My intense fury and pain drove me to the far side of town, where many of the richer people lived-Logan specifically here. I parked outside of his building and stared upward at his window, where a shadowy figure paced nervously. Naturally, this figure could only be Logan. I considered leaping up into the air, bursting through the window, then strangling him to death. His murder would be swift and then there wouldn't be any engagement. No, I willed myself, pushing the motorcycle away, you don't need his blood on your hands. Besides, his blood was my blood, and I couldn't kill him; Mom was the one who had said yes-not him. I'd get her later on.

Not too far from the Cale Penthouse, lived James. I figured it was time to see him since he hadn't called, and I knew that we needed to talk anyhow. Maybe that was all that he needed too-someone to converse with. Having not seen him in about a week, I assumed it wouldn't hurt to ask him how his life had been.

I skittered up the apartment stairs with the grace and speed of a black panther who was fresh from the kill. It took three times of knocking on James' door before I heard him call out, "Who's there?"

"It's me," I replied.

"Alanza?" His voice cracked, and I heard an object thud to the ground in shock.

"Yeah?"
"Just hold on." I waited outside, confused now as to why he hadn't answered the door directly. There were some odd noises going around inside the apartment as if he was frantically trying to reorganize, or put, things away. Finally, after several long seconds, he opened the door. Immediately, he burst into a wide, friendly, good ole James smile.

"Alanza!" he cried, wrapping his arms around me in a warm hug. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good, " I lied.

"You have to tell me about your trip. Here," he said, stepping out of the doorway, "come on in." He was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants, topped with a faded sweatshirt and glasses that I hadn't realized he wore.

"I didn't know you needed glasses," I told him, coming inside.

"I wear contacts, but was too lazy to put them in this morning." He smiled sheepishly. "I didn't get to bed until late last night. Thank God it's Saturday."

"You're telling me."

"So," he began, plopping down on the worn couch next to me, "how was New York?"

"It was pretty good."

"Seems to be the phrase of the day. 'Pretty good'."

I laughed, happy to be back with him. Forget Mom. Forget Dad. Hell, forget everything and everybody. Always remember James Wilson. "It was an exhausting flight. Case nearly crashed out from sleep deprivation while driving me home."

"I warned you that he has a drinking problem," James joked. "Need to watch that boy closer."

"Honest! He must have been sneaking them while I was in the bathroom on the plane!" I giggled. We both smiled at each other before falling back on the couch, locked in the other's arms. I sighed heavily, enjoying the plush feeling of his old sweatshirt against my cheek.

James kissed my forehead. "I missed you so much," he told me, running his fingers through my windblown hair.

"Me too."

"How did your dad take the trip?" James questioned in a hushed undertone, knowing how terrible Dad's relationship was with me.

"He left-again. Not surprisingly, he even didn't even say good-bye. I can't believe it. He left. Just like that."

"You okay with it?"

"No," I admitted, "but I will be because you're here."

"Aww, how sweet," James chuckled.

"I try."

A long silence fell between us. Not from discomfort, but from the sense that my life was whole again. His warm chest rose and fell with every breath that he took as the heart pounded with such a steady pulse that I, through my determined exhaustion, unknowingly fell asleep. The next thing I knew, James was groaning and trying to roll over on his side in his subconscious state of mind. Apparently, he too, had drifted off while both of us were relaxing. When he found that there was something in his way, and I discovered that I was going to be crushed, we both immediately woke up to avoid a jam-pile.

"Alanza?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses.

"Good morning to you too," I yawned as we both laughed. Rolling off the couch, I plodded over the bathroom, combing my hair with numb fingers. James was yawning blankly and stretching with exaggerated effects.

Just as I laid my hand on the doorknob, James called out, "Alanza, don't open that!"

"What?"

"I said, 'don't open that'," he stated, all of a sudden, snapping out of his dumb state of mind like he had been electrocuted. Slowly, he rose to his feet and came over beside me.

"James, if it's a dirty bathroom, it's not that big of deal."

"I don't want you going in there," he replied, gently pushing me out of the way. Yet, no matter how hard he had tried to be tender, the fact remained that he had shoved me aside.

"Fine," I snapped, cocking my head to the side, "I'll leave then and go find my own bathroom." Quickly, I snatched up my coat and headed out the door, angry with everything in the goddamned world then. Suicide was almost starting to sound appealing.

Just as I had gotten onto my bike, ready to roar away, James came running out of the apartment complex's doors. "Alanza!" he yelled. "Wait!"

I peered through the shield of my helmet and arched an eyebrow. "What?"
"I'm sorry," he apologized.

It's hard to be mad at someone who asks forgiveness, so I shrugged, not having any suitable comeback. "It's ok, I'm just having a bad day."

"We need to talk."

"Yeah," I agreed with an earnest nod.

"How about dinner? Tomorrow night?"

"Sounds good."

"Great," he smiled, relieved almost that I wasn't going to swat him across the parking lot. "I'll pick you up at seven." He shook his head happily. "Thanks for listening, Alanza."

"I do what I can," I responded and slowly drove away, waving good-bye as I did so.

The blood still boiled in my veins with my temple throbbing darkly, as I rode down the street, trying to force myself to move on. James had apologized, thanked me, and was now taking me out to dinner. Yet, he hadn't told me why I couldn't use his bathroom, and that certainty would not leave me for the entire ride.