Chapter 13
“Leah!” Carly was yelling, running toward her at full speed. “We have to go right now.”
“What are you talking about?” Leah asked.
“The house was broken into and Mel was hurt.” Carly was on the verge of tears and Leah could tell she was barely holding it together.
“What do you mean Mel was hurt? Is it bad?” Her pulse quickened and her thoughts went straight to Will. Could this have been him?
“No, I don’t think she’s hurt badly but we still need to go.”
Trying to remain calm, she slowly glanced around for Brandon and asked, “What do we do about all these people?”
“Is everything okay girls?” A woman – actually the really nice woman who she had met at the market the other day – asked.
“Oh thank God, Aunt Alice.” Carly hugged her. Aunt Alice? Could this be Brandon’s mom?
“Mel is hurt and Leah and I need to go.”
“Brandon just texted me and said that everything is just fine but that you two were probably leaving. So go,” she said, “and I will handle everything here.”
“Leah let’s go,” Carly said, grabbing her hand.
“Do we know anything else?” Leah asked as they jumped in Carly’s car. She was still trying to stay calm because Carly was scared enough for both of them.
“Mel swears she’s okay but she was knocked out for several minutes.”
“And Brandon’s there?”
“Yeah, Logan called him after he found Mel.”
“Logan found Mel?” Leah was so confused. What was Mel even doing at the house and then why was Logan there?
At the house, they both darted out of the car and saw Brandon standing there talking to one of the EMT’s.
“Bran, is she really okay?” Carly ran up and hugged him.
“She is.” He hugged her back and looked over his shoulder at Leah. “She just has a bump on her head. Go see her.”
Carly ran up the porch and disappeared in the house and that was when Leah finally lost it.
“Oh my God,” she sobbed, tears cascading down her face. “This is my fault, isn’t it?”
He captured her in his arms and stroked her back. “I don’t know anything yet. Neither Melanie or Logan saw anything.”
“Why would he do this?” she said into his chest her tears dampening his shirt.
“I don’t know,” he said into her ear, “but I intend to find out.” He loosened his grip. “Go see Mel, she needs you.”
She nodded and walked up the steps to the house. His touch had given her strength and now she felt like she could take on the world.
Mel was sitting on the couch, Logan next to her holding her hand.
That was new.
But now wasn’t the time to comment.
“Melanie,” she said from just inside the doorway, “you just can’t stay out of trouble, can you?”
She smiled and that had been Leah’s goal. “You know how I like to be the center of attention.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just a little bump on the head.”
“It’s not a little bump on the head,” Logan said. “You have a concussion.”
“Remember when the paramedic said that if something gave me a headache I shouldn’t do it? Well you are giving me a headache.”
“Fine.” He dropped her hand and stood up. “But I’m not leaving.”
The three of them watched him leave the room and walk outside. “What the fuck is up with him?” Carly asked.
“Yeah and why were you two holding hands?” Leah asked and sat down in the spot that Logan had just vacated.
Melanie closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the couch. “I don’t want to think about Logan Graham right now.”
Leah and Carly both looked at each other and made identical ‘what the fuck’ faces.
“Why were you here, at the house?” Leah asked to change the subject.
“I came to get the DVD for the slide show. I told Brandon I was leaving and to let you guys know.”
“He must have forgotten because I was looking for you when I spotted Logan and asked where you were. We both tried calling, only you weren’t answering.”
“Yeah, Logan said he ran into Brandon outside talking to their mom and that’s when he found out that I had come here. So he decided to come and make sure I was okay.”
“Thank God he did,” Carly said looking around. “They really trashed this place. I wonder if they took anything?”
“It looks like all the money items are here,” Mel said. “TV, computer.”
“You don’t have to pretend that we don’t all know that this was Will,” Leah said. She hated that she had put her friends in danger.
“We don’t know that,” Mel said. “I didn’t see anyone and neither did Logan.”
“How many break-ins has Cedarville had in the last year?” She asked. “And you don’t have to lie. I already know the answer. It’s two. And both have been since I’ve been in town.”
“It’s not your fault some asshole is breaking into places,” Carly said.
“You say that now but how long are you going to be on my side? Who does he have to hurt before you all turn on me?” She stood and wiped her eyes. “I shouldn’t have come here.”
She turned to leave.
“OH MY GOD!” Mel shouted. “Can you please stop being a martyr. It’s giving me a fucking headache.”
“Mel –”
“Don’t ‘Mel’ me. You didn’t do this. Get it through your thick skull. And if that douche nozzle hurts anyone else, it still won”t be your fault.” Her voice got softer. “This is where you belong, Leah, so stop trying to leave.”
“Why do you guys want me here so much?” she cried.
Carly stood and came to her, taking her hand in one of her own and grabbing Melanie’s with her other one. “Cause this is home.”
“And when you’re home, we don’t blame you for shit that assholes do,” Melanie put in, making them all laugh.
“I don’t know what I would do without you guys.”
“Your life would go to hell in a handbasket.” Carly squeezed her hand. “Now can you go get that cousin of mine who also happens to be your boyfriend. I want to know what the plan is here.”
Finding Brandon outside talking to another officer, she waited until he was finished.
“Hey,” he said when he saw her. “How’s Mel?”
“Ornery.”
“So basically the same.”
“Yeah,” she laughed. “The girls want to know what’s going on?”
“My guys are canvassing the area and going through the house to see if they can find any clues. They are going to need a list of any valuables to see if anything is missing. But I’m betting not.”
She agreed and was sure that for whatever reason Will did this, it wasn’t to take anything. “What should we do? Go back to the studio?” Until this very second she had forgotten all about the open house.
“Do you want to go back?”
“I don’t know. With all this,” she waved to the house, “I kinda forgot about it.”
“I really see no reason for you not to go back. I can send a couple of deputies with you.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “Can’t you come with us?”
“Do you want me to?”
“I’d feel safer if it was you watching out for me.” She leaned into him and laid her head on his chest. “I trust you.”
He stroked her hair. “I will tell my guys and put Tim in charge here. Give me five minutes.”
During those five minutes, Carly and she put together a list of items that had value, including any jewelry, passports and banking info and where it could be located.
“I wish I could go back with you,” Mel said from her spot on the couch.
“No.” Logan’s voice boomed from behind her. “You need to rest.”
“You are not my boss, Logan Graham.”
“I am if you think you are going back to work.” He relocated closer to the couch and now Leah could see him. And he did not look happy.
“Can someone help me out here?” Mel looked at her and Carly.
“As much as it pains me to say this,” Carly said. “I’m with Logan. You need to rest.”
“Leah,” she pleaded.
“Sorry, but they’re right.”
“So I’m just supposed to what, sit here and do nothing? I’m not allowed to sleep, watch TV or read.”
“I’ll be here,” Logan said. “You can talk to me.”
The look she gave him would have been comical if it wasn’t for the fact that Leah knew how she felt about him.
“I hate you,” she sneered.
“You guys go,” Logan told them. “I will take care of her.”
“Are you also going to clean up in here?” Carly said, looking around the room.
“He will,” Melanie answered. At his glare she added, “If I have to be stuck with you the least you can do is help straighten up.”
Carly and Leah left them to argue, finding Brandon outside waiting on them.
“Are you sure it’s okay if we leave?” Carly asked.
“Totally fine.” He held the car door open for them to climb inside, Leah taking the front seat and Carly sitting in the back.
“We won’t be there much longer,” Leah said. “There is only an hour or so left and then we can come back.”
“Whatever you need,” he said when he climbed in the driver’s side.
They spent the next two hours at the studio, where everyone in town seemed to stop by because they had already heard about the break-in at their home. When the studio was finally empty, both she and Carly were ready to head back home.
“About that,” Brandon said. “I think it might be a good idea if the three of you don’t stay at the house tonight.”
Leah looked at Carly, who answered the same way she would have. “Fine by me.”
“You’re not going to fight me on this?”
“Brandon, I may be stubborn but I’m not an idiot. And staying in a house that was just ransacked, would make me an idiot.”
“You guys are welcome to stay with me,” he told them, looking right at Leah.
“What about Mel?” Carly asked. “Where is she staying?”
“Logan is trying to get her to stay at his place.”
“How ‘bout I stay there with Mel so that she doesn’t kill Logan and Leah you can stay with Brandon?”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I can stay with you guys.”
“You are not staying at Logan’s,” Brandon said sternly.
Leah rolled her eyes and shooed him with her hand. “Seriously Carls, I don’t want you to have to take care of Melanie alone.”
“I won’t be alone and if earlier is any indication, I don’t think I am going to have to lift a finger.”
“Decision made,” Brandon said. “Let’s get out of here and go and get your stuff.”
He took them back home where they found Melanie and Logan were already gone but the house looked a little better.
They both packed a bag and Brandon drove them to Logan”s, stopping first at Carly’s dad’s house to pick up her dog Max.
“I need to go back and do some work,” Brandon told her, taking her hand across the console after Carly had gotten out. “And I am not comfortable leaving you alone. What would you think about staying here for a few hours?”
She didn’t love the thought of being separated from him and that scared her more than the thought of someone trying to hurt her. But she knew he needed to do his job and that he wouldn’t be able to if she wasn’t safe.
“I can do that.” She squeezed his hand. “How long will you be gone?”
“No more than three hours,” he promised. “It’s three now,” he said looking at his watch, “so I will be back to get you by six and we can have dinner at my place.”
She was silent, her mind reeling from all the events of the day.
“Is something wrong?”
“This is just so unreal,” she said. “I mean, why is Will doing this?” He had seemed like such a nice guy all those years she knew him. And yeah, she knew that her dad and uncle had made his life a living hell, but it wasn’t her fault.
“You know it’s not your fault right?”
She gave him a small smile. “Carly and Mel let me have it earlier when I said I should just leave.”
His eyes widened. “You wanted to leave town?”
“I didn’t want to leave town but I thought it might be for the best.”
He stared down at their joined hands. “Don’t leave,” he whispered raw emotion in his voice. And in that moment, her heart which had been slowly tumbling, took a headfirst dive right off the cliff and straight into love.
“Hey,” she said. When he still didn’t look at her she said it again. “Hey.” Lifting his head, she saw his fear. “I’m not leaving. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t. This place, in two short weeks, has become more my home than New York ever was.”
“I know this is fast, believe me I know. But Leah, the way I feel about you, the way you make me feel about myself, it’s big.”
If she was unsure or questioned his honesty, this would have changed her mind. His words were so full of love – or at least she hoped – and that couldn’t be faked. But she was sure. If she knew nothing else in this fucked up life of hers, she knew her heart.
“Gigantic,” she said and kissed him. His hands gripped her face and all the love that they had but were afraid to say, poured from their bodies. She was so caught up and just about to climb over the middle of the seat when a knock on the window stopped her.
“You know you have a perfectly good house you could do that at,” Logan said from outside the car.
“Fuck,” Brandon swore and let her go. “I hate you!” he shouted to Logan through the closed window.
Leah smiled which was a miracle in the midst of all that was happening. “You should go anyway.”
“I hate leaving you,” he said as she opened the door, forcing Logan to step back.
“I’ll be safer here. Go. Do your job and hurry back to me.” She shut the door.
Logan was standing with his hands in his pockets rocking back and forth on his heels. “I thought you were going to Brandon’s?”
“He’s going to work and will be back in a couple of hours.”
“All right then. I guess it’s just me and three beautiful women.”
The window to Brandon’s car rolled down and he shouted, “Hands off my woman, Logan!”
“Possessive, isn’t he?” Logan wagged his eyebrows at her.
She bit her lip and laughed. “Yeah he is. But you know what,” she started walking to his house, “so am I.”