When she entered the penthouse, Logan was staring out over the city collecting his thoughts. She didn't bother to turn on the lights. If he wanted to sit in the dark, so be it. To Max's horror, her husband's small handgun rested on the table in the foyer. Logan sensed her arrival and knew that she had seen the gun.
"When you first told me… I was in shock." His words drew her into the den where she straddled a chair. "After realization set in, I got angry and vented on a vase." Max could see where blood was pooling on the floor from a nasty wound on his hand. "Then I started to feel all of those old emotions again. I began to think that you didn't want to have a child with me…"
"Logan…"
"Max, now is not a good time to interrupt me. Then I thought that you just didn't want to stay tied to one place. That train of thought led me to think that you wanted to leave all together and probably without me." He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The gun was in my hand Max. It was in my hand and I was about to kill myself." Tears silently slid down her face and dripped from her chin, moistening her shirt. "The thing that stopped me was that Original came by looking for you. Apparently you two were supposed to go shopping. I told her about everything that happened. We still had some questions though, like how you got home from the clinic and how you got the… procedure… on such short notice. Luckily Bling, who showed up to check on me, had those answers, although I am still wondering where you got the bribe money. Not only will you not let me have a say in the life of our child, but you have my best friend pick you up from the fucking clinic." Logan let out a pained sigh before continuing. "Why didn't you tell me about Jace? How could you possibly keep a secret like that from me? Don't you realize that I wouldn't be able to live my life without you? I can forgive you for taking our child from me, but what hurts even worse is the complete lack of trust you have in me." He finally turned to look at her. Instantly he felt remorse for the words he had spoken. Max's face was red and puffy, her eyes bloodshot. Her once beautiful smile was pulled tight across her face as sobs engulfed her. Slowly regaining her composure, Max steeled herself for the bomb she was about to drop.
"I didn't tell Bling the truth..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"What?"
"I lied to Bling. I was too ashamed to tell him the truth."
"Then what would the truth be?"
"I'm so sorry Logan. I have fucked up so bad this time." She couldn't handle the emotions flooding through her body and lost it completely. Weeping, she stood and almost ran to the guestroom where she slammed the door behind her. Slowly trailing her, Logan wheeled up to the door and listened to his wife's grief through the wall. When it sounded like she had calmed down some, he slowly opened the door and peered inside. Max was sitting on the bed facing him in a fetal position, her arms wrapped around her legs while slowly rocking back and forth. Positioning himself so he was facing her, he waited for her to speak. "It wasn't your child."
"What!" Logan felt like his whole world was spinning and the walls were closing in around him.
"When Cindy and I went up to Canada a few weeks ago… we both went into heat… we couldn't help ourselves"
"We? Who is this we?" Deep down Logan knew, and dreaded, the answer. Taking a deep breath, Max tried to meet his gaze but failed.
"Zach." Logan's face turned scarlet, worrying Max. As she stood to dash for the weapon in the adjacent room, he punched the doorframe as hard as he could, flipping his wheelchair and spilling him unceremoniously onto the floor. Max quickly moved to help him up and he tore away from her touch.
"Hello?" Original Cindy called as she entered the apartment. "Holy Shit!" She exclaimed at the sight of Logan on the floor and Max weeping next to him. Rushing over to help Logan, Cindy threw her a questioning glance that was answered when Max lowered her eyes to the floor. After being raised to his chair once again, Logan quickly rolled into the kitchen and snatched some keys off the counter.
"I will be at the god damn cabin." Was all Logan shouted as he left the apartment.
"Shit boo." Cindy exclaimed quietly. After a great deal of whimpering Max perked up and dashed toward the foyer. She wanted to eliminate the weapon that had almost taken her husband's life; however, it was nowhere to be found.
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Logan drove down the deserted highway to his cabin while listening to the melancholy melodies of classical music. He sped past the correct exit, not wanting to leave the security of the Aztec. The gun sat on the passenger seat, driving him slowly insane with its constant beckoning. "Screw this mellow crap." Logan thought to himself as he rummaged through the CD bin under the dash. After a few seconds of searching, he removed a CD labeled Godsmack. Pushing the car to its limits, he depressed the accelerator until his speedometer read 120mph. Griping the vibrating steering wheel hard enough make it bend, Logan began to pour his anger into the music.
"Sick of my life, I'm tired of everything in my life." The music blared so loudly that his ears hurt and vision blurred. Slowly regaining his composure, he reduced his speed and turned down the stereo. He pulled into a small general store to pick up some groceries for the morning. He turned off the ignition and walked inside, bells jingled when he opened the door, alerting a man to his presence.
"Good evening." The clerk said, his thick accent suggesting that he struggled with the English language.
"You too." Logan replied absently as he picked up a gallon of milk and a box of cheerios. Not wanting to deal with anymore human interaction, he handed the clerk a fifty dollar bill and left. Sighing deeply, he ran a hand through his hair and set the food down next to him. The silence inside his car was interrupted as his weapon began to call to him again.
"I can make it all go away, no more pain." It said. Extremely out of character, Logan began cursing.
"Fuck that shit!" He yelled while removing another rock CD that had something to do with chocolate starfish and hotdogs. Pulling a U-turn that screeched his tires, Logan sped back toward the cabin to sort out his emotions.
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"What?" Bling shouted into the phone, his voice thick with sleep.
"Something happened, I need you to go down to Logan's cabin right now."
"Cindy is that you?" His half-asleep brain not able to make sense of her words.
"Damn straight." Bling glanced at his clock.
"It's 12:00, why? Is everything ok?"
"Max talked to Logan and he went to the cabin. He brought a gun." At the words Logan and gun, Bling snapped awake.
"I'm on my way, just keep Max from doing anything stupid."
"Got it covered."
"Lata." With that, Bling hung up the phone. "It's midnight now, that means I can get to the cabin by four. I just hope he will be alright till then."
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Logan sat on the dock while he let his useless legs dangle in the cold lake. "I can't even tell that it is cold." He thought to himself. The sound of crickets and bullfrogs intermingled to create a unique symphony.
"Lllloooogggggaaaannnnn." The gun called from its position next to him on the dock. He didn't know why he had even brought it with him. He sure wasn't planning on using it… although the thought was getting more enticing as time went by. He grasped the cool metal by the barrel and slowly caressed down the grooved handle. He ejected the magazine and inspected the single round of ammunition it held, slowly rolling it around in his hands. Inserting the round and clip back into the appropriate positions, he looked down the long barrel. Sighing, he set the gun back down and glanced at his watch. It read 3:45.
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"I am on my way, just hold on a bit longer man." Bling pleaded from the driver's seat of his Accord. Skidding around the last corner, Bling drove toward the dock, where the Aztec was parked. As he got closer, he could see Logan reach to his left for something. "Only a little longer." He flashed his high beams. The object in Logan's hand spewed fire and smoke while a loud bang shattered the Lake's tranquility.