Chapter 48

Rory's lock screen images were a rotation of book covers and illustrations and the one Logan was faced with as he'd opened up the computer's lid was one of HMS Sophie, from Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian. It was a book he'd once enjoyed himself. It was like threading the opposite of a minefield with Rory, finding little connections and ties that assured him of how well they fit. There had been times in his life when he'd genuinely believed the contrary - finding someone too similar to oneself would just be boring. But with Rory, he saw someone with many similarities but in a different form. For example, he loved how they often disagreed on the reasons for liking a piece of literature or a movie, same with music, places and foods.

Logan lit the keyboard light, wanting to see a little better as he began to type in Rory's password. He'd laughed when she'd first told him her password. Who used 'Blueberrypancakes88' as their password? But the password was just as cute as Rory was, on second thought.

The computer started up as Logan pressed 'Enter' presenting him with an article in The Atlantic Rory had been reading. For a second it distracted him enough to pause his initial plan, and he stopped to read the article himself. That same cuteness that Rory encompassed also found stories about the Chinese Exclusion Era fascinating apparently, as did Logan.

Logan logged into his social media sites, liking a few posts his sister had made. Honor was the kind to take offense if he didn't.

Rory's manuscript was open on the desktop, open at its last page. Logan took several deep breaths, knowing that if he did this - there was no going back. Would Rory hate him for it? It was not like she'd actually hidden it from him, she'd just left it there opened along with giving him access. He was clearly allowed into her life, including her computer. She didn't hide the contents of her mailbox from him either. Sure, there was the mysterious thing Tucker held over her, but he highly doubted her computer would hold any trace of that. And all she had really said about the manuscript was that it wasn't ready yet, 'yet' being her own emphasis, leading him to believe that she indeed someday might want him to read it. But Logan also knew Rory to be a perfectionist in her work. 'Ready' might never happen with a perfectionist.

He was just about to go ahead and read it anyway, being the risky self that he was and taking a chance. He was sure he could just convince Rory that it hadn't been snooping but rather him dying to read it, being unable to put it down after the first sentence - and it had been just left open. Logan did believe he was pretty great at apologizing. And if he was wrong, if he was that wrong, then maybe this was the sabotage he needed to make her departure to Hartford a little easier. He wasn't conscious of the latter, but it was there, scattered in pieces, floating around in his mind.

His dive into Rory's manuscript, having managed to scroll it all the way to the beginning, was cut short, however, by the sudden squeak of the fourth stair step, the one he'd known to avoid when sneaking into Rory's room late at night.

Logan looked up, and indeed looked a little guilty.

"Sorry," Corinne said, standing there on the bottom of the stairs in her pajamas.

"Nah, it's okay… I just didn't know anyone was up," Logan said, apologetically.

"I was just thirsty," Corinne replied, having come downstairs because the upstairs bathroom tap tended to make a loud whooshing sound when first turned on. Hence, when possible, one avoided using it during the night. Logan knew that quirk about this house as well by now.

Logan nodded, feeling like he'd been caught at a mischief of some sort.

"I just couldn't sleep…," Logan added.

"Uh-huh," Corinne yawned, and continued to get herself a glass of water.

"I hope it isn't too weird that I'm here. I mean… just around the house so much. I've never really been on this side of things before when seeing someone," Logan said, realizing that he knew scarcely little about how Corinne felt about his presence and his relationship to Rory.

"Well, as long as you're not looking up porn on my mom's computer there, I don't mind," Corinne shot back, clearly trying to shock him.

"Wow!" Logan exclaimed, unable to stop himself from laughing at her comment. "Trust me - I'm not. Plus I think it's a little inappropriate for me to discuss stuff like that with you," he added, squinting his eyes, finding it indeed awkward. But he had no clue why a 13-year-old might bring something like that up. Maybe it was about being cool and unshaken about stuff like that?

"So, what are you doing?" Corinne asked, in an almost sing-song voice, and landed to sit beside him on the couch - not awkwardly close or anything, just on the next pillow.

"Honestly?" Logan reflected in a chuckle.

Corinne shrugged, taking another sip of her water.

"I was just killing time… and honestly… I was considering whether or not to read your mom's manuscript," Logan confessed.

For a second Corinne was just quiet. But then she surprised Logan.

"You have to read it!" Corinne insisted.

"Uh?" Logan replied, feeling confused and stunned of the insistence in her tone.

"She does this every single year. She spends the whole summer working on something, or a few things… and it never gets anywhere. She just abandons them. I've been telling her for years to send them to Jess or some other editor," Corinne said, sounding surprisingly well-informed on how the publishing world worked.

Logan chuckled, inside wondering whether she was truly serious and had actually thought this thing through.

"You're in the publishing business too, right?" Corinne inquired.

"Well, I was…," Logan replied, humbly.

"But you still must know people, right? People who could make this into a book? It would be so cool if mom wrote an actual book!" Corinne explained.

"I guess…," Logan said.

"So just read it. If it's any good… which I think is a given. The last few were great; I even read them. She doesn't know that I did. But of course what do I know about what makes a good book? I just found them something cool to read. Had I not known it was written by her, I would've just thought I was picking up a book at the library or something," Corinne blabbered in a manner that was identical to her mother.

"I am not sure your mother would be very happy with me if I just went ahead and...," Logan expressed his concern.

"Don't tell her then!" Corinne suggested, sounding very teenager-like.

"That's not how adult relationships work, Corinne," Logan replied.

"Blame me! I don't care. Tell her I told you to read something and that you didn't know it was hers," Corinne suggested.

"That's really not necessary," Logan argued in a calm tone.

"Mom has always talked about how her biggest dream is to become a writer, but for whatever reason she's always too scared to actually have someone read it. Sure, she's written a bunch of articles and other stuff… but never a book. Not as far as I know, at least," Corinne emphasized.

Logan had heard her chime in on the topic too once or twice, how writing had always been her dream. That it was her present dream - that he'd heard less about, almost being led to believe teaching was her calling these days.

But what if it wasn't? What if she was just teaching because she didn't believe she was good enough? Logan desperately wanted Rory to see the same spark in herself that he saw - and right now, he honestly didn't know many other ways of finding out the truth than reading that manuscript.

From an act of mischief, dying to read what his lover had spent the summer writing about, this had become more of a mission to ensure Rory's happiness. Sometimes what people needed was a push, wasn't it?

"Anyways… I am off to bed," Corinne yawned again and rose from the couch. "Read it, don't read it. All that I am saying is that someone else who actually knows something about writing finally should," she added.

"Corinne?" Logan asked, causing the girl to pause before heading back upstairs.

"Yeah?" Corinne asked as she turned.

"I think it's cool you're so invested in your mother's happiness," Logan said, wanting to compliment her somehow for this level of understanding - both Rory and himself.

Corinne shrugged her shoulders notably, not knowing how to respond to that. If anything, she now thought Logan was a little weird. But so were a lot of adults to a teenager.

"Good night," Logan said, letting her go.

"G'nite," Corinne yawned and headed back upstairs.

AN: Sorry for keeping you guessing a little while longer, but I just felt like writing this interaction first. Also... I am a bit distracted these days as I got a puppy today. So there might be some delays.