Chapter 15: Helpless
Veronica quickly filled in Lilly on their discovery, hoping to get more information from Lilly. Not about what was going on with the murderer, but on how she was feeling. Lilly was sarcastic and moody, a result of stress and painkillers. She seemed unsurprised at the news of a Weevil note, making Veronica suspect she had discarded it without telling anyone, in an attempt to protect Weevil.
"Yeah, Logan and I are still at his house. We're hoping to set up a few bugs, but I have to wait for my dad to drop them off…and maybe Lynn will get home before Aaron. It's unlikely, but we're pretty hopeful." Veronica promised Lilly, trying to keep her calm.
"Alright Veronica. Don't get killed. And don't have sex either. The last thing we need is you getting pregnant by an Echolls too." Lilly warned her, completely serious, although Veronica laughed.
"At least the good one would be knocking me up." Veronica retorted. Logan grinned at her when he heard this, and Veronica smiled back. Lilly snorted and said goodbye, that she couldn't take anymore of this lovey-dovey crap talk. Veronica hung up and turned to face Logan.
"When do you think your parents will be home?" Veronica asked, a little nervous. The last thing she needed right now was Aaron getting home before her dad got their with the phone bugs.
"Not for a few hours. It's only 8:45, they'd get home at 12:30 on a good night." Logan comforted, trying to calm Veronica down. Veronica shot him a worried glance, and he wondered why, when she opened her mouth.
"You mean you'd be home alone as a kid until 12:30?" Veronica repeated, her voice a tone above hysterical. Logan rubbed her shoulder, trying to get her to calm down.
"Veronica, it wasn't a big deal. When I was really little there was a babysitter, and Trina was there when I was not so little, until I was big enough to take care of myself. And I turned out okay!" Logan joked, although things were not as simple as he made them out to be. But Logan hated telling people about his father abusing him, and he didn't want Veronica thinking he was as damaged as he was. She deserved more than him, that much he was sure of. The good news for him was that she hadn't seemed to have figured that part out.
"Wait…I hear someone." Veronica hushed him, and listened closely. Her cell phone buzzed loudly on the patio table, making both of them jump. She looked and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.
"Hi Dad. Out back, by the pool. I'll come grab it…" She started, but Logan shook his head furiously and pointed to himself. Veronica shot him her "I'm not going to get jumped in the 50 feet it takes to walk to your gate" look, but Logan continued to shake his head, and Veronica finally huffed out her consent.
"Dad? Logan is coming. Apparently he is under the impression I'm much too desirable by rapists and axe murderers. Weird, huh?" Veronica snorted, and Logan shot her a look of his own.
"I don't think it's weird, I think it's smart, Veronica. Logan is right to be worried. Lilly has dug herself in deep this time from the sounds of it, and I'm already upset you've gotten yourself in deep enough." Keith lectured, and Veronica rolled her eyes.
"Just tell me when you see Logan." Veronica managed, and it was Keith's turn to laugh.
"Worried about axe murderers, honey?" He chuckled, and Veronica snarled quietly.
"He's a handsome young man, Dad. I can totally see Angelina Jolie driving up and kidnapping him to take as the new Brad. Next thing you know, he'd have 8 kids and would be making semi-sucky films. It's a scary future." Veronica snapped back. She heard the car door open on the other end, and her dad and Logan talking. She managed to pick up the phrase "pinky promise" make it's way into the conversation, making her growl into the phone. Her dad laughed again.
"Okay sweetheart. Logan has the bugs. He'll be back to you in a minute." Keith assured, as she heard the engine pick up and gravel crunching beneath the tires.
"Bye dad! Thanks!" Veronica said gratefully. She hung up as Logan's shadow emerged by the gate. She stood to give him a welcome hug, and suddenly, she had been back up against a wall.
"Veronica. Here again, I see. Didn't I tell my son to stay the hell away from this house?" Aaron Echolls breathed into her ear. Veronica struggled to escape his grasp, but he tightened it with each kick and attempted punch. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Logan appear, and watched as he assessed the situation before him as quickly as possible. He stood, frozen, and she prayed he would stay there. The last thing she wanted was for Aaron to turn on Logan.
"Veronica, I only have one thing to say to you. Whatever is going on with Lilly Kane, you need to keep me out of it. I don't care what she says, that kid isn't mine. And if you're looking for proof we had sex, you won't find any. I'm smarter than that." Aaron's eyes were cold and threatening, and Veronica was desperately praying to make it out of this alive, with all of her body parts in tact. Aaron loosened his grip, and she slid down the wall, into a sitting position. Aaron smiled icily, and walked away, into the house.
"Veronica!" Logan finally seemed able to snap into action, and he ran to her, dropping the bag full of her dad's spy equipment. He rushed next to her, landing on his knees beside her.
"I'm so sorry Veronica, I froze, I didn't know what to do. Oh, God, Veronica, are you alright? I'm so sorry." Logan was talking a mile a minute, and he seemed to be unable to breathe. Veronica started to speak, but he had pulled her into his arms, knocking the breath out her all over again.
"Veronica? Don't you ever, ever scare me like that again. You don't come near my father ever again." Logan declared, as he nearly crushed Veronica in his hug. She nodded against his chest, still frightened from her encounter with Aaron Echolls. He'd seemed 100% capable of murder in that moment. Suddenly, Logan was furiously kissing her, and it was unlike any kiss they'd had before. It was desperate and intense, and filled to the brim with passion. It terrified Veronica, and it filled Logan with a feeling as close to love as could be possible, seeing as they'd only been together for 2 days. They'd been a secret for weeks, but that had been different, less serious than this.
"We'll bug the phones a different day. Lilly can wait one more day." Logan said as he pulled away from Veronica. She leaned in, craving more, and he cracked a tiny smile at the expression on her face.
"C'mon Veronica. We need to get out of here, before he comes back outside. Because if I see him again, I swear to God, I'll kill him." Logan swung her into his arms, and carried her away from the house, picking up the bag on the way. He refused to let her down, afraid to lose this new found feeling. Logan was determined to make this romance with Veronica Mars last as long as possible, and if that meant keeping her away from his broken family, it was a price he was more than willing to pay. Lilly's pregnancy and the threats took a backseat to Veronica now, of that he was sure.
