Show, not tell. Actions are everything, dude.
"Dance with me." Her spun-gold hair floated like dental floss as they twirled in tandem, their shadows kaleidoscoping on the wall in a mesh of gray and black. As she turned in Logan's arms, her peach-soft cheek brushed his face and sent off waves of sunshine and orange blossoms. He turned her again and ingested her essence, inhaling her so deeply that she was forever ingrained in his heart. On her third rotation, he was snared by the dancing blue lights of her gaze, and by the fourth movement, he was drowning in delft.
Logan felt himself falling and was met by the reassuring thwack of bone against baseboard, stunning him into temporary oblivion. Misty orbs dotted his vision and sharpened into familiar sapphire pinpoints. His dazed mind formed a name that painted itself into flowery curlicues on a lovesick boy's notebook. Lilly. Couldn't be.
"Lover, it's been too long." She yanked his hand as she skipped around Veronica's room.
He stumbled behind her and barked his shin on the edge of the bed. "This is a dream. You're not real. And I'm getting out of here."
Lilly shoved him down onto the bed and flounced next to him. "What's the hurry, Lo-gan? It's been ages, and we have lots of catching up to do."
Logan refused to look at her. "You're dead."
The touch of her hands felt like seaweed. "And you're riding the crazy train, because here I am."
He shrunk away slightly and closed his eyes. "I've moved on."
Lilly ran a nail down his cheek. "Liar."
"Christ, you're annoying as ever." Logan opened one eye and saw her smirking down at him.
"Ha! I knew I could get to you."
"Whoop-de-fucking-do."
She giggled and scratched him a little harder. "Meow to you too. You always were such an easy mark."
"Why are you here?"
"Because the three of you are hanging on to me."
Logan tried to sit up but she pushed him back down. "What?"
"You're nearly as dense as Donut, and he's pretty far gone."
Unease rippled down his spine as he remembered his aunt's warning. "You've seen him?"
"Sure. Camelot Motel. Trashed out of his mind and ready to take you down. Sound familiar?"
Oh, God, this wasn't a dream. Lilly was real, or as real as a dead person could be. "So you're here to what, channel the Ghost of Christmas Present?"
"Wow, somebody finally gets a fucking clue," she cried shrilly.
Logan felt the cold rush of anger as he stared at her. "Why'd you do it, Lilly? It was bad enough when you shoved Weevil in my face, but my father? What were you thinking?"
"Thinking had nothing to do with it." Lilly shrugged like it was no big deal.
He pushed away his rage and stared at her sadly. "I loved you so damned much, and all you did was rip my heart out."
"What can I say? I was a bitch, and you were suffocating me."
Her fingers wrapped around his throat and she pretended to choke him. "Then why did you keep coming back?"
Lilly sat back on her heels and let him go. "For the sex. And for the record, let me say that your Dad has nothing on you."
Logan took a deep breath. "Is that supposed to comfort me?"
"Nope. That's Veronica's job."
Veronica. Damn. "Where is she?"
"Right here at your side. Tending to your needs." Lilly yawned and gave him a wink. "You took quite a knock on the head."
"Was that your doing?"
She laughed. "No, that was you with your two left feet. Next time you decide to trip the light fantastic, you might want to look both ways."
"Haha. That's hysterical."
Lilly leaned closer. "I have one more question before I leave. Why don't you fuck her already?"
His eyes narrowed. "Been there. Done that."
She waggled her finger. "You can't fool me. That was love, and it was sweet, but she's ready for prime time."
"I don't want to hurt her."
Lilly rolled her eyes. "Puh-leez. It never stopped you from going at it with me."
Logan blushed as rather vivid memories flashed through his mind. "That was different."
She hissed in annoyance. "God, Logan, just kick the pedestal away and get it on with her. She wants it bad, and quite frankly, your time is running out."
Her face started to fade and he cried, "Wait."
"Tick tick." A half transparent Lilly stared at the clock.
"Why'd you spill all my secrets?"
"Because someone had to. It was time that she knew the truth." Her eyes faded to denim slits and in a blink, only her mocking smile remained. Logan reached out and stopped when she grabbed his crotch and stroked him through his jeans, "Time to move on, lover."
Their impromptu waltz seemed like a distant memory, though Veronica's clock confirmed that only five minutes had passed since he'd tripped and gone down like a not so silent tree in a stick forest. Her initial assessment revealed a superficial head wound and a rising bump on his temple. "C'mon, big guy," she crooned, lifting him from under his arms and pulling him over to the bed. A second hoist brought his body half onto the coverlet with his legs trailing to the floor. "Will have to do for now."
Veronica tore through the apartment and returned with Band-aids and ice. She gasped at the amount of blood and forced herself to focus as she cleaned and covered his cut. Judging from the amount of sticky blood soaking his shirt, it was a lost cause. Several gentle tugs brought it up and over his head and she tried not to wince when his fingernails dug into her wrist. "Sorry," she whispered, knowing that he heard her on some level.
She hooked her arms under his knees and rotated his legs onto the bed, and though he lay at an oblique angle, he already looked more comfortable. Veronica slid a pillow under his head and secured the towel-wrapped ice pack to his forehead as she folded her body next to him. With her left arm draped over him and her hip touching the hard muscles of his thigh, she marveled over his sculpted body and wondered when he'd become so deliciously cut. Her eyes dropped slightly and she blushed when she saw his erection straining against his fly. Must be a good dream.
"Wake up, sleepyhead." Softer and less strident than Lilly. Could it be--?
Logan cracked open an eye. "V-ronica?" he slurred thickly.
"I'm here." The warmth of her hands burned through his fog and brought him fully awake.
"'S'really you?" He traced the edges of her mouth and smiled when she kissed his fingers.
"Sure is." Veronica nuzzled his nose and settled her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh.
"Wow." Logan's head was thrumming like a drunken sailor on a conga line. "What hit me?"
She replied, "The floor."
Lilly hadn't been kidding. "I—"
"Sssh. You should rest."
Logan ripped off the ice pack and flung it at the wall. "Not what I had in mind." He flexed his body and brought her spiraling across him as he turned her in his arms and landed a gentle butterfly's kiss on each cheek.
Veronica brushed her mouth along the contours of his lips before succumbing to the insistent pressure of his tongue. His teeth clicked against hers as he deepened the kiss, sliding back and forth so rapidly that she groaned incoherently. The sound vibrated against his lips and jangled every nerve ending with its raw intensity. He pulled her on top of him and gasped when she started grinding against him, moving back and forth with deliberate intent. "Umm, maybe you should…oh, fuck…" Logan lost his ability to speak when her fingers did a quick tap dance on his crotch.
"S'bout time." She sampled his ear lobe with her teeth and ran her tongue across his clavicle.
He dipped his head and met her on her second lap, tasting salt and sweat and a hint of musk as he feasted on the spoils of her tempting lips. Then he pulled her upright and sucked his way up the column of her neck and across to the sweet spot behind her right ear. "'Zat so?"
Her hands dug into his biceps as he pressed his suit. "Gah." Veronica's head fell forward as she reared over him and exposed her delicious cleavage for his viewing pleasure. He dropped his eyes for a good long leer, taking in the upper curves of her breasts and the way they pressed together with each rotation of her hips, threatening to pop out of her tight little top.
Logan rested his thumbs on her upper ribcage and decided to give her a little assist. "You like that, Mars? You ain't seen nothing yet." As she undulated and sent his head spinning, he tugged on her shirt and snickered when her tits came spilling into his hands. He wet his palms and started rolling her nipples between his fingers, blowing on each one and smiling when her breath hissed in his ear. Her body swayed when he sucked her into his mouth and jerked when he bit her. From side to side he went, working her like the master that he was and nearly shooting his load when she loosed a toe-curling moan.
"More," Veronica begged when he paused to take a breath.
"Only if you ask nice." Logan tore her shirt from her body and tossed it on top of the ice pack. He followed that with a quick release of her bra's front snap and a dramatic toss in the other direction.
"Pretty please," she said in a syrupy Southern accent.
"That's better, Scarlett." He slid his hands to the waistband of her shorts and pushed them down to her knees.
Veronica wriggled the rest of the way out of them and rested her hands on his chest. "Your turn, Rhett." She tweaked his nipples and smiled when he bit his lower lip. Her hands and mouth covered every inch of his chest and moved steadily downward. When she got to her goal, she grabbed his zipper with her teeth and pulled it open. He raised his butt and his jeans quickly joined the growing pile of clothes.
"Talented wench." Logan panted when her hot hands started stroking him and only stopped her when he came too close to the edge. He kissed each of her fingers and sucked on her thumbs while he batted his eyelashes at her.
Her answering moan was punctuated by a fit of giggles. "But I wanted to sample your wares," she complained good-naturedly.
Logan fanned out her fingers and sucked the center of each palm, increasing the pressure when she pulled on his head and finishing his tour by smacking a kiss on her lips. "And a greedy wench too."
Veronica tossed her head like a spirited filly. "Damn straight."
He lifted her up and threatened to toss her over the side. "Say uncle."
"Aunt," she joked, gasping when Logan rearranged her legs and laced them behind his neck. With a half smile, he lowered his head and started lapping at her molten center, pressing harder when she shuddered with orgasm and yelled out his name.
Veronica and Logan were twisted together like a pretzel, limbs thrown every which way as he shimmied his way slowly up her torso. When they were face to face, he kissed her eyelids and nuzzled her face. "You OK?"
Words seemed meaningless when your entire body was humming. "Mmm." Veronica smiled lazily and dropped her legs to each side of him.
He grazed her lips with the tip of his tongue. "That a yes?"
She caught his tongue on its second pass and slurped it into her mouth. With an impish grin, he kissed her so thoroughly that her brain started whiting out. "Yessss," she hissed when he flicked his thumb across her clit to get her attention.
Logan's hair brushed against her belly as he kissed her upper thighs and slowly spread her legs apart. With a gentle smile that belied the strength in his upper body, he propped himself up on his elbows and pushed his way in, slowly acclimating her to his rapidly thickening cock. For a long beat, he stared down at her with cute crinkled eyes and winked as he withdrew, sliding nearly all the way out and giggling when she mewled in protest. With a swift reverse, he plunged back in and made her eyes bug out as he picked up the pace, grabbing her butt with both hands and slamming her hips into his. With a mock growl, he bit her neck and licked his way across her breasts as he moved deep inside her, fucking her so hard that she lost all conscious thought, only focusing on his harsh breathing and her heart trip hammering against him as their bellies slapped in a sloppy rhythm. Veronica's entire body tightened like a bow when he dropped his hand and did a few of those magical thumb flicks that sent her screaming over the cliff, taking him down with her as he climaxed. He gasped out her name and followed it with an unintelligible moan and a word that sounded strangely like love.
Logan surrounded Veronica with his arms and legs and settled her against his chest. Her lithe body glowed neon in the weird fluorescence of her room and he started thinking about spaceships and little green men. With an odd little laugh, he hugged her even tighter and nuzzled her hair with his lips.
"What?" Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Implants. Probes. Mind control." Logan made a mad scientist face and giggled like an escapee from the loony bin. At her what the fuck glance, he said, "It's the lighting in this room. Could you be any more X-Files if you tried, Nancy?"
"Hey, Joe, it was my Dad's idea." She dug her fingers into his side and chortled when she found one of his ticklish spots.
"Oh my god, is that a lava lamp? I thought those went out with the dinosaurs." Logan rolled his eyes and snickered when she tickled his other side.
She tweaked his nose and crossed her eyes at him. "What's bugging you?"
He sighed. "The past few days have been…strange. I'm starting to feel like this is someone else's life, you know? Like I'm going to wake up and all this will be gone."
Veronica framed his face with her hands. "It's real, Logan. I don't know how it happened, and we may kill each other before too long, but I've learned that you have to grab what life gives you and go with it."
"And who taught you that?"
"You did."
Her affirmation caught him by surprise and he covered up by snarking, "You sure it wasn't Lilly? She seems to be feeding you all sorts of dirt on me."
She flashed her million-dollar smile, but her eyes never made it past beaten and broken. "No, I'm pretty sure that I learned that from you."
This was so not the time for teary-eyed crap. His stomach grumbled and he used that excuse to break the tension. "Hey, Veronica, should we order takeout? I'm kind of hungry."
"What do you have in mind?" She licked her lips salaciously and winked.
Logan shook his head with a laugh. "Hmm. Steak? Potatoes? Maybe some cheesecake?"
Veronica ran her hands up his arms and squeezed his biceps. "Cheesecake? Check."
He launched into his best Bogart impression, "That's beefcake, sweetheart." With an evil smirk, he stroked the sides of her breasts and dropped his hands to her waist. "How about foreplay with a cherry on top?"
She giggled. "We seem to be out of that flavor. How about some rocky road?"
Logan rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Story of my life. Yeah, OK, lead the way, tiny blonde one."
The dim kitchen light seemed slightly surreal with its dusky tones of ultramarine and umber. Logan meshed easily with the shadows and leaned his lanky frame against the counter, observing her scooping technique with a slightly raised eyebrow and a knowing smirk. Veronica divvied out vanilla and chocolate into two bowls and tried not to gape at 6 extremely ripped and finely boned feet of sinew. She heard a slightly diabolical giggle as she snuck a look and was caught squarely in his melted chocolate gaze. "Umm…whipped cream?" she asked nervously.
Logan put his arms behind his head and leaned even further back. "Absolutely," he said huskily, dark eyes dropping from her face to her breasts and lingering for a long beat that was echoed by the throbbing in her loins.
She turned to unscrew the lid off the bottle of cherries and was startled when he moved in behind her and slid his arms around her waist. "Let me help you with that."
"How many do you want?" Veronica's eyes closed as he rubbed suggestively against her and parted the back of her thighs with his rapidly hardening cock.
He cupped her breasts and rotated his thumbs around her aureoles. "These two will do just fine."
"Not on the menu," she whispered as he wet his palms and massaged her nipples with saliva-slicked fingers.
"Must be a special." The intimacy of his tone buckled her knees and she fell back against him, barely noticing when he reached over and grabbed the can of whipped cream.
Her eyes closed as he bent her over his arm and she never saw the nozzle coming at her. With a grin, he pressed down and made a Veronica mustache. Her eyes flew open in shock as he licked the cream off her and smacked his lips loudly. She punched his arm and announced, "Dude, you are so dead."
Delighted laughter spilled out of him and he danced out of reach with the can held high. "Can't catch me."
"Wanna bet? I have the home court advantage." She lunged across the counter and sent the bowl of vanilla into orbit. With a grunt, he jumped backward and spun around in circles, barely missing the bowl as he leaped over it and careened off the wall.
Logan looked up at the can with a grin. "Score, 30-Love."
Veronica arched her eyebrow at him and hovered near the sink. "Oh, you're so cute. Think I don't have a Plan B?"
Memories of the bong incident threw him for a temporary loop but he recovered nicely. "I would never think that, Ronnie."
She narrowed her eyes at him and tapped her fingers on the counter. "You plan on walking out of here in one piece?"
Logan chuckled. "Why, you gonna hand me my head on a platter if I Ronnie you to death?"
"It's not my death I'm worried about." Veronica cast a pointed stare at his groin before flicking her eyes to the knife rack.
He gasped in mock horror. "Please don't geld me. I still have a lot of rides left in me."
She rolled her eyes. "Good to know. Say, do you think you can dispense with the cream and help me clean this mess up?"
Logan tried not to smirk as he bowed down. "Your wish is my command, Madame." He inched closer and when he reached shooting distance, he pumped a perfect circle on each of her breasts. At her cry of outrage, he twisted her into his arms and pulled her onto the counter, where he plucked 2 cherries out of the jar and topped her foam-covered peaks.
"I swear to God…" He cut off her protests with a crushing kiss that left her gasping like a fish. "I'm gonna kill…" Logan's tongue swiped away some cream and flicked across her left nipple. A low moan started in the back of her throat as he sucked her into his mouth and swirled his tongue around her cherry sundae. His toes curled as she dug her fingers into his butt and kneaded, crying out hoarsely when his mouth closed over her other breast and lapped up every last bit of cream. He finished with the cherry between his teeth and offered it to her with a shit-eating grin. Her eyes gleamed as she pinched his ass and giggled when he dropped the cherry between her lips.
He rubbed his butt. "Don't you people believe in trimming your nails?"
"You people?" Veronica mocked with another eye-roll.
"What?" Logan waited expectantly and was rewarded with a swipe of her hand.
"You're such a snob," she complained.
"What's it to you?" he shot back. "I'm here, aren't I?"
Veronica's smile stretched tightly across her lips. "Indeed." She advanced on his position and bared her teeth when he backed up slightly.
"Hey, I was kidding." Logan almost tripped over Backup, who was polishing off the remains of the vanilla that had dripped to the floor. He skirted around the dog and put the counter between him and the blonde pixie.
"Were you now?" She stopped at the sink and seemed lost in thought, which was scary all by itself.
Logan eyed the slowly melting bowl of chocolate and thought about feeding it to her. "You going to waste all that ice cream?"
"Ah, it's the old 'change the subject' trick. Think that's going to work on me, Joe?"
He snapped his fingers. "It was worth a shot, Nancy."
Veronica beckoned him with a ruby-tipped finger. "C'mere."
Logan held his ground. "Don't think so."
She picked up the bowl and took a bite. "It's only ice cream."
He snickered. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"
"Hey, you just covered me with whipped cream. What can I possibly do that could compete with that?" Veronica said reasonably, watching his face as she took a few more bites.
Logan took tiny baby steps and stopped behind the dog. "You try anything, Mars, and I'll sic the man killer on you."
Veronica laughed. "Get over here, will ya? It's melting fast."
He slid across the kitchen floor and marveled at the magic of floor wax. "All righty. Give it to me, baby."
"With pleasure." It wasn't until the very last second that his rather slow brain figured it out, but by then, the bowl was upended and a river of chocolate was pouring down on his head. Annoyance warred with anger and finally lost out to amusement. Veronica swiped her finger on his cheek and licked it. With a waggling finger, she said, "You do remember that revenge is a dish best served cold."
Logan groaned. "I did ask for this, didn't I?"
"Sure did. Want me to help you wash up?" she asked sweetly.
He was too uncomfortable to suspect any ulterior motives. "Yeah."
"You sure?" Veronica asked.
Logan nodded and started moving toward the bathroom.
"Hey, Echolls, where you going?" she called.
He turned and was instantly doused with the kitchen sprayer. She laughed through the arc of water and dropped the hose when he jumped at her, catching her around the waist and collapsing to the sticky floor in a jumbled pile of sodden limbs and laughter.
Veronica choked with laughter as he rubbed his face against hers and smeared her with sticky chocolate. "Uncle," she cried.
"Little too late for that, V." Logan licked her face and snickered when she tried wriggling out from under him.
"I'll get you back for this," she whispered as his hands streaked her blonde tresses with brown.
He lapped under her chin. "That a promise"
Veronica giggled as he tasted his way down her neck. "Sure is." She suddenly felt a cold nose and looked up to see Backup looming over them. With a doggie grin, he jumped on top of Logan and started licking the back of Logan's head.
Logan's eyes crinkled with humor as he pushed the dog aside. "I like you too, pal, but a three-way isn't in the cards."
"You sure? He taught me everything I know about poker."
He smiled. "Figures. Beaten out by a dog. Or is that a--?"
Veronica punched him. "Don't even go there, Joe. You're just a sore loser."
Logan's hands settled on her waist as he nuzzled her nose. "It was 5000 dollars, Mars."
She scoffed. "That's pocket change to you 09ers."
His laugh was slightly tainted with bitterness. "Not anymore."
Veronica sensed his uneasiness and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey, at least you're in good company, right?"
Logan's eyes softened as he gazed down at her with open adoration. "Yeah. So, still want to help me wash up?"
She rolled sideways and extended her hand. "Right this way."
He stared at her fingers. "No tricks?"
Her smile twisted the corners of her mouth. "You'll have to trust me."
Logan took her hand without hesitation. "Always."
The water streamed down on them as they washed each other, her hands scrubbing his hair and trailing the washcloth across his shoulders and down his back. Gentle fingers touched his scars and soft kisses rained apologies on the ruination of his skin. "So sorry," Veronica murmured, her voice masked by the roar of the shower.
Logan's eyes squeezed shut in remembered pain. "Don't be." He stared at the wall and imagined Aaron's mocking face in front of him.
She stepped around to face him. "Not just for that. For not trusting you. For everything I did to you. "
He smiled fondly and touched her cheek. "And I'm sorry I was such a jackass all this past year."
Veronica kissed him lightly and ran her hands up his chest. When her fingers tangled in his necklace, she asked, "Why do you always wear that?"
Logan shrugged. "Mom gave it to me when I was a kid."
"It obviously means a lot to you," she stated softly. "You never take it off."
"We-ll, that's where you're wrong, little lady" he drawled, "I only take it off for one thing." With a flip of his hand, he pretended to toss a hat off his head and knew she got the Burt Reynolds reference from Smokey and the Bandit.
Veronica's blue eyes were luminous and shimmered with tears. "Do you really have to leave town?"
He wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, but that was a lie, and they both knew it. "I don't know. Maybe."
"I'll miss you." She laid her head on his chest and ignored the lather from his hair as he rinsed out the soap.
"Wish you could come with me." All this truth and honesty was new to him, and he felt the sudden burning need for a drink.
She looked sad as she turned the shower off. "So do I, but Dad would never allow it."
"No kidding." Logan knew he was playing with fire by even being here, but it was his last chance with her, and she was worth the risk of getting caught. He stepped out of the shower and held out his hand, and just as he had in the kitchen, she took it without hesitation. His heart swelled with love at that tiny gesture of utter and complete trust and his throat closed up with emotion. He gazed at her until his eyes burned with tears and only then did he look at the ground, completely eaten up by the moment.
Veronica bumped against Logan as they moved toward the parking lot. "Do you think Duncan is OK?"
Logan kicked at some sand and kept his eyes cast downward. "Nope." With a crazy laugh, he scooped a rock off the ground and launched it at a sign.
She sighed as the rock hit with a sharp crack. "I could come with you."
He squeezed her shoulder. "And rub salt in his wounds? Don't think so."
"So you're going to out us?"
The second squeeze was harder. "Something like that."
She slid her arm through his. "He might hurt you."
Logan snorted. "I deserve it for lying to him."
Her brows lowered at his tone. "Then so do I. We're in this together, remember?"
"Yeah." He smiled faintly, but there was no conviction in his voice.
"You don't believe me?"
They reached Duncan's SUV and Logan leaned against the hood. "Sure I do, but this is between Duncan and me."
Veronica's mouth went dry when he put his arms over his head and stretched the thin material of his T-shirt across his chest. With a flaming face, she murmured, "I'm worried about him."
He straightened slightly. "So am I."
She moved closer and smiled when he opened his arms and wrapped them around her waist. "Don't let him beat you up."
"Thanks a lot. What, you don't think I can handle DK?"
Veronica stroked his just-washed hair and marveled at its softness. "He's twice your size."
"Go ahead, rub it in," Logan complained mildly as he caught her hand and kissed it.
She whispered, "Hey, I kind of like your girlish figure."
He giggled and did a half leap in the air. "So glad you approve, girlfriend."
Veronica's hands roamed over his chest. "Hmm, perhaps I was mistaken."
Logan captured her fingers and shoved her back against the car. "Would you care to rectify that?"
She grinned. "Here?"
He smirked back and nuzzled her nose. "Bet you'd love that, huh?"
"Hey, I'm not the one who's always angling for sex."
Logan touched the side of her face. "So I must have imagined that vixen who launched herself at me?"
Veronica wrinkled her nose. "God, you sound just like Troy Vandegraff."
"See? I learn from the best." His smile faltered slightly. "I should probably get going."
She threaded her fingers through his. "So I'll see you in court?"
"If you promise not to sue me," he countered with a grimace.
The snarky Veronica would have mentioned that the Kanes were taking care of that, but her compassionate side merely said, "It's a deal."
Logan leaned in and kissed her cheek. When she turned her face, his lips skimmed across hers in a slow, wet slide that unfurled the heat in her center and sent it soaring through every part of her. With a moan, she grabbed his hair and opened her mouth wide, letting him taste and explore the roof of her mouth and the ridges of her teeth. He backed off a little to catch his breath and started to say, "Veronica, I lo—"
His words were drowned out by the frantic honking of a horn. She looked over his shoulder and almost groaned at the sight of Wallace. "Hey, Mars, I brought dinner. Do you want to…oh, hey," he muttered uncomfortably when he spotted Logan.
Logan saluted. "I was just leaving." He mouthed an apology and winked at Veronica before escaping into Duncan's car.
Logan parked the Benz and stared up at the neon-fried Camelot sign. It was now the Camel, which he thought was a more appropriate name for a seedy motel in the low-rent district. While some buildings took on a certain dignity at night, the Camelot did no such thing. It was a 24/7 dump, but at least it was predictable (unlike his life).
He closed and locked the car door and trudged up the stairs with a heavy step. When he got to his room, he noticed that the door was ajar and guessed Duncan was beyond caring about much of anything. With a hitch of breath, he pushed the door open and stepped into the dim interior.
Duncan was half sprawled on the bed with the remote in his hand and he grunted in response to Logan's 'hey, dude'. The TV's glow reflected like a blue afterburn, turning his friend's eyes into eerie cat's orbs. With a shiver, Logan moved further into the room and stopped short at the sight of his scattered belongings. "What the fuck?" he muttered, looking between Duncan and the pile of paper and CDs.
"Thought I'd redecorate," Duncan commented idly as he flipped to a sports channel.
Logan started to smile but stopped at the sight of his upended sketchpad. "Umm…DK? What's going on?"
Duncan tossed the remote aside and got to his feet. "Was hoping you could tell me. 'Cuz I'm obviously the slow one here."
Damn. DK was sober. Better play this straight and true. "How much do you know?"
Duncan reached into his pocket and held up the videotape. "Everything. By the way, nice camera angles. Aaron will really appreciate the technical aspects."
Shit. "Yeah. Look, I know you're pissed, but—"
Duncan interrupted, "Pissed? That's not the half of it."
Logan opened his hands in supplication. "Tell me how I can fix this."
"You can't." The words were choked off as Duncan bunched his fists and stepped over a pile of debris. "There's nothing you can offer me, nothing you can say that will make a difference."
"We didn't want to hurt you."
"Ha." Duncan moved in so close that their noses almost touched. "I suppose you'll tell me that you couldn't help yourselves, or that forces beyond your control pushed you together. How am I doing?" he growled.
Logan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It wasn't like that, DK."
"Don't call me that."
He held up his hands. "Whatever you want, dude."
Duncan laughed raggedly. "Whatever I want, huh? OK, how about this? I'll trade you the videotape for Veronica."
Logan snickered. "Yeah, right."
His friend crossed his arms. "I'm so not kidding."
He snarked, "What, you expect me to put her up for sale on eBay?"
Duncan's all-American features twisted into a nasty scowl. "I'm not playing games, Logan. It's really very simple. I give you the tape, and you turn your back on Veronica. You tell her you never want to see her again."
Logan hugged himself against the sudden jolt of ice that traveled down his spine. "No."
Duncan's mouth twisted. "You might want to reconsider your answer."
Logan rolled his eyes. "And if I don't, you'll do what, turn me in?"
That seemed to take some of the wind out of Duncan's sails. "Yes."
Did Duncan honestly think that he gave a crap about any of this? "Fine. Do it. Sell it to the highest bidder for all I care."
Duncan's mouth opened slightly. "They'll throw your ass in jail."
"So what? I don't care what happens to me." It was a half-truth, but Duncan was buying it.
"Maybe not, but she does. If you weren't so goddamned self-absorbed, then maybe you'd see that."
"Aw, looking out for my best interests, or wait…could it be…yours?" Logan snarked.
Duncan shut his mouth with an ominous snap. "What the fuck does that mean?"
Logan laughed. "It means that Veronica Mars and her dog will come after you. Is that what you want, DK? Because you know what? She's not the forgiving type, and I can't see her cutting you any slack."
"Fuck you."
He put his hands in front of his face. "And will you listen to all those f words? What would Celeste say if she heard her precious baby talking trash? Now that would be a Kodak moment."
"So help me…" Duncan's fingers bunched up and he glared into Logan's eyes.
"What, you gonna hit me? Go ahead. Take your best shot. I have nothing to lose." He opened his arms and beckoned with his finger. With another grin, he added, "But do me a favor? Punch me where it won't show."
A ripple of emotion crossed Duncan's face and he stepped backward. "Nope. Not gonna stoop to your level. This is exactly what she predicted."
"She?"
Duncan looked at the ceiling and back at his feet. "Lilly came to see me. She said this would backfire, and now that I'm standing here and it's happening in real time, I know it wasn't a dream."
Veronica and Wallace noshed on pizza and caught up. "So you and Echolls, huh?"
Leave it to her bff to bring up the very subject she wanted to avoid. "Yeah."
"Does your Dad know?" he asked thoughtfully.
"Not yet."
He smiled. "Don't worry, V, your secret's safe with me."
She grinned back. "Good thing it was you and not your Mom who popped in."
Wallace sighed. "She wouldn't have ratted you out."
Veronica raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"Uh-uh. Mom's pretty cool about stuff like that, only…she's real good at dropping the guilty card on my head."
"And mine too?"
Wallace laughed uncomfortably at this reminder of their Mom and Dad's relationship. "You can count on it. So, what about Duncan?"
Her fork froze between her salad and her mouth. "What about him?"
He rolled his eyes at her obvious dodge. "He can't be too happy about this."
She shook her head. "Duncan asked me to give him another chance. I told him I'd think about it."
"For what, about two seconds?" Wallace countered mildly.
Veronica knew he was right. "I'm not the same person, and try as I might, I can't go back."
"And you think Echolls fills the bill?"
Logan was exactly what she needed right now. "Yes."
He flashed her a dubious glance. "If you say so."
Veronica tapped her fork on her plate. "I do. Now do you mind if we change the subject? I'd love to hear how things are going with that new girl at the Sac and Pac."
Wallace coughed in embarrassment. "You know what? It's getting kind of late. Why don't we turn the movie on?"
She nodded with a laugh. "OK, bff, but sooner of later, you're going to spill your guts."
He turned on the TV and inserted the DVD. "Don't think so, Mars."
"Whatever you say, Sodapop." With a grin, the credits from The Outsiders flashed on the screen and they took up their respective spots on the sofa.
Duncan shoved the tape back in his pocket. "Why did you lie to me? You're supposed to be my best friend."
Logan shifted his weight nervously. "What, you don't have any secrets?"
He pointed his finger. "Don't turn this around on me. This is about her. You knew how I felt, but you went after her anyway."
"Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you dumped her."
Duncan retorted, "I thought she was my sister. What would you have done?"
Logan retreated to a comfortable distance and leaned against the wall. "For starters? I would have told her the truth."
He laughed raggedly. "Or Celeste's version of the truth."
"Whatever, the point is, you owed her an explanation and you never gave her one."
Duncan blinked back tears. "I was trying to protect her. Is that so wrong?"
Logan smiled tightly. "No, but Veronica's a tough girl, D. Sooner or later, she would have figured it out."
Moisture blurred his eyes. "God, I'm such an idiot. She said she'd give me a chance…told me that she cared about me, and I actually believed her."
"It wasn't a lie, DK. You were the love of her life. That doesn't fade away completely."
Duncan didn't miss the past tense. "Yeah, well, none of that matters now, does it?"
Logan leaped away from the wall and skipped to the bed. "Of course it matters. You think I'm over Lilly? I'll always love her."
He sighed. "Even with all the shit she pulled?"
Logan dipped his head and swiped at his eyes. "She's dead, man. What's the point in hating her?
"Then you're a better person than me."
Logan scoffed. "Hardly. I only go around drugging my friends and bashing in headlights. And when I'm not committing felonies, I jump off bridges."
Duncan's smile won out over his frown. "Are my ears deceiving me, or was there an apology in the middle of that tirade?"
"Maybe." Logan looked at the mess and raised an eyebrow. "You've certainly been busy."
"I was kind of drunk." He pointed to the flask with a shrug.
"On my Cuervo? Thanks a lot, dude. That was the last of my stash."
He replied, "I'm sure Monique will buy you some more."
"Dear, sweet Aunt Money. Did she take care of you?" Logan flounced on the bed and leered up at Duncan.
Duncan sighed. "She's a lunatic. Did you know she shot someone?"
Logan smiled proudly, "Yup. Nancy Drew googled her name and we got all kinds of dirt on her."
"Not surprising. She's bipolar."
Logan laughed. "We all have our issues. And coming from the loins of Dave Lester? I'm not surprised that she's got a few screws loose."
"You make it sound like a virtue."
His friend giggled nervously. "Maybe it is. And hey, now you can add your crazy branch to the Kane family tree."
He wasn't in a joking mood. "I'm not crazy."
"OK, dude. Whatever. It's just…when you talk about Lilly coming to see you, it sounds a little out there, you know?"
Duncan chewed on the inside of his cheek for a second. "I'm telling you, man, I saw her."
Logan grabbed the flask and tossed it between his hands. "And the Cuervo had nothing to do with it."
His breath hissed out. "Lilly was here."
Logan tucked his fingers in his pockets and nodded his head. "I believe you."
Duncan raised an eyebrow. "I just told you that I saw a ghost. Most people would freak out and head for the hills."
Logan ducked his head with a smile. "Who knows? Maybe I saw her too."
"You trying to be funny?"
"Nope."
"When did you see her?" Duncan folded his hands together and took up position on the far edge of the bed.
"A few times…here and there. Always figured it was the booze, you know?"
"Yeah. Tell me about it." Duncan rubbed the throbbing vein in his temple and cursed the hangover gods.
"So, dude, you're supposed to beat the shit out of me. What gives?" Logan framed the comment as a joke but the bleakness in his voice was a dead giveaway.
"I'm saving it for my parents," Duncan intoned flatly.
"Ah, what has the lovely Celeste done now?" Logan sniped.
"Besides deluding and drugging me? I can't think of a thing." Duncan fought to push back his anger, but it overtook the small measure of calmness that Lilly's visit had brought.
Logan said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Duncan acknowledged his friend's words with a curt nod. "I'm starting to wonder if it was all an elaborate plot to keep me in the dark."
"What do you mean?"
"It all dates back to Lilly's death. I had this blackout, and next thing I know, they've diagnosed me with epilepsy. And after that, it seemed like she shoved pills in my face for the slightest thing. But you know what? I'm over it now, and I'm not going to put up with her shit."
Logan held up a hand. "Dude, I totally hear what you're saying, but what if the epilepsy is real?"
"It can't be" Duncan put his head in his hands and sighed. "I don't want it to be."
"But you're still on your meds, right?" Logan asked quietly.
He sighed again. "Yeah."
"Listen, why don't you get a second opinion?"
Duncan had never thought that far ahead. "That's a good idea."
"I can probably get you a few names."
"Thanks." His fingers dropped to his pocket and closed over the tape's square shape. "Oh, I should probably give this back to you." Duncan fished the tape out and held it in the palm of his hand.
Logan's looked at the ground as he retrieved the tape. "Emotional blackmail, huh?"
"Yeah. It was a stupid idea. Sorry."
"Actually, it was kind of inspired…for you."
Duncan smacked Logan's shoulder lightly. "Oh, and I suppose you have a better plan?"
Logan smirked. "What, you think I would tell you and let you use it against me?
Duncan rolled his eyes. "So we're cool?"
His friend nodded. "Of course."
"No more lies?"
"Nope."
Duncan watched Logan's fingers whiten around the tape. "You still plan on sending that to him?"
Logan's lips thinned with barely concealed anger. "Hell, yes."
"But what if he gets out? He could use it against you."
Logan laughed unpleasantly. "Are you kidding? It flies in the face of the Echolls publicity machine. Bad publicity could ruin Aaron's good name, and we can't have that. He'll gather his loving family around him and show his best face to the public."
Duncan heard the raw pain behind the snark. "Maybe he won't get out. Maybe they'll send him away to San Quentin."
Logan snickered. "He'd have the time of his life. Imagine the fireworks if they partnered him up with Charlie Manson."Aaron had once auditioned for the lead role in Helter Skelter and been turned away.
He laughed. "Now that would be a marriage made in heaven. Think you'll ever visit him?"
Logan's nostrils flared. "No fucking way. He's a sick fuck and deserves to die for his crimes. If they fry him, I'll be the first in line to witness that happy event."
Duncan shrunk back slightly at his vehemence. "You and me both," he averred in a muted tone. "So, I'll try to make it tomorrow."
"Thanks, but it's not necessary." Logan jammed his fingers in his pocket and drew out the keys to Duncan's Benz. With a left-handed toss, he flipped them across to Duncan. "You good to drive?"
"I think so." Duncan took one last look at the mess and shook his head. "Sorry I flipped out."
Logan smiled benevolently. "As Lilly would say, it was about fucking time, dude."
Duncan ignored the undercurrent of anger behind his friend's words and clapped his hand on Logan's shoulder. "See you soon."
