Part 5

Logan put his bag down on the floor beside the door. He followed Duncan with his eyes as his former best friend stopped at the center of the room. Duncan slowly scanned the room, then nodded to himself. Logan wondered what it was that Duncan needed to check in that small moment of assessment. Then Duncan turned to him and said, "You can crash in the bedroom."

"Thanks," Logan muttered. "So," he said, walking inside and standing there looking at him, "you going home now?" He thought of how he just needed Duncan to do what he had to do so he could be alone. They had never been this uncomfortable around each other since Duncan had walked in on his and Lilly's escapade in her room.

Duncan glowered at Logan. "Hell no. You think I'm going to leave you alone in here?"

Logan smirked. "So when you said crash in the bedroom, you meant crash in the couch—because no way in hell am I cuddling up with you in a bed."

"What would Mr Mars say about my hospitality then?" Duncan replied. "No. You sleep in Veronica's room," he instructed, pointing to one of the doors, "and I'll stay in mine." Logan stared at him oddly, in surprise. "What?" Duncan demanded.

"You were engaged."

"Thanks for pointing that out," Duncan said, sarcasm lacing his voice. "From your actions these past few years one would think you never knew that."

i"Go to page eight, Logan," Mac said, holding up the newspaper as she made her way to him.

Logan looked up from his laptop and saw the paper that Mac held. Instead of standing up to take it from her, he surfed on over to the newspaper's website. "It may come as a shock to you," he informed her, "but I have an online subscription."

"And here Ver—and here someone told me that you don't bother catching up with current events."

He shook his head and saw the link to the story in the Entertainment section. A huge grinned appeared on his face as he went through all the acclaim that his movie had received. "There's hope for Hollywood yet," he said, looking up at Mac.

Logan glanced down to check the name of the writer, when he saw the link that he often visited when he wanted to walk down memory lane. He quickly clicked on it to see if there were new scandals from the Casablancas brothers, or if his old flame Caitlin had gotten hitched again. He froze at the photograph that accompanied the shattering feature.

"Like what you read huh?" Mac teased. "Logan," she said, when the brilliance of his eyes dimmed. "What's that? It's the floating mic in the porch scene, isn't it? I saw it. I should have warned the editors."

Logan stared at the picture of Duncan and Veronica that looked so trite, because he had seen so many other couples in the exact same position, but nothing had ever struck him the way this photograph did. Veronica grinned into the camera as her hands rested on the arms that wrapped around her waist. She leaned back her head on the chest of a staid Duncan Kane who seemed so dignified and proud as he gazed directly into what seemed like their Polaroid future.

"High school sweethearts Kane-Mars announce engagement," he heard Mac read over his shoulder. "I suppose congratulations are in order," she said quietly. Mac laid a hand on his arm as a sign of support.

"Can you give me a minute?"

"Sure." She moved to leave the room, then turned back and said, "And congratulations on the film, Logan. Remember how well you did."/i

"I had respect for her enough that I wouldn't have touched her because I gave her the wedding she deserved," Duncan said. To Logan, it was Duncan's way of picking up a glove and slapping him with it.

iShe was gorgeous, the way he never wanted her to remember when her name was mentioned. This night was unavoidable. There was no way he could pretend she did not exist anymore after the announcement was published and Duncan had requested him to fly out.

Veronica looked up from her chosen table and smiled tentatively at Logan. He saw how she worried the table napkin with her nervous fingers.

"Hey Ronnie," he greeted, his voice deep. She stiffened slightly at the nickname that he used, because it used to represent so much pent up anger between them until he said it when he cried out in the hotel room.

"Hi." Veronica looked around and then glanced at her watch. "He's going to be late. He wants me to tell you he's sorry."

Logan nodded, and Veronica sighed in relief, thinking it was that easy. "How about you?"

She smiled uncertainly. "How about me? I'm not going to be late," she answered.

"I meant," he drawled, "aren't you sorry?"

And then the anvil dropped. Veronica took a deep breath and licked her lips. Logan swallowed at the sight. Before she spoke, he interrupted her by grabbing her hand. "Logan—"

"Let me see the ring."

She reluctantly allowed him to inspect the diamond gracing her finger. "You gotta give it to him. Our boy doesn't spare any expense, does he?"

"It is beautiful," she agreed. Veronica did not take her hand back. Instead, they remained like that, with him holding her hand as they stared into each other's eyes, for a long time. "Logan, you do know why Duncan asked you to come, don't you?"

That was when he dropped her hand and leaned back in his seat. "I think we're going to need some type of alcohol to continue with this conversation," he decided. When he called over the waiter, one came with wine. Logan sipped slowly, and then said, "Nice choice."

"Duncan's," she said quickly.

"Bring me something hard," he instructed, and the waiter slipped away. "I know Duncan's going to ask me to be his best man," he revealed. "Being that I hate attending weddings, I'm thinking of the best way to piss Duncan royally off—enough that he'll maybe want to think twice about making me his best man." Logan almost applauded when his vodka arrived. He gulped a large amount at once, and thanked the waiter. Then he arched his eyebrow at Veronica. "Help me out, will you? What could I possibly tell Duncan that can be that bad?"

Veronica looked away.

"I'm sorry," Logan said, "where are my manners? I haven't even properly congratulated you yet."

"Don't bother," she told him. "Let's just get this over with. Then you can go and leave us in peace."

He shook his head. "I was in peace and your romantic tale flew onto my screen," he spat. "Then your fiancé," Logan emphasized on the word, "summoned me." His eyes left hers and he looked over her head at the new arrival. "Speaking of the happy husband-to-be…"

Veronica glanced up and turned, then gave Duncan a happy smile. "Hey Duncan," she greeted. "Look who's wreaking havoc again," she said, teasing, trembling.

Duncan leaned down to kiss her cheek, then he reached over the table and shook Logan's hand. "Thanks for coming so fast, man."

"Anything for my best friend!" Logan announced in his jolliest voice. "So when's the wedding?"

Duncan sat down and opened his arms wide in surrender. "All up to Veronica. She doesn't want to name a date yet. I'm crossing my fingers that it's going to be soon, though."

"Well I've always though she will be a gorgeous December bride," Logan offered.

At that, Duncan shifted his seat and threw an arm around Veronica's shoulders. He wiggled his eyebrows and dropped a kiss on her nose. "Hear that, baby? What do you think of a Christmas wedding?"

She glared at Logan, then smiled sadly at Duncan. "Christmas is too soon," she protested.

"It's seven months away, Ronnie!" Logan piped in.

She pulled away from Duncan and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom," she told him. "Pick another month. I need more time to prepare if you want it to be special."

Logan watched her leave from under hooded eyes. Duncan smiled as she left. He then turned back to his friend. "Valentine's would give her nine months. Is that still too soon?" asked Duncan.

"I'm guessing with your bride's personality she's just going to tell you it's too soon."

"How long does it take to plan a wedding anyway? I grew up with Lilly. She always said once she decides she's going to marry someone she'll just whisk him off to Vegas."

Logan grinned. "That was my idea."

Since their party was complete, the waiter arrived and handed them their menus. Duncan took one and ordered two meals. He then looked up at Logan, who grinned at him. "You're that hungry?"

Duncan shook his head. "I ordered for me and Veronica."

Logan gave the waiter his order and looked towards the direction of the bathroom. "I'll be right back. I have to wash my hands." Without waiting for a response, he stood up and tossed his napkin on the table.

He rounded the corner to the women's restroom and stood waiting outside. He then stepped inside and saw only Veronica in front of the mirror, talking on the phone. Logan quickly locked the door.

"That's impossible. I'm going to nail their ass to the—" Her eyes widened when she saw Logan behind her.

"Still business inside the bathroom?" he asked.

Veronica curtly ended her call and turned around. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Logan?" She put her phone and her purse on the sink and walked over to him. Veronica grabbed his arms and tried to push him back out. "Duncan will wonder where we both are!"

Logan smirked and looked down at the small blonde girl trying to push against his steady weight.

She pushed against him with her shoulder, but breathed harshly when she could not. "Logan, get out."

He shook his head and chucked her on the chin in a gesture of affection so far from the Logan of a half hour ago, who seemed to get a high out of showing her how wrong she had been. This Logan walked towards the sink and sat up on it, gazing at her intently. "Are you happy?"

Veronica's eyes narrowed at him. "Do I look happy to you? You're in the women's restroom, irritating me!"

Logan held out his open hand towards her and waited if she would take it. As if in slow motion, her moist eyes searched his. Then, she stepped forward and laid her hand on his. He intertwined their fingers and pulled her between his legs. "Tell me you're happy, Ronnie," he whispered, pleading.

She closed her eyes and waited for the feelings that would overwhelm her as his lips met hers. His nose was cold, and it was glorious the way it poked against her cheek. Veronica took steadying breaths as she relished how his lips searched for the pulse point behind her ear. "I'm as happy as I can let myself be."

Logan slid off the sink and with his hands around her waist, he lifted her onto the warm spot he had just vacated. "Just change your mind," he said softly, pushing up her skirt so that it would bunch up around her waist. Her hands joined his as he fumbled with his zipper. "Because I love you it burns a path down my chest."

She wrapped her legs around him and let herself sink down on him. "I love you too," she said. Veronica tightly shut her eyes as she lost the entire world in exchange for that moment.

"Think about it."

"I promise, Logan," were her words.

He could swear he would win her. That was his thought as he watched their reflection./i

It stuck in his craw, but as Logan looked at the young man who used to be his bet friend, he knew it was time to say it. "Duncan, I'm—"

"Come on," Duncan said to break the tension. "I'll show you to her room. Just be grateful she had it painted over." He walked over to the locked door and opened it with one of his keys. Duncan ushered Logan in. "This was a seriously pink, white and yellow room when I brought her here."

Logan snorted, then chuckled.

"You know," Duncan said, turning to Logan with a smile, "I think she had the exact same unlady-like reaction."

"So this blue and gray theme is hers?" Logan asked, grateful that the tension between them had broken.

Duncan nodded. "It was a shock. She always did like white and pink, didn't she?"

Slowly, Logan turned to Duncan and wondered how, for the entire time that he was with Veronica, Duncan never registered that Veronica's tastes had shifted to a whole new dimension. "Veronica became a very different person from who she was when she was Lilly's best friend."

"She was the same person, Logan—with shorter hair."

Logan decided not to comment on Duncan's belief. He would not presume to label his friend's relationship, because his eyes were jaded. "Man, why didn't you tell Keith you've already rummaged through her stuff? You won't find anything new."

"I haven't," Duncan told him.

"Then why is it so messy?" Logan asked, walking over to the desk and looking down at the documents, pen and papers on the table and even shoes haphazardly lying on the floor.

Duncan grinned. "Veronica left it like this. I never had it organized. I wanted it all to stay the same way."

That was when the remnants of his fury against Duncan cracked and shattered. Logan sat down on the chair in front of Veronica's mess and watched his best friend touch the jacket that had been thrown on top of the bed. Duncan had always denied change to the extent that he still saw Veronica—who had been to hell and back after her experiences with the murder, with Aaron, with her mom and with Logan—as the sweet, innocent girlfriend in her white dress. He retained the apartment the way it was because he wanted to capture that time in his life when he still had her.

Logan knew Duncan never really had Veronica. Duncan never had the Veronica that Logan finally had.

She tried to be the same person Duncan thought she was. In vain, of course.

i"Veronica, what's wrong?" he yelled into the phone, his heart beating hard.

She sobbed into the phone. "He knows, Logan! Someone sent him pictures."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the apartment. He left."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "I want you to leave and catch a flight out. I'll pick you up."

"I was going to tell him, I swear."

"Shhhh. It's okay, Ronnie. We'll fix it. I promise."

"God, Logan, Duncan didn't deserve to find out like this," she whispered into the phone. "I'm so sorry."

"Listen to me, Veronica."

He felt the punch come out of nowhere, and his phone flew out of his hand. Logan looked up at the enraged face of Duncan Kane./i

"For what it's worth, Duncan, I'm sorry you had to get hurt," he finally said.

Duncan stared at his friend for a long time. Almost reluctantly, he nodded in acceptance. With no other acknowledgment, he turned to the papers in front of him. As she sifted through the pages, he looked up at Logan.

"You ever find out where Wallace is?"

Logan scratched his chin. "Surprised you don't know that he goes to the same college as you," he pointed out.

"I think Veronica mentioned that. Thing is, after that night, I never saw Wallace again."

"Seriously?"

Duncan nodded. Then he took out a picture from the folder and gave it to Logan. It was of Wallace and Veronica smiling inside what seemed like a dorm room. "Wallace never came forward in the investigation," Duncan said.

Logan squinted as he peered into the picture. "Duncan, is the building in front of Woodberry Hall a dorm too?"

"Yeah."

Logan grinned. He gave the picture back to Duncan. "Well if you will take the time to check out Wallace's school records, you'd find out that he lived right across Woodberry Hall." He pointed to the window, and the small sign.

"You think Wallace did it?"

Logan did not confirm nor deny it. "I know Wallace knows something."

tbc