"I so don't want to work tomorrow," she whined.
"Sucks."
Then it was quiet for a minute.
"So," I started. I don't know if what I said next is—I don't know—normal—but I'd been thinking about it for a while. "I think you should just move your stuff into my room. We could rent out yours and save you some money. Then maybe you can cut back—"
"What?" she cut in. "Like, move in with you?"
"Well, you already live with me—"
"Yeah, I know, but I mean, if we fight, or break up—"
"I don't see that happening. Ever."
She smiled.
Shit. She was so fucking beautiful.
"We're here," the driver stated, pulling up to the front of the house.
I got out first and helped her out. We didn't release each other’s hands.
"Okay," she said.
"Okay?" I stopped walking up the driveway and faced her. The only light was from the moon. There were no streetlights on our road.
"I'll move in."
"Yeah?" I couldn't help the smug grin that took over. Honestly, I was happy she had nowhere to go if I ever pissed her off. She'd have to stay with me.
She nodded. "You're so getting layooked tonight."
I chuckled, and continued walking up the driveway. "It's so fucking dark."
"I know," she agreed. "Ethan always forgets to put the security light on."
We walked to the door and I got my keys out, and then faced her. "Hey."
"What's up?" She was shivering from the cold.
I put my arms around her and held her close. "Thank you for tonight. For all of the nights you give me. Just...thank you."
She pulled away and looked up at me. "You're my person, Logan."
I just shook my head. I had no words. I opened the door and stepped in behind her.
"Hello, son."
Monsters.
Voices.
THIRTY EIGHT
Logan
A light turned on. There were three of them.
"Your mamma told me you'd gotten big, boy." His deep rumble voice echoed in my ears.
This is what nightmares are made of.
"You not going to introduce me to your girl?"
I stood there frozen.
Then her hand curled around my arm. "Logan?"
I turned to her. Her face was pale. Her bottom lip quivered.
I picked her up and rushed to the front door, opening it, and placing her outside. Her panic stricken face turned to shock. "What are you doing?" she cried.
I pulled out my phone and gave it to her. 'Call the police' I mouthed. Then slammed the door shut, making sure to lock it.
"Logan," she shouted, her hand pounding on the door. I ignored it. I had to.
I turned around. The monster stood in front of me.
"You took my girl," the one next to him said. My eyes went to him. I knew him. It was Megan’s monster. The one that was there when I visited her. "You took my girl," he repeated. "And now you have to pay."
I don't know what came first, the fist to my jaw or the bat to my stomach.
Amanda
"Logan!!" I banged on the door harder. I turned the knob. It kept slipping from my hands. "Logan!!"
There was shouting.
Glass breaking.
He told me to do something.
"Logan!" I was crying. My heart pounded against my chest. It hurt so fucking much.
He told me to do something.
I moved to the window and tried to pry it open.
"Logan!!" I looked around. "Help me!! Somebody! Help me!" I yelled into the pitch-black night.
Then I felt his phone in my hand.
Call the cops, he'd said.
"You have to hurry!" I yelled into the phone. I gave them the address. I gave them what they asked for. "Logan! Please!" I banged on the window. There was so much shouting. It felt like hours. I cried harder. My body shook. I needed to break the window. "Oh my God, oh my God." I couldn't see. It was too fucking dark. "Logan!!"
The spare key. In a magnetic holder in the wheel well of Ethan's car. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I walked with my hands out in front of me. Feeling for his car. Fuck. "Help!" I shouted again. I hit something solid and dropped to the ground. I felt for his wheel and where the key was supposed to be. Even if there were light, my tears would stop me from seeing clearly. "Come on, come on!" I felt around. It wasn't there. "Fuck!" I yelled. Then I felt it. I pulled it off and pried it open. The keys fell with a clanking sound onto the concrete. "Fuck!" I felt around blindly, until my fingers hit the cold metal. I don't even know how I got to the door.
And then I opened it.
And he was there.
"Logan!" I shouted. But he didn't respond.
He was being held up by two of them, while the other held a bat in his hands. His head drooped in front of him. There was blood everywhere.
"Logan!" I shouted again, running towards him.
This time he heard me.
"Amanda," he croaked out. His entire face was swollen and bloody. "Go!"
I grabbed onto the arm of one the guys holding him. "Let him go!" I shouted, trying to pry his hold of Logan. "Let him go!"
Logan
"Get off me you little bitch," I heard.
Then a loud thump. I tried to raise my head. But I couldn't. It all hurt too much. It took all my effort to open my eyes. And she was there.
And something in my snapped. "Amanda," I screamed.
Her body was on the floor; she was trying to get up. Then I saw footsteps in my blurred vision, getting closer and closer to her. "Don't you fucking touch her!" I tried to break free but I couldn't. I couldn't fucking get to her. "Amanda!" In my head I was yelling. But outside, I didn't hear a sound. It was static. White noise. Monster's voices.
"Fuck you!" she spat out, her eyes trying to focus on him. He bent down, and then raised his hand.
"Don't you lay a fucking hand on her!" The words were only in my head. My eyes were heavy. I felt nothing everywhere else.
And then he slapped her.
That's the sound that broke the static.
Something came over me. Adrenaline strength I'd only ever read about. I pulled from their holds but I fell to the floor. They'd been holding me up. I was too weak to stand. I started to crawl.
"You take away my girl," the asshole on Amanda said to me. "Now I take yours."
Then he kneeled between her legs and undid his belt.
I crawled as fast as I could. It all happened so slowly.
She tried to fight him off. She raised her arm to hit him. But he blocked it and roughly pinned it onto the floor. She cried out in pain. Tears falling faster. I crawled as fast as I could to save her.
He pushed his pants down to his knees.
"Logan," she cried out. Tears falling down the side of her face. She was helpless. Her body broken. Her eyes focused on me as I crawled pathetically to her.
But I couldn't. I couldn't get to her fast enough. "Logan," she sobbed. She'd given up.
Amanda.
This time, I saw it before I felt it. A boot towards my head.
And then darkness.
But only for a second.
They say your life flashes before your eyes.
It doesn't. Not for me.
All I saw was her.
Her smiling.
Because it was all I ever wanted.
THIRTY NINE