Some of the worst days in my life become almost okay to deal with, when you are with me. That is your magic. - Logan.
~~~
19. Mothers, OSLs and Hot girls
(Logan)
Alex looked at him, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Her hands stopped on its way to turn the keys sitting in the ignition as she nervously looked around and she looked like she was trapped in a cage with a hungry lion or something.
He almost wanted to laugh.
He was back from the shock of meeting the woman who gave birth to him, but it left a strange and bitter aftertaste in his mouth that he badly wanted to wash away with something. Anything.
Just looking at her made him feel like he wanted to wash himself off her. Again.
Barbara looked thin, and he was sure she hadn't achieved the fame that she had once desired so much, because he hadn't seen her in any of the movies he had watched. Maybe she acted in some foreign films, but he just didn't care.
Yes, he hated her, but he was also grateful to her. If it wasn't for her, they wouldn't have ever found someone who was a thousand times better mother than her.
"Are you okay?" She asked, as she searched his face with sympathetic eyes. He didn't want sympathy. He hated that look even when he was four.
It wasn't like he had sad, destitute childhood. He only barely remembered this woman. Everything was almost a blur for him, except those pieces of grief and rejection he felt when she left him, left them.
And that is why you can never love anyone.
He hated that it was the truth, but here it was. Staring right at him. The truth of what Barbara had done to them would never leave him no matter how hard he tried.
And it reminded him that love made people weak and vulnerable. Easy to break, like a chinadoll. He didn't want to be broken, not by anyone.
When his mom had walked away, Beth had walked in. Beth walked in, with her big heart, and her all encompassing love. It was love, too, and his father had trusted Beth to never do the same thing, but Logan- he wasn't strong like his father.
Because, before Beth, he had also seen how his father had been, when when his wife had walked away. He had been broken, wrecked and the sorrow in his eyes... If Logan tried hard enough, he could still hear his father sobbing after Emma and Eliza went to school. Logan was four, sometimes he was hungry and so alone, and Logan didn't go to school and he heard everything. He heard every heartbreaking sound coming from his strong daddy and he would curl up in his bed and sob along with his dad. And that was hard to forget.
And then one day, someone had knocked at their door. They had opened, and they had hated the woman standing there. But she hadn't given up on them. She still hadn't.
So maybe love isn't bad.
Maybe. But I know it is not for me.
Why not?
Just because.
Oh, yes. He had seen full, kind, giving love from his mom. Generous and wholehearted. His father had found that kind of love, with Bethany, and Logan still wondered how he could have after his first wife had broken every vow of their marriage, destroyed their family and their trust and walked away with some sleazy director with the dreams of becoming a successful actress --it wasn't that she wanted to be a successful actress that made them hate her, it was the way she chose to make her dream come true.
His father did find love again, something much better, maybe because Logan's mom was special. She was unlike no one.
"Oh, I am." He shrugged.
"So... Your mom?" She looked befuddled. He didn't blame her. Most of them didn't know about the woman who gave birth to them. She was the past no one wanted to remember. They were happy now and she had no place in that happiness. She had no place in their world.
"No, Beth is my mom. This is someone who gave birth to me."
She looked like she wanted to ask him something, but then she decided against it as she started the engine.
"That is good. Because I can see how you three are Beth's world." She looked like she meant it too.
"You don't want to know what happened?" He asked when she turned away.
"Something happened, and I just want to tell you what you had told me once. I am your friend and I will be right here if you ever want to talk about it."
"It is not like I have some derelict childhood or something, Alex. Don't look at me like that." He tried to chuckle. She pressed her hand against his and he grabbed it like it was his lifeline.
"I am not looking at you like that because I pity you. It is because I pity her for losing your amazing family." And that was the right thing to say and he liked her all the more for it.
"She left one day, because she felt like we were all an obstacle in her path of becoming someone popular and it would have been alright, had she walked away alone, but she cheated on my dad and walked out with the same man --some director. We were all scared when she left, but Beth came and she healed us." His voice was cold. Like he was reading a news, like he had no part whatsoever in the story and it looked like she had seen it, too, because she leaned closer and grabbed his face in her palms before she pushed her finger against his knotted eyebrows. For a moment, he wished he could hold on to her, but holding on brought pain along with it.
"You all look like Beth, you know. How is that possible?" She asked after a moment as she took her hands away from his cheeks and he felt the cold air stinging his cheeks.
"Because Beth is her sister."
Alex eyes widened, her mouth agape. "God, really?" She asked after a minute. "Wow. I just don't know what to say."
"And we hated her when she first walked in. She reminded us of Barbara --that is her name. But then Beth healed us, she loved us and she fell in love with dad. Dad, dad didn't want to fall for her or marry her, but he just couldn't help it. My mom is amazing like that."
"Yes, she is. I am so happy that you all found each other."
"We are, too."
And I am happy I found you, too. He thought.
Before Alex started the car though, Barbara was standing there, looking at him with the eyes that looked so much like his. She knocked at the windows and Logan gritted his teeth.
Yes, they had almost forgotten her, but that didn't mean they had forgiven her. He hadn't. He couldn't.
He rolled down the windows and stared at her.
Her skin wasn't smooth any more and she looked looked skinny. Time wasn't kind on her like it was on Beth.
He almost felt sorry for her as he looked at her.
She opened her mouth, and then closed her eyes with a tired sigh. She looked pathetic. Even though she was wearing designer brands and diamond glittered at her throat, she looked pathetic.
"Yes?" He asked impatiently.
"How are you? How is Eliza and Emma?"
"I don't see how any of it is your business." He said.
"Logan- I-"
"I don't care. I just want to tell you one thing. Don't come anywhere near us. Okay?"
She looked like she was hurt, but he didn't care. "Okay." She mumbled before she walked away, her back bent in defeat.
"Logan... "
"If you are going to tell me that I should not have been that hard on her, don't. I wasn't."
"I am not going to say that. Where are we going now?"
"I have some files in the office to sign and look. We will stop by and grab them okay, and also... I need to introduce you to one pain in the ass."
"Tom." Alex chuckled.
"Yes, he had been whining about how he still hadn't seen you. And it is getting frustrating."
They were silent for the rest of the drive, but he cherished the silence.
"Hello, welcome." Logan had no idea how Tom was already here with a half wilted sunflower in his hand, but he was there, his eyes knowing as he gave the flower to Alex.
"Did you install some tracking software on my phone or something?"
"If I had, would I be a fool to admit to it?" Tom asked before he looked at Alex. "So, you are the mystery woman. Now I know why my boss kept you in hiding." Tom winked.
"Thanks for this." She waved the flower at him before she looked at Logan. "You had never given me flowers." She said with a grin.
"That is my boss. Totally unromantic, but don't worry, I can change him. I will. Come in." Tom said as he opened the building door for her. "We are in the eleventh floor. Boss loves his view." Tom said as he pressed the button in the elevator.
"Tom, take a breath. And hello, to you too."
"Oh, hello, hello. It is not like you are new around here. And I see your boring face almost every day, boss, so..."
"One day or the other, I am going to fire your stupid ass."
"You have been telling me the same for God knows how long."
"You two know each other for a long time, didn't you?"
"A long, long time. We grew up together, you know and he hired me when he started his company and he is still so grateful that I agreed to come working for him, he would be totally lost without me."
"Keep telling yourself that." Logan said as he looked at Tom.
"Wow, you are funny."
"I know and I also know your man is not, but bear with him. He is a good guy, if you look past his grumpy self."
"I did and that is why I am here with him." Alex said with a smile.
"Now what, you are best friends with him?" Logan groaned when the elevator came to a stop.
"Boss, it is so unbecoming of you." Tom said as he opened the door. "Guys, everyone, come here already."
"What are you doing, Tom?"
"What? I am going to introduce lady boss to everyone else.
" Oh, please." Alex smiled shyly and it was amusing. Logan smirked.
"Wow, you almost look shy."
"I am not, I just-"
"Just what?" Logan taunted.
"Shut up, jerkface."
"Wow, that is a new one." Logan whispered as her face went red. Before she could retort, Tom was back with Amelia and Camden and Fiona and Sebastian. He introduced them to Alex before he turned to her.
"We still have four more, but they were on site, today. And Amelia, where is Donna?"
"Here she is." It was a tall woman, with gray hair. She smiled at Alex. "I am Donna. And I am-"
"Yeah, tell us. What are you?" Sebastian smiled. "No one knows that."
"I am the one who is in charge of morons." Donna looked at him pointedly.
"Yeah. She is in charge of Sebastian, Camden, Quinton and Sam." Tom said with a haughty look which fell when Amelia added, "And Tom." She said as she smiled at Alex. "Nice to meet you."
"You too." Alex replied, shaking her hands.
"Why don't you show her around? I have some files to see and sign, so?"
"It is okay, I don't want to impose." Alex said.
"Nonsense, come on, you are not imposing and this is the only time our boss has asked us to do something fun instead of working." Donna said and Logan grunted, looking at the woman standing in front of him.
As they said, no one exactly knew what she did, but she did everything and anything around the office to make it run smoother and it was that day when she was absent for the first time they all had realized that. She was the messenger. The mailman. The cook. The occasional receptionist. The supervisor.
"I have never seen you doing anything." He shook his head with a chuckle as the older woman gave him a pat.
"Can I take the next week off?" She looked at him and wagged her bushy brows.
"No ma'am, sorry." He raised his hands and she shook her head.
"That a good boy, now leave us alone." Donna waved at him as she hustled Alex inside the break room. He could vaguely hear her asking Alex if she wanted coffee and he heard her saying yes and then gasping.
She might have found their espresso machine.
He smiled as he closed the door and sighed as looked at the files piled in front of him.
The message at the top caught his eyes.
"Tom, did Lawyer Marino called again?"
"Yes, he said to tell you that there are some new developments after you talked."
"Good. Now get out, I have things to finish."
"I am expecting you to tell that to me. I mean, I can't be bored here when everyone else were talking with lady boss."
"Stop calling her lady boss."
"No, not doing that. Bye, boss. You do your job."
"You are not going to do yours, is that it?"
"Of course. Tata."
Tom walked away and Logan picked up the phone to call his attorney.
"Did you look into their paperworks?"
"I am going to have to subpoena them, Logan. But I have this feeling that the whole things is fake. If we can prove that, it will be easy to get this to trial and win."
"And we need to win. There is no way we can lose this suit."
"I am going to file to the judge to subpoena the records from Mr. Williamson, but first we need to find evidence of foul play. If you can find anything important."
"I will try. Thank you, Michael."
"Bye, man."
"Bye." Logan hung up and went back to his files as he heard her laughter ringing through the half-opened door.
He smiled to himself as he signed the first one.
~~~
(Alexandra)
Alex looked at the espresso machine with envy as Amelia made a coffee for her, filled with froth.
"Cream. Four sugar."
"Wow. That is a lot of sugar." Sebastian said as he leaned against the chair and stared at her.
"Seb, don't look at her like that. She is boss's future wife."
"And she is a beautiful future wife. So..." Seb winked. Alex shook her head with amusement.
"She is, but boss will gouge your eyes out." Camden was almost boyish and very shy. When he talked, he talked so gently that it took a lot of effort to hear him.
"What he doesn't know can't hurt him."
"It won't, but it will hurt you." Tom joined them with a chuckle.
They were all friendly and wonderful, except Fiona, who was glaring at Alex the whole time. Nobody said anything about that, but Alex could almost feel the hostility radiating off her. After a minute she left with a huff and Alex left out a sigh of relief.
She didn't know how to ask them anything, so she ignored it.
After a moment Donna shook her head. "Don't worry. She has-"
"OSL." Sebastian said.
"OSL?"
"One Sided love. Crush. Whatever. Don't worry, though, she is a good girl."
OSL.
Does this mean you have OSL too? The pesky voice snickered.
Obviously. Yes.
It looks like Logan has that effect on woman, eh? It was very annoying.
Eh. Whatever.
"I am not worrying. It is fine. I mean, I have no right to say that she can't have OSL, now can I? If it ever become TSL, you guys will let me know, right?" She winked and they laughed.
"You will be good for him." Donna said it almost like a blessing and Alex nodded.
"I know. That is what I have been telling him."
They all laughed and she laughed along with them.
After another ten minutes, Logan was back. He handed them the wedding invites to them personally and Fiona's face crunched when she looked at it, but Logan didn't saw it. He was too busy smiling and talking with the guys.
"And Sebastian, if you ever looked at my wife like that--"
"How did you know?"
"I know everything."
Alex walked next to Fiona and smiled at her. "So I heard you have a crush on Logan."
She gasped. "N-no, I mean-"
Alex shook her head. "It is okay. I am not going to bite your head off. He is very crushable, isn't he?" She checked him out and Fiona smiled a little.
"He is."
"Good. I wouldn't want to marry someone who is so ordinary and boring."
Fiona shook her head. "It looks like he wouldn't want to marry someone ordinary and boring, as well." She looked down at herself and Alex patted her. "You are lucky." Fiona said.
She was not, but how could she tell that to
"Oh, you are not boring or ordinary and you will find someone."
You will find someone who will love you. But, me, I can never. So you are the lucky one here, Fiona. Alex thought as she walked to stand next to Logan. He looked down at her and gave her a soft smile, that made her feel like everything they were play-acting was real. Almost.
"Are you ready to go?" He whispered and she nodded her head.
"You looked whipped, boss." Tom said as Logan grabbed her hand in his and locked his fingers with her.
"Don't you dare start another one of your ridiculous allegations." Logan said as he said goodbye. "And you all are staying and going home only after you finish everything you have to finish for today. Donna you make sure. Bye. And Tom, don't come to our wedding empty-handed." He said as he walked out, her hand still in his. And she was so happy holding his hand that she didn't remind him that they were alone now, that no one was looking.
She let it stay right in his, where it felt like it belonged.
~
~~
(Logan)
It was two nights before the big day as everyone was calling it. The garden looked beautiful. Eliza had hired a wedding planner as she had promised and the woman worked like a hurricane until everything was smoothed over. And Alex liked it all.
He lounged in the couch, sipping the hot chocolate Alex had made for him, when his phone rang.
"Where in the world are you, Logan?"
"Dan? What?"
"What? God, you forgot, didn't you? Today is your bachelor party, dude. We are already here in the bar."
"Umm, I don't remember agreeing to anything like that."
"The hell you don't." Dan said and then Logan heard him yelling at Tom. "Tom, did you tell him or not?"
"Or not. Because I know he will say no."
"Dude, what the hell!"
"Why don't you all come here and I will order pizzas and beers for you?"
"You want to celebrate your bachelor party in your home?" Daniel sounded incredulous. "God. Guys, listen to this. Logan wants to party with his bride."
"Oh my God, there is something so wrong with you." Deke said.
"Am I on the speaker phone?"
"Yes, dude." Markus said.
"Boss, you are so-so- I can't even find the exact word."
"Stop badgering me. If you want to come, come. I will order everything you want."
"Italian?" This was Deke.
"Chinese?" This was Tom.
"Pizza and tortilla chips." This was Daniel.
"And a hot girl." This was Markus.
"I will call your wife and ask her for some recommendations." Logan said and Markus groaned.
"Not fair, man." He said. "Okay. Everything minus the hot girl. We will be there."
"Good." He hung up and started dialing for chinese and Italian and pizzas when the hot girl walked in.
But this hot girl, he wasn't sharing with anyone. This girl was his!
"What are you looking?" She asked.
"Nothing. The guys are coming here and if you want to join-"
"For your bachelor party?" She chuckled and shook her head.
"What is so funny?"
"Do you want me to strip for you." She winked at him, looking like a mischievous devil and he groaned.
"No way in hell are you doing that in front of them. But I won't say no to a private one." He gave her a wink back and this time she flushed.
"In your dreams." She gave him a sassy smirk. "And no, I am not staying here. I am going out with Em and Eliza and I am having a private stripping."
"Not in a million years."
"Says who?" She gave him a challenging look.
"Says me. You are going nowhere. You are staying right here. With me."
"Careful there, tiger. You are starting to sound jealous."
"I don't care."
"I was just kidding. We are just going to a pub."
"And asking to be ogled." He hated the image of men ogling her and hitting on her.
"You are asking for a beating." She threatened.
"You really want to go?" He asked to her with a frown.
"Nah. I would rather stay here. But Emma and Eliza-"
"Then it is done. You are staying here and I am calling my sisters."
~~~
(Alexandra)
Emma and Eliza came with a frown. "Why in the hell are we here instead-" Eliza narrowed her eyes at Alex.
"I - I want to stay here." Alex smiled at them, but they still looked furious.
"Is it Logan's doing?"
"No." Alex defended him.
Maybe it was half him, but Alex was not lying when she said she would rather be here than in the pub. It was not her kind of scene, anyway. She loved the privacy of their home and the silence of it. Loud, noisy, boisterous, drunk crowd didn't appeal to her.
"Okay, then. Take out his credit card and we are emptying it." Emma said as she stomped to the room and screamed.
Alex heard another voice cursing.
"Whoa? What happened?" She hurried to see what made Emma scream and gave a sheepish look to her friend.
"Sorry."
"You know they are coming?"
"Why are you here?" Markus looked at his wife and groaned. "One night. Was it too much to ask?" He whined and Emma rolled her eyes.
"One night of handsome men was all I asked, too. But here I am, looking at all the same boring faces. Your fault, Alex." Emma shook her head.
"Is this a party or a sleepover?" Daniel groaned. "Why don't you go ahead and invite your mom and dad and the kids, Logan?"
"I did." Logan said.
"What?!" Five voices yelled in unison and Alex giggled.
"He was pulling your legs. Come on, it will be fun." She said as she looped her hands with Emma and Eliza.
"Yeah, for you and Logan." Deke said.
"I am forgiving you because you are the bride. But, I am not forgetting this, Alex. You owe me big time." Eliza said as they all walked in.
___
Eliza: These guys are ridiculous. God. One night of reprieve is not too much to ask, is it? Now we are strapped with these morons.
Alex: But it is fun.
Logan: *Grabbing Alex and dancing with her* it is fun.
Emma: For you. I am left with staring at all these buffoons.
Me: They are a handsome bunch.
Eliza: Check your eyes, you woman.
Me: What!
Emma: What they are, are morons.
Deke: Don't be a old woman.
Eliza: What did you call her?
Deke: Nothing, darling. You are hot as hell and -
Eliza: *grabbing him and kissing him*
Deke: *groaning* This is one hell of a party.
Me: Get a room.
Deke: We will.
Logan: Anyone else want room?
Markus: What do you say, baby?
Emma: I say, you are an idiot. No one is going anywhere.
Deke: Why me?
Eliza: Don't worry, you are not sleeping tonight.
Daniel: Eww. Too much information. There are single guys here.
Tom: only you, dude. Single guy.
Me: I can find you someone.
Daniel: Please don't. I am happy being single.
Me: we will see! 👀
____
Can I get a comment 💬 from everyone who is reading this chapter so that I can know how many of you are reading the book. 📖
Looking for some quick read - read. My poetry collection on wattpad. And let me know what you think. Planning to enter it to wattys 2019. So any help I can get will be useful.