Sand and Clay (7 page)

Chapter Eight

The show was small but it went well
and Logan was headed back to his penthouse, slumped in the back of his town car
taking a nap. Shows were physically demanding and Logan hadn’t been sleeping
very well, so it wasn’t hard for him to drift off with the vibrations of the
car. It didn’t take too long to get back to his building though and Logan was
awoken by his driver opening the back door for him.

Logan thanked his driver, Jackson,
and shook his hand as he got out. Jackson had worked for him for many years and
the two were close friends, even though Jackson was his employee. In fact,
Jackson was probably the only person in his daily life who knew the most about
him and Logan trusted him to keep it to himself.

Jackson didn’t ever spread gossip
or rumors but rather listened and acted as a confidant for Logan. The two
sometimes had long conversations while Jackson drove about life or whatever was
on their minds. Logan would often give Jackson large Christmas bonuses so that
he could buy nice gifts for his six children and wife. In return, Jackson was
always there to listen and offer advice when Logan was in need.

The two had spent a few rides
already talking about Caroline in the last week and Jackson shared in Logan’s
pain with him. Jackson had never taken a liking to Gina, so he had no problem
encouraging Logan to find love elsewhere.

Logan entered his building and
stepped onto the glass elevator, leaning back and taking a deep breath as he
rode the elevator up to the penthouse. He was tired and he couldn’t wait to
collapse into bed. His mind was almost entirely blank because he just didn’t
have the energy to even think. As the elevator arrived at the penthouse, Logan
punched in the code to have the door open and walked into the apartment. A few
steps in and he came to an abrupt stop, staring around him.

The apartment looked like someone
had lost their keys and uprooted everything in the place to find them. Pillows
were tossed off the couch, papers were in disarray on the desk and counters,
the pantry was open and messy, and every door was wide open.  Logan was shocked
and slowly walked through the apartment towards the bedroom, only to see that
it was in disarray as well.

All the blankets and sheets were
tossed off the bed, boxes from the closet were pulled out and opened, clothes
were strewn everywhere, and his art supplies were tossed everywhere. Suddenly,
Logan stopped in his tracks again as her looked at his easel by the window
where he had been painting earlier. He had gotten through most of the painting,
except for Caroline’s figure but now there was a gash in the side. 

“What the hell?!” Logan shouted and
rushed over to the easel, picking up the canvas and looking at the front and
back, attempting to see if there was any way to remedy the cut.

“Look who is finally home.” Gina’s
cold voice echoed behind him. Logan twirled around to look at her.

“Gina, what the hell happened here?
The place is a wreck! Were we robbed or something? What happened to my
painting?” He said holding it up. His voice was loud and angry.

“Where were you?” She said, not
answering his questions.

“What do you mean, where was I? At
the job, that YOU scheduled. What is going on, Gina?” He said, the volume of
his voice raising.

“It’s 2am, Logan. That was a small
party. They said it would probably end by 11pm. So, I am going to ask you ONE.
MORE. TIME. Where were you?” Gina said slowly in a low and angry tone.

“Well, it didn’t end at 11pm. Those
suits can party and they did. It was a great show and I got a huge check for
it. I seriously need to tell you where I am at all times now? You’re the one
who made my schedule!” Logan shouted, walking in an intimidating manner over to
Gina.

“Really? How do I know? How do I
know you weren’t at that skank’s apartment cheating on me?” Gina said standing
her ground, looking him straight in the eyes with her hands on her hips.

“What?!” Logan was really yelling
now. “What skank? Gina, this is ridiculous. You wrecked our home because you
thought I was out with some girl? When you KNEW that I was working at a job
that YOU scheduled for me. I am always doing something that YOU scheduled,
practically following your every command. Then you don’t hear from me for an
extra THREE HOURS and you assume I am cheating and so you decide to bulldoze
our house? Do you hear how crazy you sound?”

Gina took a few steps back to put
some distance between them since Logan was yelling and starting to frighten
her. She held her ground however and started yelling back.

“Don’t call me crazy! I know when
something is going on! Who is that girl in the painting? That is the third
picture I have seen you paint of her! And it looks just like that bitch who was
with you Saturday night after the concert who you claimed was just there to buy
a painting.  What do you think I am, an idiot? You’re sleeping with her!”

Logan turned around and walked over
to the window, his fists clenched. He needed to get his anger under control. He
couldn’t stand this. This wasn’t the first time Gina had done something like
this. However, it was the first time that there was a grain of truth to her
insecurities. He felt some guilt over that and knew he needed to calm down and
get control over his emotions immediately. He stood by the minute for a few
more minutes just breathing slowly.

“Gina, I never slept with that
woman. Yes, I have drawn her a few times. I am an artist, we find inspiration
in all kinds of places.” He said more calmly, still facing the window and
looking out at the city roof tops. Gina was quiet behind him for awhile.

“Logan, do you still love me?” Gina
said quietly, her voice walking closer to him.

Logan didn’t respond but just kept
looking out the window. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t fully thought it
threw but now that he was being asked, he realized that he didn’t have the
answer that she wanted to hear.

He didn’t love her anymore. He had
loved her at one point, but the sweet Gina he had met years ago wasn’t the Gina
Vile standing behind him now. He kept his mouth closed because he didn’t know
what he should say and he didn’t want to lie.

“Logan.” Gina asked again. She put
her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Logan took a deep breath and turned around
to face her.

“What do you want me to say, Gina?”
He said softly, looking down at his feet.

“I’m sorry, Logan. I just got
scared. I’m sorry.” Gina said quietly, pulling him towards her, her hands on
his cheeks, “Can you forgive me?”

Logan sighed and nodded his head
yes, allowing her to pull him closer and kiss him. They embraced for a moment
and kissed. It was just a peck, barely anything, before Logan pulled back.

“I’m going to go. I’m going to just
get a hotel room over by the morning show’s building.” Logan said, letting go
of her and walking out of the bedroom. Gina rushed behind him, trying to stand
in front of him.

“Logan, don’t go, please. Stay with
me! I’ll make the bed, we can make up. Please, I will do anything!” Gina begged
him, starting to cry and grabbing at him. He pushed her off him and kept
heading towards the door but she kept grabbing his shirt and dragging behind
him.

“Gina, stop it, let go. I just need
some space. Let go.” He pushed her hands off of him again. She stopped and watched
him hit the elevator button. She stomped her foot and grabbed a pillow on the
floor next to her and threw it at him.

“Fine! Just leave! Fuck you too! You
don’t deserve me, you cheater! I own you, I can ruin you! I have your career in
my hands and I can and will crush it! You can’t screw me over, you fucking
jackass!” Gina screamed at him, continuing to throw whatever was around. Logan
ducked from the objects and shielded his face with his hands.

“Gina, what the hell?! Are you
crazy? Stop it! It’s just one night, I need some space! Get a hold of
yourself!” He shouted back at her, rushing towards her. As he got to her, he
grabbed her arms and held her still. She struggled, trying to hit him. He kept
a firm grip on her. The elevator dinged behind him and the doors opened. He
pushed her firmly back slightly and then let go of her.

“Stop it now, Gina. I will see you
tomorrow. Just need some time away. Stop acting like this, I hate when you do
this.” Logan turned around and walked into the elevator. As the doors closed,
Gina crossed her arms and stared him down. He just stared at her blankly, too
tired to do anything else. As the doors finally closed, he took a deep breath
and closed his eyes. This was his life. He had lived like this for years but
until now, he didn’t realize how much he hated it.

Chapter Nine

“What are you doing here, Logan?
It’s the middle of the night.” Caroline stood in her front doorway, sleepily
looking at Logan leaning against her door frame.

He had come here straight after his
fight with Gina and it was obvious in his appearance. He looked like a mess
with his hair ruffled, bags under his eyes, and a ripped shirt. He didn’t
respond to her but just looked down at his feet and cleared his throat.

He couldn’t believe it, but he felt
tears welling up in his throat. He just kept looking down at his feet and
pushed his hair out of his face. Caroline tipped her head down to get a better
look at his face and saw the twisted look of pain pulled across it.

“Logan.” She said softly, with a sadness
in her voice full of tenderness and empathy. She reached forward and slipped
her hand into his, pulling him into the apartment. She closed the door behind
him and led him to her bedroom. She also closed the bedroom door behind them as
well and then stood in front of him, facing him.

He lifted his head up to look at
her, taking in how beautiful she looked. Even when abruptly woken up out of her
sleep, she still looked beautiful. She was wearing an extra large gym shirt
that hung off of her showing off her long, bare legs. Her hair was down and a
bit ruffled and her face was bare from makeup, but looked the most beautiful
that he had ever seen her look.

“I’m ending it.” He said simply. Caroline
just nodded and then gently pulled his jacket off of him.

He stood there and just allowed her
to do what she wanted. She tossed the jacket on the small chair in the corner
of her bedroom. Then she grabbed the bottom of his shirt, noticing several rips
and stretched areas. She wanted to ask, but knew he couldn’t talk right now. She
lifted the shirt up and he raised his arms to help her while she lifted it up
over his head.

She tossed the shirt on the floor
and paused, looking at his bare skin, dark tattoos, and beautiful abs. She
looked up at him and saw he was intently watching her. She ducked her eyes back
down avoiding his eye contact. His gaze was so intense, she just couldn’t stare
back, afraid she would get lost. She didn’t care why he was here right now, but
she knew something was wrong and that he needed her right now as much as she
needed him.

Her hands moved lower and she
pulled at his belt buckle, undoing it. She picked at the buttons underneath,
finally undoing them and then pushed his pants down his legs, leaving him in
only tight boxer briefs. He stepped out of the pants as she stood back up. She
took his hand in hers again, flipped the light switch off, and climbed into
bed, bringing him with her.

The two found their way under the
covers and Caroline laid her head down on his chest, curling up against his
side. She quietly listened to his heart beat and gentle breathing, her hand
resting on his abs.

“I never wanted to be a famous
singer. Did you know that?” Logan said quietly, his chest rumbling beneath her
cheek. She nodded but stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue.

“I wanted to be an artist. Paint
things that people would travel miles to see. Written up in magazines as
inspirational, phenomenal, one of a kind. Instead, I’m in every tabloid named a
typical rock star. Pictures of girls I don’t even know on my arm, stories of
scandals that aren’t true, and every other stereotype possible. I can make two
million dollars in a single evening but somehow, I am still a dime a dozen.”
Logan continued.

“I never wanted to be a lawyer. Keep
putting off taking the bar exam and just work as a paralegal to keep up the
pretense. My dad wanted me to be a lawyer and I never had the guts to stand up
to him and tell him anything different.” Caroline told him.

“What do you really want to be?”
Logan asked her.

“I want to illustrate books, kids
books or any type of book really.” she answered. He was quiet for a moment.

“You would be amazing at that.” he
said simply, Caroline smiled and squeezed her arm tighter around his abdomen. The
two continued talking about their lives and sharing stories with one another. The
attraction had already been there but now they were learning and loving who
they each were inside.

Logan couldn’t even remember the
last time he had shared personal information like this with anyone or when he
had ever stayed up all night just talking, never running out of things to
share.  It was several more hours until the pair finally drifted off to sleep
and by then the sun was already beginning to peak up above the horizon.

It may have only been a few days
since Logan entered her life, but it felt like an eternity. Caroline was
completely comfortable curled up next to him. This man had taken her on a week
of emotional roller coasters but she didn’t even care. He felt so perfect next
to her and there wasn’t a moment of hesitation in her mind. She wanted him
there and he wanted to be there, and there was nothing else that mattered right
now.

~**~

The sun was super bright the next
morning shining through Caroline’s bedroom window. She groaned as one of the
rays landed right over her light, hazel eyes, forcing her awake. Blinking and
sitting up, Caroline yawned and stretched her arms out. She looked beside her
on the bed and realized that it was empty, she was alone in bed. Had it been
all a dream? She turned and dropped her legs off the side of the bed, standing
up and trotting out into the living room.

“Logan?” Caroline called walking
through the living room and heading to the kitchen. The kitchen was empty too. She
turned back around and walked towards the bathroom. The door was closed so she
knocked on it.

“Logan?” Still no response. She
opened the door to find that the bathroom was empty too. Confused, she walked
back into her bedroom and looked around. She saw something on the floor of her
room pushed to the side. She stepped over and picked it up. It was Logan’s
t-shirt from last night, slightly ripped and wrinkled. He had been here, it
wasn’t a dream. She had spent the night cuddled up against his handsome and
strong body, breathing in his musky, masculine scent.

But now he was gone and she was
alone with nothing to show for her night but a warm dent in her bed and a
tattered, dirty t-shirt. She just stood there for a few more seconds trying to
figure out what to think about this. However, her alarm clock went off and
interrupted her thoughts. She had to get to work on time today after having
been so late yesterday. She quickly dipped through a shower, pulled her hair
back into a bun, and slipped on a pencil skirt and button up blouse. About
fifteen minutes later she grabbed her purse and headed out to work.

“Hi Jeremy!” Caroline said,
bouncing past her doorman so quickly that he didn’t even get the chance to
respond. He just waved as she flew by. If she rushed, then she would have time
to grab a coffee on the way to work and say hi to George.