The smell of sweat and bodies was almost overpowering in the heat, even in the dead of March the humidity was more powerful than usual, after their hike, moving through the human current ahead of them was more difficult than Veronica would have liked. Logan seemed to have momentarily forgotten that unlike him, she possessed the legs with length more suited to a child, and he was a good few feet ahead of her moving towards the café where they were supposed to meet with Zoe and Piz.
Those few feet were enough to encourage some of the other tourists to swell in front of her, separating them, although she could still see him, at 6 ft 2, he wasn't hard to miss, but she knew that when he briefly turned to glance at her over his shoulder that it would appear as if the crowd had just swallowed her up.
They didn't part like the red sea instinctively for her like they did for him. Logan was used to walking around the world like he owned the entire street, the sun and the very ground he walked on, an inherent sense of confidence that was written on his face even if he was never aware of it. It made people move out of his way, and caused them to gravitate towards him as well. There was something magnetic about her fiancé, the people around him kept a safe distance though. She ran her gaze admiringly over his broad shoulders, his khaki coloured cotton shirt pulled over his back, like silk over marble.
As if sensing her absence he turned around and she saw his cinnamon-brown eyes searching for her, she noticed the moment he found her, the relaxation removing the tension from his shoulders.
"There are so many #GrowingUpShort jokes just waiting to burst out of my mouth right now… the restraint is painful…" he teased as he held his hand out for her.
"You joke about putting me on your shoulders and I will kick you in the shin" she smiled sweetly as she took it.
"Is that anyway to talk to your betrothed?" he smiled back, wrapping an arm protectively over her shoulders as a larger crowd exited a tourist bus and headed for the beach. Looking ahead she saw the familiar brown hair as Zoe stood up to wave and attract their attention from the tables sitting outside the café.
Although, now that he thought about it, he probably should ask her what Weevils Death meant for telling people about their engagement.
He scolded himself for the thought, this wasn't the time to be thinking of such things. Someone bumped into him and instinctively he checked his wallet was still here, pickpockets were rife this time of year.
"Us short girls are mean because we are closer to Hell" she retorted as she squeezed his hand. Their silly banter was a welcome distraction from the cold, ruthless mechanical whisper trying to lull her back into an unfeeling cocoon, the one she had grown to hide all the pain she was feeling so the stress didn't overwhelm her, but that was the girl from her Senior year, the one who had pulled away from everyone and tried to stand on her own. The girl who had almost gotten herself killed on that roof top by Cassidy Casablanca's.
Her heart hammered, Logan had saved her that night, he had been her comfort, he was her match, her friend, her lover. Her white knight, no matter how badly she had treated him… he still loved her. He deserved better than for her to yield into old habits, they would get justice for Weevil… but she wouldn't do it at the expense of her future with him.
She wouldn't get lost in her Vendetta against some faceless opponent this time to the detriment of her relationship with Logan. Yes, she was going to war against the secrets and lies in Neptune, but she still had to give him the peace and contentment that he has earned. He didn't deserve to share a bed with someone cold, collected and detached, someone who's every move was measured, who felt the need to case the restaurant, run background checks on the staff and doubted if the cook preparing her meal could be trusted. Lilly had already been her Ghost, those kids from the bus, now Dean Odell and Weevil had joined the collateral damage that Veronica Mars left in her wake.
One day, all the tragedy would be a far gone unpleasant memory and she could be the girl who had woke up this morning, wrapped in cool linen sheets in the arms of the man who loved her, thinking up excuses to tell her friends so she could spend those few precious hours curled up in his embrace. The idyllic cove around them with the tourists who were patiently boarding the small tour boats for the whale watching trips looked out of place, overly polished for the news she had been given today.
Logan was still treating her like she was going to break like glass, losing Weevil wasn't like losing anyone else. She wasn't going to break, what she felt now, was anger. She knew that Eli Navarro had been searching for a greater purpose to his life, he had been playing bodyguard for the McKinley Dorm female dorm room after hours for the last few months since Parkers rape. He had taken Dean Odell's alleged suicide as a personal mission, he been as suspicious about the circumstances as she had been.
Maybe he'd gotten hurt playing detective? If he had… that meant that she was partly responsible.
Oh Weev's… what were you doing?
They crossed the small street and Zoe Galen pulled Veronica into a tight hug.
"Oh my gosh! I just spoke to Joel… we heard about your friend, are you okay?" she asked, her grey eyes wide with concern.
Logan observed at the scene in front of him, his petite girlfriend embracing the taller dark haired girl while the other two people sitting at the table shifted around to look up at them, he recognised Piz immediately, seated awkwardly, unsure if he should be standing to hug her afterwards, and then there was Georgina Bourque, the daughter of the local Casino, Logan remembered her from far too many drunken nights during his Senior year in Neptune High when he had been at the Neptune Galaxy Resort Hotel. She gave him a slow smile in recognition. He heard Veronica mutter something about being fine but tired after their hike as they took their seats and he pulled a seat from the table next to them before joining them, sitting beside her.
"Mr Echolls. How are you?" she purred, twisting a strand of her red hair around her finger, he noted Piz's watchful expression, he really hoped Veronica didn't read too much into her flirtation, she didn't know that this was just Georgina's nature. So many of their issues caught fire and drowned them when the simple solution of just communicating would have sufficed. But neither of them was ever willing to cross the line before.
"Famished" he smiled in polite response.
"Are you sure you don't want us to fuel up the Yacht and have it take you back to the mainland?" Zoe pressed, her large almond shaped eyes full of sympathy.
"Really that's not necessary" she replied, shaking her head, entwining her fingers with Logan's, curling closer to him. He smelled like home.
"She's a determined little miss" Logan reassured her.
Zoe wanted to grab both of them and pull them in and give them a hug. She was fond of them; she had laughed at their banter and was humbled by their easy way with each other. They reminded her so much of how things were with Nick O'Connell, she knew what it was to have such intense feelings for each other and when at first, things didn't work out between them, when they get their second chance, it was downright amazing! She had met Veronica during her recent break up with Logan, she had seemed so lost, preoccupied with work.
They had started out as a simple business arrangement, but a few bottles of wine later after a stake out and some heartfelt confessions about loving someone from another world and how being too stubborn could cost you everything that mattered.
"You can't love someone in isolation, that's not love… if you want it… you gotta put on your best big girls pants and go and get it" Zoe had scolded her. She would have went to Nick if her father hadn't threatened to disinherit her for the love match… he didn't feel that a lowly Air Marshall was good enough for his prized daughter.
Zoe had been so grateful that she had taken the case for her after that Vanity Fair reporter Norman Phipps had posed as a wealthy investor at one of her events, charmed his way her into bed and then had secretly videotaped the encounter. Her own company and product line outside of the main family business had just been about to go public… it had been a mistake that had almost cost her millions. Not to mention the humiliation. Not to mention the financial freedom that she had craved so she could claim the man that she loved.
She considered Veronica a good friend, the thought that she was hurting like this made her feel fiercely protective. Even if her father did disapprove with her and her brothers association with the offspring of the Murderous Aaron Echolls. Glancing down at their joined hands, she noted the rose gold band on Veronica's ring finger.
"She would have to be to keep up with you Logan" Georgina giggled.
"She's as clever as the devil and twice prettier" Piz offered, as he glanced at the petite blond admiringly.
Thank God Veronica had taken her advice to go and give them another chance… she could have ended up with someone like Piz… and if the last few hours had been any indication … that would have bored the shit out of Veronica.
"With a killer smile as her weapon of choice" Logan nodded, doing his best to ignore the urge to punch Piz in his toothy grinning face.
"Ah the Patron Saint of Passive Aggressive Retribution" Veronica quipped "Who is exceedingly hungry" she said as she reached for a menu. She knew everyone was going to insist on heading back, she held the laminated menu in her hand, trying to take it in, tapping the corner of the page, debating her options.
She wanted to stay here, with the sun on her face and Logan by her side, the shops and market squares were alive with life, transports blazed along the water, at night, this place had looked like a crown of stars on the horizon. Going back would be acknowledging that she was losing, that the world had taken something else from her. A surge of emotion left an aching occlusion in her throat, she had never felt smaller than she did after that phone call this morning. She closed her eyes and did a silent body count.. one more friend on the pile. Part of her had always loved Weevil, but a career criminal and a detective made for strange bedfellows.
At least we have a decent Sheriff now… the king is back on his throne… what happened to Weevil was not her fault…
Although, she could almost feel that poison as it drip fed into her mind as Georgina suggested they get something from the bakery across the street if there was nothing that they wanted.
