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Note: Just read and enjoy!
Chapter 18: Memories of the Past
Beth opened the door, wearing an apron around her waist and holding a kitchen towel in her hand.
"Dinner's just about ready."
"Great. Can I help with anything?" Max instantly hoped Beth would not ask her to do anything that had to do with cooking. "I mean, can I set the table or something?" she added quickly.
"You can do that if you like and Logan, you could get us something to drink, please. I have everything in the pantry. I even have some beer, if you like."
"Great, I'll just go to little girls room..." Max hurried past Beth and into the bathroom.
Beth stayed where she was, not letting Logan pass. "Do you still mean to tell me you're business partners?" She gently smiled down at her grandson. "I'm old, but not blind, Logan."
Logan avoided her gaze but a smile crept to his face. "What can I say, Grandma. You can see right through me."
A satisfied grin spread across Beth's face, but she didn't comment. "Okay, let's eat. If you have trouble reaching anything in the pantry, call me."
Logan returned with a bottle of water, some orange juice and a bottle of wine in his lap. He was not sure if the others wanted some wine, but he needed some help to relax a little.
Max nearly stumbled over him when she [SM1]barged out of the bathroom. "Sorry." She caught herself by using his shoulder and he hissed as a sharp pain ran through his body. "Sorry. Are you okay?"
Logan made a face, waiting for the pain to subside, then forced a smile. "It's okay. But I get the impression that you like pushing me around[SM2]..." he said dryly.
"That way I get to decide where we're heading," she answered, with an embarrassed grin still on her face.
"So go ahead; I think we're both heading for some food, aren't we?" He took his hands off the wheels demonstratively.
Max helped Beth set the table and then sat down expectantly. The smell from the kitchen was delicious.
She waited for Logan and Beth to return from the kitchen and was about to get up and check on them when Logan wheeled in with a huge bowl of rice in his lap. Beth returned for the broccoli and then they all sat down and enjoyed the delicious meal.
***
"Would you like anything else?" Beth asked, when Max had emptied her plate.
"No, thanks. I'd explode if I ate one more bite," she said light-heartedly.
"Just make yourself at home, okay. If you'd like to take a shower or anything just go ahead."
"Great, thanks. A shower doesn't sound bad."
Logan finished his drink and rounded the table. "Sure. I'll show you."
"Oh, and Logan!" Beth called after them. "The towels are in the cupboard beside the sink. And I'll get the rooms ready for you."
Logan smiled. "She's the same. Just the way I remembered her."
"See, I told you." Max bent down, giving Logan a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad we came here." With that she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, giving Logan no chance to respond.
***********
"I thought cats didn't like water?!" Logan teased when Max reappeared fifteen minutes later from the steaming bathroom. "Didn't you just take a shower in the hotel a couple of hours ago?"
She was dressed only in a towel as her bag was still in the hallway. She stuck out her tongue at him and grabbed her bag without a word. " I'm not gonna discuss my showering habits with you," she explained before disappearing into the bathroom again. But she had had a twinkle in her eye.
"I even left you some hot water!" she yelled through the closed door. "And why are you still sitting in the hallway anyway?"
"Oh that's too nice of you!" he yelled back. "And I was sitting here, waiting to get a shower. You know, would have used the upstairs bathroom, but I found it a little inconvenient climbing those stairs," he added sarcastically. There was only a small grunt from inside.
"And I helped Grandma prepare the rooms," he said, when the door opened again and Max came back out. She was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts now. Her hair was still dripping and her face shone from the hot steam in the shower. Logan had to refrain himself from staring.
"There is a guest room with two beds downstairs and another one in the loft. And of course there's the sofa. Your choice!" he quickly said, managing to tear his eyes off her.
"Well, let me think." Max said playfully. " You're afraid of heights, so you won't go for the loft. You can have the bedroom down here and I'll have a look at the other options. So basically you just made your own bed, huh?"
"Hey, come on, that's not fair! We can share the bedroom downstairs." Logan snapped back in mock indignation.
"You wish." She laughed.
"We shared a room last night, so what's the point?" Logan asked challengingly. And they had kissed, he added to himself.
"The point is..." Suddenly Max wasn't so sure there was a point. She hadn't minded sharing a room with him at all. Only now, given the new situation, she was a bit nervous about it. But, he had said so himself, there was no need to hurry, right?
"You know," she explained quickly. "Maybe we should make it easy on your grandma and share a room. That way I wouldn't disturb her upstairs and she only has to worry about cleaning one room after we leave."
Logan just nodded and entered the guest room quickly. He didn't want to give her the time to change her mind. He really wanted Max to be near him tonight. After he had held her so close in the park, he felt like he already missed the comfort of her touch. He still couldn't quite believe it had really happened. And there was this indistinct fear that Max would back away and find some excuse for making what happened non-existent-like she had after the kiss at the cabin.
All of a sudden Logan noticed how tired and exhausted he really was. He put down his bag on one of the beds and searched for the things he needed. He came across the new boxer shorts and smiled. He then excused himself and disappeared into the bathroom.
***
Max watched Logan retreat into the bathroom and sighed. Somehow she still wasn't sure if she'd done the right thing, giving in to her feelings and kissing Logan...again. This time there was no getting away with a quick wave of her hand and a hint at sentimentality. It was not like she didn't have feelings for Logan, oh no, she had secretly longed for this to happen for a long time. But why did it feel so weird, then? Why did it leave her so afraid? She sighed and sat down on the bed. She let her gaze wander over the countless photos that were hanging on the wall. Suddenly, one caught her attention and she stood up to look at it more closely. The boy in it was obviously Logan. He was, maybe, five years old and riding a bike. Behind him stood a young blonde woman, leaning down and stabilising the yellow and blue bike. They were both laughing openly. Max decided that the woman had to be his mother; she had the same smile, the same hair-color and, as far as Max could tell, even the same eye colour.
She let her gaze roam around and spied another picture, this time a family portrait. Beth was sitting on an antique chair with Logan on her lap. On the left there was the woman from the other picture and on the right a tall man with dark blond hair and strong but gentle features.
She had never before seen Logan's parents.
***
Logan yawned and started to undress, careful not to move his shoulder too much. He wasn't sure how to get into the shower, so he looked around for anything useful. He saw a little plastic stool, which his little cousins probably used to reach the sink. He tested it for stability then set it down in the shower. That should do.
***
Max suddenly heard a noise and turned around to find Beth standing in the doorframe.
"He hasn't told you much about his past, has he?"
"No," was Max's simple answer.
"You know, he was still a child when his parents died, and he never talked to anyone, just like he didn't talk after the accident. Apparently it is his way to deal with things," she sighed. "It's just hard for the people around him who care." She added, as if on second thought," You know, Jonas never cared. He just let him bottle things up."
Max nodded thoughtfully. "It's just, I know that he's having a hard time, but he won't let me close enough to help him. He keeps pushing everybody away."
Beth sat down on the bed beside Max. "That's what I thought," she said. "He did the same thing, when his parents died...And as I said, Jonas did his best to keep him quiet. Kept saying things like, brave boys never cried. Nonsense like that." She tensed notably. "He should never have stayed with that cruel man!"
"Why did he have to stay with Jonas in the first place?" Max asked, curious.
"After his parents died, there was a whole lot of hassle around the poor child." Beth shook her head. "He lived with us for a while, then stayed with another uncle of the Cale clan, who couldn't deal with him. He was very reclusive and didn't talk for a while. He basically just locked himself up in his room and wouldn't let anybody see him. We didn't know what to do with him." She sighed.
"Then Jonas appeared in the picture, stepping in front of the court, convincing them that we were incapable of caring for a child, that we were too old and didn't have the means. He played the good daddy in court and boasted about what he could do for Logan, which was pay for a good education. " She paused, struggling to compose herself.
"Anyway, it came down to the court deciding for Logan to move back to Seattle to live with his Uncle. We thought the least we could do was still be there for him and have him come visit us regularly, but Jonas just brushed us off all the time. Most of the time he didn't even let us talk to him on the phone." Tears were filling her eyes now and she buried her head in her hands.
Max just sat there, helplessly. She was shocked by what she had just heard. And she had thought she was the one with the chaotic childhood!
"I'm sorry Max, I shouldn't be talking so much." The old woman wiped away her tears and tried to smile. Then she took Max's hand into hers and started patting it absentmindedly. "The poor kid went through so much..."
Max thought about her encounter with the Cale clan.
"I met Jonas at Logan's cousin Bennett's wedding. He still doesn't approve of Logan. He seems to see him as the black sheep of the family, the one who took every wrong turn he could possibly take." She felt herself getting angry, thinking about the way Jonas had treated Logan. "And getting shot was the most irresponsible thing he could have done. Like he did it on purpose!" she cried out furiously.
"That's just like him." Beth shook her head in disbelief. "To blame Logan for this...." she broke off and searched in her apron pocket for a Kleenex. After a minute, Beth composed herself and turned to Max again. "Anyway, some people never change and we can't undo what happened. I'm just glad he found you. It's good to know that he was not alone this time."
Max felt a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She wished she had been there for him like she should have been, right from the beginning...
***
When Logan was finished, he quickly put on his new boxers and brushed his teeth. His reflection in the mirror looked even more exhausted than he felt.
He hung his towel over the heater so it would dry and put the little stool back in its usual place, then made his way back to the guest room.
***
Meanwhile, Beth stood up and went over to take one of the pictures off the wall. "Did you see this one?" She held it out to Max. It was the one with Logan on the bike, with his mother.
She nodded. "Yes. It's a lovely picture."
Beth sat back down on the bed and traced her finger along the frame. "My little girl..."she said with a sad smile. "Logan has got her eyes."
***
When Logan entered the bedroom, he was surprised to see his grandmother sitting on the edge of Max's bed. Obviously the two of them had been deep in conversation.
"I hope you're not telling Max any embarrassing details of my childhood!" he said lightly, while he transferred to the bed.
Max looked up in shock. She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed him come in. "No, don't worry, only the good things." She stumbled over her words, not quite able to hide her feelings about what she had just been told.
Logan slid back in bed until he could lean against the headboard. "I hope so," he said, but he couldn't quite believe her due to the strange look on her face.
Beth quickly wiped away the last traces of tears from her face and put the picture back into place on the wall. "Anyway," she said, "You two look exhausted. You should get some sleep now." She walked over to Logan and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
Before Logan could protest, she said, "I know you're no little boy anymore, but you're still my grandson!" Beth turned around to Max and smiled warmly. "It was nice talking to you, Max. Good night you two. Sleep well." She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Max slipped under the blanket and turned on her side, away from Logan. She couldn't quite look at him right now; she had just been told so many new things. "Night, Logan."
Logan frowned at Max' s sudden desire to sleep. Why was she acting so strangely?
"So what did you talk about?" he asked, trying to sound casual. He had seen his grandmother put away the picture and had he seen tears in her eyes?
Max took a deep breath. "Nothing, really."
Logan slid down in bed and made himself comfortable. "Oh, really. You seemed to be quite deep in conversation for it to have been nothing." he said, not believing her.
Max still lay motionless on her side. "Can we talk about it tomorrow?"
"Sure," was his short answer. He couldn't help but feel excluded by the two women. Whatever they had been talking about, it hadn't been anything pleasant. Reluctantly, he reached for his nightstand lamp and switched it off. "Good night, then," he said, his voice giving away his discomfort.
"Night, Logan." Max had to swallow hard. She felt bad for not telling him what her conversation with Beth had been about. But she felt so sorry for him, and she was afraid that he would notice. She knew how much he hated pity. In the darkness she felt a little better, but the thoughts about what he had been through haunted her and made sleeping almost impossible. Finally she rolled over and sat up, watching Logan in the other bed. She could make out that his eyes were still open.
"Logan?"
She could sense the tension that hung in the air between them. Apparently he couldn't sleep either. She felt the urge to sneak under the blanket beside him, to feel the comfort she had felt back in the park, to ease the tension between them. But she just couldn't make herself do that. Finally, when Logan hadn't expected her to say anything more, she found her voice. "I'm freezing."
That was as far as she could make herself go. Now it would be up to him.
Logan looked at her figure in the dark, trying to make out her face. She seemed to be waiting for an answer from him. What should he do now? Get up and get her an extra blanket? Turn up the heat? Or did she expect him to warm her up himself? He considered for a moment, feeling his stomach twinge strangely. What the hell was going on? Why was he so hesitant about Max? There had been a time when he had not even wasted a second thought when there had been a chance to get a girl into his bed. But now it was different. With Max it was different. But he had to do something, now, before the moment passed and his chance passed with it. He wanted to feel her warm body beside him so badly. He pushed up on his elbows and folded back the blanket for her invitingly. "Want me to warm you up?" he asked insecurely.
Max hesitated, maybe this was all going too fast. But the hopeful look on Logan's face finally was too much for her to resist, so she quickly scrambled out of her bed and slid in next to him. Logan pulled the covers around them and lay back into the pillows. He couldn't believe that Max was lying there, in his bed, right by his side. He considered pinching himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. It just felt so unreal. He just hoped he wouldn't wake up in the morning to find out it was.
Max lay there silently, not sure if she felt comfortable or not. But then she decided to just enjoy the moment. Secretly and slowly, so he wouldn't notice, she moved her legs until she touched his legs, then she pushed her cold feet under them, smiling slightly.
Logan felt the warmth radiating from her. She wasn't cold at all, at least not where he could feel it. He hesitantly stroked a lock of hair out of her face. "You okay?" he whispered.
"Yes," she drowsily responded. All of the sudden she felt totally relaxed and at peace. "Night, Logan," she mumbled.
"Night, Max." Logan placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. If only lying next to her felt so good, he was curious what else there was to come. But they'd take it slowly. They didn't have to rush things. Just as long they were comfortable with each other.
**
Ok, this was a pretty long chaper for a change. Hope you enjoyed it, the next one is waiting to be posted already!!Have a great weekend!
Note: Just read and enjoy!
Chapter 18: Memories of the Past
Beth opened the door, wearing an apron around her waist and holding a kitchen towel in her hand.
"Dinner's just about ready."
"Great. Can I help with anything?" Max instantly hoped Beth would not ask her to do anything that had to do with cooking. "I mean, can I set the table or something?" she added quickly.
"You can do that if you like and Logan, you could get us something to drink, please. I have everything in the pantry. I even have some beer, if you like."
"Great, I'll just go to little girls room..." Max hurried past Beth and into the bathroom.
Beth stayed where she was, not letting Logan pass. "Do you still mean to tell me you're business partners?" She gently smiled down at her grandson. "I'm old, but not blind, Logan."
Logan avoided her gaze but a smile crept to his face. "What can I say, Grandma. You can see right through me."
A satisfied grin spread across Beth's face, but she didn't comment. "Okay, let's eat. If you have trouble reaching anything in the pantry, call me."
Logan returned with a bottle of water, some orange juice and a bottle of wine in his lap. He was not sure if the others wanted some wine, but he needed some help to relax a little.
Max nearly stumbled over him when she [SM1]barged out of the bathroom. "Sorry." She caught herself by using his shoulder and he hissed as a sharp pain ran through his body. "Sorry. Are you okay?"
Logan made a face, waiting for the pain to subside, then forced a smile. "It's okay. But I get the impression that you like pushing me around[SM2]..." he said dryly.
"That way I get to decide where we're heading," she answered, with an embarrassed grin still on her face.
"So go ahead; I think we're both heading for some food, aren't we?" He took his hands off the wheels demonstratively.
Max helped Beth set the table and then sat down expectantly. The smell from the kitchen was delicious.
She waited for Logan and Beth to return from the kitchen and was about to get up and check on them when Logan wheeled in with a huge bowl of rice in his lap. Beth returned for the broccoli and then they all sat down and enjoyed the delicious meal.
***
"Would you like anything else?" Beth asked, when Max had emptied her plate.
"No, thanks. I'd explode if I ate one more bite," she said light-heartedly.
"Just make yourself at home, okay. If you'd like to take a shower or anything just go ahead."
"Great, thanks. A shower doesn't sound bad."
Logan finished his drink and rounded the table. "Sure. I'll show you."
"Oh, and Logan!" Beth called after them. "The towels are in the cupboard beside the sink. And I'll get the rooms ready for you."
Logan smiled. "She's the same. Just the way I remembered her."
"See, I told you." Max bent down, giving Logan a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad we came here." With that she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, giving Logan no chance to respond.
***********
"I thought cats didn't like water?!" Logan teased when Max reappeared fifteen minutes later from the steaming bathroom. "Didn't you just take a shower in the hotel a couple of hours ago?"
She was dressed only in a towel as her bag was still in the hallway. She stuck out her tongue at him and grabbed her bag without a word. " I'm not gonna discuss my showering habits with you," she explained before disappearing into the bathroom again. But she had had a twinkle in her eye.
"I even left you some hot water!" she yelled through the closed door. "And why are you still sitting in the hallway anyway?"
"Oh that's too nice of you!" he yelled back. "And I was sitting here, waiting to get a shower. You know, would have used the upstairs bathroom, but I found it a little inconvenient climbing those stairs," he added sarcastically. There was only a small grunt from inside.
"And I helped Grandma prepare the rooms," he said, when the door opened again and Max came back out. She was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts now. Her hair was still dripping and her face shone from the hot steam in the shower. Logan had to refrain himself from staring.
"There is a guest room with two beds downstairs and another one in the loft. And of course there's the sofa. Your choice!" he quickly said, managing to tear his eyes off her.
"Well, let me think." Max said playfully. " You're afraid of heights, so you won't go for the loft. You can have the bedroom down here and I'll have a look at the other options. So basically you just made your own bed, huh?"
"Hey, come on, that's not fair! We can share the bedroom downstairs." Logan snapped back in mock indignation.
"You wish." She laughed.
"We shared a room last night, so what's the point?" Logan asked challengingly. And they had kissed, he added to himself.
"The point is..." Suddenly Max wasn't so sure there was a point. She hadn't minded sharing a room with him at all. Only now, given the new situation, she was a bit nervous about it. But, he had said so himself, there was no need to hurry, right?
"You know," she explained quickly. "Maybe we should make it easy on your grandma and share a room. That way I wouldn't disturb her upstairs and she only has to worry about cleaning one room after we leave."
Logan just nodded and entered the guest room quickly. He didn't want to give her the time to change her mind. He really wanted Max to be near him tonight. After he had held her so close in the park, he felt like he already missed the comfort of her touch. He still couldn't quite believe it had really happened. And there was this indistinct fear that Max would back away and find some excuse for making what happened non-existent-like she had after the kiss at the cabin.
All of a sudden Logan noticed how tired and exhausted he really was. He put down his bag on one of the beds and searched for the things he needed. He came across the new boxer shorts and smiled. He then excused himself and disappeared into the bathroom.
***
Max watched Logan retreat into the bathroom and sighed. Somehow she still wasn't sure if she'd done the right thing, giving in to her feelings and kissing Logan...again. This time there was no getting away with a quick wave of her hand and a hint at sentimentality. It was not like she didn't have feelings for Logan, oh no, she had secretly longed for this to happen for a long time. But why did it feel so weird, then? Why did it leave her so afraid? She sighed and sat down on the bed. She let her gaze wander over the countless photos that were hanging on the wall. Suddenly, one caught her attention and she stood up to look at it more closely. The boy in it was obviously Logan. He was, maybe, five years old and riding a bike. Behind him stood a young blonde woman, leaning down and stabilising the yellow and blue bike. They were both laughing openly. Max decided that the woman had to be his mother; she had the same smile, the same hair-color and, as far as Max could tell, even the same eye colour.
She let her gaze roam around and spied another picture, this time a family portrait. Beth was sitting on an antique chair with Logan on her lap. On the left there was the woman from the other picture and on the right a tall man with dark blond hair and strong but gentle features.
She had never before seen Logan's parents.
***
Logan yawned and started to undress, careful not to move his shoulder too much. He wasn't sure how to get into the shower, so he looked around for anything useful. He saw a little plastic stool, which his little cousins probably used to reach the sink. He tested it for stability then set it down in the shower. That should do.
***
Max suddenly heard a noise and turned around to find Beth standing in the doorframe.
"He hasn't told you much about his past, has he?"
"No," was Max's simple answer.
"You know, he was still a child when his parents died, and he never talked to anyone, just like he didn't talk after the accident. Apparently it is his way to deal with things," she sighed. "It's just hard for the people around him who care." She added, as if on second thought," You know, Jonas never cared. He just let him bottle things up."
Max nodded thoughtfully. "It's just, I know that he's having a hard time, but he won't let me close enough to help him. He keeps pushing everybody away."
Beth sat down on the bed beside Max. "That's what I thought," she said. "He did the same thing, when his parents died...And as I said, Jonas did his best to keep him quiet. Kept saying things like, brave boys never cried. Nonsense like that." She tensed notably. "He should never have stayed with that cruel man!"
"Why did he have to stay with Jonas in the first place?" Max asked, curious.
"After his parents died, there was a whole lot of hassle around the poor child." Beth shook her head. "He lived with us for a while, then stayed with another uncle of the Cale clan, who couldn't deal with him. He was very reclusive and didn't talk for a while. He basically just locked himself up in his room and wouldn't let anybody see him. We didn't know what to do with him." She sighed.
"Then Jonas appeared in the picture, stepping in front of the court, convincing them that we were incapable of caring for a child, that we were too old and didn't have the means. He played the good daddy in court and boasted about what he could do for Logan, which was pay for a good education. " She paused, struggling to compose herself.
"Anyway, it came down to the court deciding for Logan to move back to Seattle to live with his Uncle. We thought the least we could do was still be there for him and have him come visit us regularly, but Jonas just brushed us off all the time. Most of the time he didn't even let us talk to him on the phone." Tears were filling her eyes now and she buried her head in her hands.
Max just sat there, helplessly. She was shocked by what she had just heard. And she had thought she was the one with the chaotic childhood!
"I'm sorry Max, I shouldn't be talking so much." The old woman wiped away her tears and tried to smile. Then she took Max's hand into hers and started patting it absentmindedly. "The poor kid went through so much..."
Max thought about her encounter with the Cale clan.
"I met Jonas at Logan's cousin Bennett's wedding. He still doesn't approve of Logan. He seems to see him as the black sheep of the family, the one who took every wrong turn he could possibly take." She felt herself getting angry, thinking about the way Jonas had treated Logan. "And getting shot was the most irresponsible thing he could have done. Like he did it on purpose!" she cried out furiously.
"That's just like him." Beth shook her head in disbelief. "To blame Logan for this...." she broke off and searched in her apron pocket for a Kleenex. After a minute, Beth composed herself and turned to Max again. "Anyway, some people never change and we can't undo what happened. I'm just glad he found you. It's good to know that he was not alone this time."
Max felt a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She wished she had been there for him like she should have been, right from the beginning...
***
When Logan was finished, he quickly put on his new boxers and brushed his teeth. His reflection in the mirror looked even more exhausted than he felt.
He hung his towel over the heater so it would dry and put the little stool back in its usual place, then made his way back to the guest room.
***
Meanwhile, Beth stood up and went over to take one of the pictures off the wall. "Did you see this one?" She held it out to Max. It was the one with Logan on the bike, with his mother.
She nodded. "Yes. It's a lovely picture."
Beth sat back down on the bed and traced her finger along the frame. "My little girl..."she said with a sad smile. "Logan has got her eyes."
***
When Logan entered the bedroom, he was surprised to see his grandmother sitting on the edge of Max's bed. Obviously the two of them had been deep in conversation.
"I hope you're not telling Max any embarrassing details of my childhood!" he said lightly, while he transferred to the bed.
Max looked up in shock. She had been so deep in thought that she hadn't noticed him come in. "No, don't worry, only the good things." She stumbled over her words, not quite able to hide her feelings about what she had just been told.
Logan slid back in bed until he could lean against the headboard. "I hope so," he said, but he couldn't quite believe her due to the strange look on her face.
Beth quickly wiped away the last traces of tears from her face and put the picture back into place on the wall. "Anyway," she said, "You two look exhausted. You should get some sleep now." She walked over to Logan and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
Before Logan could protest, she said, "I know you're no little boy anymore, but you're still my grandson!" Beth turned around to Max and smiled warmly. "It was nice talking to you, Max. Good night you two. Sleep well." She walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
Max slipped under the blanket and turned on her side, away from Logan. She couldn't quite look at him right now; she had just been told so many new things. "Night, Logan."
Logan frowned at Max' s sudden desire to sleep. Why was she acting so strangely?
"So what did you talk about?" he asked, trying to sound casual. He had seen his grandmother put away the picture and had he seen tears in her eyes?
Max took a deep breath. "Nothing, really."
Logan slid down in bed and made himself comfortable. "Oh, really. You seemed to be quite deep in conversation for it to have been nothing." he said, not believing her.
Max still lay motionless on her side. "Can we talk about it tomorrow?"
"Sure," was his short answer. He couldn't help but feel excluded by the two women. Whatever they had been talking about, it hadn't been anything pleasant. Reluctantly, he reached for his nightstand lamp and switched it off. "Good night, then," he said, his voice giving away his discomfort.
"Night, Logan." Max had to swallow hard. She felt bad for not telling him what her conversation with Beth had been about. But she felt so sorry for him, and she was afraid that he would notice. She knew how much he hated pity. In the darkness she felt a little better, but the thoughts about what he had been through haunted her and made sleeping almost impossible. Finally she rolled over and sat up, watching Logan in the other bed. She could make out that his eyes were still open.
"Logan?"
She could sense the tension that hung in the air between them. Apparently he couldn't sleep either. She felt the urge to sneak under the blanket beside him, to feel the comfort she had felt back in the park, to ease the tension between them. But she just couldn't make herself do that. Finally, when Logan hadn't expected her to say anything more, she found her voice. "I'm freezing."
That was as far as she could make herself go. Now it would be up to him.
Logan looked at her figure in the dark, trying to make out her face. She seemed to be waiting for an answer from him. What should he do now? Get up and get her an extra blanket? Turn up the heat? Or did she expect him to warm her up himself? He considered for a moment, feeling his stomach twinge strangely. What the hell was going on? Why was he so hesitant about Max? There had been a time when he had not even wasted a second thought when there had been a chance to get a girl into his bed. But now it was different. With Max it was different. But he had to do something, now, before the moment passed and his chance passed with it. He wanted to feel her warm body beside him so badly. He pushed up on his elbows and folded back the blanket for her invitingly. "Want me to warm you up?" he asked insecurely.
Max hesitated, maybe this was all going too fast. But the hopeful look on Logan's face finally was too much for her to resist, so she quickly scrambled out of her bed and slid in next to him. Logan pulled the covers around them and lay back into the pillows. He couldn't believe that Max was lying there, in his bed, right by his side. He considered pinching himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. It just felt so unreal. He just hoped he wouldn't wake up in the morning to find out it was.
Max lay there silently, not sure if she felt comfortable or not. But then she decided to just enjoy the moment. Secretly and slowly, so he wouldn't notice, she moved her legs until she touched his legs, then she pushed her cold feet under them, smiling slightly.
Logan felt the warmth radiating from her. She wasn't cold at all, at least not where he could feel it. He hesitantly stroked a lock of hair out of her face. "You okay?" he whispered.
"Yes," she drowsily responded. All of the sudden she felt totally relaxed and at peace. "Night, Logan," she mumbled.
"Night, Max." Logan placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. If only lying next to her felt so good, he was curious what else there was to come. But they'd take it slowly. They didn't have to rush things. Just as long they were comfortable with each other.
**
Ok, this was a pretty long chaper for a change. Hope you enjoyed it, the next one is waiting to be posted already!!Have a great weekend!