A/N Thank you for the really nice reviews. They mean the world to me and they keep me mentally healthy despite school's attempts to drive me mad ; )
To my wonderful betas, Laura, Sydney and Kat. You ladies are the greatest. I cannot thank you enough. I appreciate the feedback, the honesty and the nit-picky-ness, ok, that's not a word but you know what I mean : ) Thank you.
Please read the recap, it has been a while and this part sort of ties some issues throughout the story.
Recap: Prologue:
And then he added meaning every word, "And as soon as I'm old enough to take care of you, I'll get you back."
Feeling hopeful, Max asked, "You promise ?"
"I promise."
Part 1:
"She won't be serving 'Poulet chez Cale' today ?" Gemma was confused, they always had baked chicken on
November 11. She never knew why or what the 'chez cale' meant but every year on this day, Max had always insisted on preparing the special dish.
"No, not today." Nor any other day, he'll never come !
Part 2:
"Hello Max. It has been a long time."
"Yes it has." Max agreed. "How have you been ?"
And so went their polite civilities and cool facade. While deep down both would have preferred to shake the other up and ask 'why'.
Part 11:
You don't have to say a word, I can see it in your eyes. I wish I'd seen your eyes before I left Maxie, I never would have gone if I did.
PROMISES
**Part 12**
Logan was lead by a waiter to a secluded table at one of the most exclusive restaurants in town. He wasn't the kind to use his connections to get access to overpriced private dining rooms but when it came to sources for Eyes Only, only the best would do. After all, his informants were risking their behinds to get valuable and highly confidential information to him. Not to mention that if anyone ever asked, he was never really there to begin with. The power of money. Silence had a price, almost everything did, except that one thing Logan had wanted most in his life.
Logan waited for several minutes as he took in the sight of blooming flowers outside on the patio. There was a large birdbath in the middle with vines dripping along its edge and pigeons flocking around its core. It was quite a beautiful sight, one that reminded him of Max.
Logan smiled. He and Max had gotten a lot closer since the night they went to Florida almost two months ago. Just the thought of her made him forget how anxious he was about the meeting that was soon to take place. Picking up the cellular phone from his pocket, Logan wrote Max a quick text note. **hEy mAx. do U wAnt me 2 get sOmeThiNg froM tHe maRkEt 4 diNneR lAteR tonIgHt?** Logan chuckled as he pressed the send button. Max was anal about getting text messages with improper capital letters. He would get his ass kicked for this one later. Would it be too wrong if he said he didn't mind?
Logan glanced at his watch and saw that the informant he was about to meet was 10 minutes late. That's alright, he would wait the whole day just to come face to face with the man who helped Sebastian in cracking the government's security file. They finally figured out where Pentagon was diverting its funds and the answer was not what he expected at all. Their momentous discovery lead Logan to break the anonymity code he held for all his informants. He just had to meet this one.
"Logan Cale." Logan turned around but what he saw completely shocked him.
"Mr. Lydecker?!" Donald Lydecker stood in front of Logan in his signature self righteous manner. He was obviously amused by the young man's reaction as Logan's face contorted from surprise to questioning then finally to murderous hatred under the span of one second.
"Good to see you Logan, it's been a long time." Eleven years in fact.
"What are you doing here?" You selfish arrogant son of a b!tch! The disciplined journalist that sometimes resided in Logan took hold before he could let the last part slip out.
"I should be asking you that question since you're the one who asked to see me." And it took Logan long enough. Lydecker didn't think his plans would take more than a couple of months to unfold but timing was crucial so he had to be a very patient man.
Logan finally realized that Lydecker was the one feeding them information about the agency that was secretly being funded by the government. As if the seven billion people living on this planet weren't enough, the government was actually spending money to create more, albeit they were genetically enhanced. Apparently. "What kind of a game are you playing?"
There was no point in denying anything. "One that would do you very well to play properly." And Logan had been doing quite well so far. Just bite the bait and it'd all be painlessly over.
Logan enjoyed a good game, especially if he won. It would help to know the rules though, but right now, Logan didn't know a damn thing. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"
A blunt question deserved a blunt response. "An exchange."
No, this was not happening. Logan was not negotiating with the devil again. "Of what?"
"Your life for another's." Lydecker saw Logan's apprehension grow. He liked catching people off guard, they were easier to manipulate that way. "Listen to me son. You are in possession of confidential information. All you need is evidence and you can go public with it and roast all those bastards responsible for this genetic engineering project." Lydecker paused to make sure Logan was paying close attention. "Before the committee finds out what you know and decide to eliminate you, I can give you evidence to shut them down. They'd be out on the streets before they even have the chance to get their acts together."
Committee? Eliminate him? An idea Logan once had about Eyes Only being an untraceable cable hack now suddenly appealed to him. He used to have such good ideas. "Keep talking."
"Here's the deal Logan. I will give you freedom, safety and national success and you." Lydecker finally sat down opposite Logan and leaned confidently back on the chair as he sipped the drink he ordered on his way in. "You, Logan, will make sure that Max goes back to Greece where she belongs."
"God." Logan said in disbelief, "Is this some kind of joke? You didn't actually think this was going to work."
"You won't be saying that in a week Logan." Lydecker commented with a smirk.
Logan almost froze. "What do you mean?"
Lydecker let the young man sweat it for a while. The less he knew, the more he'd want Lydecker's help. "You know the deal and you know where to contact me. I want Max and nothing else. Make sure I get what I want and I'd make sure you stay alive." Lydecker stood up and walked away, but before he was completely out of hearing distance, he said, "You've made the right choice before Logan. Don't make the wrong one this time."
Logan crushed the wine glass he was holding and traces of the wine seeped through his broken skin. He concentrated on the pain as Lydecker's last few words vibrated in his mind. 'You've made the right choice before'. No, he had not. What he did was make a cowardly decision without consulting the one person whose life mattered most. He wouldn't repeat the same mistake again; there was no way in hell he would let Max go. No one, not even Lydecker, could take Max away from him again.
**Eleven Years Ago**
"Thanks." Logan said in very bad Greek as the boy on the other side of the booth handed him the key for his rental car. He then took his backpack and swung it over his shoulders, prepared to brave the crowd that was bustling around the pier.
After several bad directions, Logan finally found the parking lot and sighed with relief as he dumped his stuff in the backseat. The sun was starting to set and Logan took off his sunglasses to survey the Island of Crete. It was beautiful. The scenery actually soothed his aching muscles, tired from 18 hours of sleepless travel.
The Mediterranean Sea had its waves hitting the shoreline and around him were the mountains that fascinated the minds of poets thousands of years ago. And in one of those mountains resided the little girl who had fascinated him for as long as he could remember. Logan smiled. He was actually on the same island as Max. She was so close he almost felt her presence. With renewed energy, Logan hopped in the car with the life-saving map in hand.
Logan had been waiting for this day for almost five years now. He promised Max he would take her back as soon as he was old enough. Logan wasn't sure if he was, after all, he was only twenty-one. But on his last birthday he gained access to a nice multi-million dollar trust fund. He figured his money could compensate for whatever shortcoming he had.
His young age wasn't the only problem Logan had. Where would Max live when she got back to the US? Was he ready to take care of her full time? There were so many questions. So many uncertainties. But Logan knew one thing for sure. Getting Max back was not just a responsibility anymore. Nor was it a duty. It was a need. A passionate need. Almost an obsession. He wanted to have her back. He wanted to take care of her. No, he needed to take care of her.
Logan supposed that the existential problem of life got to him early. Or had it always been there and it was just convenient to ignore? If that was the case then it may explain why there were certain people who never encounter it at all. But Logan wasn't one of those people. He, for all its consequences and joy, was faced with the most important question of all. What purpose was he created for?
Life was hard. There was no other way to put it. People get hurt. People get beaten to the bones that sometimes there was nothing left inside that was worth living for at all. When Max left, Logan fell into the pit of that never ending void. She was his responsibility and all of a sudden she was taken away from him and he was left with an empty space within his being. What was he to do as he faced the feeling of utter helpless as he floated in space with nothing to ground him back?
Logan did like any sensible human being would do. He tried to find some meaning. He searched for it at school. He searched for it at work. But no, nothing. Just as he was about to give up, he found it hiding inside the most precious place of all. Logan found meaning in his heart, at home, in the promise he made Max as she cried in his arms those 5 years ago.
Logan would take care of Max. That was who he was. The moment he realized this he had his father's lawyers working on finding some legal way to take Max away from her uncle. It took half dozen lawyers and 438 days to find a loop in Marlon Guevara's will. Max was the other heir of Biotech and since Logan's father now owned the entire company, he had just as much right to be Max's guardian as any family she had. It all came down to Max's choice. Would she rather live with Logan's family?
Logan never doubted the answer to that. He and Max shared this unique bond. The kind that wasn't severed by distance or circumstance. The kind that wasn't lost even if they themselves try. Like they were always meant to be on the same plane of existence and have their lives intertwined. That no matter how things get and how bad fate decided to become, they had this strong hold that kept them together. That kept them drawn. It was this unquestioning sense of security. That complete trust of knowing no matter what happened, the other would be there. That the other cared. It was a rare and special gift. No doubts. No insecurities. Just the pure sense of being completely who one was and being accepted and loved because of it.
Logan finally reached his destination. He parked his car by the side of the road and saw a palace-like structure worthy of Aphrodite or an earthly goddess that Max would surely become. The walls outside the house were covered with ravine and only the windows were exposed for viewing. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention and he saw a tiny figure at the northwestern side of the house. Logan cleared his glasses of the fog that was starting to build around him and putting his glasses back on, he immediately recognized the person by the window. Max.
Max had grown up in the five years Logan hadn't seen her. She had lost her cute chubby cheeks but she still had those pouty lips. It was Max's secret weapon. With a tiny quivering pout indicating she was close to tears, Max had poor Logan on his knees ready to please her and give her all that she wished. Logan was sure that he would eventually get immune but damn it, he never did.
The sight of Max lifted Logan's spirit as he hurriedly made his way to the front door. After knocking on it, a gentleman with an inquisitive stare opened it. "Can I help you?"
A cold greeting was not exactly what Logan imagined as he repeatedly pictured this day in his mind. His smile disappeared as he took on a more formal attitude. "Yes. My name is Logan Cale. I'm a friend of Max."
The man nodded with understanding. "Please do come in."
Logan was lead up one flight of stairs to an expansive room, which proved that the house was more impressive than what the exterior revealed. He then took the seat the man indicated. "Thank you."
"Wait here please Mr. Cale." The man turned his back and closed the door as he left.
Logan waited in silence, impressed at how elegantly decorated the room was. Dark red lights were lit at five feet intervals and the fireplace warmed the room and gave it a radiant glow reminiscent of eighteenth century style. The wooden floor creaked as he heard footsteps approaching. He stood up hoping that it was Max but something told him that it wasn't going to be her.
Logan was right. "Hello Mr. Lydecker." He tried saying politely.
Lydecker had a pensive look. He suspected this would happen one day. "Logan. I suppose you're here to see Max."
Of course Logan was there to see Max. "Yes. That and to give you this." He produced the statement from the lawyers stating that Max had a choice to live with his family if she wanted to.
"I see." Lydecker sat down and indicated for Logan to do the same. "Listen son. I know you mean well. At first, I will admit that Max did not want to live here. But it has been 5 years now. She's well adjusted to her surroundings and she's happy where she is. Would you like some drink?"
"No thank you. I would just like to see Max so we can be on our way." Logan declared with confidence as he met Lydecker head on.
"I'm sorry Logan, but Max is going to say where she is. She has been through so much already. You can't just uproot her again and have the stability she has grown to know fall apart around her. She's happy now, just leave her be." Lydecker tried to reason first. Physically throwing Logan out was still not feasible but it was definitely an option.
"I've come a long way to see Max, please just let me talk to her." Logan saw Lydecker's point but his selfish desire to take Max away prevailed.
"I wouldn't want to do this son, but it seems like it's the only way. Stay here while I talk to Max." Lydecker motioned for his assistant to stand guard of Logan as he went to Max's room.
***
Max stood by the windows and searched the road for activity. She could have sworn she heard a car stopping but she couldn't see anything for the fog was growing thick. She tried shaking off the distinct feeling that she was being watched, but she couldn't. Could it be Logan, could he finally have come? Her heart started beating faster at the thought but she willed herself to calm down. No, Logan wasn't there. Max commanded herself to stop putting her hopes up and drew on her anger to shield herself from feeling hopeful. Stop it Max. Stop it.
"Max, are you still up?" Max heard her uncle's light tap on the door. She was tempted not to respond but her lights were still on, giving away the fact that she wasn't asleep yet.
"What is it?" She asked in a slightly irritated tone as she opened her door half way through.
"I just wanted to check on you. Gemma said you've been upset the past few days." Lydecker was very much aware of Max's preparations for Logan's return. He was getting sick of having that damned chicken for dinner.
Last week was Logan's twenty-first birthday and it took her all this time to recover from her disappointment. "I'm fine. Is that all?"
Lydecker noticed the hollow crest under Max's eyes. "No, you're not fine. What has been bothering you?"
You. Logan. Me. Everything is bothering me. "Nothing. I'm going to bed now, I'll see you in the morning."
"Max, it's not healthy for you to lock yourself up in this room. Now tell me what has gotten you so upset." Lydecker pressed some more. He knew which buttons to push to get Max angry and he definitely wanted her fuming at that point.
Her uncle was impossible! Max could no longer hold back the screams she had been trying to suppress the whole week. All the frustration that had been building inside her finally exploded. "It's Logan ok! Now are you happy?! You were right about him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Now leave me alone!" Max shut the door, not seeing the content smile on her uncle's face. That had been easy. Lydecker couldn't have manipulated the situation better even if he tried.
Logan heard every single one of Max's hateful words. What did he do? How could Max feel that way about him. It was true that the only contact he had with Max was that one phone call he received a few months after she left. It was 3 o-clock in the morning when he heard the phone ringing. Unlike most people, he answered calls that disrupted his sleep because, from experience, those were the most important ones. After saying "Hello" a couple of times, a tiny voice at the other end of the phone said. "Logan it's me. I miss you so much, when are you...". And that was it. He redialed the number but all he got for days afterwards was a busy signal. He tried other means too. Letters. E-mails. Everything. But nothing worked. Logan had a feeling that Max's uncle had something to do with it. But he never thought that Max herself would want nothing to do with him. But this was obviously the case. It tore his heart to pieces to even acknowledge the possibility, let alone think that it was true. It wasn't possible! But he heard Max's words. They were loud and clear and full of anger.
With slouched shoulders and a broken spirit, Logan saw himself out. He passed Lydecker by the stairs without even hearing his insincere apology. Logan felt like a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over every fiber of his being. He was so numb and confused about how everything played out. He couldn't even summon enough anger to walk up to Max's room to demand why she felt as she did.
Logan walked back to his car without turning back. Unaware of Max standing by her window gazing at
the stars. Wishing he was there. Shedding tears she longed not to cry for him.
**End of Eleven Years Ago**
As soon as Max opened the door to her apartment her senses were pleasantly attacked by mouth-watering aromas. With a smile on her lips, she followed the smell to her kitchen and saw an elderly woman in aprons standing by the stove.
"Hello Mrs. Marques. The food smells good!" Max said as she approached her cook and peered past her shoulders to see the dish.
"Of course it does, I am cooking." Mrs. Marques declared in Spanish as she regarded Max like she would her own child. And like any mother, she couldn't help but give unsolicited advice. "I still do not approve of this charade child. When your Mr. Cale finds out that you have hired me to cook for you, he will be very disappointed."
"Ah, don't worry." Max said playfully as she poured herself some wine and helped herself to some appetizers. "Logan won't know the difference. Besides, I've never said *I'm* cooking all these. I just say thank you when he gives a compliment and I pass it on to you!"
Exasperated, Mrs. Marques took the appetizer tray away from Max and handed her some vegetables. "Child, if you will not listen to me then make yourself useful. Here, chop these up."
Max was saved from the task when her cellular phone beeped. Looking over to Mrs, Marques, Max shrugged her shoulders and hurriedly run away from the kitchen. As soon as she was within the safe confines of her room, she took her phone and read the message that Logan sent her. Ah, he did it again! The mix of capital and small letters on the text annoyed her to death. He would pay for that. So with a mischievous smile, she replied back. **No, I don't need anything, just you.** Huh, let him think whatever he wanted with that.
To my wonderful betas, Laura, Sydney and Kat. You ladies are the greatest. I cannot thank you enough. I appreciate the feedback, the honesty and the nit-picky-ness, ok, that's not a word but you know what I mean : ) Thank you.
Please read the recap, it has been a while and this part sort of ties some issues throughout the story.
Recap: Prologue:
And then he added meaning every word, "And as soon as I'm old enough to take care of you, I'll get you back."
Feeling hopeful, Max asked, "You promise ?"
"I promise."
Part 1:
"She won't be serving 'Poulet chez Cale' today ?" Gemma was confused, they always had baked chicken on
November 11. She never knew why or what the 'chez cale' meant but every year on this day, Max had always insisted on preparing the special dish.
"No, not today." Nor any other day, he'll never come !
Part 2:
"Hello Max. It has been a long time."
"Yes it has." Max agreed. "How have you been ?"
And so went their polite civilities and cool facade. While deep down both would have preferred to shake the other up and ask 'why'.
Part 11:
You don't have to say a word, I can see it in your eyes. I wish I'd seen your eyes before I left Maxie, I never would have gone if I did.
PROMISES
**Part 12**
Logan was lead by a waiter to a secluded table at one of the most exclusive restaurants in town. He wasn't the kind to use his connections to get access to overpriced private dining rooms but when it came to sources for Eyes Only, only the best would do. After all, his informants were risking their behinds to get valuable and highly confidential information to him. Not to mention that if anyone ever asked, he was never really there to begin with. The power of money. Silence had a price, almost everything did, except that one thing Logan had wanted most in his life.
Logan waited for several minutes as he took in the sight of blooming flowers outside on the patio. There was a large birdbath in the middle with vines dripping along its edge and pigeons flocking around its core. It was quite a beautiful sight, one that reminded him of Max.
Logan smiled. He and Max had gotten a lot closer since the night they went to Florida almost two months ago. Just the thought of her made him forget how anxious he was about the meeting that was soon to take place. Picking up the cellular phone from his pocket, Logan wrote Max a quick text note. **hEy mAx. do U wAnt me 2 get sOmeThiNg froM tHe maRkEt 4 diNneR lAteR tonIgHt?** Logan chuckled as he pressed the send button. Max was anal about getting text messages with improper capital letters. He would get his ass kicked for this one later. Would it be too wrong if he said he didn't mind?
Logan glanced at his watch and saw that the informant he was about to meet was 10 minutes late. That's alright, he would wait the whole day just to come face to face with the man who helped Sebastian in cracking the government's security file. They finally figured out where Pentagon was diverting its funds and the answer was not what he expected at all. Their momentous discovery lead Logan to break the anonymity code he held for all his informants. He just had to meet this one.
"Logan Cale." Logan turned around but what he saw completely shocked him.
"Mr. Lydecker?!" Donald Lydecker stood in front of Logan in his signature self righteous manner. He was obviously amused by the young man's reaction as Logan's face contorted from surprise to questioning then finally to murderous hatred under the span of one second.
"Good to see you Logan, it's been a long time." Eleven years in fact.
"What are you doing here?" You selfish arrogant son of a b!tch! The disciplined journalist that sometimes resided in Logan took hold before he could let the last part slip out.
"I should be asking you that question since you're the one who asked to see me." And it took Logan long enough. Lydecker didn't think his plans would take more than a couple of months to unfold but timing was crucial so he had to be a very patient man.
Logan finally realized that Lydecker was the one feeding them information about the agency that was secretly being funded by the government. As if the seven billion people living on this planet weren't enough, the government was actually spending money to create more, albeit they were genetically enhanced. Apparently. "What kind of a game are you playing?"
There was no point in denying anything. "One that would do you very well to play properly." And Logan had been doing quite well so far. Just bite the bait and it'd all be painlessly over.
Logan enjoyed a good game, especially if he won. It would help to know the rules though, but right now, Logan didn't know a damn thing. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"
A blunt question deserved a blunt response. "An exchange."
No, this was not happening. Logan was not negotiating with the devil again. "Of what?"
"Your life for another's." Lydecker saw Logan's apprehension grow. He liked catching people off guard, they were easier to manipulate that way. "Listen to me son. You are in possession of confidential information. All you need is evidence and you can go public with it and roast all those bastards responsible for this genetic engineering project." Lydecker paused to make sure Logan was paying close attention. "Before the committee finds out what you know and decide to eliminate you, I can give you evidence to shut them down. They'd be out on the streets before they even have the chance to get their acts together."
Committee? Eliminate him? An idea Logan once had about Eyes Only being an untraceable cable hack now suddenly appealed to him. He used to have such good ideas. "Keep talking."
"Here's the deal Logan. I will give you freedom, safety and national success and you." Lydecker finally sat down opposite Logan and leaned confidently back on the chair as he sipped the drink he ordered on his way in. "You, Logan, will make sure that Max goes back to Greece where she belongs."
"God." Logan said in disbelief, "Is this some kind of joke? You didn't actually think this was going to work."
"You won't be saying that in a week Logan." Lydecker commented with a smirk.
Logan almost froze. "What do you mean?"
Lydecker let the young man sweat it for a while. The less he knew, the more he'd want Lydecker's help. "You know the deal and you know where to contact me. I want Max and nothing else. Make sure I get what I want and I'd make sure you stay alive." Lydecker stood up and walked away, but before he was completely out of hearing distance, he said, "You've made the right choice before Logan. Don't make the wrong one this time."
Logan crushed the wine glass he was holding and traces of the wine seeped through his broken skin. He concentrated on the pain as Lydecker's last few words vibrated in his mind. 'You've made the right choice before'. No, he had not. What he did was make a cowardly decision without consulting the one person whose life mattered most. He wouldn't repeat the same mistake again; there was no way in hell he would let Max go. No one, not even Lydecker, could take Max away from him again.
**Eleven Years Ago**
"Thanks." Logan said in very bad Greek as the boy on the other side of the booth handed him the key for his rental car. He then took his backpack and swung it over his shoulders, prepared to brave the crowd that was bustling around the pier.
After several bad directions, Logan finally found the parking lot and sighed with relief as he dumped his stuff in the backseat. The sun was starting to set and Logan took off his sunglasses to survey the Island of Crete. It was beautiful. The scenery actually soothed his aching muscles, tired from 18 hours of sleepless travel.
The Mediterranean Sea had its waves hitting the shoreline and around him were the mountains that fascinated the minds of poets thousands of years ago. And in one of those mountains resided the little girl who had fascinated him for as long as he could remember. Logan smiled. He was actually on the same island as Max. She was so close he almost felt her presence. With renewed energy, Logan hopped in the car with the life-saving map in hand.
Logan had been waiting for this day for almost five years now. He promised Max he would take her back as soon as he was old enough. Logan wasn't sure if he was, after all, he was only twenty-one. But on his last birthday he gained access to a nice multi-million dollar trust fund. He figured his money could compensate for whatever shortcoming he had.
His young age wasn't the only problem Logan had. Where would Max live when she got back to the US? Was he ready to take care of her full time? There were so many questions. So many uncertainties. But Logan knew one thing for sure. Getting Max back was not just a responsibility anymore. Nor was it a duty. It was a need. A passionate need. Almost an obsession. He wanted to have her back. He wanted to take care of her. No, he needed to take care of her.
Logan supposed that the existential problem of life got to him early. Or had it always been there and it was just convenient to ignore? If that was the case then it may explain why there were certain people who never encounter it at all. But Logan wasn't one of those people. He, for all its consequences and joy, was faced with the most important question of all. What purpose was he created for?
Life was hard. There was no other way to put it. People get hurt. People get beaten to the bones that sometimes there was nothing left inside that was worth living for at all. When Max left, Logan fell into the pit of that never ending void. She was his responsibility and all of a sudden she was taken away from him and he was left with an empty space within his being. What was he to do as he faced the feeling of utter helpless as he floated in space with nothing to ground him back?
Logan did like any sensible human being would do. He tried to find some meaning. He searched for it at school. He searched for it at work. But no, nothing. Just as he was about to give up, he found it hiding inside the most precious place of all. Logan found meaning in his heart, at home, in the promise he made Max as she cried in his arms those 5 years ago.
Logan would take care of Max. That was who he was. The moment he realized this he had his father's lawyers working on finding some legal way to take Max away from her uncle. It took half dozen lawyers and 438 days to find a loop in Marlon Guevara's will. Max was the other heir of Biotech and since Logan's father now owned the entire company, he had just as much right to be Max's guardian as any family she had. It all came down to Max's choice. Would she rather live with Logan's family?
Logan never doubted the answer to that. He and Max shared this unique bond. The kind that wasn't severed by distance or circumstance. The kind that wasn't lost even if they themselves try. Like they were always meant to be on the same plane of existence and have their lives intertwined. That no matter how things get and how bad fate decided to become, they had this strong hold that kept them together. That kept them drawn. It was this unquestioning sense of security. That complete trust of knowing no matter what happened, the other would be there. That the other cared. It was a rare and special gift. No doubts. No insecurities. Just the pure sense of being completely who one was and being accepted and loved because of it.
Logan finally reached his destination. He parked his car by the side of the road and saw a palace-like structure worthy of Aphrodite or an earthly goddess that Max would surely become. The walls outside the house were covered with ravine and only the windows were exposed for viewing. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention and he saw a tiny figure at the northwestern side of the house. Logan cleared his glasses of the fog that was starting to build around him and putting his glasses back on, he immediately recognized the person by the window. Max.
Max had grown up in the five years Logan hadn't seen her. She had lost her cute chubby cheeks but she still had those pouty lips. It was Max's secret weapon. With a tiny quivering pout indicating she was close to tears, Max had poor Logan on his knees ready to please her and give her all that she wished. Logan was sure that he would eventually get immune but damn it, he never did.
The sight of Max lifted Logan's spirit as he hurriedly made his way to the front door. After knocking on it, a gentleman with an inquisitive stare opened it. "Can I help you?"
A cold greeting was not exactly what Logan imagined as he repeatedly pictured this day in his mind. His smile disappeared as he took on a more formal attitude. "Yes. My name is Logan Cale. I'm a friend of Max."
The man nodded with understanding. "Please do come in."
Logan was lead up one flight of stairs to an expansive room, which proved that the house was more impressive than what the exterior revealed. He then took the seat the man indicated. "Thank you."
"Wait here please Mr. Cale." The man turned his back and closed the door as he left.
Logan waited in silence, impressed at how elegantly decorated the room was. Dark red lights were lit at five feet intervals and the fireplace warmed the room and gave it a radiant glow reminiscent of eighteenth century style. The wooden floor creaked as he heard footsteps approaching. He stood up hoping that it was Max but something told him that it wasn't going to be her.
Logan was right. "Hello Mr. Lydecker." He tried saying politely.
Lydecker had a pensive look. He suspected this would happen one day. "Logan. I suppose you're here to see Max."
Of course Logan was there to see Max. "Yes. That and to give you this." He produced the statement from the lawyers stating that Max had a choice to live with his family if she wanted to.
"I see." Lydecker sat down and indicated for Logan to do the same. "Listen son. I know you mean well. At first, I will admit that Max did not want to live here. But it has been 5 years now. She's well adjusted to her surroundings and she's happy where she is. Would you like some drink?"
"No thank you. I would just like to see Max so we can be on our way." Logan declared with confidence as he met Lydecker head on.
"I'm sorry Logan, but Max is going to say where she is. She has been through so much already. You can't just uproot her again and have the stability she has grown to know fall apart around her. She's happy now, just leave her be." Lydecker tried to reason first. Physically throwing Logan out was still not feasible but it was definitely an option.
"I've come a long way to see Max, please just let me talk to her." Logan saw Lydecker's point but his selfish desire to take Max away prevailed.
"I wouldn't want to do this son, but it seems like it's the only way. Stay here while I talk to Max." Lydecker motioned for his assistant to stand guard of Logan as he went to Max's room.
***
Max stood by the windows and searched the road for activity. She could have sworn she heard a car stopping but she couldn't see anything for the fog was growing thick. She tried shaking off the distinct feeling that she was being watched, but she couldn't. Could it be Logan, could he finally have come? Her heart started beating faster at the thought but she willed herself to calm down. No, Logan wasn't there. Max commanded herself to stop putting her hopes up and drew on her anger to shield herself from feeling hopeful. Stop it Max. Stop it.
"Max, are you still up?" Max heard her uncle's light tap on the door. She was tempted not to respond but her lights were still on, giving away the fact that she wasn't asleep yet.
"What is it?" She asked in a slightly irritated tone as she opened her door half way through.
"I just wanted to check on you. Gemma said you've been upset the past few days." Lydecker was very much aware of Max's preparations for Logan's return. He was getting sick of having that damned chicken for dinner.
Last week was Logan's twenty-first birthday and it took her all this time to recover from her disappointment. "I'm fine. Is that all?"
Lydecker noticed the hollow crest under Max's eyes. "No, you're not fine. What has been bothering you?"
You. Logan. Me. Everything is bothering me. "Nothing. I'm going to bed now, I'll see you in the morning."
"Max, it's not healthy for you to lock yourself up in this room. Now tell me what has gotten you so upset." Lydecker pressed some more. He knew which buttons to push to get Max angry and he definitely wanted her fuming at that point.
Her uncle was impossible! Max could no longer hold back the screams she had been trying to suppress the whole week. All the frustration that had been building inside her finally exploded. "It's Logan ok! Now are you happy?! You were right about him! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Now leave me alone!" Max shut the door, not seeing the content smile on her uncle's face. That had been easy. Lydecker couldn't have manipulated the situation better even if he tried.
Logan heard every single one of Max's hateful words. What did he do? How could Max feel that way about him. It was true that the only contact he had with Max was that one phone call he received a few months after she left. It was 3 o-clock in the morning when he heard the phone ringing. Unlike most people, he answered calls that disrupted his sleep because, from experience, those were the most important ones. After saying "Hello" a couple of times, a tiny voice at the other end of the phone said. "Logan it's me. I miss you so much, when are you...". And that was it. He redialed the number but all he got for days afterwards was a busy signal. He tried other means too. Letters. E-mails. Everything. But nothing worked. Logan had a feeling that Max's uncle had something to do with it. But he never thought that Max herself would want nothing to do with him. But this was obviously the case. It tore his heart to pieces to even acknowledge the possibility, let alone think that it was true. It wasn't possible! But he heard Max's words. They were loud and clear and full of anger.
With slouched shoulders and a broken spirit, Logan saw himself out. He passed Lydecker by the stairs without even hearing his insincere apology. Logan felt like a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over every fiber of his being. He was so numb and confused about how everything played out. He couldn't even summon enough anger to walk up to Max's room to demand why she felt as she did.
Logan walked back to his car without turning back. Unaware of Max standing by her window gazing at
the stars. Wishing he was there. Shedding tears she longed not to cry for him.
**End of Eleven Years Ago**
As soon as Max opened the door to her apartment her senses were pleasantly attacked by mouth-watering aromas. With a smile on her lips, she followed the smell to her kitchen and saw an elderly woman in aprons standing by the stove.
"Hello Mrs. Marques. The food smells good!" Max said as she approached her cook and peered past her shoulders to see the dish.
"Of course it does, I am cooking." Mrs. Marques declared in Spanish as she regarded Max like she would her own child. And like any mother, she couldn't help but give unsolicited advice. "I still do not approve of this charade child. When your Mr. Cale finds out that you have hired me to cook for you, he will be very disappointed."
"Ah, don't worry." Max said playfully as she poured herself some wine and helped herself to some appetizers. "Logan won't know the difference. Besides, I've never said *I'm* cooking all these. I just say thank you when he gives a compliment and I pass it on to you!"
Exasperated, Mrs. Marques took the appetizer tray away from Max and handed her some vegetables. "Child, if you will not listen to me then make yourself useful. Here, chop these up."
Max was saved from the task when her cellular phone beeped. Looking over to Mrs, Marques, Max shrugged her shoulders and hurriedly run away from the kitchen. As soon as she was within the safe confines of her room, she took her phone and read the message that Logan sent her. Ah, he did it again! The mix of capital and small letters on the text annoyed her to death. He would pay for that. So with a mischievous smile, she replied back. **No, I don't need anything, just you.** Huh, let him think whatever he wanted with that.