A/N - I'm still not happy with this one, even after several rewrites. Thanks again for the feedback and showing me that people are still reading this fic. Enjoy!
XV.
"Hey, Duncan! Wait up!" Wallace shouted as he saw Duncan stop and turn. Wallace slowed down and walked up to him.
"What do you want?" Duncan asked irritated.
"I just want to talk with you," answered Wallace.
"Yeah, well, that's not really working for me at the moment." Duncan went to walk away, but Wallace stopped him.
"I heard your conversation with Veronica, okay. And I think you need to lay off."
"Right," Duncan said, "…and can I ask how you came to that decision?" Wallace gestured to a bench nearby and they both sat down.
"You and I haven't actually talked much but we do have someone very important to both of us in common." Duncan watched Wallace's face as he spoke. He'd never really known how to take this guy that had become so important to Veronica. But Duncan decided to accept the fact that maybe Wallace didn't have any ulterior motives.
"You could say that." It was Wallace's turn to try and gauge the mood of the situation. He just hoped that Duncan's recent rejection wouldn't make it totally impossible to have a truthful conversation with him. Wallace guessed that he just had to have some faith.
"Look, you've known Veronica much longer than I have…you must have noticed that this photograph thing has taken a lot out of her."
"What's your point?" Wallace was beginning to rethink the whole 'having faith' deal.
"My point is that I'm worried about her and you're not really helping by putting her in the middle of all your issues with Logan." After hearing Wallace's words, Duncan got up angrily.
"I knew it." Wallace stood up as well.
"Knew what?"
"This…" Duncan gestured between the two of them, "…isn't about me and Veronica. It's about Logan."
"You've got totally the wrong idea, man. But while we're on the subject of Logan, he's really not that bad a guy." Duncan took a step toward Wallace.
"Now, you really don't know what you're talking about. He's a son of a bitch who'll drag Veronica down with him and then you'll know what I mean." Wallace stared at him disbelievingly.
"You, of all people, can't honestly believe that. From what I've seen, Logan's been really good for Veronica and that's all I need to know about him."
"Well, you'd better get ready for the fall, man. And trust me, it's not going to be pretty."
"Whatever," Wallace replied as he turned and walked away. He felt that he'd totally misjudged Duncan. However, one though kept going through his head. 'Logan, please don't prove him right.'
ooooooooooooooo
Logan and Veronica had driven half way to the sheriff's department in a somewhat comfortable silence. Logan, however, needed to say some things to Veronica before they went to see another of her ex-boyfriends. For all he knew, this one could be declaring his undying love as well. 'Can you punch a deputy in the middle of the sheriff's department?' He wondered. Logan made up his mind and cleared his throat.
"I think maybe you should rethink this whole me-you thing." Veronica didn't take her eyes off the road as she processed what he had said.
"What me-you thing?"
"Veronica, don't deny that you haven't thought about the fact that if you went back to Duncan, your life would be a hell of a lot better." Before Logan had even finished speaking, Veronica had pulled the car onto the side of the road. She turned off the ignition and twisted her whole body around to face him.
"Look, you doofus. Duncan can tell me he loves me a thousand times, but that's all he ever does. Tells me. You've shown me how much of a friend you are, and that means so much more to me." Veronica unconsciously reached over and grabbed his hand. A rush of pure desire ran through Logan and he suppressed a groan as she ran her thumb up and down his skin.
Veronica noticed the change in Logan's eyes and looked to where they had gone. She saw what she had been doing, but for the life of her, Veronica couldn't take her hand away.
'Oh god,' Logan said to himself as Veronica's tongue wet her lips. He stayed transfixed on her eyes as she slowly lifted his hand to her mouth. A shiver ran through Logan's body as Veronica gently kissed each knuckle.
They stayed that way, not moving, with Logan feeling Veronica's warm breath against his fingers. Suddenly a truck rumbled past and broke the moment. Veronica dropped Logan's hand and started the car.
"I think we may have to talk about this," said Veronica as she pulled back onto the road.
"Abso-fucking-lutely," Logan answered breathlessly.
ooooooooooooooo
The clock on the wall ticked past the twelve and Keith raised his head as it began to chime. He'd been sitting on the uncomfortable plastic chair for the last fifteen minutes, waiting for an analysis of the photos Veronica had given him.
His friend Matt had told him that he would call with the results, but Keith felt that this was too important to him. The thought of anything happening to Veronica sent a paralysing fear running through his body.
Keith was also praying that he had made the right decision in trusting Logan. He understood that the boy had been having a hard time lately, and Keith just wanted to give Logan the hope that he could still have a normal life, no matter what his parents choices were.
"Hey, Keith."
"Matt…What did you come up with?" Matt sat down beside him and spread out the photos.
"Well, the analysis only confirmed what I already knew." He held up the picture of Veronica and continued. "This last one does not match any of the other photos. From the paper to the inks used…it's completely different."
"So, you're saying that someone else made that photo?"
"That would be my guess." Keith took the photos from Matt and stood up.
"Great, thanks," he said as he walked away.
ooooooooooooo
