Chapter 7 – Logan
Seven
LOGAN
Staring at my daughter, I try to process what she is telling me, but I’m so pissed that I can’t.
This afternoon, with everything that happened, I didn’t think to get into what actually happened with Zuri, or how she ended up needing to go to the hospital for stitches.
I knew that she said she got pushed and fell and ended up hitting her head.
I didn’t know she was shoved by some boy who did it with the intention of causing her harm.
And that is not something she said when we were at the hospital, and the doctor asked her what happened.
“Then the kid, like, totally laughed when he saw that she was bleeding and took off with a group of boys on their bikes, one of the boys was Jacob. He’s in my grade. I think it was his little brother who shoved her; they look almost alike.”
“You’re sure about this?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes.
“Yes, Megan and I saw the whole thing happen.”
“Do you know Jacob’s last name?” I ask as Coop comes into the kitchen.
“Stevens.” My jaw gets hard. I don’t know a Jacob Stevens, but I do know a Willie Stevens.
He’s my age, maybe a couple years older.
His wife is known for causing issues around town, not to mention they are both racist fucks who have no issue using the N word or telling people who don’t look like them to go back to their country.
“Matthew Stevens pushed her?” Coop asks, and I look at my son when his eyes come to me. “He’s the kid in my class who is always picking on her. He picks on everyone.” He frowns, looking at his sister. “Was it Matthew?”
“I don’t know who the kid was,” Billie tells him.
“I’ll talk to Nalia and have her ask Zuri who the boy was,” I say, and leave out that I’m also going to tell her that she needs to file charges against the kid who shoved her.
There is a difference between shit happening between kids and someone accidentally getting hurt in the process, and someone intentionally setting out to harm someone else.
And I might be old school, but that shit is absolutely unacceptable when it comes to a boy putting his hands on a girl, and I don’t care what age they are.
And from what Billie told me, what that kid did was intentional.
“But Zuri’s okay, right?” Coop asks.
“Yeah, bud, she’s alright,” I assure him. “And I’m sure you can call her later to check on her yourself.”
“Okay,” he agrees.
“Now.” I look between him and his sister.
“The three of us need to have a talk.” When I was able to check my phone after I left Nalia’s house, I found a long ass text from Kristy telling me that I need to insist the kids spend time with her, like it was somehow my fault that they have been avoiding her.
When I read that message, I wanted to tell her to fuck off but starting a fight with my ex won’t do anyone any good.
I know at the end of the day the kids need their mom, and I’ll always do what I can to make sure they have a relationship with her.
“Oh great.” Billie groans, and Coop grins at his sister’s dramatics.
“You know I have no issue with you being home with me, but you both need to spend some time with your mom; she misses the two of you.”
“She has Aaron and…”
“Yeah, but you’re her kids,” I cut Billie off before she can continue. “And I understand that it’s a little awkward at her house right now, but maybe you can see if she wants to get dinner or go to a movie.”
“But she’ll bring Aaron with her.”
“Maybe,” I agree, ignoring her glare, then ask. “You two know she loves him, right?”
“Yes,” Billie snaps while Coop presses his lips together.
“And you know she loves you both, right?”
“Yes,” Billie snaps again, and Coop nods.
“Then don’t you think so it would be pretty unfair of you to try to get her to choose between you guys.” I ask then continue softly watching Billie’s bottom lip quiver. “Though I think we all know that she would choose you two, it’s just up to you guys if you’re going to make her do that.”
“Fine,” Billie whispers with tears filling her eyes. “But I’m not staying at their house.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart.”
“Good.” She swipes the tears from her cheeks, and I look at Coop.
“Bud?”
“Okay, Dad,” he agrees.
“Come here.” I hold my arms open while looking at Billie and she slides off her stool and comes around the island to me. As she falls against me I wrap her in a tight hug and kiss the top of her head.
“Oh, we’re group hugging.” I smile when Coop comes over and wraps his arms around us.
“I love you both.” I lean back to look at the two of them.
“You know that?” When they both nod, I tip my head towards the entryway for the kitchen.
“Good, now maybe give your mom a call and try to make plans for tomorrow.”
“Fine,” Billie mutters and looks at Coop. “Come on.”
With his shoulders slumped, he leaves the kitchen with his sister, and I pick up my cell.
I type out a message to Kristy letting her know I spoke with the kids and that they will be calling. After pressing send, I pull up my message string between Nalia and me and tell her to call me when she has a minute, and a second later, my cell rings.
“Hey,” I answer, putting my cell to my ear. “That was fast.”
“Sorry, I just thought maybe something happened,” she says softly.
“How’s she doing?”
“Still asleep, my parents are on their way and are bringing food, so I’m going to wake her soon and have her eat something so I can give her some more Motrin.”
“That’s good.”
“Is everything okay?”
I drop my eyes to the countertop. “Billie and Coop got home a little bit ago, and Billie filled me in on what she saw happen today.”
“What did she say?”
“That she saw a kid shove Zuri, then he laughed when he saw she was bleeding.”
“He laughed?” she repeats, sounding horrified.
“That’s what she said. She also thinks the boy is Jacob Stevens’ brother, named Matthew. She doesn’t know that for sure, but I think you need to call the police department and file a report and press charges if Zuri can tell you who this kid is.”
“When she wakes up, I’ll ask her if she knows who the boy was; if she doesn’t, I’ll have her call Heather. I think she saw who it was; maybe she knows him.”
“That’d be good, baby.”
“Thanks for letting me know, and tell Billie thanks again for everything.”
“I’ll do that, and let me know what Zuri says.”
“Okay.” She agrees as her doorbell rings. “Sorry, that’s my parents, I need to get off."
“No problem, we’ll talk later.”
“Sure, have a good night.”
Dropping my cell to the counter after she hangs up, I wrap my hand around the back of my neck. “What the fuck are you doing, Logan?” I sigh.
Over the years, I’ve casually dated a few women, but I’ve never been seriously interested in any of them enough to pursue things past the occasional hook-up.
My focus has been my kids and my business, so it figures that I’ve found myself fascinated with a woman who seems like she could give or take me and is going to make me work for every inch I gain with her. “Fuck me.”
* * *
Laid out on my U-shaped couch in the basement with a pillow under my head and a movie playing on the TV, I half-listen to Coop, who is sprawled out on the opposite side of the couch, talk to Zuri on his iPad.
Neither of them have said much about much, their conversation has mostly involve them sharing what kind of fruits or vegetables they are growing in whatever game it is they are playing.
At one point, I did hear Coop ask if Matthew was the one who pushed her yesterday.
I tried to listen for her response, but couldn’t make anything out with how quiet her answer was, so I’m honestly not sure if she even told him.
Then again, when I checked in with Nalia again last night, she told me that Zuri didn’t know for sure who shoved her because there had been a whole group of boys bothering her and her friend.
And the two of them had their backs to them when the incident happened.
Though she also said she wasn’t sure if she believed her because when she asked her, Zuri got nervous, as if she didn’t want to talk about it.
“Dad, can we go get Sonic?” Coop asks dragging me from my thoughts and I look over at him.
“Your mom is going to be here to pick you up any minute to take you and your sister to dinner.”
“Oh, right,” he mutters.
“We can get Sonic tomorrow after school.”
“I want Sonic,” Zuri says in the background, and Coop grins, then looks at me.
“Can we eat with Zuri again like we did the other day when you picked us up?”
“Sure, if Nalia says that’s cool,” I mutter, wondering if Nalia is going to be pissed that the kids being friends means she can’t avoid me like she might want to.
“You should ask her,” Coop tells his iPad.
“I will, she’s on the phone right now.” She says as the doorbell upstairs rings and Dozer starts to bark.
“That’s probably your mom, bud,” I sit up and get to my feet.
“Ugh, Zuri, I have to go my mom’s here.”
“Okay, bye, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, later.” He gets to his feet and then tosses his iPad down on the couch.
“You ready?” I ruffle his hair.
“I guess.” He trudges towards the stairs, and I follow him up to the first floor and find Dozer waiting by the door but Billie nowhere in sight.
“Go on and get your sister and put on your shoes.”
“Okay, Dad.” He heads up the stairs while I go to the front door and swing it in.
“Hey.” Kristy smiles.
“Where’s Aaron?” I step back to let her inside.
“Home, I thought it might be good for just me and the kids to hang out.”
“You think that’s smart?” I ask quietly as she leans down to rub the top of Dozer’s head.
“Yes, why?”
“They need to get comfortable around him; that’s not going to happen if they don’t spend time with him.”
“They’ve spent time with him, but things have been tense, and I just want to enjoy an evening with my kids. We can all hang out another time.”
“Alright,” I mutter, knowing that I’m not going to be able to change her mind. That is something I learned while we were married, and it used to frustrate the shit out of me. Not because I needed to constantly be right but because there was no give on her end.
“How is your friend’s daughter?” She changes the subject.
“Zuri’s alright, she got a few stitches, but she’ll be okay.” I don’t correct her on the relationship between Zuri and Nalia, it’s none of her business.
“That’s good,” she says softly, then adds. “Cooper was worried when he found out what happened to her.”
“Yeah, he and Zuri have become pretty good friends this year at school.”
“Is that how you know her and her mom?”
“Ready,” Cooper says, bouncing down the stairs, cutting into our conversation.
“Where’s your sister?” I ask him as Kristy opens her arms for him to give her a hug.
“I’m here,” Billie says from the top of the stairs, taking them much slower than her brother did, then her eyes scan the foyer. “Is Aaron in the car?”
“Nope, he stayed home, it’s just us tonight,” Kristy tells her, and Billie visibly relaxes at the news.
“Where are we going?” Coop asks.
“I was thinking that we could go to the bowling alley in Franklin and eat there while we bowl.”
“Cool.” His whole face lights up.
“Did you want to come?” Kristy asks, focusing on me.
“I have some stuff to do, I’ll probably head over to the shop for a couple hours.”
“Aww, come on, Dad, it will be fun,” Coop pouts.
“Another time, kid.” I ruffle his hair as Kristy opens the door. “Go enjoy some time with your mom.”
“Fine,” he mutters, following Kristy out of the house.
“Are you sure you can’t come?” Billie asks quietly.
“I’m sure.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Go have fun with your mom and brother.”
“Bowling is only fun when you’re ten.”
“Then pretend that you’re ten.” I lead her out the door.
“Shotgun,” Coop calls as he jogs towards his mom’s car.
“Great,” Billie groans, and I laugh.
“You’ll be fine.” I kiss the side of her head, then open the back door for her.
“I should have them home around seven-ish,” Kristy says, looking back at me as she gets into the driver’s seat.
“Sounds good, have fun.” I step back and slam Billie’s door then wait with Dozer at my side as they back out of the driveway.
“Come on,” I call Dozer and head back to the house. As I’m changing out the kids’ laundry a few minutes later, my cell beeps with a message so I pull it out of my back pocket.
Nalia
Zuri just told me that we are going to Sonic after school tomorrow
Grinning, I message her back a single word.
Yep!