Chapter 4
Logan had healed enough that the hospital would not keep him anymore. As he still did not know who he truly was and, therefore, didn't have a home to go to, Eve helped him out. She talked to her aunt, who ran a Bed and Breakfast about twenty miles from the hospital, agreed to let Logan stay there until he recovered his memory. In exchange, Logan said he would help her care for the home and its guests. Every day, when Eve was done with her shift at the hospital, she would come out to visit him and help him acclimate to his new life. She bought him clothes and helped him learn his way around town. To justify these rather unorthodox visits, Eve told herself that she was also helping him remember things. However, their conversations were less and less about his past, and more often about the present.
Days turned into weeks until, one day, Logan realized it had been two months since the day he woke up in the hospital. He realized he no longer wondered about his past every second, as he had the first couple of weeks. The dreams of fighting and teaching were few and far between. And he found himself daydreaming about a future here, in this town with the people he had met and who had helped him so much. A future with Eve.
Sitting in his room at the Bed and Breakfast, he made a decision that day. The past was past. He was not going to try to get it back anymore. If it ever did come back to him, he'd deal with it then. But from now on, he'd live his life.
A knock at the door startled from his thoughts, and he smiled as Eve popped her head in.
"Hi!" Seeing that he was decent, she let herself in all the way. Sitting cross-legged on the bed next to him, she looked at him with a conspiratorial smirk on her face. Her enthusiasm for whatever adventure she had come up with for today infected him, and Logan found himself smirking back with a glint in his eye.
"What?"
"I have the perfect idea for today's excursion." She paused for dramatic effect, lifting her arms to punctuate her next words. "Miniature. Golf."
Logan barked in laughter, shaking his head at her.
"You're on."
They headed out the door, and Logan watched the woman who had become his entire life bound down the stairs in front of him.
Hello, life!
* * *
After Eve completely thrashed him at mini golf, Logan bought her ice cream, and they ate it at the beach. Sitting quietly for a while, they stared out at the ocean and let the breeze flow through their hair. Logan stretched out in the sand and stared up at the blue sky. Eve surreptitiously glanced over at him, struck by how closely his eyes matched the color of the sky. She stretched out next to him, ignoring the pang in her heart at how perfect this day had been.
He's still your patient, Eve. Don't get too close! Hell, he might have a wife and kids, for all you know!
"Eve?" Logan's voice was a mere whisper compared to the crash of the waves against the beach.
"Hmm?" She turned onto her side, facing him as he continued to look up at the sky with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't say anything for a while, and she started getting curious about what was weighing so heavily on his mind. Finally, he let out the air he had been holding in and turned on his side toward her. Their faces were mere inches apart, and their eyes met.
"I don't care anymore."
"What?"
"I don't want to know about my other life anymore. This is my life now. It's time to give up. No more sessions trying to unlock the mysteries of my mind. I'm going to live out my life as Logan....uh. Logan whatever-I-decide-to make-my-last-name. I'm going to get a real job and apartment and live my life."
Eve frowned. "Are you sure? It doesn't bother you not to know?"
"I think it will always bother me on some level. And who's to say I won't remember someday. But why wait around for a day that may never come."
"Ok. Just let me know how I can help."
"I will." He smiled at her, and their eye contact went on immeasurably long. Their breathing slowed and a thrill went through Eve's heart as Logan lifted his head and moved closer to her. After waiting so long to be able to act on her feelings, the kiss came quicker than she expected it would. One second she had been lying next to him; now she was wrapped in his arms, his lips moving against hers in the best kiss she ever had received. Convinced she was just dreaming again, she opened her eyes to prove it wasn't real. But it was, and her heart hurt it was so happy.
* * *
Two weeks later, Logan, the newest employee at the hospital's records office, was packing up his boxes and preparing to move from the only home he knew. His plan to move into his own apartment had been modified slightly since the day at the beach. He was moving into Eve's apartment. Everyone said they were moving too fast, but they both knew it had been months in coming. He put his last possession in the box - funny how only two months of existence can provide three boxes of stuff. He wondered how many boxes his old life would have required.
Eve's old Ford Taurus honked outside his window. Looking out, Logan waved at his girlfriend, as she bounded inside the Bed and Breakfast. Hearing her footsteps pound up the stairs, he flung open his door and wrapped her up in a huge embrace. He spun her around, put her down and kissed her senseless. When he let her go, her face was flushed, and she had one hand on the sunglasses sitting on top of her head. She beamed at Logan - sometimes she thought she was never without a smile when he was around.
"You ready?"
"Sure thing." He reached over to grab the lightest box and held it out for her, while he grabbed the other two. He paused to take one last look at his room, sighed and closed the door on that chapter of his life.
* * *
It took about an hour to unpack Logan's things and move them into Eve's small apartment. They decided to celebrate by ordering in and watching a movie. Leaning against the headboard of her bad, with Eve sitting in front of him and leaning back against his chest, Logan didn't think he could have been anywhere better.
He barely paid any attention to the movie; he was too busy waiting for her to put her guard down, and then he'd tickle her until she couldn't breathe. Speaking of which... His nimble fingers attacked her sides, and she leaped forward, shrieking as she tried to get away. After a few seconds, he took pity on her, and she laid sprawled out on the bed, arms and legs akimbo as she panted and glared at him.
"Y'know, I'm beginning to rethink this whole living together thing. You're an asshole."
He smirked at her. Slowly, a grin lit up her face and a mischievous look glinted in her eye. Lunging into a sitting position, she turned the tables on him and started tickling his sides. She lost the enthusiasm, however, when he continued to just sit there, smirking at her.
"You're not ticklish."
"Apparently not."
"Argh!"
"C'mon back here," He motioned with his arms that he wanted her to lean against him again.
"I don't think so, buddy."
"I promise! No more tickling...tonight."
She laughed and curled herself back into his embrace. They cuddled quietly for a few minutes, watching the movie play out on the screen in front of them.
"Eve?" Logan whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"Yeah?" She whispered back, turning her head slightly.
"Thank you." She turned to face him fully, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Pulling him in for a deep kiss, they quickly forgot about the movie.
* * *
Eve sat across the lunch table from her brother Billy, amused by his reaction whenever she mentioned Logan's name. He was among the people who thought they moved too quickly, but she figured her baby brother wouldn't like any guy she dated, even if she dated him for five years. As much as she loved him for it, it was starting to grate on her nerves. He raised the issue every time they got together - which was at least once a week.
"Look, Eve. All I'm saying is the guy's got AMNESIA! You don't know anything about him."
"I know, Billy. But neither does he."
"That doesn't make it alright! He could be married. He could be a rapist. He could be CATHOLIC!"
Eve almost spit out her water at his last statement. Looking up, she realized he had been joking about the last one, but that the other arguments were still viable.
"Look. I know. But I like him. I'm not saying there's not going to be problems. There'd be problems with any relationship. I mean, Joe knew who he was, and he still cheated on me with his ex."
"Yeah." Billy took a drink of his water and leaned forward, looking into his sister's eyes with compassion and concern written all over his face. "And Eve, you were seriously messed up for months. I just don't want to see you hurt again."
Eve reached out to grab her brother's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I know, and I love you for it. But if it's one thing I learned from the whole thing with Joe is that you have to look out for the good guys. And Logan...he might not have been a good guy before, but he is now. And I'm just going to have to take the chance that he was, too."
Billy sighed, looking down at his empty plate. "Ok. I trust you, Eve." He took another sip of water. "So...when do I get to meet Mr. Perfect?"
Eve grinned widely. "As soon as I can prepare him for your ruthless questions about his intentions."
Billy snickered.
* * *
Logan was looking at his very empty side of the closet. Despite a few shopping trips with Eve, he still had very little in the way of possessions, but this was the first time he felt the loss. He desperately wanted to look nice for this evening - the evening all men fear: meeting the Dad and brothers. And, even worse, the mom. Logan released a shaky breath, clenched his jaw and grabbed the nicest shirt he had. The blue matched his eyes, which was the reason Eve made him buy it. Grabbing a tie and slacks, he quickly dressed.
He had just finished when the front door of the apartment opened, heralding Eve's return from work.
"Shit." He smiled when he heard her angry mutterings. "Shit, shit, shit."
He walked out of the bathroom, prepared to fill the role of supportive boyfriend if necessary.
"Hi."
"Oh, Logan. I'm running late - there was a big accident that we had to deal with about half an hour ago."
"No problem. Don't worry; there's plenty of time to get ready for dinner."
"I know. I know. I'm just scared that this is an omen for tonight." She winked at him, laughter in her voice.
"Oh, great."
She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. "I'm just kidding. They're going to love you. I'll make them love you!"
Logan gave her a quick hug and pecked his lips against the top of her head. "I knew there was a reason I was dating you." He released her from his embrace and lightly swatted her behind. "Git, woman. Go get ready!"
Eve giggled, running into the bedroom.
* * *
"Logan, these are my parents, Brad and Marie. Mom, Dad... this is Logan." The couple took turns shaking his hand. Then, Eve turned to her brothers and, after making sure that her parents and Logan weren't watching, she gave them each a warning glare. "And this is Jack and Billy."
After a few more clichéd pleasantries, everyone sat down at the table. The addition of an extra person made it a little cramped, and Logan found himself in between Eve's mom and Billy. He briefly wondered if that had been planned.
But Logan's concerns appeared to be silly, as after a few uncomfortable moments, he hit it off with her family. Even her brothers started to warm to him. Eve, who was sitting across the table from him, continued to send encouraging smiles his way.
"Logan?"
He turned to face Eve's mother with a smile on his face. "Yes, Rogue?"
Confusion marred both of their faces, and the rest of the family looked at Logan.
"I..." Logan looked down at his plate, then up at Eve and back to Marie. "I-I mean, Marie. I'm sorry. I don't know where that popped into my head from.
Eve's parents looked at each other for a second.
"Don't worry about it, Logan. We've all had our strange moments." But that particular strange moment stuck with them through the rest of the dinner, despite their concerted efforts to ignore it. It remained an issue especially for Logan, who kept racking his brain for a reason that he said that. Eve could tell he was upset by it, and waylaid him on the way from the dining room to the living room.
"Are you okay?" Her loud whisper couldn't hide the concern in her voice. She glanced quickly toward the living room to make sure her family hadn't missed their company yet. Logan nodded, as every now and then a weird sense of pride would not let him show weakness. The pride seemed odd for him, especially when he was dealing with Eve, because she had seen him at his absolute worst. She cocked her head and stared at him, clearly conveying that a nod would not work in this case.
"What was that all about at the table?"
"I - I don't know. It just came out. I didn't even think about it before responding."
"Did it inspire any memories?"
Logan looked away; Eve almost thought he looked guilty. "No."
He walked into the living room, effectively cutting off any more questions. God, I hate lying to her. I wish I could tell her about what it reminded me of - a brilliant red light on the Statue of Liberty, a shock of white hair, gloves. What does any of that mean?!?! It's just as bad as my dreams.
Logan almost tripped, hiding it by falling into an empty chair near Billy. He paled, thinking about the dreams that were starting to come more and more often. It was beginning to bother him, but not as much as not being able to tell Eve bothered him. He wanted to make this relationship work, and he knew she worried about him and his memories. But they just seemed so strange. And if they were really flashes of his life, then he didn't want to think about what kind of person that made him. What did he do before the accident?
What if I'm not the kind of person that Eve deserves?
Logan clenched his jaw, clearing his mind of the concerns that had been plaguing him. He focused on the conversation, intent on making sure he made a good impression.