Logan and I left the Statue of Liberty after returning the keycard to the snoozing guard. We slipped out of the main entrance before the guard woke up.
I'm sure the cameras caught us, but we didn't disturb a thing.
I followed Logan down to the docks and he led me to a little boat named Luanna.
"Why were you here anyway?" I asked.
He jumped into the boat and started it, holding out his hand, "All I wanted was some early morning pictures without anyone around."
I took his hand and he helped me into the boat, "Sorry I ruined your photos."
He grinned, "You made them better."
I blushed and sat down on a seat and Logan untied the rope. He sat in the drivers seat and we went back to the mainland.
I enjoyed the wind in my hair, even if it did make me shiver.
We made it back to the marina and Logan docked his boat. He offered to carry my bag and I let him. I already could tell I liked Logan as a person. He was such a gentleman.
He opened the door to an older red truck, a different sight to see in New York, and I hopped inside.
"Where to?" I asked him.
Logan pursed his lips thoughtfully, "How about IHOP?"
IHOP, not fancy or expensive. I grinned, "Sounds perfect."
We chatted about how the Statue of Liberty should probably have better security on the way to the diner and laughed about how Logan nearly fell into the water when he first docked.
He opened my door for me when we got to IHOP and I grabbed my bag so I could change. This dress was a little too breezy for 8:30 in the morning.
We got a booth and sat down, picking up our menus. I stuffed my bag in the space next to me.
"What can I get you?" An older woman asked, smiling at us as she held a pen and notepad.
"I'll just get a raspberry crepe with scrambled eggs and orange juice please," I said and handed her my menu.
"Stack of pancakes, fried eggs, sausage and bacon with water please," Logan said politely.
The woman nodded and left with our orders.
"So Eva, where are you going?" Logan gestured to my bag.
I chewed my lip, wondering if I could trust him with my plan, "Well, I have a list.."
"A list," he repeated, raising an eyebrow interestedly. His genuine interest and kind eyes got to me. The longer we talked the more I trusted him.
"Yeah, I have this thing about all these places I've wanted to go. I just had to do something first, sort of," I twiddled with my fingers distractedly.
"Really? What was that?"
".....Runaway from home," I mumbled.
I spared a glance at Logan and was expecting shock when really, I saw admiration. And shock, but mostly admiration.
"Why did you want to do that? Your life can't be totally terrible," he asked. There it was, the you're such a brat.
"You don't understand," I said quietly as I tried to figure out how to not sound like a brat, "I don't like the life of my parents. I don't...I don't fit in. My parents are money loving, job absorbed people who I don't even want to know. They tried to marry me off to some jackass who's only concerned about whether the sun rises and sets in his ass or not...I just...I couldn't do it anymore. I wanted to run and travel and they wanted me to lead a company, I don't want that. I can't be them."
Logan nodded slowly in understanding. There was no judgement in his eyes like I was used to seeing.
"You think I'm crazy," I chuckled defeatedly, sitting back heavily.
He shook his head, "No, I think you're brave."
I blinked at him, "Really?"
He shrugged and smiled, "Yeah. I would wanna leave a life I didn't want too. I mean I've always thought about it, I've just never gone through with it. People who tell you what to do..I don't like those kinds of people."
I grinned, "You and me both."
"So this list," Logan said, playing with a straw wrapper.
I dug around in my bag and pulled out my journal, "Yeah. I've always wanted to travel and write. So I've lined up 12 places that I want to visit. They should take long enough to get to that my birthday will roll around by then. Then I'll be eighteen and my parents won't have a say in anything I do."
I spread everything out for Logan to see, putting a picture by each destination.
"Wow..." he said, looking at my work, "How are you going to pay for this?"
I grimaced, "I stole fifteen thousand dollars from my parents."
His jaw went slack and I giggled.
"You took fifteen grand...oh my gosh, what if they catch you?"
I shrugged, "They won't notice it's gone for a long while."
Our food arrived and Logan ate quietly while I happily explained to him why I wanted to travel. It felt so good to speak so freely to someone who wasn't Louise.
He grinned at me as I shoved crepe in my mouth, which was totally unlady like, whatever, and then went right back to talking about the dolphins at Myrtle Beach.
"I'd like to capture all of that," he beamed at me.
"Capture it?" I raised an eyebrow and took a sip of orange juice.
"Yeah, I mean, look," he pulled out his camera and turned it on. He handed it to me and I looked at the picture.
It was of me in the crown and it was really beautiful. I was peacefully asleep, my face turned towards the window and the sun was rising, bathing me in golden light.
"You're a really good photographer," I said, looking up at Logan.
"It's a passion," he shrugged sheepishly.
I gave him his camera back, "So where do you live? What do you want to do?"
He finished off his plate and sat back, thinking carefully, "Well I don't live in the most lavish of places...I'm in between jobs right now. But I'd like to be a professional photographer."
"Sounds fun," I said truthfully as I pushed my empty plate away.
"Do you still live with your parents?" I asked.
Logan chuckled, his smile faltering a little, "Parent, if you can call him that. Mom died a couple years back and Dad took to the drink instead of dealing with it. Nineteen years old and I babysit a grown ass man half the time."
"I'm sorry Logan," I frowned. I'd ruined the fun breakfast small talk. Way to go Eva, you're a real friend.
He shrugged, "Its okay. I could leave for a year and he wouldn't notice. Being a runaway sounds much more fun though."
"You think so?" I giggled. I felt like a lost idiot, but I was having the most fun I'd ever had in my whole life.
He nodded and laughed, "Your plan sounds pretty good too."
"Then come with me," I blurted out randomly.
Logans eyes widened, "C-come with you? Like to all of those places?"
"Well I-... sorry that was so forward and random," I chuckled embarrassedly, "I didn't mean to be so..yeah, it could be fun right? I know I just met you but I could use a friend. You can take pictures the whole time, make a portfolio. I'll pay for everything."
Was I begging? I think I'm begging this total stranger to come with me on a twelve destination road trip across the country and back. Wow. I thought rock bottom would be worse.
Logan laughed and looked at me with those bright green eyes, "Wow, uh, wow..."
"It is a little crazy..." I admitted, shuffling my pictures. I probably shouldn't have said that. It was a weird thing to ask. He had better things to do and I can't believe I just said that.
Logan's a total stranger anyway, however nice he was to me. I didn't see any red flags though..
"It's insane," he chuckled, "But you know what? Yeah."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, let's do it. It sounds fun, you don't look like a psycho, I think you're nice, let's do this," Logan said seriously with a boyish shrug.
"Really?" I grinned.
He nodded with a smile.
"Okay then, lets go," I said, standing up.
"Now?"
"Yeah, we should go get you some essentials and then get on the road before the cops track me down, I am a minor," I laughed, but was serious about the cops.
"Don't say that too loud," Logan chuckled, looking around.
He refused to let me pay the bill and tossed some cash on the table for a tip. I hurriedly changed in the women's restroom into a T-shirt, my previous jacket and skinny jeans.
We left the IHOP and got into Logan's truck.
It didn't take long to get to Logan's place and I realized it was on the side of town my mother wouldn't be caught dead in.
Cracked brick apartments and some shady people walking around. I wondered how Logan wasn't some thug after growing up here. I realized that thought was an extremely rude and prejudice way to think.
I kicked myself for thinking like my mother.
We stopped at a particularly old building and Logan cut the engine.
"Should I wait here?" I asked, shoving my bag next to my feet.
"Um, no, I'd rather you came with me," Logan said, eyeing a man across the street who looked like he would knife me for a bagel.
I followed him into the building and we went to a stairwell. If I hadn't of had to work out everyday by accordance to my mother, I probably wouldn't have made it up those stairs.
Logan went to an apartment and opened the door with a key. He let me inside and I waited by the door.
He looked down at the floor and made a face. I followed his gaze. A man lay passed out of the floor surrounded by empty beer bottles.
I assumed this was Logan's father. He looked like he was dead until I saw him breathe.
"Jesus Dad," Logan growled lowly, kicking an empty beer bottle with his boot.
"I'll be right back," he said to me and I nodded.
I stood there, looking around the rather shabby apartment. I felt kinda bad for Logan. He seemed too nice for this. Too good of a person to have to live like he does, especially with a father like his.
I was studying a stain in the carpet when the floor creaked and I looked up at Logan.
A stuffed duffle bag was slung over his shoulder and he looked ready to go. He grabbed a paper off a table and flipped it over.
I watched him take a pen out of a mug and scribble something down. He tossed the pen and laid the paper on his dads chest.
"I'll leave a note. Have to tell him rents due on the 25th. He probably won't care," Logan said and opened the door for me.
We went back down those terrible stairs and got back into Logan's truck.
"So, Ms. travel agent, where to first?" He asked.
I grabbed my map and folded it to one section, "Niagara falls."
He grinned, "Niagara falls it is."
And we were off.