A/N: By the way, if anyone has a good way to summarize this story, I'm all ears, so to speak. I have no idea how to describe this story. I'm into the writing, but not so much into the marketing, as is evidenced by my lack of a clever and amusing title (considered a necessity by English professors everywhere). All suggestions are welcome, and, hey, maybe the winner will get a prize or something.
A/N: Also - thank you all for your wonderful reviews. It's been very encouraging, especially considering I'm still not sure how I feel about this one. Anyway, on with the show.
Chapter Six: Kaboom
At 10:02 exactly, Logan entered the apartment building. He'd changed out of his party clothes and into jeans and a button-up, and the doorman eyed him suspiciously. With a sigh, Logan realized that he couldn't just say he was there to see Max, so he did what he always did. He thought on his feet.
"Yes, can you ring the woman in apartment 1412 and tell her I think I left my watch on her coffee table?" he asked the disapproving doorman.
"Your name?"
"Logan Cale." No sense lying about that.
"One moment." Logan almost laughed when the doorman turned to call up to Max's apartment. Just one year before, Max had had to give the new doorman at Fogle Towers a very stern talking to for not allowing her up, and now here he was on the opposite end of the buzzer. Before, he'd only had to get past Original Cindy, though, admittedly, that had been pretty difficult some days.
"Okay, Mr. Cale, you can go on up," the doorman informed him.
The elevator ride was incredibly nerve-racking for Logan. He couldn't wait to see Max, couldn't wait to talk to her alone, but he was nervous. He wanted to know how her life had been for the last six months. He wanted to know how she'd met her rich boyfriend. He wanted to know if she knew her boyfriend's father was a criminal. He wanted to know if her boyfriend knew who she was - who she really was - because he seriously doubted that Patterson did.
He knocked politely, and stepped back. He stuck his hands into his pockets, and he waited. He thought he heard a scuffle from inside, and almost knocked again when the door flew open. Logan nearly choked when he saw the man in front of him.
"Alec?"
"Logan! Buddy! Come on in!"
Stepping inside, Logan quickly walked into living room and saw Max, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked so much more relaxed in jeans and a tank-top, though her stance was not. This was the Max he remembered. She smiled when Logan entered, but it was obvious that she was angry with Alec. They were still acting like petulant children, still locked in their parody of sibling rivalry. It comforted him somehow.
"Sorry," Max shrugged. She glared at Alec, who obviously got the message and disappeared into the kitchen.
"It's okay," Logan laughed, "I'm just a little surprised to see him."
"Yeah, he shows up every once in a while. He gives me updates on the others, what they need, I give him money to go away; it works."
"Hopefully the money ends up with the others in Canada?" Logan smirked.
Max laughed slightly, and the tension in the air seemed to fade. "Hopefully, since that was the original idea," she replied.
"So, how've you been?" Logan asked cautiously.
Max sighed and walked over to one of the large windows. It was uncanny how similar a picture it was to when she used to stand by his windows and tell him her troubles. He even had that tingling of déjà vu at the back of his neck. It was reassuring, seeing her like that – the way he remembered her. Milky moonlight flooded through the windows and cast an odd shine on her hair. She looked almost… ethereal.
"Would you think I was a terrible person if I said I wasn't exactly fine?"
Logan let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He shook his head, "No, you never liked having to lead a double life. The trappings of wealth don't necessitate happiness. Believe me, I'm the expert."
Max turned and smiled at him. Then she was moving again, across the living room and into the foyer. She looked back at him, indicating that he should follow, so he did. They ended up in the bathroom. Logan tried to hide his confusion, especially when Max pulled the top off her toilet, but everything became clear when she took out a large plastic bag. Safely sealed inside was a regular manila envelope. She took it out of the bag and handed it to him carefully, just holding onto the very edge.
"I was going to send this with Alec, but, I might as well give it to you now," she half-explained.
With a fervent curiosity, Logan undid the clasp to the envelope and pulled out the contents. At his very first glance, he knew what they were. They were copies of incriminating evidence – evidence against Patterson Electronics, evidence against William Lucas-Patterson II. There were company memos, transcripts of phone conversations, even photographs. Logan looked up at Max with surprise. She smiled almost shyly at him, and shrugged as she maneuvered past him and out the door.
Logan felt a rush of surprise and gratitude. He smiled, "Max, how did you know?"
"You mentioned it a long time ago, one of the many you never had enough evidence to nail, so I figured, you know, if you're still interested…"
"Thank you," he said breathlessly, absolutely touched by the gesture. As usual, Max shrugged it off.
"So… how's life?" she asked, plopping down onto the couch with affected lightness, but quite obviously trying to change the subject.
"It's… routine," he finally answered. "I get up, I save the world, I go to bed…"
Max laughed, and the elephant in the room was firmly established. She looked so comfortable, stretched out on her couch, that Logan couldn't bear to say anything that might upset her. He couldn't ask her what she thought an Eyes Only broadcast about the evils of Patterson Electronics would do to her boyfriend. Instead, he took a seat across from her, and waited for her to continue the conversation. Unfortunately, she seemed content inspecting her perfectly manicured nails to come up with a topic.
"Oh!" He said suddenly, prompted by Max's manicure, "I spoke to Original Cindy the other day."
"Oh?" Max suddenly perked up, obviously excited to hear his news.
"She's doing well. She's in love – one of the new bike messengers. I saw them at the market the other day, she's cute. Not who I assumed to be Original Cindy's type, but cute."
"And what exactly did you think was OC's type?" Max asked, a teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"Oh, you know, exotic, tough, tendency to get into trouble," Logan replied with a straight face.
Max smiled knowingly, "Sounds about right. And this new girl?"
"Emmy – she's tiny. I don't know how she manages to deliver packages all day."
"They seemed happy, though?" Max asked cautiously, biting just slightly on her lower lip.
"Very."
"Good." They lapsed into silence again, and Logan became aware of the sound of Alec messing around in Max's kitchen. Logan couldn't help giving a short laugh. He always did the same thing at Logan's apartment too. Hell, he even raided the kitchen when Logan was staying at Joshua's. The guy was a walking stomach. At least Max had his permission when she did that.
"I'm glad you came down," Max said quietly.
"I am too," Logan replied with equal solemnity. "If I'd known you were hanging out with Melissa Littleton, I would have taken a drive down here earlier."
"So, you do know Melissa?"
"Yeah, I've spent some time in San Francisco. Our mother's went to boarding school together."
"Really? She told me stories, but I didn't realize the connection." She paused and just looked at him for a second. He had the distinct feeling that she was weighing his reaction. Finally, she said gently, "Sounds like your mom was an amazing person."
"She was," Logan replied with a bit of hesitation. "She really was."
A shrill ringing echoed through the apartment, causing Logan to start slightly. Max smiled apologetically before lifting her hips slightly to pull her cell phone out of her pocket. A frown marred her features as she checked the caller ID and quickly snapped open the phone. Her greeting, however, was light and musical. It soon became apparent that she was talking to Will, the realization driving all thoughts of comfort from Logan's mind. He listened to the conversation with interest, and the resentment and envy he'd been able to quash in the last three hours came rushing back.
"Sorry," she said quietly when she closed the phone. "I told him I didn't feel well, so he was just calling to check up on me." She was avoiding his eyes again. "He's not a bad guy."
Suddenly, Logan couldn't wait to get out of the stifling presence of the new Max. "Right, well, I'll wait a couple weeks to air this information. You might want to give him some warning." He said it with such calmness, and he had absolutely no idea how he managed it. He was ready to go. He had his answers. Max was okay. He could return to his empty apartment now. He stood, and Max watched
Max scoffed. "You're mad?"
"No, Max. I'm not mad, I'm resigned," he lied. He lied through his teeth. He wasn't just mad, he was pissed. He'd been an idiot! He'd allowed himself to be drawn back into the comfort of her presence. "I understand," he continued. "You should stay here, and you should be happy. If you need anything… you have my number."
"Fine," Max scoffed. She jumped to her feet and stalked over to the window. Great, now she was pissed. Logan grimly turned away, but Alec chose that moment to interrupt from the kitchen.
"Jeez, why can't you two be in the room together for more than ten minutes without fighting? For people who claim to like each other, you guys sure don't act like it."
"Are you here for any other reason than to annoy us?" Logan snapped.
"Alec, are you staying or going?" Max spat at the same time.
Alec shrugged, "Staying."
"Then get your ass into the guest room and leave us alone!"
Alec laughed, "Always taking it out on me." He shook his head as he left the room, laughing as he went. The sound jarred Logan's last nerve. He must have made some noise to acknowledge the fact, because Max turned on him. Her expression was emotionless, but in her voice was everything that was anger and pain.
"You know what? Just go. You obviously want to leave, so leave."
"That's the plan." He turned to leave again, but he just had to ask. He couldn't leave without knowing. The question was boiling just beneath his surface. "Doesn't it bother you?" he practically shouted.
"What?" she snapped.
"You're sleeping with the enemy!"
"No, I'm sleeping with the son of the enemy. There's a difference." Even though he'd known (he wasn't an idiot, after all), the actual acknowledgement of the sexual aspect of the relationship stung Logan to his core. Even the richest man wouldn't buy an apartment for a beautiful woman he'd never touched, he knew, but the idea that someone else was spending his nights with her, was touching her, kissing her…
When his mouth opened again, Logan couldn't believe the words that escaped. They were vindictive, he was reacting to the pain, and he regretted it almost instantly. "I'm done, Max," he spat. "Okay? I'm done. I can't do this anymore."
"Figures," Max shrugged, her tone biting and her eyes full of hurt.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you can't hack it! A little unpleasantness and you're out."
"Look who's talking!" Logan couldn't believe he was on this side of the conversation. How had their roles reversed so completely? "I didn't leave town!" he reminded her.
"No, but you wanted me to."
Logan recoiled when Max's accusation hit him. "Bullshit!" he shouted in utter exasperation. "Why would I want you to leave? Do you realize how worried I've been about you?" The ache in the pit of his stomach that had been growing for so many months threatened to completely overcome him. How could he be standing in the same room with her, finally, after six interminable months, and they were fighting? It wasn't right! He'd missed her so much, but now he was acting like such a prick. God, their lives were so fucked up.
"Well, sorry," she replied sarcastically, and her tone stabbed his heart. They were silent for a moment, and any idiot looking on might think that they were cooling down, but Logan knew they were only getting more riled up. He looked at her, trying to gauge what her next move would be, but she only stared at him with something close to contempt in her eyes, or so it seemed to Logan.
"I never asked you to worry about me," she reminded him coldly.
"Well, that never stopped me before." She knew that. He'd always worried about her. Even when he hadn't liked her very much, he'd still worried about her. "I mean, Jesus, Max, you didn't even say goodbye!" Max stayed silent, so he continued. " I was paging you for two days! I started checking hospitals."
"Well, I was pissed!" Max spat. "You kept lecturing me about my 'responsibilities' like I didn't have any clue that I'm responsible for the others. Every time I saw you, you wanted to lecture me. God, it felt like you were just trying to get me to leave!"
"Yeah, the room!" Logan admitted, "I didn't want you to go to Canada! I just couldn't stand being in the same room with you anymore." He took a few steps forward to add emphasis to his point. "All we did was fight! You were just there, and you were perfect, and I couldn't even touch you!"
"So you took it out on me? Real mature. We used to be able to talk!"
"We used to have some hope!" Max shrank back, and Logan suddenly realized what he'd said. He'd never really acknowledged it before. He'd never really realized the reason they'd started fighting was because he couldn't stand just being friends anymore. It wasn't enough, and it was too much at the same time. He'd given up.
"Yeah?" she suddenly cried out, "and when was that? Huh, Logan? The first time we couldn't get a cure? Or the second? Or the one that only lasted ten hours, which we were stupid enough to blow? You had hope-" she pointed an accusing finger at him, "I gave up a long time ago, but I needed you to be my friend, and you wouldn't. Can you really blame me for leaving?"
To his horror, Logan saw that tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, and he had to force himself to look away. He felt like filth, like mold. He was a bastard. He could hear her breathing, it was hollow and short, like his own. His gaze flew back to her, and their eyes locked. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how they'd ended up so miserable. Had their doomed relationship really managed to wear away everything that was good about their friendship? He loved her so much that it hurt to look at her, yet he couldn't tear his eyes away. The perpetual ache of need, and hurt, and jealousy, and desire flared up savagely within him, and he couldn't believe he'd survived six months without a single word from her.
He took a step toward her, and for once she didn't take a step back. His breathing was ragged, it echoed in his ears, and he wanted to take a break and regroup, but he couldn't. She just stood there, and he could only watch as her uneven breaths seemed to shake her entirely. Thoughts flitted through Logan's brain, none fully registering but all leaving their mark. What were they doing? Why were they fighting? They might never see each other again, and they were acting like they hated… He felt a strangled sort of panic when he realized that she'd told him to leave, and had probably meant it. He didn't want to leave. He couldn't leave. He needed to be near her.
His mind went blank when he reached for her.
A/N2.0: TBC...
A/N2.0: I like Alec. He amuses me. He does not, however, inspire me to write shippery things about him. This is the nature of our writer/character relationship. Nevertheless, he will return, just not in a romantic capacity. That is all.