she turned and walked around the front of her car.
Logan sat in his rental car across the street, staring at Max as she teetered up the stairs in her high heels. She slid the key fluidly into the lock, sliding inside and shutting the door quickly behind her.
Logan gripped the steering wheel, as if holding himself together, his breath caught in his throat after seeing Max. It didn't matter that he hadn't seen her in well over four years. She still took his breath away.
Logan considered his options. He could, one, leave now, go home, live his life like he had been for the past four years, without Max.
Or, he could go up there, completely disregard her wish not to see him, risk getting his ass kicked, risk getting completely rejected, risk finding out that she had some boyfriend in the house with her, risk finding out she was ten times happier with out him.
There was only one answer to Logan's question. Drive away now, or risk everything.
Then why in the hell was he getting out of the car? It's not to late to turn around, he thought as he locked the car doors.
Why in the hell was he walking up the stairs? 'What are you doing?' he questioned himself, even as he rang the doorbell. 'I can still run now. I can run real fast and not turn back.' He thought as he heard the chimes echo from inside.
But it was already to late, as Logan found his legs, once again, paralyzed.
"It's open!" He heard the shout from the inside. Something wasn't quite right about just walking in for this situation.
Max was digging around in the fridge, searching for the left over Chinese food she knew she had left in their last night. She was knocking one of Maddy's juice cups out of the way when she heard the door open.
Logan glanced down the dark hallway, only being illuminated by a dim lamp, seeing Max bent over behind the open fridge door, one leg bent as she poked around inside.
Max finally spotted the white cardboard container, then she grabbed it as she straightened, speaking as she stood. "Hey Caro--". She jumped back startled, dropping the container of brown rice to fall to the hardwood floor when she saw Logan standing in shadows of her front hallway. Her mouth hung open, her eyes dilated, and for a moment, Logan feared she was going to pass out. Finally, she snapped back into focus. "What are you doing here?" She asked, the frantically added. "You have to go, you need to go *now*." She said as she walked forward, her heeled boots clicking on the wood floor as she strode forward to shove Logan towards the door.
"Max, wait--" Logan was practically knocked off his feet as Max grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and drug him towards the door. "You have to go."
"Max, stop." Logan said as he pulled his arm out of his grasp and grabbed hers as she tried to open the door. "Max, I am just here to talk."
"Please, Logan, please you have to leave." Logan saw her hands shaking at her sides as she pleaded.
Logan was just about to protest when he heard the back door open and the pound of feet on the floor. "Mommy!!" Both Max and Logan's heads whipped around as a toddler with huge blue eyes ran into the hallway, her long blonde curls trailing behind her and a striking black woman followed behind.
Logan's whirled back to Max who moved to catch the little girl as she launched herself into Max's arms. The blood drained from Logan's face as the child turned her face towards him and he saw a face that was almost identical to his own.